How did you know "your calling"?

Nurses General Nursing

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I keep reading about people who feel that nursing in their calling...

Please share how you realized it was your calling? or what that calling felt like...

I never felt a calling towards Nursing or the medical field and in fact had obtained a degree in my 20's in Graphic Design. I pursued this line of work for a while, but never felt happy or satisfied. In my late 20's I started making changes in my life and married a very supportive man who encouraged me to go back to school if that is what I desired. So ... I started researching careers ... length of education, ability to grow, and travel. All I really knew is I had to do something "meaningful" that would also pay me a comfortable living wage. I settled on RN, particularly wanted to be a Travel Nurse and entered Nursing School. Once, I was in the field I truly felt like this is what I was meant to do! I love it every day and am set to graduate in Dec 08. I find myself grateful for this choice everyday and am constantly blow away by how much I love Nursing, so glad I decided to purse this career and being more mature is the only way I think I could of found this path.

Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

I absolutely never wanted to be a nurse!

I went to college and got a BA in English. Wasn't sure what to "do" with it so decided I'd teach. Hated the education classes and student teaching with a passion; I decided no amount of $$ would get me into a high school classroom.

We moved to my husband's home town with lots of medical facilities, in a time of "nursing shortage" (early 1980's) and decided that I could at least always get a job as a nurse. I didn't want to spend several more years in college, though, so went to tech school for LPN diploma. I'd never even been a patient in a hospital, but decided this was interesting. If I was going to do the work, though, I wanted the most $$ I could make so started back for my ADN, even before I finished the practical nursing program.

I worked full time as an LPN, first in a nursing home and then in a hospital on a tough floor with the nursing staff from He** so I'm not sure why I stuck with it. I finally changed hospitals, had just made 6 months there (and still in school) when DRG's came in; hospital panicked and laid off a slew of people. One of my nursing instructors worked at a teaching hospital and told me to go there, I had a job in a week.

I finished my ADN program, passed boards, and swore I'd never go back, I was done with school! I had babies, worked part-time, and wondered what I was going to do when I grew up!!

I had a head nurse who started pushing me to go for my BSN. Then the local BSN program announced they'd be ending their 1-year bridge program for RN's after that next year. I applied, got in. I just had the strong feeling this was what I was supposed to do!

Sometime in the course of that year I started learning about advanced practice nursing roles- I honestly don't think I'd ever heard "nurse practitioner" before that.

When I learned about that role, it lit a fire inside; I knew that was what I was supposed to do! Because of the examples I'd had, of a couple of friends who were Family Practice MD's and of the specialty physicians I'd worked with (excellent in their areas but with no conception of taking care of the patient outside their narrow area) I decided Family Practice was the area I needed to be in.

All that time of "drifting" in nursing beforehand, working in various areas- including float pool, which got me into a lot of different places- was preparation, I believe.

Even at times when I've been unhappy in my particular job as an NP, I know I'm in the right role. I've done stints at teaching and management since becoming an NP, and those experiences haven't been wasted, either.

I don't know that it's the same for everybody, but for me, when I developed a "fire in the belly," a passion for something, I knew that for me it was a calling.

Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.

I remember being in kindergarden,helping a little girl with a bad knee injury.The teacher commended me and said what a good little nurse i am.I think Ive always known .

Specializes in ER, Occupational Health, Cardiology.

From the time I was a little girl, I was always wanting to help take care of somebody, or something. I lived in the country, and was quite a tomboy. I was forever fixing my own cuts, scrapes, and even lacerations (butterfly strips-never had sutures. The ER in town was for emergencies,doncha know! Anyway, I nursed baby birds, baby chicks, puppies, baby rabbits, etc. Then I got married and had babies, and got busy doing all of that. As they began to get into school I knew I wanted to go back to school. Within 3 years, I lost 2 of my Dad's brothers to acute MIs, and then my Dad had triple CABG. That tore it-I wanted to be a nurse fer shure, and I wanted to help Cardiac patients. That is exactly what I did. During my career I went to ER, Occ Med, Charge on Med-Surg, but for the past two years I've been back home-in CARDIOLOGY!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I was hospitalized at age 19 for tests (which would now be done outpatient....I'm old) and was very impressed with the nurses and how they ran the show. It always stuck with me. When at the age of 30 I had the opportunity to go to school for something, I immediately chose nursing without hesitation.

I don't call it a "calling" however.

I keep reading about people who feel that nursing in their calling...

Please share how you realized it was your calling? or what that calling felt like...

It's an undeniable feeling in your heart. But not everyone in nursing gets "the call." For many, it is a career choice and that's okay -- they're excellent nurses. Like Mississippigirl, I got fed up with corporate America and chose to do what I've always wanted to do, instead of what I was "supposed" to do. Her post could have been mine. Granted, my prior career in PR made me an excellent communicator and it serves me well in nursing. I have no regrets and now absolutely LOVE nursing. I take the boards in late June and look forward to being a real RN soon.

Specializes in CVICU, MICU, CCRN-CSC.

Nothing really "called" me to Nursing. I had a successful career that I loved...except the boss that I loved was getting ready to go into retirement. I stayed home with baby number 2 and when it was time to go back, my boss encouraged me to go back to school. Not for nursing though, for anything. I was his Executive Assistant and did lots of personal things for him that I would never do again for anyone else (no, no no...no Sugar Daddy action going on). But, while I worked for him his wife that I adored relapsed with her second round of breast CA. I kept his schedule and usually she called me to find out which city/state he was in that day. So, I wound up sitting with her and traveling with her to her MD apointments, after her mastecomy etc. That is the first time I ever thought about nursing. I saw how commpasionate the nurses were, how educated and respected they were.

Oncology nursing is not my "calling" though. I was getting a little down during my clinicals...did not like babies, did not like peds (actually their parents), med surg was okay..but the nurses I had seen with my friend LOVED what they were doing and you could tell that. I had not found that yet. Until...I did a clinical in the ICU our last semester of nursing school. We had a code and although I was CLUELESS as to what I was doing, just the rush, the adrenaline...I knew I was "home". I applied for a preceptorship in the CVICU the next day. I have been there ever since. I still love to take care of the sickest of the sick (my favorite are the 4 pressor, IABP with CRRT patients with the code cart and the open chest cart in the room). But I like for them to get better....I just love it when they are sick....I know I am a sick sick person...only another nurse would understand.

In high school I was a person who hated science, math and BLOOD. God help the thought of cleaning up POOP. So few things phase me now...My mother is still amazed that I love it so much, she never doubted my ability to do it, just wether it was really a profession I would like. I love it.

Specializes in Home health, Med/Surg.

I had problems with my right foot from age 9. I was so fascinated by the surgeon's descriptions of how he was going to repair my first metatarsal that everyone was surprised. I was more interested than afraid of surgery. I was similarly fascinated when my high school boyfriend crashed his car (with me in it) and he ended up with a craniotomy and a long rehabilitation. I don't know if nursing is my calling, but it is my area of fascination and passion.

I believe that people should pursue what interests them the most, and that is what I have done.

The fun thing about nursing is that there are so many different areas to explore and learn about. I can't imagine limiting myself to a narrower subject than the human body, soul and mind.

Specializes in Nursing Ed, Ob/GYN, AD, LTC, Rehab.

It wasnt a calling for me, it was a sound career choice that i thought would keep me engaged and not get boring and still pay the bills

Specializes in ICU;CCU;Telemetry;L&D;Hospice;ER/Trauma;.

I knew from the time I was three years old that I would one day be a nurse. It was this "knowing" inside of me. I had always been very facinated by how the human body functions. I always was the one who comforted everyone else, even people much older than me, as a child. I looked up to my Grandmother, who was a mid-wife, and who was the one that doctors would call when they had a difficult delivery.....she seemed to know just what to do in a crisis. This gave me even more desire. My mother wanted me to be a classical pianist, and I trained for that my whole life, until I graduated from a musical conservatory. (It was really boring!!) She wanted me to play professionally; so I disappointed her, and did what I KNEW was my destiny, and went back to school after two kids, a divorce, and obtained my nursing degree. I put my hand to the plow and have never looked back, nor have I ever regretted my decision. I know that I am doing what is meant for me to do....it never seems like work....it seems as much a part of me as breathing.....and even when the rest of the chaos around me swirls, the one thing that is constant is the work/profession that I gave myself over to. Yes., for me, it was a calling. crni

When I was young, a neighbor shot a bird through the wing with a beebee gun, and I 'nursed' it back to health. I would be a nurse even if it didn't pay anything!

I was taking nursing pre-req's and got a C in A&P and thought id never make a good nurse with a C, so went into business. was working for nuns in a nursing home type setting....was in my next to last semester of business and this poor nun was diarhea all over the bathroom. so we were talking and i was on my knees cleaning and wiping her bottom (she was on a rolling commode chair--LOVE those) and carrying on a conversation and thought all of a sudden...this doesnt even bother me! from that point i knew i should be a nurse. altho i dont work in that type of situation at all i consider that the "calling" i finished my business degree, then went and got my nursing degree...RN for 8 yrs now and cant imagine not being one.

PS i got into the nursing field originally cause my dad says they always have a job and make good money, but mom said u better do something in nursing before u make that big of a decision. so thats when i went to the nunnery....i had no clue what nursing was all about, truely!!

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