I’ve been a nurse for five years now, and I’ve reached a point in my career where I sometimes feel lost. I became a nurse because I wanted to help people—to care for children and support families during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Nursing was a career I always dreamed of, and one I once believed would give me purpose and fulfillment.
But healthcare today is different. It’s not the same as it was years ago.
The industry has shifted, and it often feels like healthcare organizations care more about the business side of healthcare than the actual patients. The real purpose of healthcare—compassion, safety, and human connection—has been overshadowed by budgets, numbers, and staffing ratios that make no sense.
Hospitals are risking nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, and so many other professionals by keeping units short-staffed or refusing to offer competitive pay that would actually help retain skilled employees. It’s disheartening to watch decisions being made that prioritize profit over people.
I left bedside because I didn’t feel like I could give the appropriate care my patients deserved. It wasn’t safe juggling so many patients at once, and I didn’t want to risk losing my license simply because a facility refused to staff safely. So, I transitioned to outpatient at an entire children’s hospital, hoping it would be better… only to find that in many ways, it was even worse.
Sometimes it makes me sad to think about where the healthcare industry is heading. There are so many incredible nurses out there—nurses who truly care—but they aren’t given the support, staffing, or resources they need to do the job safely.
And then I think about the new graduates entering the field—excited, hopeful, and eager to make a difference. It breaks my heart that so many of them walk into environments that don’t reflect the nursing career they dreamed of.
But here’s what I want every nursing student and new graduate nurse to hear:
Don’t give up.
Don’t let a broken system destroy your passion. You can be the change this industry needs. You can create the career you’ve always dreamed of. Nursing still has beautiful places, beautiful moments, and beautiful opportunities—but sometimes you have to pivot, explore, or carve your own path to find them.
Your voice matters. Your compassion matters. And your presence in this profession matters more than you know.