This article is cross-posted on First Case Media.

In conversations about the nursing profession, it’s not uncommon to hear phrases like “nursing is a calling” or “nursing is a passion.” These comments, while often well-meaning and somewhat glamorized, generally come from a place of admiration, attempting to honor the compassion and dedication nurses bring to their work. But this language, however laudable it may sound, has far-reaching consequences that have contributed to the systemic undervaluing of nursing as a profession.

The Problem with “Calling”

When nursing is framed as a calling or a passion, it implies that the work is intrinsically rewarding enough to justify sacrifices. This framing can lead to unrealistic expectations, such as the assumption that nurses will endure long hours, unsafe staffing ratios, or low pay without complaint—because they are “doing what they love.”

As scholars like Buddeberg-Fischer and Stamm (2010) have observed in other caregiving professions, the “calling” narrative can normalize burnout and emotional exhaustion by implying that suffering is simply part of the job. In nursing, this expectation becomes particularly harmful in a profession where the stakes are high and the workload relentless.

Exploitation Disguised as Dedication

One of the most insidious consequences of the calling narrative is workplace exploitation. As we know, most people who choose to enter the nursing profession are people who genuinely care for others and naturally want to help. But employers and administrators may lean on the idea that nurses are naturally self-sacrificing, using this as justification for stagnant wages, mandatory overtime, or the lack of meaningful mental health support.

A 2020 study published in Nursing Outlook by Duffy, Avalos, and Dowling, explored how the concept of nursing as a calling correlated with increased emotional labor, lower pay satisfaction, and poorer work-life balance. Nurses who viewed their work as a calling were more likely to accept unfair working conditions, driven by an internalized pressure to prioritize patients above their own wellbeing.

This dynamic is echoed in a 2021 article in Health Care Management Review, which found that organizations sometimes exploit the emotional commitment of nurses to maintain staffing levels during shortages without improving compensation or working conditions (Kelly & Lefton, 2021).

The Professional Reality

Nursing is not volunteerism. It is not missionary work. It is a highly skilled, evidence-based, and indispensable professional career. Nurses complete rigorous educational programs, pass licensure exams, engage in continuous professional development, and often serve as the backbone of patient care in complex healthcare systems.

Recognizing nursing as a profession—and not a calling—demands that nurses be treated, not as a commodity to simply be used, but as the professionals that they truly are. Which then produces an environment that is committed to fair compensation, safe staffing, respect for time off, and investment in professional growth. All of which must be the basic standard, not the exception.

Shifting the Narrative

Reframing nursing as a career rather than a calling doesn’t diminish the compassion and care that nurses bring to their roles. Instead, it reinforces the idea that professionals deserve professional treatment.

When we drop the romanticized language and focus on the structural realities of nursing work, we create space for advocacy and systemic change. We can hold institutions accountable—not for nurturing nurses’ passion, but for creating environments where nurses can thrive, both professionally and personally.

I’ve been in this profession for 23 years now. I’ve been told nursing is a calling for my entire career. So much so, that even writing this essay against that thinking makes me somewhat fearful of the backlash. Of course, we want to provide the best care for our patients. Of course, we are committed to safe patient care and best practice. Removing the idea of calling from the equation doesn’t change who we are, it simply changes how we, and how others, view our profession. And I, for one, would like to see our profession recognized as the dignified career that it is, and one that promotes advocacy, fairness, and sustainability.

Nursing is more than a calling, and I think it’s high time we demanded more for ourselves and for the nursing profession.

Until next time,

Melanie

References

• Buddeberg-Fischer, B., & Stamm, M. (2010). Professional identity and stress in health professionals: Evidence from literature and implications. Medical Teacher, 32(7), 503–509.
• Duffy, R., Avalos, L., & Dowling, M. (2020). Calling and work-related outcomes in nursing: A longitudinal study. Nursing Outlook, 68(4), 437–446.
• Kelly, L. A., & Lefton, C. (2021). Emotional labor, job satisfaction, and organizational support in nursing: A qualitative synthesis. Health Care Management Review, 46(3), 207–217.