We often say in this profession, “We don't do this for the paycheck.” And it's true most nurses describe their motivation to enter the field of nursing as more of a calling instead of just a J. O. B. to pay the bills. So, how exactly does one tell if they are meant to go into nursing? We're glad you asked!

10 signs that nursing is for you.

1. You've never met a pimple you didn't pop, a sunburn you didn't peel, and a scab you didn't mess with. To the layperson, these behaviors may sound gross, but if you know, you know. Nurses are notorious “pickers.” And while no nurse would ever advise their patients to partake in these habits, the desire behind them to return the body back to its previous healthy state has “nurse” written all over it.

2. You are clear-headed in panicky scenarios when other people freak. This goes beyond being tolerant of blood and guts (although, that is probably another sign you were meant for the medical field). It's actually way more important that your prevailing state of mind to deal with situations involving blood and guts is steadfast. If you're not sure where you fall on this spectrum, a rotation through the ER or trauma bay will usually answer it loud and clear for you. Bonus points if you can see the person behind the gruesome scenario they're in. If you find that you naturally laser-focus on that, well, you're meant for nursing!

3. You can study, while doing other activities, such as cleaning your room, talking on the phone, and making a mental to-do list for the next day. In other words, if you're a multitasking mastermind, you'd make an excellent nurse.

4. Your friends come to you with their problems. While being the resident recipient of all things “vent-related” may not seem like an obvious trait of nurses, it surely is! And that’s because nurses are expert listeners, empathizers, and objective thinkers. Just think—all that free advice you’ve been giving over the years? All that time being a shoulder-to-cry on? Well, not only does that qualify you as an amazing friend, but it points to your potential to become a professional caretaker. 

5. You have great intuition. Now. Everyone thinks they have a reliable gut instinct. But what separates a good nurse from a great nurse is their uncanny ability to intuit things about their patients. A feeling that goes beyond vital signs, lab results, and quantitative data. No doubt, this ability is partly the result of curating experience-dependent skills, but we bet most nurses would describe themselves as intuitive long before they entered nursing school.

6. You can relate more to the tortoise than the hare. And by that, we mean nurses spend a TON of time on their feet, completing marathon shifts. Great nurses can dole out their energy to make it last for 12+ hours. (In non-Pandemic conditions, to be clear.) Yes, nursing is exhausting, but a slow and steady temperament definitely wins the nursing race.

7. If people (in general) don't gross you out. A good nurse has never met a stranger. A great nurse has never met a stranger she wouldn't hesitate to put a Foley Catheter in. (Insider tip if you love the idea of nursing, but people don't appeal to you, there's always the OR, where your patients are hopefully mute.)

8. You find people's veins appealing. Now, this particular affinity may not be apparent in your day-to-day life yet, but if you were truly destined for a long and illustrious career in nursing, it will become readily apparent the moment you start learning how to draw blood and start IVs. Every nurse walking the earth at this very moment is sizing up the veins of each and every person they come in contact with. And that's true whether you are in the hospital or the grocery store.

9. Gallows humor doesn't faze you. There's no way to put this nicely. Nursing is a tough job, full of literal life and death scenarios. You'll have your heart broken many times; some days the suffering of others will be too much for you to bear. Luckily, you'll have your nurse besties by your side to help you weather the mental and emotional storms as they roll by. And humor, in no small part helps to soften the blows as they come. Nurses wield the power of dark humor as the vital defuser it is, a critical pressure relief valve, and understand that it is in no way done at their patients' expense.

10. You have standout memory, experience, or personal trauma involving medicine in your past. Get to know any nurse and sooner or later, you'll hear about their dad who had cancer when they were 5, or the serious car accident they were in as a teen, or the amazing hospice nurse who took care of their grandma. Sometimes deep pain births profound, life-changing inspiration we call those little ones, baby nurses.