Why do you want to be a nurse?

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

Why do you want to be a nurse?

I think this is an interesting question to ask student nurses because we are not nurses yet and perhaps we are still idealistic about things. I"m just wondering what the responses will be.

I am in my 2nd semester and would have jumped to answer this question before I started school. Now I"m not so sure what my answer is. I have to think about it. Has my brain been drained of everything creative? sincere? :confused: ...just because I am carrying this heavy load of that next test (we have tests every week) plus that big project due on Friday. Why do I really have to search my brain for the answer? It should be right on the top of my head. I know before I started school I could have answered this question in a flash.

Hmmmm why do I want to be a nurse.... I like helping people. It's a new and exciting field. Its a steady income.

I think my answers would have been different before I started school. They would have been more "flowery" longer answers too. :smilecoffeeIlovecof I wish I could quit coffee

What is your answer?

Has my brain been drained of everything creative? sincere? :confused: ...just because I am carrying this heavy load of that next test (we have tests every week) plus that big project due on Friday.

Yes, nursing school has removed everything about you that was creative and original :roll

Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

jeez! i can't believe you're feeling so bummed about the profession already! i've been a nurse for 30 years. i went into nursing because i felt it would be a career where i would be doing something constructive with my life in helping people and making a good living at the same time. i've never been disappointed with either objective. sometimes the people i'm helping are co-workers; sometimes they're patients; and, sometimes it's both. there are some days when i feel like i've been of help to no one. there have been days when i was the one getting the help. (did you think of that one?) there were days i came home from work high on my own ego and others when i was in a slump. but, i was always moving forward whether i consciously knew it or not. i think that nursing is probably, next to a religious vocation, the most spiritually fulfilling work you could be engaged in. even clergy have days when they question their career choice. giving of the self can be an extremely difficult thing at times, especially when no immediate reward is given back. give it time. events that occur during your nursing work will make you reach down into the depths of your mind and soul to think about what is most important in life. the "gifts" that you will get from your nursing work will make you a person with a stronger heart and soul that others will look up to for leadership and with admiration. you can't buy that in any store. you have to earn it.

for many of those you encounter who say that they've lost faith in the ideals for which they went into nursing in the first place, i say, they are lying to you and themselves. there's another explanation that they either don't want to confront or reveal. in today's world, my guess would be the wage. a lot of people see that $25+ an hour as a real attraction not thinking about what you have to do to get it. when i went into nursing, nurses made really crappy wages. my only thought was having steady work. and, nurses, certainly never have want of employment.

Specializes in Acute Care.

I've been feeling a bit down about school. I don't know if its the endless tests and checkoffs or the complete disregard from the nurses during our clinicals. I don't know. I live for the occasional moments when the reasons for going into nursing come back. Like my first delivery or baby bath. :)

Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.

I want to be a nurse first because I just find the human body fascinating. Although, I wouldn't wish anyone ill, I find what the body's response and recovery very interesting.

Secondly, I like helping people. I already know I won't be able to help everyone and that some people won't be appreciative, but if I get just one person....

Third, it's interesting. Never a dull moment. Even if a doctor yells at me or a kid vomits on me, I still think it's funny. It takes a lot to get to me. I can laugh at things really easily.

The other reasons are the mobility to different specialties, the job security and the potential in pay with further education.

I love teaching, so I know I can do the hard work at the bedside in my youth, and then teach later on.

So, that's why I want to be a nurse in a nutshell.

Specializes in ICU, Med/Surg, Tele.

I grew up with my best friend being my mother... and she is a nurse.. I have always admired her as a person and loved hearing her stories from work.. so from long ago i wanted to become a nurse. As soon as i turned 16 i got a job in dietary at the hospital that my mom works at. I enjoyed being in the hospital setting so much!!! I did not however enjoy the food part lol.. I loved socializing with the patients and staff and i loved being able to watch her in action taking care of her patients. I had thought about going into nutrition as a major but decided against that since I really didnt enjoy the food part of that job any then my mom and I were talking and I truly realized I wanted to be a nurse.. I knew then and never looked back.. I am now a junior in nursing school and am loving it, well sorta.. I obv HATE the workload but i know i will love it in the end. I hope someday i will be even half the nurse my mother is..

Specializes in OB.

I suppose I'm the typical idealistic nursing student but I understand how the tests and papers get you down. On the other hand, I've met so many new nurses that love their job and dont have complaints. There are so many bitter nurses who post on this site that have so many cynical things to say about the profession. You just have to think of the outcome, the endless hours studying for anatomy tests are worth the rewarding career you'll gain in the end. Remember, attitude is everything. Keep your head up dont let any negativity bring you down.

this is my first semester in nursing school. here are my reasons for wanting to become a nurse: (not in any particular order)

1. this is a first career for me, previously, i had a job

2. the opportunity to leave a life-long, ever-lasting impression on someone

3. the flexibility that the nursing field offers

4. the chance for advancement

5. the pay

6. because i am a people person

7. i enjoy the hospital setting

8. because i want a career, not a job

9. the opportunity to stay in shape while working at the same time

that about sums it up.

This thread is timely, because I recently had to complete for my nursing school application an essay on "why I want to become a nurse". Not to bore you all with the essay, :lol2: but here were some of my reasons:

1. I want a challenging career (my current career is not challenging at all)

2. I want to help others

3. I want a career where I never stop learning

4. I want to be a patient's advocate to make sure they receive the best care possible.

Specializes in retail NP.

because i want to hug babies all day and gain wisdom from sweet little old ladies. and i want a ton of respect from all the doctors, as i should get since i will be an RN. and because i want to make millions, and millions of dollars and get to wear pink scrubs everyday. i know all the other nurses on the floor will be my best friends, even the ones that hate precepting new grads.

I CAN'T WAIT!:trout:

Specializes in retail NP.
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Specializes in retail NP.

:roll

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