Have you always known you wanted to be a nurse?

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Have you always known you wanted to be a nurse?

Was nursing your 1st career option?

Specializes in M/S, ICU, ICP.
have you always known you wanted to be a nurse?

was nursing your 1st career option?

i used to want to be in advertising or a journalist. (i wanted to blend my love of creative writing and drawing.)

i didn't think about nursing as a career choice until after my son had cancer and then passed away a few years later and i was around the healthcare atmosphere.

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No, I never gave nursing a thought until a few years ago I went on a medical mission trip to the dominican republic. I went as just a general helper. Being on the outside like that and seeing the nurses bring such hope to these people and bringing smiles to their faces, is that did it for me.

I wished I had a decent guidance counselor back when I was in high school 13 years ago because I just got some copies of my transcripts and I took them Chemistry, Biology, Child Dev and did really well in those classes. But I never knew to put two and two together and think "hmm..maybe I should do something in the medical field". I didn't take notice that maybe I enjoyed science. HHAHAHA!! Oh well, had I done that then I would not have met my husband!! Everything happens for a reason.

And yes I am scared to death but this is something I want. I sit at a computer all day now 250 feet underground and we have production standards where I have to keep track of every thing that I do and how many pieces of that particular function that I worked on. UGH! It's horrible. No personal growth what so ever.

I can completely relate. I don't remember much guidance counseling in school. I have always worked in administration. I always admired people in medical professions, but wasn't sure if it was for me.

Now, it's all I think about doing. I won't lie I'm am nervous a little bit, because I hear NS is extremely hard.

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i used to want to be in advertising or a journalist. (i wanted to blend my love of creative writing and drawing.)

i didn't think about nursing as a career choice until after my son had cancer and then passed away a few years later and i was around the healthcare atmosphere.

wow, that's kind of the way things happened for me. i have been around it so much in the past five years because my mother, father, and i have had cancer. so, i think this contributes to my interest in wanting to work in an oncology unit.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Transplant.

No, it has definitely been a career choice that "evolved" out of many circumstances and years of thinking. For many years (middle school and until my senior year of high school), I was almost certain I would be a doctor. Then I read an article series in Newsweek (or a similar magazine) about how doctors felt more and more dissatisfied with the quality of their interactions with patients and the restrictions that higher and higher premiums forced on their practices. Reading this definitely gave me a small nagging feeling of "is this really for me?" Following this, I started to consider being a nurse practitioner. I thought it might be a blend of the best of both the MD/nursing "worlds," and after shadowing a truly intelligent, interesting and WONDERFUL nurse practitioner, I was sold! Around the same time (during my honors chemistry class senior year of high school) I realized that I was terrrrrible at organic chemistry. No, I'm not putting down my intelligence at ALL...but let's be real, I'd NEED to do well in that course to get into med school. After visiting a couple of schools and checking out their nursing programs, I was applying to nursing school. Fast forward several years, and I'm now a new grad RN. I still definitely want to be a nurse practitioner someday but am loving my first RN role.

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No, it has definitely been a career choice that "evolved" out of many circumstances and years of thinking. For many years (middle school and until my senior year of high school), I was almost certain I would be a doctor. Then I read an article series in Newsweek (or a similar magazine) about how doctors felt more and more dissatisfied with the quality of their interactions with patients and the restrictions that higher and higher malpractice insurance premiums forced on their practices. Reading this definitely gave me a small nagging feeling of "is this really for me?" Following this, I started to consider being a nurse practitioner. I thought it might be a blend of the best of both the MD/nursing "worlds," and after shadowing a truly intelligent, interesting and WONDERFUL nurse practitioner, I was sold! Around the same time (during my honors chemistry class senior year of high school) I realized that I was terrrrrible at organic chemistry. No, I'm not putting down my intelligence at ALL...but let's be real, I'd NEED to do well in that course to get into med school. After visiting a couple of schools and checking out their nursing programs, I was applying to nursing school. Fast forward several years, and I'm now a new grad RN. I still definitely want to be a nurse practitioner someday but am loving my first RN role.

That is interesting. What's the hardest thing you encountered so far? Have you found anything to be a serious mental or physical challenge yet?

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Nope. First, went to med school for 2 years then dropped out, then worked as a machinist for a while, then worked in high tech for 12 years, then worked as a respiratory therapist for 10 years, then, at age 54, started nursing. I think I finally found my calling, better late than never.

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Nope. First, went to med school for 2 years then dropped out, then worked as a machinist for a while, then worked in high tech for 12 years, then worked as a respiratory therapist for 10 years, then, at age 54, started nursing. I think I finally found my calling, better late than never.

Wow! I feel less and less hesitant about my choice, as I read about the experiences of other people.

I have had a couple of people ask why I was going into nursing now? They would say stuff like they couldn't do it cause it's to hard, I should have started long ago, etc. HOWEVER, I have had a lot of people say, that it doesn't matter when you start, just that you really want to do it! Your story is encouraging to me...thank you. :)

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when i was in 1st grade, i volunteered to take care of any kids who got sick(threw up). there was something i would have to get to put on the mess on the floor (sawdust, i think). but it wasn't until my late brother talked to me: all it takes is one year out of your life to buckle down and hit the books. it's going to be hard but then you will be set for a career for the rest of your life. i applied to lpn school and have never regretted it. :smokin:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.

Yes, since I was little. About 6 or 7. Just took me until I was 32 to do. Worked as a medical secretary for 12 years.

Now hoping to be an RN before I'm 40. :)

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Specializes in Psych, EMS.

No..I was 22, in my last semester of college, and thought "hmm..I can apply to an Accelerated BSN program, and in a year have another bachelor's degree, decent job security and pay.."

I'm 8 months out of school, and I have the job security (in my area) and $28.75/hr pay that I was seeking. I am looking at grad school in another field, and will continue to work as a nurse PT or prn through it. I got into nursing for practicality, not passion..and have no regrets.

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