Do you remember the moment?

When you decided to go to nursing school and become a nurse? I know not everyone has necessarily experienced a specific moment that made them want to be a nurse, but some of us have. I had forgotten mine for a little while trying to get through the grind. But my mom reminded me recently. (I didn't truly forget)

It was when I was pregnant with my first daughter. I was in labor at home for 13 hours before going to the hospital. I was in pain and choose to have and epidural. It did not go well. (We later found out that my epidural space is shallower than it should be for my height and weight) So I ended up leaking spinal fluid and it was 45 min of pure torture of them trying to get the epidural in. I felt everything they were doing back there and was severely contracting on top of that, my parents heard me screaming down the hall. One of the nurses in the room grabbed me by my elbows and very calmly but firmly said, "Stop. You need to breath and calm down." She put a vomit pan in front of me because I told her felt like I was going to puke. She took breaths with me and held my arms until the epidural was in.

This was my moment!

Followed by many others.

The home care nurse that convinced my family to get me to go get a blood patch two days later after the above birth.

The ICU nurses that took incredible care of my dad when he became septic and spiked to 109F.

Watching a coworker seize and remaining calm and yearning to know the correct thing to do.

The nurse aides and techs that cared for my combative grandma in a nursing home.

The nurse practitioners I saw while pregnant with my second daughter that listened to me and were genuine despite their patient volume.

These moments keep me going.

What's yours? :)