Did you ever wonder what makes a nurse? Why do certain people choose this particular career to go into? Why are men making the transition over from the “typical” male careers i.e. business, carpentry, car manufacturing? What makes a nurse?

Just recently (12-27-17) the American Nurses Association announced that nurses were the most trusted profession every year since 2001. One can read about this prestigious award at http://bit.ly/2DRGjU8.

Many people feel it is a calling, much like the nuns and priests feel when they go into the ministry. There is just something that “calls” people to the profession. For me, I was a kindergarten teacher first. I taught at a Montessori school where I worked with children. This was such a great job that lasted me for 10 years. I loved the children, I loved to see them transform from being unable to read or write or do math, to by the end of their first year they were taking spelling tests. This was a wonderful job. The parents thought I was an excellent teacher. The children learned so much under my dedication to teaching.

But something was missing. While I loved what I did I felt I was being “called” elsewhere. I felt I needed to help others in a way that I hadn’t thought of before. My mother was a nurse and she would come home with wonderful stories about the deliveries she had participated in. She spoke about how much the women needed her calming voice and her expertise in the role of an L&D nurse.  I wanted to feel like that. I wanted to have the patients think of me as the best thing since sliced bread. My mom would often say, “If you want to experience a miracle, come to L&D for a shift and you can see numerous miracles.”

After I graduated from nursing school, I went into L&D nursing, just like my mom. You know what? She was right. If you want to see a miracle, come to L&D for a shift, and you will see numerous miracles. Miracles happened every day, every shift, every hour at all times. Sometimes, the outcomes for the babies were not good. Some were born “asleep”. My role then was to show compassion and caring. This was natural for me. I loved being an L&D nurse. I had to make decisions under some of the most extreme conditions, but always had a troop of nurses behind me to help out. It is an autonomous profession, as long as you stick to the policies and realize what your position is responsible for.

The type of people that become nurses are people who in some way, have been touched by a nurse. For me, it was my mother.

I no longer work in L&D, but I teach nursing students obstetrics. I combined my two favorite jobs, teaching, and nursing. It is wonderful to see the students beginning their new career and learning all that needs to be learned to be a good nurse. It is an honor to be able to foster their learning and assist them in growing in their profession. Males have now entered into the profession in great numbers. This has made teaching even more interesting.

The males are there for the same reasons. Somewhere along the way, a nurse has touched their lives. They share their stories of having lost a parent and how helpful the hospice nurse was. They share about their wives first pregnancy ending up in a miscarriage and how the L&D and postpartum nurses helped his wife. They also share that they have had a debilitating disease and how it was the nurse who helped them through their own transition to better their health.

What makes a nurse? Their heart, their feelings, their ability to want to help others, and primarily because God has called them to be a nurse. The nursing career is the most trusted profession for 16 years. This means a nurse is honest, trustworthy, compassionate, kind, intelligent and knows how and when to show emotion and empathy. To be a nurse is to be a partner with the patient to help provide the patient with the best outcomes.

Dr. Midge Elkins, Ph.D, MBA, MSN, BSN, RNC-OB

Assistant Dean of Curriculum and Assessment

Roseman University of Health Sciences

Henderson, NV 89014