How long have you been a nurse

[Rocknurse]

I was thinking and realized that I'm coming up on my 30th year of nursing. When I started we still wore dresses, hats and stockings and carried a pinned fob watch. Everything was done on paper and patients still smoked in their rooms. A lot of years have gone by but I'm still here. How long have you been a nurse?

[rockchickrn, ADN]

23 years and want out!

[tina hobbs]

I have been a nurse for almost 28 years. We wore scrubs in OB, but no nursing hat or hose. On the Med-Surg floor I also worked we wore white uniforms and support hose with white shoes. However, when I graduated we wore both. SO MUCH has changed over time, and it's kind of neat to see that some of the things we did "back in the day" are beginning to come back to the forefront, i.e., physiologic labor support with the nurse at the bedside more times than not.

[nursiee]

A little over two years!

[NurseBlaq]

I started my RN diploma school in August 1986 and graduated in December 1989. Took the two day paper RN licensure exam and wrote in black, green and red ink for charting.

I remember color coded charting based on the shift.

[NurseBlaq]

RN 14 years and CNA 8 years. I remember thinking I will NOT be a CNA forever and my coworkers giving me a hard time because I wanted to do better instead of being stuck in a rut like them. Glad I have the ability to think for myself. I wouldn't trade working in healthcare (title aside) for anything!

[KidzNrz17]

I was a nurse for over 21 years but I am now retired. I miss the kids and my co-workers

[KidzNrz17]

That 2 day exam was a nightmare. Ugh.

[Twinmom06, ASN, APN]

5 years and was an aide for a year prior to that. I went to nursing school later in life (graduated when I was 39)

[jrbl77, RN]

Me too!

[jrbl77, RN]

41 years, hope to retire soon.

[Froggybelly]

Almost three years. I was a stay at home mom for many years before I decided to go to nursing school. No regrets there!

[icurn9597]

24 and counting....