The Non-Financial Rewards of Nursing: Why Nursing Is Worth More Than Its Salary

The Non-Financial Rewards of Nursing Nursing is consistently ranked as a high satisfaction, and very meaningful profession % Reporting High Job Satisfaction % Reporting High Job Meaning Profession 73% Registered Nurse 80% 67% Lawyer 40% 89% Chief Executive 74% 72% Accountant & Auditor 40% 71% Mechanical Engingeer 54% When nurses are truly satisfied with their jobs, they feel that they are doing what they have been called to do. It becomes more of a vocation than a job. The passion of caring for others is seen in every interaction and aspect of their work. - Lauren Lloyd The Ten Highest Satisfaction Specializations 100% 90% 80% Education Oncology Rehab Other OR/PACU School Nurse Medical/Surgical What are the Personal Qualities of a Great Nurse? "In my humble opinion, the personal qualities of a great nurse are compassion, intelligence and the ability to see the bigger picture. Healthcare is complex, however the nurse remains steadfast in their role as the patient's advocate and care giver. If they are lacking in compassion and caring, it becomes harder to aggressively advocate for your patient." - Joan Spitrey "A great nurse combines high intellectual and critical thinking capabilities with a caring, compassionate heart." - Tish Conejo "In a word, caring. Genuine passion and concern for humanity. Connectivity. Someone who loves science and understands the body and how it works. Someone who appreciates the blend of science with the art of people skills." - Susan Larson The Top Firve Reasons Nurses Love Their Jobs The variety of fields and specializations Working directly with patients and making a difference in their lives 3 The scientific nature of the work 4 Perks: salaries, healthcare benefits, relatively flexible scheduling Work environment: fast-paced, meaningful work requiring critical thinking When you do a career that genuinely impacts someone's life then it's a pleasure. It outweighs any perks you may get to the job. For instance, in my nursing job I get free private healthcare and gym membership- just for being a nurse! But a simple 'thank you' from my patient I have cared for far outweighs any job perk. - Rebecca Lobb The Top Five Reasons Nurses Dislike Their Jobs 1 Long shifts and "self-scheduling" rules Regulatory requirements take too much time When specialization is not followed by an increase in pay 4 When continuing education is not reimbursed When shortages of qualified nurses lead to high patient-to-nurse ratios Burnout is inevitable, not just in nursing but in many professions. I know personally as an ICU nurse I got burned out very quickly after seeing multiple patients die. I knew it was time for me to try another area so I moved on and became a Director of Education for an LTAC (I've always had to have a foot in education). Then I finished my MSN and became a Nurse Practitioner. The wonderful thing about nursing is that the possibilities are endless. - Victoria Haynes Job satisfaction and rates of nurse burnout are strongly linked to patient satisfaction When nurses experience adequate staffing, strong administrative support for nursing, and strong relationships with doctors, patients report an over 100% improvement in satisfaction with their nursing care. Nursing is rewarding because we are able to touch so many lives throughout our careers, and we really make a difference in people's lives. We are blessed with the opportunity to see someone go from feeling miserable to feeling better in a short amount of time - and we are able to see how our role in their care helped to make that happen. - Sarah Miller Quoted: Susan Larson: PhD, RN, Dean and Professor, MidAmerica Nazarene University, School of Nursing and Health Science Joan Spitrey: RN, MSN, CCRN, and blogger at TheNurseTeacher.com Sarah Miller: EdD(cl, MSN, RN, MNU Assistant Professor Lauren Lloyd: RN-BC, MNU Assistant Professor Victoria Haynes: DNP, APRN, FNP-C, MNU Associate Professor Tish Conejo: PhD, RN, WHNP, MNU Professor Rebecca Lobb: Working nurse and blogger MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY Sources: http://www.amnhealthcare.com/uploadedFiles/MainSite/Content/Healthcare_Industry_Insights/Industry_Research/2013_RNSurvey.pdf http://www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Documents/14-0028%20JobSatEngage_Report_FULL_FNL.pdf http://www.jobs.net/Article/CB-1-Talent-Network-Healthcare-Top-5-Reasons-Nurses-Love-Their-Job http://www.mcnlearning.com/news/nursing-issue-why-staff-nurses-hate-their-jobs/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2904602/ Management Pediatrics/PICU Women's Health/L&D