Is the nursing profession truly 'blessed'?

"Nursing is a tough job, isn't it?"
"I have nothing but gratitude for you."

There are moments when patients and their families say such words to us.
No matter how busy I am, no matter how worn out my heart feels, those words make me think,"I'll do my best again tomorrow."The nursing profession certainly has its 'rewarding moments.'

However—

The reality cannot be described by those moments alone.

A quiet sense of discomfort shown by the data

As the data suggests, nurses' salaries tend to fall below the all-industry average from their 30s onwards.

"It's great that you have a professional skill."
"The pay is good and it's stable, right?"

I was told that many times during my student days.
In fact, if you only look at the starting salary, it might look higher than other professions.

But what about the reality behind it?

Night shifts.
Long working hours.
Disrupted life rhythms.
The constant tension and responsibility required.

—It is the price paid for continuing to face life even while others are asleep.—

When you subtract that, can you really say it is 'truly worth it'?

The reason I cannot say, 'Then you should become a nurse'

"If it's such a good job, why don't you do it?"

I have replied with that before.
But the response was always a shake of the head.

Everyone knows.
That it is 'not an easy job.'

That it is a job with a heavy physical and mental burden that cannot be described by salary and stability alone.

Why are people leaving the front lines?

There are many people who hold nursing qualifications.
But what about those who are actually continuing to work in the field?

Resignation.
Leave of absence.
Switching to a different profession.

Behind that lies a reality that cannot be sustained by 'fulfillment' alone.

People cannot continue to work on ideals alone.

Who was on the front lines back then?

When the novel coronavirus was raging,
who was it that faced patients on the front lines?

Wrapped in protective gear,
side-by-side with the risk of infection,
continuing to stand on the front lines while carrying anxiety and fear—

it must have been the nurses.

They were the ones who stayed closest to the patients,
the ones who remained involved until the very end.

But those memories are gradually fading.

'Wanting to be useful to others' is not enough to keep going

Many people cite the desire to 'be useful to others' as their reason for aiming to become a nurse.

I am one of them.

But is it right to keep sacrificing my own life just for that desire?
Is a job that you continue while breaking yourself truly sustainable?

Many nurses are wavering between ideals and reality.

Even so, the reason I continue to stand on the front lines

Even so, I head to the front lines again today.

Facing patients.
Standing by each individual's life.

Because there is a value that only this job has.


However, in a Japan with a declining birthrate and an aging population, the shortage of healthcare providers is a serious problem.

No matter how well-equipped the facilities are,
no matter how many systems are in place,
healthcare cannot function without 'people.'

An environment where nurses can continue to work with peace of mind.
Evaluation that matches the effort and burden.
A society where we can continue to hold pride.

Without that, the number of providers will surely decrease.

Moving toward a society where nursing isnot just a job supported by 'kindness' or 'sense of mission'but one that is
fairly evaluated and sustainable as a professionWishing for that, I stand on the front lines again today.