What makes nursing gratifying?

Every nurse works as a nurse for different reasons. And different things motivate different nurses to come to work everyday and make every effort to give patients the very best care. Granted, there are many things that make nursing a difficult job. But once in a while a family member thanks you for taking such good care of their family member. Occasionally, a colleague (perhaps a senior nurse) recognizes the 110% effort you put into patient care. From time to time, patients who have been discharged and are doing well come to the unit to visit and say hi. These are the kinds of things that remind me that I am doing something right as a nurse and that no matter what kinds of challenges and differences may exist in the work environment, all nurses work hard in their own way to help patients recover, improve, and feel more comfortable. Like most things in the universe, there must be a balance between positive and negative, between good and bad, between easy and difficult. Nursing is no different. So to all you dedicated hard-working nurses out there, keep doing what you do, patients need your help.