How did you know nursing was the career for YOU?

rnmomtobe2010 · Aug 29, 2008

We can gve you all of the advice and tips in the world but you have the final say so...

My mother was diagnosed with kidney failure when I was 15....That was a horrbile time for us both and my little sister... I could not stand the sight of poop, blood, vomit, mucus...none of it...But when t came down to my mother...none of it mattered...I cared for her and nursed her..I was a rebel and college was the last place I wanted to go...But during that time, I found my love...NURSING...It is kicking my butt right now, but I cannot see myself doing anything else....

Good luck,

Candice, SPN

Fast · Aug 30, 2008

Wow, I'm so sorry to hear about your mother, Candice. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me! It's really a beautiful story. :cry:

MIA-RN · Aug 30, 2008

It sounds corny but I became a nurse because I had to. I didn't really have a choice, it was just what my heart and soul told me to do. Chemistry can still confuse me, anatomy was not my best subject, and physiology near about killed me...but I stuck with it because I just did not feel I had a choice.

Now, several years into practice, I know I am a damn good nurse and glad to be one.

Its all about what your heart tells you to do, IMHO

NHSbaseball32 · Aug 30, 2008

Well for me I have always been fascinated with the human body, the way it works etc. I had the urge to go to med school but I didn't go for one reason: time. I wanted to go ahead and get my life on track with a career ASAP and thats why I chose this instead. I am intending on going back soon to a CRNP program some where.

Tony, RN

PiPhi2004 · Aug 30, 2008

Simply, I wanted a job when I got out of college. Thats about it. Glad I did as most of my college buddies still dont have one thats worth anything. Sorry its not more magical than that.

Fast · Aug 30, 2008

I had the urge to go to med school but I didn't go for one reason: time. I wanted to go ahead and get my life on track with a career ASAP and thats why I chose this instead.

I can certainly relate to that! While med school sounds amazing, I'm just so ready to get into school and get into the job market in a few years.

I sort of went with the wrong crowd in high school, met my first serious boyfriend, and was primarily concerned with ditching class and partying 24/7. I was an honor roll student until that point, and everything slowly fell apart.

Now I'm 22, a newlywed, grown up quite a bit, and sick of working crap jobs with crap pay, no respect from my co-workers or myself. I'm scared of failing, excited about giving it a shot, and terrified that I'll be in this same spot in 5 years.

Anyways, so that's a little bit about where I'm at right now. Thanks for the responses, everyone. I appreciate you all taking the time to help a "wannabe" weigh an important decision!

Fast · Aug 30, 2008

*bump*

SweetLemon · Aug 30, 2008

For me it was the day I learned about scrubs.... I mean who does not want to wear Pajamas to work everyday.... I was sold. :yeah:

imanedrn · Aug 30, 2008

Here's my story:

When I took A&P as a junior in HS, I was sooo amazed by the human body that I wanted to be a surgeon -- and completely decided this was my path.

The summer between my junior & senior years, I attended a medical conference for high school students. (They also have others for law, business, etc.) Although I thought most of the docs & med students I met were totally stiff, the experience strengthened my conviction. Also, I met Patch Adam which was an experience in an of itself because THAT is the type of medicine I wanted to practice.

After graduating HS, I went straight to university with a declared major in BIO with a "pre-professional" concentration. The first semester scared the pants off of me. The bio class was hard and boring. I decided I was totally not ready.

I was undeclared for one semester while I decided that maybe medicine wasn't right for me. I spent a lot of time deciding what the heck I wanted to do. Some people suggested nursing, actually, but I was always like HECK NO! I don't want to be the one taking orders from doctors! I want to be the one GIVING orders! Besides, nurses DON't DO ANYTHING IMPORTANT!

So... after all my exploring, I ended up going through the bus admin program with a concentration on mgmt info systems (because of my lengthy background in computers). I started at the middle of the dot-com boom, so I naturally assumed I'd had a 6-figure job after I graduated. Not the case. By the time I graduated, the bubble had burrst. I ended up struggling to find a job because they all wanted "real world" experience over school experience. I ended up working for a telecom provider (making close to half of what I make now!).

I worked there for about 10 months when I finally stopped and realized that I did NOT want to be working 40+ hrs/wk in a job that I didn't care much for. My husband (boyfriend at the time) was very supportive of me quitting and going back to school full time -- for pre-med!

So I went in full-steam ahead: bio+lab, physics+lab, and chem. Man, was that overwhelming. Well, at the same time, I decided to start volunteering at our local county hospital to get some real exposure. During that time, I realize that I spent more time talking to and involved with the nurses than than the docs. I also shadowed a trauma surgeon (exactly what I wanted to be!) at the hospital and realized that I just didn't like her all that much... My other volunteer experience was at the county hospital's kidney transplant clinic. Again, I spent most of my time with the nurses, while they doc had little to no interest in encouraging my interest in medicine. Yet another volunteer experience was at one of our hospice facilities. Again, more exposure to nurses.

So... after I finished my TOUGH semester, I took a break from full-time pre-med classes. I took an intro genetics course and upper-level literature course (because I LOVE English) to give myself a "break." During that time, I spent a LOT of time thinking about what I TRULY wanted to do. In the mean-time, a girlfriend and former classmate told me she had heard about this CNA program offered at our local community college. I didn't know what a CNA was at the time, but I looked into it. At first, I wasn't exactly interested, but I noticed they had an EMT program that was also 1 semester long. I was going to go that route, but I ended up learning more about CNAs, so I decided to go that route with my friend. I was all signed up and ready to go.

My dad had always wanted me to be a doctor (in addition to my boss, mentor, and second mother, at the time), so I took a special lunch to tell him my decision. When I did, he stopped and simply asked, "Why don't you just do the RN program at university?" That was like him giving me approval. I stopped and thought, "Yeah, why don't I?!"

After that lunch, I looked into the program at university and figured out what I'd have to do to get in. I signed up almost immediately.

Here I am 7 months later. I've struggled on and off over the past 7 months. After I hit the 6 month mark, though, it seemed like part of my brain finally got a better grip on this whole nursing thing. I'm a total Type A, anal retentive person, so the whole unpredictably was REALLY tough for me at first. As I said, the 6 month mark seemed to be somewhat magic for some reason -- like it finally clicked. I have a routine now, but it's not as set in stone as I'd expected and wanted when I first started. Now, I have a "general" set of expectations for myself throughout the shift, but I don't have such RIGID expectations for myself anymore. That's helped a ton.

So... after 7 months, I still think about wanting to be a doctor. Then I realize how much I love spending a whole shift with my patients vs. the 2 minutes that (most, but not all) doctors spend getting the "headlines" from MY patients. The docs (we have a LOT of hospitalists) come in, read the labs, the procedure results, the ER notes, the H&P, then talk to MY patients for those brief few minutes. I spend the whole day with them, getting to know them and their needs. BIG difference. And I love (almost) every minute of it.

The other part of me is a TOTAL academic, though, and I want desperately to go back and get a MS in nursing something or other -- probably education. I think it would be fun to be a clinical instructor for newbies. I also have considered an MPH and a variety of bio degrees -- because I still consider myself a scientist at heart.

In any case... every month I grow more and more proud that I'm a RN. I love when people see me in my scrubs and ask what I do. I love that nurses are completely under-estimated, under-valued, and misunderstood, and that I can make a case for US.

I love being a RN :nurse:

Fast · Aug 31, 2008

Ranaazha- Thanks for sharing your inspiring story with me. I hope you continue to pursue your interest in science.

ilstu99 · Aug 31, 2008

Was it a passion for providing quality care? An interest in science and all things medical?
I'm not a nurse or even a nursing student, for that matter. I'm very interested in the medical field; the human body fascinates me. I'm hooked on Discovery Health and any and every medical show on television (and allnurses.com!).
At the same time, how do I know I'd be a quality caregiver? How do I know I'd have the heart, patience, and stomach to handle it every day?
I'd appreciate any input you guys can give me. I'd like to register for classes and begin my prereqs. no later than next fall, but I want to be 100% sure that this is for me.

A lot of exposure to medical situations through my former job and my family.

How do you know? If it's important to you, the care you give will be quality. That's just the way it is. As for the other part....that's a question only you can answer.

I'd recommend that you meet with a nurse recruiter, nursing school counselor, and perhaps volunteer or job shadow for a little while. Nursing school is very hard, and some knowledge of what's available in your area, and on the "other side" might make it a little clearer.

Best of luck to you.