Define "helping people" (turning tables)

2 I had to start a thread...I see a lot of people on here that want to change careers and go into nursing to "help people" or that's their reason for doing nursing as a first career. I have to admit, I wanted/still want to "help people", but I realized that nursing is about more than "helping people". You can "help people" in any career...so, I am turning the tables, all you people who are looking into nursing or nursing students, can you define what you mean that you want to "help people". Do you have any idea what kind of nursing you want to do, where do you see yourself in five years after nursing school, how exactly do you want to "help people"?
Since I'm hoping my love if trauma stays thru nursing school, I see my 'helping' as providing aid and comfort to individuals when their condition makes it unable for them to do it themselves or for their loved ones to do so. To me, getting a patient stabilized and in to their next step be it the OR, ICU, etc. is an essential 'helpful' item/thing in their survival and I want/will do what needs to be done to achieve that.Hopefully that makes sense.

Okay, I'll bite.I went into nursing because ever since I was a little kid I thought nurses were cool.I went into nursing because I hated sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day (which I did for several years).I went into nursing because each tidbit I learned about the human body fascinated me more than the one before it.Now, my favorite days are when my patient is so acutely ill that I am stretched to the very edge of my capabilities.However, the days I go home with a peaceful heart are the ones when my patient's family (I work Newborn ICU) confides their fears in me and I'm able to listen to them and validate them. I guess that's helping people.Oh, yeah, and I save lives - depending on the circumstances that may or may not be helping people (clarification: some of my cases involve ethical dilemmas and moral distress).

Growing up with a RN for a mother and a chief radiographer for a father I grew up around doctors, nurses and everything medical. Read mums old textbooks and med dictionary for fun and understood most of it. Before I started school I could read an X-ray! Im an ED nurse and love it, my sense of 'helping people' is when someone comes in in pain and leaves with a diagnosis or pain free. If I can help ease the pain for a family whose husband,father or brother was just killed, I can leave happy!

Thanks. I meant this question towards the people who are looking into nursing because they want to "help people", not so much for the nurses who have been in the field awhile. But, since it went there...I want to be able to educate people to empower them to make informed decisions about their health and well being; be in a position that challenges me with problems that need to be solved; and that I can use (and build on) the strengths of a community and add my skills and knowledge to combat the weaknesses/issues, in order to leave the community better off to deal with certain issues in the present and prevent them from occurring in the future. I enjoy collaborating with community outreach agencies with the goal of getting people what they need, in order to live a better life. I think it's important to consider the big picture and how a person's environment, their support system (or lack there of), socioeconomic situation, and their habits and lifestyle can impact their overall health. I think health care is a right, not a privilege and that everyone should have access to care, regardless of their ability to pay (or where they live...). That's why I want to be a public health nurse. I help by ensuring access to the healthcare and other resources (including education as it relates to health promotion and disease/disability prevention) that a person or community needs to maintain an optimal level of health and well-being. Sometimes, I just think "help people" is a very vague phrase that can be applied to many occupations. I guess what I am getting at is people should ask themselves--"what do I expect from a nursing career?", "what do I like about my current job/career?", "what do I hate about my job/career?", etc.

I became a nurse to promote physical and mental health for patients. Showing patients they have the strength they never thought they had.

I want to be a CDE eventually. I want to work with under served diabetic populations (Hispanic, Native American, and people living in poverty) teaching them ways to manage the disease and not slowly kill themselves. I am really passionate about health advocacy as well, and I feel that being a nurse is the best way to accomplish that. I have been the patient all my adult life, and I can say I also want to be the good part of nursing and that the callous uncaring bad part. I have a strong drive to help people get better or live better with disease.

Quote from wish_me_luckSometimes, I just think "help people" is a very vague phrase that can be applied to many occupations. I guess what I am getting at is people should ask themselves--"what do I expect from a nursing career?", "what do I like about my current job/career?", "what do I hate about my job/career?", etc.

I'm a second career nursing student. I'm 42. This is the only career that fits all my criteria:Physically demanding (can't help it, I love being physically pushed)Will last for the 20 years I needIs recession proof (although not as much as I first thought)Pays the billsIs interestingIsn't behind a deskHas tons of optionsYes, somewhat will help peopleIs in a science based field (I'm a science nerd)I "helped people" in my last job as a personal trainer. I "helped people" for the last 13 years as a stay at home mom. That's not my motivation. I need to be able to pay my bills in a way that doesn't drive me crazy, and, I hope, nursing does that for my family.

Quote from KAR813Since I'm hoping my love if trauma stays thru nursing school, I see my 'helping' as providing aid and comfort to individuals when their condition makes it unable for them to do it themselves or for their loved ones to do so. To me, getting a patient stabilized and in to their next step be it the OR, ICU, etc. is an essential 'helpful' item/thing in their survival and I want/will do what needs to be done to achieve that.Hopefully that makes sense.

Gosh - it makes me very happy to know that my colleagues are such a dedicated and altruistic bunch. Honestly, the whole 'ministering angel', 'helping' thing was not a real driver for me. I wanted to do something meaningful - that makes a difference in peoples' lives - not really connected to any sort of public acclaim because I really don't like that. I also needed something that was intellectually challenging (my brain made me type that). But my truest and most durable motivator is .... Control. Yes, I am a control-enthusiast. Can you think of a better job for people like me? We (ICU nurses) can control all vital functions - ventilation, IABP, VADs, dialysis, IICP pressure, hemodynamics. . . yep, that's for me! Very satisfying. And of course, we're 'doing good' and 'making a difference' also - nothing like successfully battling the Grim Reaper & helping extend someone's life to put a spring in your step.

I am reminded of an episode of the show, "Scrubs" in which they show a montage of residents getting interviewed, and every single one says "I want to help people." I immediately made a mental note to at least say something kind of different to stand out from the crowd. Since I went into nursing with an eye on hospice, I can say that I find the transition from life to death to be one of the most important that we will ever make, but one that frightens or upsets almost everybody involved. I want to serve as a compassionate intermediary and teacher during this important time. I want to support people who feel like they are alone in their fear or grief, and ensure that whatever final sensations my client may feel in this world, they are free of pain.Specifics are always better than generalizations. This was a great question and actually got my brain working a bit!

Thanks. I am being sincere about asking themselves "what they expect from a nursing career?" "likes/dislikes about previous job", etc. because if they are currently a desk job person that gets evenings/nights, weekends, holidays, etc. off and really likes that best about their current job but wants a job that helps people and also want to make big bucks, so they automatically think nursing....um, that isn't going to happen. The nursing jobs that generally give weekends, holidays, etc. off are like clinics/health depts/ etc. and they tend to get paid lower because of that reason and they don't have the stress level (let's be honest here) that say an ICU nurse has (I have to admit though, I think ortho nurses/hip and knee replacement units are very stressful because they have to patients up out of the bed and going not too long after surgery (like 24 hrs) and they do a lot of transfusions and having to get patients ready for PT...that was one unit that was not my cup of tea at all--run, run, run all day long--kudos to you, ortho nurses) Anyway, I have seen quite a few people who want decent money from nursing, yet do not want to work holidays, weekends, nights, and do not want to clean incontinent patients, etc. I think people really need to think about what they are getting themselves into. Also, if the economy was good, would they still want to do nursing? I think in a couple of years or so, the economy will get better and the tables will turn, yet again, with employers and nursing jobs (or any other job).