DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE: A Roadmap for Nurses
Understand your "Why" to give deeper meaning to your work, align your strengths with your impact, and sustain you through the challenges of leadership.
Workbook
The Power of Knowing Your "Why"
As nurses, your influence shapes patient care, team culture, and systemic progress. Understanding your "Why" gives deeper meaning to your work, aligns your strengths with your impact, and sustains you through the challenges of leadership. This guide is designed to help you begin the personal and professional journey of discovering your purpose, with support from an AI Nurse Life/Career Guide.
The Purpose Roadmap
Pause and Reflect
Create space for self-inquiry, away from task lists and performance goals.
Explore Your Story
Trace the experiences that have shaped your values and ambitions.
Identify Core Values
Determine what principles guide your decisions and bring you fulfillment.
Recognize Patterns
Look for recurring themes in what energizes or frustrates you at work.
Draft Your "Why"
Begin forming a personal mission statement rooted in service, values, and vision.
Engage the AI Life Guide
Use technology to deepen your insights, refine your goals, and stay accountable.
Act and Reflect
Test your purpose in action, and revisit your reflections regularly.
Questions to Consider
When did you feel most proud of the work you've done in nursing?
What challenges have helped you grow the most?
What values do you refuse to compromise?
Who do you admire, and why?
What makes you feel most alive in your leadership role?
If you had no fear or limitation, what would you pursue in your career?
Accessing Your AI Life Guide
Create an Account
To interact with your custom AI Nurse Life/Career Guide mentor, you will need a ChatGPT account. Even a free account provides access to these customized mentor experiences.
Visit the Platform
Visit chat.openai.com and sign up if you haven't already.
Begin Your Journey
Start your conversation with the AI Life Guide to explore your purpose and career path.
Privacy Considerations
Private Conversations
Your conversations with ChatGPT are not shared with others and are kept private.
Model Improvement
Conversations may be reviewed by OpenAI to improve model performance unless you opt out.
Data Protection
Always avoid sharing sensitive personal data.
Personal Growth
Your reflections are for you—use them to grow, not to impress.
Tips for a Great Experience
Be honest and curious
Your story matters.
Embrace complexity
It's okay to explore conflicting thoughts or feelings.
Seek reflection
Use the guide as a mirror, not just a map.
Take breaks
If the conversation feels intense—reflection is powerful work.
Keep records
Keep notes or a journal of your insights. Copy and paste the summary into Notion or Notes.
Ask for help
Ask for examples or brainstorming when stuck.
Revisit regularly
Revisit your conversation regularly as your awareness grows.
Closing the Loop: Reflect and Plan

Discover Your Purpose
A journey that evolves as you do
Summarize Key Insights
Ask your AI Life Guide to summarize in the "first person"
Plan Next Steps
Get 2-3 actionable steps aligned with your emerging purpose
At the end of your interaction, ask your AI Life Guide to summarize key insights from your conversation. Best practice is to tell it to summarize in the "first person", so you could share it with a friend or partner. Also request 2-3 actionable next steps aligned with your emerging purpose.
Remember, discovering your "Why" is not a one-time task. It's a journey—one that will evolve as you do. Thank you for leading with heart, and for taking the time to lead yourself with the same care you offer others.
A worksheet accompanies this paper.