Why did you become a nurse? And why do you stay in your profession?
As the nation's nursing shortage heads into its second decade, the profession has received a boost with recruitment efforts. Programs designed to entice students - scholarships, free tuition offers and service-cancelable loans - abound, and sign-on bonus offers entice nursing graduates.
This issue of Pulse takes a look at some of the recruitment efforts across the state - from Savannah's Coastal Georgia Nursing Consortium, where competition is put aside in favor of educating potential nurses; to Atlanta, where career day talks may influence a student's decision to go into nursing.
Both these efforts are potentially worthless if those who seek a career in nursing don't understand or don't carry the compassionate flame that is integral to the profession. And recruitment won't solve the nursing shortage if nurses are shown little or no guidance and direction once they are hired.
These issues spell the real future of nursing: Retaining good nurses is as important as recruiting them.
Nurses know when they are valued. Money isn't everything (although, of course, it does help). Being recognized for your efforts, encouraged to express your ideas and given appropriate direction and guidance are valuable retention tools. Job satisfaction is a powerful way to keep employees.
Nursing is more demanding today than it was 20 years ago. Patients are sicker, there's more paperwork, greater patient loads and the inevitable grind of meetings.
But there's also incredible joy in seeing a healthy former patient return to say thank you or hearing a family express their gratitude for your care.
Why did you become a nurse? Why do you stay? I hope you still hold the answers to these questions in your heart, whether you're a new nurse graduate or a veteran of many years on the job.
If you don't know, I hope you find peace with the direction your career takes you in the future. Happy National Nurse Week, May 6-12.
Do you have any story ideas for Pulse? Please e-mail or call 404-373-5131.