Did a life experience start you into nursing??

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Dec 30, 2005

When i was a teenager, Dad was sick and in the hospital for several months. I got a daily up close view of the role of a nurse, and decided, eventually, that's what i wanted to do.

jschut, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2005

I think mine was just kind of bred into me....that's all I've ever wanted, all I can ever imagine.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2005

At the age of 20 I was an inpatient for testing and observation for a few days. The seed was planted then because I was so impressed with the nurses there, and how they actually ran the hospital.

It took another 10 years before I had the opportunity to go to school.

DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 30, 2005

I lost a family member to breast cancer at age 33. She was my age when she died. She ALWAYS wanted to go back to school for social work, and died before she could fufill her goal.

I've ALWAYS wanted to become a nurse. She was my inspiration for having the courage to finally pursue my goal.

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Dec 30, 2005

I'm not even in nursing school yet but I want to be a nurse because my Dad had several heart attacks and was in the hospital for a long time with each one. I knew that's where my Dad got better and that was the kind of place I wanted to work in. That was my kick-start. Husband and family have been my main priority but now I'm beginning to put my dreams first for a change. I start CNA class in January and hopefully LVN school in the fall. :)

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2005

My best friend gave birth in a county hospital using bradley method and the midwife there seemed so utterly amazing to me. the whole process... and my advocating for my best friend really struck me as something i wanted to do on a daily basis and get paid for it. the urge to be a midwife is still there, but not to be a labor delivery nurse (at least at the hospitals in this area!) so i am, for the moment, pursuing ICU nursing.

Fairemaid · Dec 31, 2005

I had a really great experience with each of my children's deliveries. I had CNMs attending both of them. It was not an immediate connection to wanting to be a nurse, but when my younger daughter was 5, I became an EMT. I think this was as close as I thought I could get to catching babies myself. Ironically, I worked for a private ambulance company and most of my pts were nursing home residents. :rolleyes:

I finally got my act together, and 4 years ago, I told my husband that I wanted to go to school to be a midwife, and he was so happy. I just graduated from nursing school this year, and the thought of more school nauseates me right now. I may get to the point where I will continue my education, but right now I am happy learning how to be nurse. :nurse:

Rebecca RN

tcdtx · Dec 31, 2005

I am not a nurse yet but i want to be and it isbecause i have had many surgries (as of this past summer 5) and i want to do for others what my nurses have done for me however corny that may sound.

That's not corny at all. I was already in nursing school when I was taken in for an emergency total colectomy, at age 21. I was able to have the ostomy reversed a year later. I was re-admitted to my nursing program after being off for a semester, and I just graduated in December. I am planning to go on and become an ostomy nurse, because of the wonderful care I recieved in the hospital. It was a very difficult time for me, and I think my personal experience can help others.

I encourage you to go into nursing, because you have the patient's perspective from your own experiences. You know what nurses you had were "good" and "bad". I consider myself lucky to have had that experience. I have a great rapport with my patients, because I am more empathetic to their situation.

GOOD LUCK!

-TCDTX

:nurse:

downesRN · Jan 30, 2007

I was always interested in Medicine, and was pre med for part of college. Somehow I got into accounting, and became a public accountant. This past winter, my mother went in for gall bladder surgery, and the doctor cut liver, and she ended up getting an infection and had all sorts of complications. Anyway, I felt helpless at the time, and foolish that I had not pursued my original interests.

I know many nurses who started their career change at 40+, so I figured, why wait until then when I can get the schooling over with now, and get into a career that I am more passionate about?

I applied, and I am in a BSN program now. I know I will love nursing, and being in hospitals, and all of the options nursing offers.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 30, 2007

Interesting thread in that the original post is over six years old. :)

Lorie P. · Jan 30, 2007

i also had a micro-preemie, former 23.5 weeker ( now 8 yrs) that spent 4 very long months in the nicu. when she was only 9 months old , i had an emergency cabg ! it was only after these two major events and watching the nurses take care of both of us at diffrent times that i decided to become a nurse. i felt it was the job for me and have never regretted my decision to become a nurse. i had that 'someone" there for us and now i can be that " someone" that is needed!

nurse hobbit:nurse:

Aquamarine · Aug 3, 2007

Hello,
I have been lurking on here for about a week because I have been kicking around the idea of nursing.
My daughter was born at 24 weeks gestation and spent 4 very LONG months in the NICU. As you can imagine my husband and I were "forced" into the nursing career. Now that things have settled down (she is 2 and doing well) it is time for me to get some $ rolling in. I would LOVE to be able to help the kids that I have seen and see at therapy visits. Which makes me wonder if being a therapist is something to look into. I have read to start as a CNA and test the waters. How does one get started??
I wonder if anyone has had a similar experience? If so, are you glad you chose nursing??
Thankyou for listening!
Jayme

Hi Jayme...I never told anyone why I became a nurse but for similar reasons. My daughter Heather was born in 1973 with a cleft palate and club feet, her knees didn't even look like they existed nor did her heels. She was the one thing that would change my life forever. I didn't know until she was 10 that she had Marfan's. I got used to seeing ill children in her 18 yrs. At first I was grossed, then interested and it went on and on...she was amazing. At least 18 operations, some very bad diagnosis and a time I wouldn't trade for gold. With the help of my Dr. bother in law, I took her to Mt Sinai in NYC for an accurate diagnosis...at that time I got a medical dictionary and a pediatric medical book which I still have. We had our trials, she had more mistakes done, more accidents in the children's hospital. Once they gave her a MI by giving her adrenaline when her heart was out of beat, the last and final mistake was telling me they never told me she had a Pinhole in her aorta...she did, it burst. She had Marfan's syndrom and that is common, however, it is repairable. She died at 18 yrs old, but what a life. We were told she was brain damaged-she was on the Dean's list at Niagara University, we were told she would never walk-she danced. She gave me courage, and love, and made me so proud. She was not selfish, she was giving, wanted to do it all on her own and take care of me. I wanted the best for her always thinking how I could dothat. After she died, I was thinking one day...I wanted the best for her...never for myself. I knew she would love if I did more for myself. I was a nutritionist but decided to go for my RN at 56 yr. I did it all in her honor. I knew she would be there on my capping and pinning day, I knew I would make it. My daughters short life was an inspiration. She was truly amazing. Usually it is the parents that want to leave an impression on their children, Heather left one on me. I never would have walked in a hospital door to work if it wasn't for her.

I take care of patients like I would have wanted the medical staff to take care of her. I do it in her memory and in her honor.

So yes, my daughter made me what I am today. A NP asked me once if I was always the way I am....I think that was good...and I said no...not before my daughter. You can go negative, or take the situation and make it the best.

It is the third option...the one you cant see all the time. It is a decision....I am the kind of nurse I want to be, not everyone agrees with that. I won't let anyone influence me to do anything but from the heart...and I pay attention to detail, and take the extra step for the patients.

Good luck, you can do anything. You don't need baby steps, just start taking your prereq's and get A's. That is what will get you in the nursing school door. There is a waiting list at every shcool.

The day I applied in July I was told "no way" there was a wait list of 500. I guess they didn't know I had an angel on my shoulder! I got in a month later, and did well. You can do it.

Good luck-Aquamarine