Working as a nurse can sometimes be incredibly stressful and hectic. The hours can be unpredictable, and it might feel as though you’re not being fully appreciated all the time. However, nursing is also one of the most fulfilling jobs out there. In this blog, we will discuss the perks of working in the field of nursing and why every nurse should feel happy about all of the good they’re offering to the world.
When it comes to nursing, it’s very important to maintain a sense of happiness. However, many nurses may feel overwhelmed by their hectic schedules and may also feel a lack of appreciation. Although nurse's week happens once a year, the rest of the time, nurses may feel as though people aren’t paying attention to all they offer on a daily basis.
In addition, there is often a lot of negativity in the world. Watching the news or visiting a social media site may seem like a leisurely activity, but it can often lead to high levels of stress. Particularly when it comes to healthcare, there are always new battles to be fought and tension surrounding different methodologies and opinions, and this can translate to stress for some nurses.
With all this negativity mounting outside the workplace, it’s become very difficult for many nurses to maintain a level of happiness inside the workplace. Working in a hospital setting where every action or decision you make faces dire consequences is stressful enough. Add the recent turmoil within the healthcare industry to the equation, and it’s easy to understand why Registered Nursing ranked 4th in Forbes rankings of the unhappiest jobs.
Why Are Some Nurses Unhappy?
According to the Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report from 2017, there are several reasons why nurses find themselves becoming frustrated or dissatisfied with their jobs. Some of the top reasons why nurses feel unsatisfied in their jobs are:
- The requirement to work long hours, including nights, holidays, and weekends
- The lack of respect they receive from co-workers
- The necessity of dealing with administration and office politics
- Being paid a low salary
- The amount of documentation that is required
In addition, among the nurses who reported being unsatisfied with their jobs, many of them showed interest in other options. For example, 28% of dissatisfied CNSs stated that they would be seeking out early retirement. Furthermore, 14% of dissatisfied LPNs reported that they were looking to leave the nursing profession to seek out other forms of employment.
Thus, it’s fair to say that many nurses are not entirely satisfied with their jobs. While that is completely understandable, it’s important for nurses to feel a sense of happiness when it comes to their professional lives.
Why Should Nurses Be Happy?
Few other occupations provide such meaningful responsibilities that promote positive change quite like nursing. One of the most important questions someone can ask themselves is: “Am I making the world a better place?” Nurses have the amazing ability to answer “yes” to that question on a daily basis.
Nursing is all about helping those who cannot help themselves. In its truest form, being a nurse means loving and caring for people who are coming to you in their weakest moments. Patients are often as scared and vulnerable as they’ve ever been when interacting with nurses. However, they tend to confide in nurses and place a great deal of trust in their care. That level of responsibility cannot be taken lightly.
However, along with that responsibility comes a sense of accomplishment and pride. Nurses are highly valuable within any medical field. Hospitals, doctor’s offices, emergency clinics, and various other medical facilities would cease to function without nurses. Thus, as a nurse, it’s important that you find the time to praise yourself on your level of compassion as well as indispensability.
When you consider everything at hand, you could make the argument that not only should all nurses be happy, but it’s also their responsibility to be happy. Patients rely on the attitude of their nurses for comfort and strength when they are in a situation that requires medical care.
What Makes Nurses Happy?
In an article posted on TravelNursing.com, Marsha King, Chief Nursing Officer at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in South Bend, Indiana, went over some of the ways in which satisfaction can be improved in the nursing profession.
In the article, King noted that “she has no trouble recruiting and has noticed a difference in the work environment, turnover rates, and general satisfaction since reducing nurse-patient ratios, involving nurses in practice governance, and improving the support of new hires.”
Thus, it can be seen that nurses gain great satisfaction from being supported and being involved in the dynamic aspects of their work environment. Nurses tend to be very hands-on and driven individuals, so they require the autonomy to make decisions and play a vital role in their workplace. At the same time, they are also often very compassionate and sensitive by nature, and so receiving proper support can greatly improve their overall satisfaction.
Conclusion: Why Every Nurse Should Be Happy
It can be a challenge to keep a positive attitude all the time, even when working in a rewarding field like nursing. However, it’s important to remember that, as a nurse, you are invaluable to your workplace. Without nurses, patients wouldn’t receive the compassion and support they need when going through some of the most challenging periods in their lives.
eMedCert is a proud supporter of our country’s nurses. We believe that all nurses should be properly supported and recognized in their workplace. This is why we offer fully online PALS, ACLS, and BLS certification and recertification courses. It’s our hope that we can alleviate some of the stress put on nurses by allowing them to receive certifications online at their own pace.
For more information on the courses we offer, visit our website or send us a message