If you’ve found yourself muttering the phrase “I hate nursing” under your breath lately, get ready to change your mindset.
Nursing is an incredibly rewarding profession, but there is no denying the physical and mental toll it can take.
More often than not, nursing rocks! But the truth is, sometimes nursing sucks too. Helping others during the most vulnerable time in their life takes guts.
Why do you want to be a nurse?
Because you have an undeniable desire to care for those in need.
Remembering to care for yourself is important too! That’s why this article is dedicated to helping you get inspired again.
9 Ways to Get Inspired About Nursing
1. Attend a Conference or Retreat
If you’re ready to get inspired, physically getting up and heading out for the weekend will surely kick off the process.
There are a number of valuable nursing conferences around the country (and world). Linking up with your professional peers to learn from each other will inevitably reignite your passion for nursing.
Conferences are chock full of cutting-edge trends, educational workshops and so much more.
Making time to include this particular type of ongoing education is certain to stifle any “I hate nursing” thoughts!
2. Spend Time Outside in Nature
It may sound simple, but going outside is a surefire way to lose track of time for a while. When you’re able to forget about the daily hustle, you can recharge.
Being in nature helps us practice mindfulness. You can’t help but notice the color of the leaves, the smell of the air and the sounds of rustling animals.
Finding ways to get in touch with nature is really about getting in touch with yourself. When you spend all day caring for others, it’s crucial to put yourself first regularly.
As the saying goes, “You can’t pour from an empty cup”. Being immersed in nature is a sure fire way to fill your cup. Feel the stress blow away in the breeze and then enter the fast-paced world renewed.
3. Watch Ted Talks
If you’ve ever watched a Ted Talk, you know they are powerful tools for an immediate shot of inspiration. It doesn’t matter what you watch, those speakers have a way of energizing even the most frustrated of people.
Taking some time to watch these videos (or go to one in person) is sure to recharge your battery, especially if they’re in the medical field.
Here are a couple of our favorites:
The best part of this idea is the simplicity. You only need 10-15 minutes and a wifi connection to make this happen!
SEE ALSO: Why A Personal Philosophy of Nursing Can Help Your Career
4. Write a Nursing Bucket List
You’ve heard of the traditional bucket list. Making a list of things you want to accomplish is very inspiring.
In this case, consider making a nursing bucket list!
Think of all the professional things you want to accomplish throughout the span of your career. The key is ensuring each item on your list has some emotional tie.
Remember, it doesn’t have to be limited to day-to-day things you anticipate happening at some point (like saving a life unexpectedly on the street for example)! You can include all sorts of things.
Your list should be totally unique to you, but here are some ideas:
- Write a children’s book about not being afraid of the hospital.
- Attend at least one conference a year (and you already know this is a great idea).
- Create a successful podcast about nursing.
- Get promoted to [insert desired title here].
- And the list goes on!
Ultimately, creating a nursing bucket list will inspire you to reach those goals. This exercise can be done and then reviewed every so often to keep things fresh.
5. Learn Something New
This inspirational exercise is very open-ended. The idea is to take on a new hobby completely outside of nursing.
You’re already an amazing nurse! Learning something totally new will not only be fun and exciting, but it will remind you how hard you worked to become the nurse you are today.
Perhaps you might learn a new language. Not only is this challenging and fun but it is also a practical skill that will further your cultural competency in nursing.
SEE ALSO: How to Strengthen Cultural Competence in Nursing Practice
Consider taking up something you use to love as a child, like ice skating or baking cookies. Maybe you enjoyed bike riding, or perhaps it was drawing.
Whatever the skill, find a way to translate it into your current life.
For example, if cookies were your thing, sign up for a baking class. But not just one! Sign up for a series of classes and work towards becoming skilled in this new task.
The trick is to spend time truly learning something new. Not only will it provide the benefits listed earlier, but it will also focus your mind on something other than nursing.
Taking your mind off of work is important no matter your profession. Make sure you have non-work elements throughout your life to keep a balance.
6. Volunteer Outside of the Hospital
Another way to introduce non-nursing elements to your life is to volunteer with an organization that has nothing to do with the medical field.
The nursing profession is so selfless and important. It’s not outside of your wheelhouse to do for others. Finding an organization that speaks to your other passions will not be hard!
Do you love animals? Maybe you’re passionate about climate change. You might find inspiration by working with the homeless. Whatever you choose, you can be sure volunteering will renew your inspiration for helping others through your nursing career as well.
7. Meditate
Last and certainly not least, jump start inspiration and squash the “I hate nursing” negativity through meditation.
We highly recommend downloading an app to help get started with this practice. Simple Habit is an excellent choice for busy professionals!
Consistency is key when it comes to meditation. You may not need to spend more than 10 minutes a day practicing this new skill.
To learn meditation, visit this website and consider all the ways it can support you both professionally and personally.
8. Spend Time Creating Something
Don’t be concerned if you are not naturally artistic, it’s time to bring out the craft supplies. Spending time creating something is proven to support positive thinking.
When you’re lost in a painting or drawing, you aren’t stressed about anything. The act of creating takes focus and putting your mind in creativity mode will naturally allow you to become inspired.
If painting or drawing isn’t up your alley, find something that is! Maybe you want to try sculpting or sewing or calligraphy. When it comes to creating, there is no wrong choice.
9. Reflect on Your Nursing Accomplishments
This exercise is something we recommend even when you aren’t stuck in “I hate nursing” mode.
Reflecting on your accomplishments is not about inflating your ego! Instead, it’s about maintaining a level of excitement and pride in your work.
The easiest way to make the most of the exercise is to start a journal. Commit to the simple task of noting your accomplishments once a month.
You may notice yourself doing this more frequently and that’s great! Journaling in itself is an excellent way to inspire and recharge.
Least Stressful Nursing Jobs
It’s possible that a specialty change is in the cards for you. If you read the last section but are still left thinking, “I hate nursing, now what?”, let’s review some options.
Of course, there is no such thing as an easy job. However, there are a number of nursing jobs that reduce stress. If you’re interested in learning about the easiest nursing jobs, spend some time researching this list.
Some of the least stressful nursing jobs include:
- Resort, Cruise or Air Travel Nurse
- School Nurse / Camp Nurse
- Public Health Nurse
- Nursing Administrator
- Nurse Educator
SEE ALSO: 5 Awesome Tips for Beating the Physical Demands of Nursing
There are also a number of jobs for nurses who don’t want to be nurses. Now, this may sound like an oxymoron, but hear us out!
With your specific education and hands-on experience, nurses have a ton of opportunities. Let’s review.
Nursing Infomatics
This cutting-edge specialty takes nurses away from direct patient care and puts them into the tech world.
With a focus on developing and applying biomedical and health informatics in the support of patient care, nurses in this specialty are all about the future.
Infomatic Nurses are helping transform the healthcare field through data analysis. As you can imagine, this speciality has notable professional growth potential.
In fact, there will be an estimated 70,000 Infomatic Nursing job opportunities within the next ten years.
To enter this specialty, you will need to obtain a masters degree in Infomatics Nursing.
Research Nursing
Research nurses do still work with patients but in a totally unique capacity.
This speciality is focused on creating and designing clinical studies. Nurses help the rest of the research medical team to seek out and analyze data. After a study is completed, you often report on your findings and may even publish results.
What’s exceptionally exciting about this career choice is the wide-ranging long-term impact studies have in the medical field. Your research creates new opportunities to saves lives!
And here’s a cherry on top: Both Research Nursing AND Informatics Nursing make our list of the 10 Highest Paying Nursing Jobs.
The truth is, there are endless types of nursing careers out there. You don’t have to feel discouraged because your education ensures you have a wide variety of nursing career options.
Conclusion
We hope that this article inspires you to move past the I-hate-my-nursing-job feeling you may be having.
When you feel yourself mentally listing all the “things I hate about nursing” in your head, practice some of these techniques to get excited about work again:
- Attend a conference or retreat.
- Spend time in nature.
- Watch Ted Talks (especially if they’re about the medical field).
- Write a nursing bucket list.
- Immerse yourself in learning something new.
- Volunteer outside of the hospital.
- Meditate.
- Spend time creating something (painting, writing, drawing, etc.).
- Reflect on your nursing accomplishments.
What are other ways you get inspired and excited about nursing?
Share with us in the comments below!
