Nurses Relations
Published May 25, 2012
162 members have participated
Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN
1 Article; 1,978 Posts
I am curious how many of us have close family members (parent, grandparent especially) who are nurses, and whether or not this inspired you in your career choice.
I will answer for myself...my mom is a nurse, as was my great-grandmother and an aunt. I cannot say that this inspired me to go into nursing, however. My mom was in management by the time I was old enough to really understand what she did for a living, and I knew 100% that I did NOT want to follow in those footsteps! I was inspired to consider nursing as a second career after my husband was hospitalized and subsequently required surgery.
elkpark
14,633 Posts
My mother was an RN who took maternity leave with me and never practiced again. My father was an RN who went to medical school and became a physician before he and my mother ever met (although he was always v. proud of having been an RN, and talked about it a lot). I've always joked about having a genetic predisposition to nursing, although I had no interest in anything related to healthcare until after I was an adult and what led me to nursing had nothing to do with my parents' choices.
Hygiene Queen
2,232 Posts
Hairdressers, but no nurses.
I do recall wanting to be a hairdresser and I recall two of my aunts wearing their white uniforms to beauty school. They looked like nurses, without the caps.
My great-aunt got to do Elvis Presley's hair a couple of times. She said he was very nice and polite.
But I have several nurse friends (that I did not meet through work). We all encouraged each other and graduated a year apart from each other.
I never thouht about healthcare growing up.
Art teacher, DJ, beautician and librarian... but never once thought of nursing.
prettymica, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN, APRN, NP
812 Posts
My sister and I are nurses. I believe we have only one cousin that's a nurse and one cousin that lies about being a nurse.
TheCommuter, BSN, RN
102 Articles; 27,612 Posts
My cousin is a nurse, but we are not close and have not spoken in nearly ten years. The vast majority of my family members do not have any education beyond high school.
sauconyrunner
553 Posts
My Grandmother was a Nurse. My Great Grandmother was a Nurse. My Mother...so not a nurse. My Aunt is a Nurse. One of my cousins is trying to be a Nurse. It did not really influence my decision, as it was a second career. BUT, I am so proud of my long nursing heritage, and love to show the photos of my Grandmother in her cape, and my Great Grandmother in this lovely white uniform in about 1908.
kids
1 Article; 2,334 Posts
I'm a special snowflake, none of the poll choices fit my answer.
My mom was a RN (as was an Aunt).
It only influenced my career choice in that my mom told me she'd pay my rent if I went to nursing school rather than becoming a teacher.
I was a single parent with 3 kids 6 and under. Her paying my rent meant I only had to work 40 hours a week instead of 60-80 to support us. So I changed majors.
NurseCard, ADN
2,847 Posts
My mom and great aunt were both nurses; my ex sister-in-law is still a nurse.
I wanted to be a nurse when I was a little girl, but in the fourth grade I changed
my mind; I wanted to be a veterinarian. After that I went through several
career choices: journalist, radio DJ, psychologist, musician, before finally
settling on a major in ART during my first go-round of college.
With my art degree I landed a graphic design job about 1.5 years after
graduation, but it took me only a year to lose that job.. I had to commute
a very long way for not much more than minimum wage... I didn't like
my boss... plus I just flat out didn't like the job; I felt very isolated.
It was actually a friend that I met, who was about to graduate from
nursing school, who inspired me to go for nursing. He told me
that he was going to work as a psychiatric nurse in a state
psych hospital. I thought it sounded like the coolest job ever.
Soooo.. since graduation, psych has been my specialty of choice,
but I've also done Med/Surge and LTC. I will be starting a new
LTC next week.
arl6
19 Posts
I am the first nurse in my family! Everyone on both sides is a teacher (mom, dad, cousins, uncles, aunts) except my older brother who works in marketing. The only other nurse in my family is my mother's cousin, who I have met twice! Hopefully some other nurses will follow after me :)
Dixielee, BSN, RN
1,222 Posts
I'm the only nurse in my family and neither of my kids wanted to be nurses although they are in a healthcare related field (sort of). My daughter teaches interior design and her specialty (and masters thesis) is healthcare design. We desperately need people who can design for practicality and not just "pretty". She often seeks my opinion.
My son works in research and development for a company that designs and manufactures (if that's the right word) heart valves and interventional radiology related supplies. He loves what he does and his work directly impacts and improves lives of cardiac patients.
I know that my years of nursing influenced their professions, but I'm glad they didn't choose nursing!
That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B
3,421 Posts
I am the only person involved in the medical field in my family and my extended family. Everyone else is extremely creative ( my brother is a creative director for Disney ) I guess they soaked up all that creativity
Stephalump
2,723 Posts
My mom is a nurse. She dropped out of med school when she got pregnant with me, and went to nursing school when I was about 15.
Everyone else in my family is a doctor or in the performing arts.