What do nurses enjoy most about their job?

Hi! I love being a nurse! It fulfills my need to help better situations. Some of which maybe only holding a hand and crying with them. Then there are days where you know that you really made a difference in a person or family’s life. I advocate for the patients and their families. I translate the doctoriez and help the people understand what has been said to them. There are days that are frustrating, sad, and all I want to do is go home and cry. Then the next day it will be totally different and you go home knowing that you have touched a life and helped someone have a better day. I'm a Oncology Nurse and have been for over 27 years and love it. Many years ago someone told me that a cure for cancer would put me out of a job. I said " great! I hope so". I do bedside nursing and love it! I work with the patients and their families. I educate them about what their choices are and how they can do what they feel is right for them. I hope that before I retire from nursing I will work in Hospice care and help people have the comfortable, peaceful death; surrounded by their family and friends. There are many types of nursing; travel nursing, doctors office, corp heath dept, and school nursing are just a few and it's changing all the time. I hope that this helps! (Entering this answer for a friend who is a nurse).

Taking care of people. That's the best part of being a nurse. The rest supports this. As a nurse practitioner I combine the best of care and science for patients. I like the teaching we get to do with patients, our students (RN & NP) and the community.

Top 10 Reasons To Become A Registered Nurse

1) Caring for people. As a young girl, I enjoyed the feeling of helping others. Nursing is a hands on way to help people who are in need, with that comes a rewarding feeling. From calming a crying child with an ear infection, to holding a dying man's hand, nursing is the art of caring.

2) Sharing your knowledge. Almost every aspect of nursing involves teaching and sharing your knowledge to promote health. Teaching others to care for themselves requires that a nurse be well versed in everything medical. From teaching a patient about their medications, to explaining signs of a heart attack, or showing a young mother how to care for her baby; nurses share their knowledge daily.

3) Gaining knowledge. Working with a wide range of people from all walks of life, and situations from birth to death and everything in between, nurses learn about life, love and how to cope with every situation that will come down the pike.

4) Comfortable uniforms. True, uniforms might NOT be the fashion statement of the century, but it is quick, easy and comfortable to wear scrub uniforms. It means you can spend a lot more money on fashionable "street" clothes since you don't need to wear them everyday.

5) Flexible hours. As a nurse you can work any shift that works with your personal life: from full-time to part-time, three 12 hour shifts, four 10 hour shifts, or five 8 hour shifts, day shift, evening shift or night shift, most nurses find a way to successfully juggle work and family.

6) Variety. Nurses work in hospitals, doctor offices, in administrative roles, in schools and businesses and in people's homes. You can work with babies, children, teens, adults or the elderly , whatever specialty you choose; the Emergency Room, operating room, pediatrics, medical/surgical units, Intensive care, maternity, oncology or hospice. Whatever you prefer- the possibilties are as varied as the people you care for. I have done a variety of nursing jobs during my career, and though I love having so my options for work, I prefer working in a hospital, with adult patients.

7) Coworkers. Nurses are a fun and funny bunch. Because we deal with life AND death, we help each other and care for each other as we face life's daily challenges. Nurses love to laugh, so there is always comic relief (or a shoulder to cry on) depending on what is needed at the end of the day.

8) Continuing your education. As we live we need to grow and learn- we all need to be perpetual learners to thrive in life. As a registered nurse, you can begin with the minimal education of an associate's degree ( 2 years of college) usually a specialty program at a community college. Most nurses have their Bachelor's degree (4 years of college) as their basic education. Many nurses continue their education and get their Masters degree (2 additional years) so that they can become educators, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Anesthetists, or managers.

9) Pay. Depending on your education level, your role and chosen specialty, nurses generally make a decent living. At my hospital, nurses starting salary is about $34 an hour, or around $50,000 a year. With a Master's Degree a few years experience and working as a Nurse Practitioner, you could expect close to $100,000 a year or approximately $50 an hour. Not a bad living, and there is always a need for nurses, so unemployment is rare.

10) There is no other job I'd rather do. I love being a nurse. I love helping people, sharing my knowledge, learning from others, wearing scrubs ( almost as comfy as pajamas) to work, working whatever shift that blends with my family needs. I love working in a Short Procedure unit, I prepare patients of all ages for surgery, and care for them until they are ready to go home), I adore my coworkers all wonderful men and women. I love to continue to learn and have my Bachelor's degree, a few Master's classes and specialty certification under my belt. I make decent money doing a job I love. If you love what you do, and do what you love, you'll never regret working a day of your life. Best Wishes, Sue C, RN, BSN. CAPA (posting this answer on behalf of a friend who is a nurse)

Why I love my vocation as a nurse. Nursing is a wonderful career option for many reasons. In the current job market nurses are always in demand. I have found it a joy to feel my profession is a well respected and desired field. As a wife and new mother nursing gives me the flexibility to work off shift hours and part time. I have been an RN with my bachelors degree for 6 years. Though my job as an intensive care nurse can be difficult physically and emotional it is worth it. I have gained so much by caring for my patients and their families. Somedays I am doing cpr and savings lives or the next day doing mundane tasks of bathing and helping a patient to the bedside toilet. By it bring a sense of worth and meaning to my life. My heart has been touched countless times from caring and giving my time to my patients. (entering this answer from a friend who is a nurse)

best = being told by patients and / or their families that they really appreciate what you do for them.

talk a look at this site for views from a lot of other nurses!