Why did you become a nurse?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I'm just wondering what inspired others to become nurses (or why you are aspiring to become a nurse).

Were you attracted to the lifestyle of long shifts condensed to one portion of the week and opening free time through the rest of the week? The payment? Desire to help people? Family encouragement? Geographic mobility via contracts?

There's no interviewer here to impress, so I'm curious about people's REAL answers.

Cheers!

Specializes in ICU.

I worked in the business world, and the company I worked for went bankrupt. I lived in a small coastal town that depended on tourism to survive, and the jobs were mostly seasonal. Back then one could open the newspaper, and there would be page after page of jobs for registered nurses. I was actually offered a position that would lead to becoming a stock broker, but I wasn't interested in that. I then took a test for air traffic control school, and got in. The program was stringent and you had to have nerves of steel; I finally decided that wasn't for me, either. The age cut-off was 30, and I was already 30 with 2 small kids; I was afraid I wouldn't do well due to family circumstances. Since I already had a business degree and was an accountant, I could go to nursing school in the ADN program, and graduate fairly quickly. My first nursing job paid $12 an hour.

0 Votes

Healthcare in general seems like it should have steady growth for the foreseeable future, given the aging population, ACA, and what I believe to be an eventual move to a single payer system. I want to do something more positive than my last job/career. I am comfortable in high stress situations, shift work, and working nights. It just seems like a natural fit.

0 Votes

So many interesting stories here!

0 Votes

The area I live in is medical based. The majority of people here work in the medical/nursing field or in a field that is connected. The local trauma center is our biggest employer. I love science and am a bit of a "trauma queen". When I worked as a medical assistant my nickname was "blood and guts" because I was always the one that wanted to hold pressure on a bleeder during a procedure etc. I want a career that always challenges me, is never boring, and pays a decent wage. Nursing fulfills all that.

0 Votes

Nursing school is one of my interests after high school because I had been considering medical school to become a doctor, but realized I do not want to be the one giving orders and would rather carry them out and making things happen for the patient. What draws me to the medical field in general would be an ambition to learn the skills needed to provide medical care and what to do in emergencies which I find very interesting. Some perks would be: there is a nursing school in my hometown (BSN), the education will be cheaper since I don't have to live at a university, a variety of specialties to choose from in my future career as a nurse, and it can provide me the life I want for myself and (possibly) my future family.

0 Votes
Specializes in geriatrics.

Primarily for the flexibility, the ability to travel, and the ability to continue to learn new things. Salary was another consideration. Nurses are paid very well where I live.

0 Votes
Specializes in Neuroscience.

I'm young and needed to support myself. Also, my ADN was extremely cheap.

If anyone has a problem with nurses going into it for the money, they are welcome to come and pay my bills for me. ;)

That's what I thought.

0 Votes

because i was a pathetic weak-willed piece of crap and allowed my famliy to guilt-trip me into it. i realized i hated it from day one, but going with the flow was easier than making waves by dropping out of school and taking a big risk for what i really want in life. obviously i regret that with every molecule in my being.

0 Votes

Up until about 8 or so years ago, I didn't even know what a nurse was or what they did. I just knew I needed something more in my life. An acquaintance recommended nursing. I took a few years to research what nursing was all about and looked into schols and voila! Here I am. I wish I knew about nursing when I was younger. I'm fairly certain this is the career path I should have started 20 years ago.

0 Votes

1. Got tired and bored of working 5 days a week at a desk job

2. Wanted more meaningful, altruistic work

3. Wanted a job where I could work part-time after starting a family and still make decent money

0 Votes

i think you had an easy nursing school if you had one

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment