Did you always want to be a nurse?

LVN2RNMom, ASN, BSN, LVN · Oct 5, 2012

A career test that I took in HS gave me the answer.....it said nurse or teacher. My 1st major in college was law but when I was working at a Dr's office at 18 I wanted more. I knew then I wanted to be an RN & have my MSN. I am an LVN (since 2011) & I absolutely love it. I think anyone who hasn't found the right field which suits them or they did it for the wrong reasons, won't be happy with nursing....JMO. If I went to law school as I initially wanted, yes I would have the $$ but I wouldn't be as happy as I am today.

wish_me_luck, BSN, RN · Oct 5, 2012

No, when I was in K-12, I changed my mind so many times. I must add that none of my choices, except a veternarian, were anything in healthcare. When I went to college, that's when I realized that I really needed to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I originally started out taking general classes with the intent to get a biology degree and then, go on to pharmacy school. That's why I am certified as a pharmacy technician (and working on licensing) because I took a class and was going to start from the bottom. My sophomore year, I decided I wanted to be a nurse. I half heartedly asked my mom what she thought (I say half heartedly because part of me knew what she thought and it wasn't good and the other part of me really wanted to do nursing). My mom is a nurse and she talked me out of it the first time. She convinced me to get a degree and try for med school. So, I went through and did my pre-reqs for med school. I was like one class short and then, I was going to re-take a class for a better grade along with finishing some classes for my degree. I decided that I didn't want to be a physician and I wanted to be a nurse. My mom still wasn't supportive, but I started my classes. The further along I got, that's when she became supportive because she realized that's what I was going to be and I think she realized that I enjoyed school. I had so many rough days during school...days I even wanted to quit, but when I thought about what I would rather be doing...I realized that I could only imagine myself being a nurse. I really miss it when I am doing other jobs.

allnurses Guide · Oct 5, 2012

hey, I would liek to private message you, but my account won't allow that...so this shall do for now....I am not excited about starting work ina few weeks because like you, nursing was just a stable option for me. It's great pay, I have good benefits, and nursing will always be a needed profession. Soo...my question to you is, how did you feel being in this profession knowing you just do not enjoy it? For me, it is a struggle because I feel pressured to plaster a smile on my face and "I LOVE NURSING!!" when n reality, I do not. My interview for this job was complete bullcrap because again, it's just a job to me, it will pay the bills and that's about it. I had to act like I just absolutely love nursing.

Don't worry about that dingobutt. I went to nursing school because I was just out of a job as an assistant manager of a trendy clothing shop and had no other viable options at that time. I'd thought about it in high school, but there was no feeling of "this is what I was meant to do" at all If I could've gotten a refund on the money I'd spent I might have dropped out.

All you need to do is be skillful to the best of your ability, pleasant and civil to everyone around you. Your innermost thoughts are nobody's business. Honestly, it took me years to "feel like a nurse" on the inside to match up with what I was doing on the outside. Not to worry. You can PM people after you post 15 messages, if you'd like me to elaborate on the topic, feel free! Best wishes!

born2circulateRN · Oct 5, 2012

Definitely not. When I was younger I wanted to be a singer, of course. And, I also changed my mind and wanted to be whatever my older sisters wanted to be....a lawyer, a pediatrician - then I wanted to be a psychiatrist, why? Because on the movie Freaky Friday the job of a psychiatrist seemed cool, haha.

But even in my 12th grade year of highschool - I had no idea of my career, I never even thought about it - until the summer before before starting college in Fall. I was initially going to major in Business Management because I didn't know what to choose, but I hated talking in front large crowds, duh. So, I chose nursing because my sister was a nurse - I had no idea what I was getting myself into. When I first got into nursing school, the majority of the students had many family members in the medical field or wanted to be a nurse since they were smaller - nope, not me. And when asked why I wanted to be a nurse..."Because I want to help people." Cliche much? I had no idea what to say. Nursing was totally foreign to me because I've never been hospitalized or been in the hospital much...I've only been to the ER a couple times and to doctor offices, which I only came in contact with the doctors. But, I've graduated and have my first job. Nursing was definitely not my dream job or calling since I was younger, but it is definitely a reward. And another great thing about this profession is that you continue to learn throughout your career, which is awesome. I'm happy with my decision of becoming a nurse :-)

Nurse Ebere M. · Oct 9, 2012

I wanted to be a nurse as long as I can remember. My mom was a nurse and so was her mom. I remember when my mom would come home from work and I would hear her talking to my dad about her day. It always sounded so interesting to me for some reason. Now my sister is another story, she freaks at the sight of blood or needles but her daughter is currently in school for nursing.

NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN · Oct 9, 2012

LOL I wanted to do all kinds of things as a kid. They all ended up having the same sort of work though: helping people.

Policewoman, teacher, firefighter, nurse...

Love my job (usually).