Is Nursing a Calling or a Vocation?

     In recent discussions of nursing, a controversial issue has been whether whether a nurse is a calling or a vocation. On one hand, some argue that it is a calling. From this perspective, mya612 on allnurses.com, a forum where nurses and nursing students can go and talk about how this career choice affected their life, goes into detail on how she believes nursing is a calling. On the other hand, however, others argue that nursing is a vocation. In the words of Nurse_, BSN, RN, one of this view's main proponents,saying something is a calling requires doing the same job every single day with the same amount of passion " According to this view, nursing can't technically be a calling due to the fact nurses deal with a new case and a new patient almost every couple hours, depending on the type of nurse. In sum, then, the issue is whether you knew from a young age you wanted to help people or you just randomly stumbled upon it. 
     My own view is that nursing is a calling. Though I concede that when you know from a young age whether or not you want to help someone it becomes a calling, I still maintain that others may believe a calling is just a religious thing and a career can't be a calling. For example, I believe nursing is a calling for me because from a young age I knew I wanted to help and benefit people's lives, but my friend stumbled upon this career choice and fell in love. She doesn't believe nursing is a calling for her at all. Although some might object that nursing is a calling. I would reply that with knowing from a young age there was a path already set for you, that is a calling. The issue is important because this affects people's lives daily. Whether they believe it is a calling or just a career helps them follow through with what they want in their life.