What Motivates Nurses? (2024)

What Motivates Nurses?
We have a theory that we’d like to test.

We recently read an article about motivating workers during tough times. The article reasoned that nurses are likely to be intrinsically motivated.One of the employers encouraged their managers to provide four key intrinsic rewards:

A sense of purpose - i.e., articulate an important vision
A sense of choice - i.e., empower people
A sense of competence - i.e., give feedback, share information and give positive recognition

A sense of progress - i.e., celebrate success and post performance results

Despite the research we wanted to test these assumptions by asking nurses who are fans in the AMRI Facebook community about what motivates them in the workplace.

So In April, we posted a simple question on our Facebook page: “Nurses: What motivates you?”

All the responses can be summarized under two themes:

Desire to help others
Financial freedom/A desire to retire securely

Desire to Help Others

What motivates you?

Many nurses are drawn to the profession because of a sincere desire to help others. These professionals can get a renewed sense of job satisfaction very day as they continue to provide caring and compassionate service to the patients to whom they are assigned.

Financial Freedom/A Desire to Retire Securely

What motivates you?

The nursing profession offers flexible hours that many find beneficial when juggling work and parenting roles. This profession also offers an income that enables workers to set aside a little money as they work toward having a financially comfortable life.

Let’s face it; a job is a job. Most people look forward to the day when they can set work aside and live out their golden years in leisure. Many hospitals and surgical centers offer attractive retirement benefits as well as the ability to receive matching funds by investing in a 401(k) or a 403(b).

What about You? What Motivates You as a Nurse?

There are a number of different factors that can motivate people within the nursing profession. We would like to hear from you and hear your story. What motivates you? Do you agree with the article? Let us know!

AMRI Staff

Nurse’s Corner: On-the-Job Injuries

With more than 3.1 million registered nurses in the United States, nursing is this country’s largest health care profession. The job is widely respected and is extremely important for the successful care and treatment of patients. Unfortunately, the nursing profession is not without its health and injury risks. In fact, the CDC reports that the rate of musculoskeletal injuries caused by overexertion is higher in healthcare occupations than in any other industry. Hospital workers are injured at a rate that is twice that of the average of all professions, and for nursing home workers, the rate is three times higher.The Grueling Demands of the JobNobody can deny that nursing can be a very demanding job that includes a lot of physical exertion. Any time you over-exert yourself, you are at greater risk of workplace injuries. In an article about nursing injuries, Professional Safeguard Resources® lists some of the factors responsible for injuries and illnesses suffered by nurses. These include:•Frequent long and demanding shifts•Fatigue caused by standing for long periods of time •The need to take on the work of two people due to inadequate staffing•Larger patient loads per shift due to the increased longevity of the elderly•Inadequate enforcement and monitoring of patient weight handling procedures by management•Employer/employee lack of education on the use of appropriate biomechanics as applied during lifting, moving, supporting, turning and transporting patientsPatient lifting and moving has become even more difficult in recent years as the average weight of Americans has been continuously increasing and the morbidly obese are more likely to need medical care.

Nurses: When Is It Okay to Say “No?”

As a nurse, you face challenges every day on the job. You are expected to assist physicians and follow their orders precisely as dictated. As such, you may occasionally find yourself in a position where you do not feel comfortable doing the job assigned to you and may want to say “no.” But is doing so advisable?The following are some examples of tricky situations that you may encounter as well as advice about how they should best be handled.

What Motivates Nurses? (2024)

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