Don't let nursing career feel like a laundry list

Sometimes not feeling like a chore girl is difficult. I have been at it for 27 years and I still mostly love my job. I have worked in many settings and have had many different kinds of patients. The best thing, for me, is being able to really make a difference in someone's life. The opportunities arise frequently. You just have to care enough to take the time and sometimes have the courage to advocate for the patient. Sometimes it is just listening and having compassion and empathy. It is never just about medicine and treatments for the truly good nurse.

I have avoided the complacency mode, by changing specialty areas and hospitals. I am a lifetime Agency Nurse, but I have worked for several years as an employee of 3 different downtown teaching hospitals. I like moving around form time to time - keeps me on my toes, and tests the brain.

its hard work no matter what but i dont agree with the author that if you dont do it for 'the right reasons' you burn out after 2 years but if you stay for 25 years you musta got into the profession for the 'right reasons' thats how i interpreted some of the content.i think it can go both ways.for me its the little immediate things in a shift like the elderly person whowas bed ridden for days is now clean up oob to a chair and just looks and feels a little bit better than yesterday.

I love the metaphor, and thanks it was a nice pick me up after the bedtime story had me crying like a baby! I can't wait to get back into nursing school now!! Much love!!!!!

thanks for the wonderful message!Eva

I'd been in nursing for over 30 years, been in different specialty area . I can look back and most treasure my time in the oncology unit,where if nursing is deep in your heart and soul, that is a place where u can actually give it all out and not feel that its only a laundry list of task. Now I work in a critical care, and its almost hard sometimes to balance the list of task, the hurriedness and the stats. Its almost impossible sometimes to fully expand your time for everyone. I feel like the moment I walk in the unit, I already have a long list of task to do so if I made it through the day and the patient survives inspite of the odds, I have done the duty I was placed there to do. Theres a lot of difficult task that we are expected to do as a nurse and I bow my head for everyone in these profession..