why did you become a nurse????

AmyLiz · Sep 2, 2003

Well, I'm not a nurse yet, but I'll tell you why I decided to go back to school to become one! :)

When I was a kid in elementary school, I was interested in nursing. I read all the Sue Barton books...I even had my mom sew a nurse uniform and cap for me to wear for one of our "Right to Read" dress-up days at school one year. :nurse:

As I got older, that changed & I wanted to be lots of different things over the years. I eventually graduated & went to college to get a degree in psychology. That didn't do much for me. I ended up doing a lot of clerical work here & there over the next 10 years.

Then last November, my husband was diagnosed with a tumor (non-malignant) on his vestibular nerve. That got me thinking about medicine again. One month before his surgery, he woke me up in the middle of the night in terrible pain. I was unbelievably calm as I drove him to the ER. It was a kidney stone. We were there for 6.5 hours. The whole time, I observed the nurses. I got to thinking...I could do this...I would LIKE to do this. That progressed over the month leading up to his surgery. While he was in the hospital, I stayed with him the whole week and observed the nurses from pre-op to post-op to ICU to the neuro floor. I signed up for classes the next week!

Noney · Sep 3, 2003

My reason isn't that personal. I wanted to be a motician. The only school in ourstate was too far to commute, and I didn't want to leave for 2 years, so I went to nursing school. Also my mom was paying for my schooling and I didn;t want her to pay the higher costs of me going away. So I went local and ended up paying my own way( my choice).

Noney

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2003

Simply it seemed like the thing to do. Im still at it.

Mkue · Sep 23, 2003

There are so many opportunities in nursing, never a dull moment, I love helping people and the human body is so interesting. :)

Fascinating ~

:)

ohioipnurse · Mar 28, 2004

My grandmother was an RN (she died when I was 10) and from early childhood I knew I wanted to be a nurse! I read Clara Barton books and studied Florence Nightengale. I guess it was my destiny.

When I was a Sophmore in High School, I took the entrance exam for the LPN program at our Vocational school. At the time, there were only 4 programs like this one in the state of Ohio. 79 girls took the test and I was one of the 24 chosen. I graduated from high school and the LPN program in 1985. I took boards and passed. I've been an LPN for nearly 19 years. My grandfather offered to pay my way through RN school, but passed away before I got the chance to go. I absolutely love being a nurse. I would feel no different being an RN. I have specialized in the elderly and pediatrics. (Guess I don't like the people in between! LOL)

Here's an example of why it is so great to be a nurse:

I started a home care case in September 2003 for a 22 month old little girl that was born at 24 weeks. Her parents were told at her birth not to save her. Apparently there is some kind of rule at OSU hospital to save preemies that are born at 25 weeks and beyond! The parents told the doctors to do everything they could to save her and they prayed a lot. Obviously, she survived. She has a trach and feeding tube and mild CP. I am currently working with her 4 in home thereapists to help her to walk and talk. When I started there, she was just learning to crawl and was making no verbal sounds what-so-ever, Last week, I took her outside for the first time with her Kaye walker to walk the driveway. She was so happy. It was tough for me to keep up with her!:)

Although my name is Shannon, she calls me "nanon". She is having a bronchoscopy April 13 and they may remove the trach then. She has just started speech therapy and I am transitioning her from baby food to mashed table food. And, she now drinks from a cup on her own and we are working with the straw.

Even though I work 55-60 hours a week with her, it doesn't seem like it. She is such a special child and I wish I could take care of her forever. I am almost like a proud "Momma" when it comes to "peanut".

This is exactly what nursing is all about.

Goodness, where are all these tears on my face coming from????????:balloons:

dlscott · May 14, 2004

All my teddybears had bandaids when I was growing up. It was just something I always wanted to do. Did not get a chance until I had 3 boys and got a divorce. Became an LPN, loved it and then went on to RN ADN program and worked at the same time. I worked in nursing homes and enjoyed the elderly, did agency work, went into home care and really loved it and now I am a hospice nurse. This is where I plan on staying until nursing is not an option for me anymore. Guess this was God's progression in my life and I love it. :saint:

bellehill, RN · May 19, 2004

I got into nursing by accident, I wanted to be a doctor...now I wouldn't change things for the world. I love nursing!

CardioTrans, BSN, RN · May 19, 2004

When I was growing up I remember my dad being sick. He was diagnosed with colon cancer when I was 7 or 8..... He would have to go back and forth to a hospital an hour away for treatments and to see the doctor. I had it in my mind that if I learned how to take care of him, he wouldnt have to go to the hospital anymore. I would always "take his bp", his temp and do things for him so he wouldnt have to get up and leave. My dad died when I was 12, and the last time I saw him "normal" he was on his way to the hospital for chemo. He wound up in ICU and died 18 days later. I thought that it was my fault for not being a good enough "nurse". Ever since then, this is what I wanted to do. Granted right now, Im to the point of burn out and ready for a change, but that was my reason.

JacelRN, BSN, RN · May 27, 2004

I helped take care of my grandmother when I was about 10 years old and she lived with us in our home. I watched the home care nurse change her clothes, give her baths and give her medicines. Sometimes I helped her. I loved my grandmother very much so to see this person taking such great care of her must have inspired me. I love being a nurse and taking care of those who truly need me.

JacelRN

ryaninmtv, ADN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Jun 2, 2004

I kind of fell into it by accident. Went to university, did lousy. Dropped back 15 and punted in LPN school. Loved the school, the patients, and my terriffic colleagues. Went back and became an RN and got board certified. Good money and a ton of different career paths. Love nursing and am very proud to be a nurse.

NeuroICURN · Jun 2, 2004

how about a new thread??this is teri in central ohio......i always wondered.............
why did you become a nurse?
was there a life changing event?
did you always dream of being a nurse?
i can start..when i was 17 my dad was in a near fatal motorcycle accident and spent several months in the hospital.the kindness of the nurses touched me deeply and i never forgot it.also, my first job as a teenager was as a nursing assistant.i cared for the elderly and found much joy and satisfaction seeing a smile on their faces and their sincere thank you.
so ,does anyone else care to answer this question???

to be quite honest, i'm not sure how exactly i ended up here! lol

i actually used to be a cop (in oh) and it was my first love...but i got tired of the boys club, etc. i knew i either had to move out of this area or get out of it all together...which was an agonizing decision, trust me!

i talked to a friend and she was telling me about a woman she knew of who was doing really well in nursing. up until then, i had never considered it! so, i'd always been facinated by the human body and the way it works. the more i thought about it, the more i decided it was something i wanted to try!

here i am, years later and i love my job! yes, i still miss the police dept., but i believe that everything happens for a reason and this did too!