Nurse Called into Office After Saying He Goes to Work “to Make Money”

There’s a new trend on TikTok. Nurses are posting about the things they have shared with their colleagues only to be reprimanded by their managers.

Alex Kim (@nurse.alexrn) recently shared a clip in which he talks about being disciplined by his boss after saying part of the reason he decided to become a nurse was to earn money.

“Some of my coworkers make me want to quit nursing forever,” he says.

The problem started over the weekend when Kim told one of his co-workers, with whom he was friendly, that he got interested in nursing because he needed to make money to pay for things like food, rent, and utilities. His manager then called him into the office and asked him if it was true that he was “only here for the money.” Now, he believes his colleague ratted him out to his boss.

“I was like, why should I apologize for that?” Kim argues in the clip. “This is a job… I just hate how, in healthcare, they just vilify who’s there to be here for money, like it’s not a career.”

“I know people who became a nurse because it’s their calling, but I also know people who are here because they’re just a good nurse,” he continues. “They’re here for good job security and a stable paycheck—and there’s nothing wrong with either of those things!”

The video quickly went viral after resonating with nurses and professionals all over the country. Lots of folks were quick to defend Kim for being honest about the fact that he needs to make money.

“I would ask the manager if she works for free,” wrote one commenter.

“Are we not supposed to get paid??” asked another.

“I can tell you that’s WHY I became a nurse in the first place,” wrote another nurse. “For a JOB that puts food on my table and a roof over my kids’ heads. Not out of the goodness of my heart.”

Nurse Amirah (@nursebrat) followed up Kim’s clip with a TikTok of her own.

“That is a prime example of why I preach ‘your co-workers ain’t your friends,’” Amirah says, referring to Kim’s video.

“Nursing is not charity work. It’s not volunteer work. It is a job at the end of the day, and I don’t know why people are so obsessed with humbling nurses thinking that we should not be paid,” Amirah states.

What do you think? Do you vent to your co-workers?