Job, Career, or Calling? It’s Up to You

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see” – Henry David Thoreau

Correctional nursing can be a job, a career, or a calling based on your perspective – what do you see?

If you see your work life as an endless string of shiftwork passing pills and triaging sick call slips then you may have a job perspective
If you see your work life as a stepping stone to an advanced position then you may have a career focus
If you see your work life as meaningful to the lives of others and personally fulfilling then you may have a calling focus

Those who research job satisfaction have found that those who see their work as a calling do work they care about. They consider their work to be more than a means to an end, but an opportunity to find meaning and do something important. These researchers also found that those who viewed their work as a calling were healthier, had greater satisfaction with their life and missed less work than those in either the Job or Career categories.

Knowing your work orientation can help you find ways to motivate yourself and craft a better work situation without having to change jobs. Job crafting, in fact, is a primary way correctional nurses can move from a Job perspective to a Calling perspective regarding their work life.

Dimensions of Meaning

Experts have determined five dimensions of meaning that can be found in work.

Money: Although correctional nursing salaries can be competitive, it is not the one of the highest paying nursing specialties
Status: Correctional nursing practice has made advances of the last decade but nurses working in jails and prisons can still be stigmatized by their patient population and work setting.
Making a difference: Correctional nurses can make a significant contribution to the health and well-being of a marginalized and disadvantaged patient group.
Following your passions: What motivated you to become a nurse? How would that align with correctional nursing practice?
Using your talents: Many passions also end up being talents. What nursing talents do you have that are applied in a correctional nursing position?

What is Job Crafting?

Job crafting is a way to redesign work perspective, relationships, and tasks to improve job satisfaction. Job boundaries can expand or contract over time based on the individual in the position and the aspects that are emphasized or de-emphasized. It starts with determining the areas of a role that are the most meaningful, provide the most satisfaction, and are aligned with gifts and talents. While in many situations other areas of the role cannot be neglected; focusing on extending time and effort toward gaining experience and expertise in areas of fulfillment craft the position.

Ways to Job Craft

Even in the most structured of job descriptions, there is room for modifications to make work life more satisfying and meaningful. Researchers found that successful job crafters took action in three areas: perspective, relationships, and tasks. Here are some suggestions specific to a correctional nursing role.

Perspective: It all starts in the mind. Mentally seeing your work as affecting the lives and health of your patients is more helpful than seeing your work as a list of nursing tasks that must be completed by the end of the shift. Thus, correctional nursing is not medication administration, sick call, emergency response, and intake screening but “the protection of health, prevention of illness and injury, and alleviation of suffering” (definition from the Correctional Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice, 2013). Successful job crafters reframe the social purpose of their positions to align with their values and concerns. What parts of the definition of correctional nursing do you highly value? Be mindful of those themes during your day-to-day activities.
Relationships: The type and extent of relationship with various workmates can be a way to craft a more positive work experience. Hang around unhappy, stressed, and cynical people and you will find yourself mirroring their moods and emotions. The reverse is also true. Honestly evaluate the perspective of each member of your work team and develop deeper relationship with those who will encourage and facilitate your highly valued role components.
Tasks: Evaluate which elements of the correctional nursing role give you the most pleasure and fulfillment. Ponder the specific themes of these elements. For example, if you enjoy sick call, which parts? Is it the assessment, the patient interaction, the teaching component? Find ways to do more of the satisfying component. That might not mean the original job task. For example, if assessment is the satisfying part of the sick call process then intake screening is also a task that would provide opportunity for more assessment. If patient teaching is the driving satisfier than chronic care tasks may be an additional option. Once determined, seek ways to increase satisfying tasks while decreasing or streamlining less-valued tasks to accommodate the change.

Just a Job? Just a Step in the Ladder? Just a Way to Make a Difference?

So, what will it be for you? Is correctional nursing just a job that meets your monthly bills and is available until you find something better? Is your position just a step on the career path to a position of more power and prestige? Or, is correctional nursing a way that you make a difference in the lives of others, creating a meaningful professional life of compassion and service? In the end, it is up to you.

“We don’t see things the way they are, we see things the way we are.” – Anais Nin

If you liked this post you may also want to read:

[The information above was originally posted on the Essentials of Correctional Nursing blog]