How does one “become” a nurse, as opposed to learning nursing skills? What is “being” a nurse as opposed to “doing” nursing?

On our Facebook page last week, we posted this query: “Professional identity is more than what you do—it’s a part of who you are. What does being a nurse mean to you?” One of the responses we received was, “Caring providers that own it, do right, work together and solve problems with innovative methods to improve care methods and optimize outcomes.

The respondent’s use of “own it” resonated with me: from the thesaurus, to own something means “to possess, preserve, maintain, hold, profess, declare, accept, have possession of…” To me, it hints at holding onto something valuable, being mindful of it and not losing sight of it.

This original post came about because I had recently attended a meeting at the University of Kansas School of Nursing, where a group of about 50 invitees were asked to brainstorm how nursing students develop a professional identity—How does one “become” a nurse, as opposed to learning nursing skills? What is “being” a nurse as opposed to “doing” nursing? Most of us say, when asked what we do, “I’m a nurse,” not “I do nursing.” And some of us identify as nurses long after we’ve stopped working as nurses.

When did you ‘grok’ nursing?

In his 1961 novel, Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein made up a Martian word, “grok,” to mean really and truly and deeply understanding something, really “getting it” to the fullest awareness so that it was a part of you. So, we’d love to hear from you—when did you “grok” nursing? And when did that happen—in nursing school, with your first job, or later on in your career? Was it a gradual awakening, or was there a watershed moment/situation where you realized you were unconsciously thinking, feeling, and acting like a nurse?

I found several interesting pieces related to the concept of a nursing identity in AJN’s archives—see the list below. (They’ll be free to read through October.)

Nursing as Metaphor,” by Claire Fagin & Donna Diers (September 1983)

Charged to Mentor,” by Lucille Joel (February 1997)

Nursing and the Human Condition,” by Lucille Joel (May 1997)

Am I a Nurse?” by Donna Diers (October 2005)

The Best People I Know,” by Maureen Shawn Kennedy (May 2015)