How did you know "your calling"?

TazziRN, RN · May 26, 2007

For me it was nothing more than a strong desire since childhood. I don't know where it came from, since I have never known anyone socially who was a nurse.

Djuna · May 26, 2007

I know some people feel it is their calling but I saw nursing as a career choice.

I wanted to be a midwife but when I trained you had to be an RN first so I went into nursing. Things changed in my life and I never went on to do midwifery.

Testa Rosa, RN · May 26, 2007

I have a prior degree and was a success in a job I loved in the business world, but life pulled me in a different direction.

It started with the birth of my first born with a mid-wife, I guess it was there I first realized what a positive experience it was to recieve good nursing care. I remember wishing I knew earlier what nursing entailed, becuase it would've been something I'd be good at and enjoy...but that I was well established in my career and thinking that it was too late (HA!).

In the last 4 years, I've had to help a mother die of cancer at 59 and helped my first born son live with a seizure disorder, growth delay and learning disabilities. I had to fight with insurance companies and with school districts. I became a parent advocate for special needs families and a Seizure Awareness and First Aid trainer. During all this, I was suprised by baby #3.

It was at that point I had to give up the job I loved. It was then I started taking pre-reqs for nursing....I actually only went to the community college to take a fun class but, somehow I ended up taking chemistry instead.

About this time, I had a dream about my mom holding a lamp out to me. While interviewing for an MSN program, the interviewer told me this iconography was related to nursing history. When I have more time I will research, but don't really believe and figure it was just coincidence.

My second semester, I discovered I had breast cancer, and I had another fight on my hands. It was a difficult fight and everything that could go wrong went wrong and I am still dealing with the after affects.

During my own cancer fight, my father died of lung cancer at 74. I took everything I learned from my mothers death and my own struggles with chemo and radiation and helped him fight a good fight, and helped him die a good death. During this time, I started to see the positives of everything I had been doing with my first born.

Through this all, I maintainted A's and I have been accepted into a BSN program starting September. I am now rising from the ashes of my prior life with a renewed purpose. I will take everything I've learned in grief to be of service to others. And, through this, find much needed healing of my own.

I don't know if this is a calling so much as life so clearly has a different purpose for me. I have a good head for business, so I won't let the fact that I have a passion for this profession sway me when administration makes bad decisions. I don't intend to let everything I've learned in the business world fall by the wayside.

Many Blessings

al7139, ASN, RN · May 26, 2007

I had 16 years experience as a Vet Tech. I got a promotion to manage an animal hospital. After 2 years as manager, I knew I hated admin work. I missed being "in the trenches" doing patient care...but I had bought a home, and had lots of expenses.

I resigned from my position at a time when I had just found out that my dad had been diagnosed with metastatic stomach cancer. I was able to help care for him in the 7 weeks from diagnosis to death due to my unemployed status. In that time I met the hospice nurse who came to the house 2 times a week to assess and treat my dad. Her empathy, caring nature, and obvious love of her work is what decided me. I will not deny that the pay is better than I have made in other jobs, but I look forward to work in a way that I never did before.

Amy

Mississippigirl · May 26, 2007

For me there was no calling. I've had my share of corporate america, inflexible work hours and being stuck behind a desk with emails and board meetings. I quit work to have my children and when it was time to go back, the thought of the usual office grind made me sick. I had a lot of college behind me so I opted for completing my pre-reqs and was accepted to nursing school. I think caring for my two children probably contributed the most to my decision and I also like working nights. I also love reading about medicine and think it's amazing all the different healthcare options that are available today. Medicines and surgeries are all phenomenal and to be a part of anything healthcare related was interesting to me. But I wasn't one of those people who dreamed of being a nurse since preschool and I don't come from a family of nurses.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · May 26, 2007

Was at girlfriends sweet 16 birthday party in summer when 6yo brother arrived crying for "his sister, the nurse." Had fallen off bike handlebars while other brother pedaling and had dirt/ciders imbeded in arm---refused mom to take care of him. Made me really take a look at nursing as career choice in HS junior year. Chose nursing over music career as organist. Nursing was 24/7 availability, able to support a family while music students took off summers and holidays; limited opportunites for wages. Started work as nurses aide w/ on the job training while college freshman fall 73 and knew it was right career for me.

shellek · May 26, 2007

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 really can't say, I was a teen pregnant mother looking for a career in which I would NEVER have to depend on a man and wouldn't take years out of my life to obtain. This option opened up opportunities of what I though then was good $, ability to change avenues, and ability to move and ALWAYS have a job.....My mother laughs @ me telling me about all the times when I was young bringing home dead or hurt animals to bury or help them -- I always grossed out on the idea of dealing with crap or vomit---SHE was right, I indeed did become a nurse.

sockmonkey70 · May 26, 2007

I spent alot of time in the hospital with my grandpa growing up, and I always felt a sense of comfort and belonging there. Then after my grampa died and I entered highschool, I kind of forgot that I wanted to be a nurse and decided to pursue my artistic talents instead. Then in my 3rd year of pursuing my Graphic Design degree, my fiancee had pericarditis and almost died. Those 2 weeks in the hospital with him revived my sense of purpose and made me deeply understand that being a nurse was what I wanted to do. So now I am finishing up my Graphic Design Degree next semester, and starting clinicals in the Spring

laughing weasel · May 26, 2007

Oldest son always taking care of others. I love to feel needed. might as well get paid for obese insanities. Night nurse for home health care. Little sister went first and convinced me that it was a good career. It was a good fit for me.

auntcharsattic1 · May 26, 2007

A long time ago I was in a head on accident with a young man not paying attention to the center line. Happened right in front of where I worked, and although don't remember doing so at the time told the trucker behind me who stopped to help, the name of someone in the building who was formerly a paramedic. Trapped upside down in vehicle for hours. Compound fx to femur, lots of facial fx, mandible fx many places, wrist fx, knees messed up too. Air evac nurse recognizes last name of relatives that she has lost contact with and calls my soon to be ex's family. Had my 2 kids with me who were unharmed. I was in ICU for almost a month and received really bad care; had the same day nurse most of the time. No one bedbathed me the entire time( and I DID ask), (one of the transport guys washed all the blood out of my hair on about the 3rd day- after he felt bad about catching my tractioned leg in the elevator doors) told him I'm on morphine, it doesn't hurt but he still felt bad and wanted to do anything to "make it up" to me- great young man) the same regular day nurse talked very badly about me right outside my door loudly and refused the simplest requests like for a wet washcloth etc. It was BAD. They didn't feed me for 3 wks(although I did have an IV so didn't dehydrate) and I went from 165 to 110 lbs during that time. Had 2 surgeons and each had thought the other had taken care of the nutriton orders. They really freaked out when they finally found out after 3 wks (and me and my family were asking- it's not like no one asked) and then an NG tube was ordered. First day of NG tube, vomited with mouth wired shut (think the student nurse was increasing it too fast. she then went on a break right before that happened, so no one around) and had to kick something off my bedside table to get any help. No one also made sure that I had a BM during that entire time. And, started my period the first day admitted, a pad was put on and not changed until I went to the ortho floor 3 wks later, when the nurse who was helping me bed bathe (I had left leg and right arm both in traction= what a sight), said what's this?) Finally, when I went to the ortho floor I recognized my stepsister's mom who I hadn't seen in 12 yrs as my new nurse (she didn't recognize for all the facial trauma) and then got the BEST care that I could ask for. Has a happy ending as I am now a nurse. ALso one of the on scene paramedics got a job at the factory where I worked and recognized me from my scars- great to be able to thank someone for helping to save your life. The former paramedic from my work was my new husband's boss and it was so strange that I even knew he used to be a paramedic because I think he had just mentioned it in passing one time. Ex spouse's family reconnected with a lost cousin. I think for me seeing nursing at it's worst burnt out nurse and best nurse I could ask for made me think that I could definately do better than the first and hope to someday be as good as the second. I didn't grow up wanting to be a nurse but was really inspired by what a difference I thought that I could make if only by NOT being that first nurse. I'm still pretty new, just graduated in July but really feel that I make a difference already- even though I am still learning something new everyday.

goldie66 · May 26, 2007

i work in business right now. and am successful at it... but i just can't stop thinking about wanting to be a nurse.

when i was in college i was a pre-nursing major for 2 semesters but i wasn't ready for the classes and the seriousness of it...

but 9 years later, i just FEEL like it's something i should be doing.

I guess it struck me the other day that if anything is a "calling"... that probably is, right?

my dad is a doctor and he's generally not been too impressed with the idea of me wanting to be a nurse... like he knows something i don't and he thinks i won't like it...

i'm thinking i'd like to be an office nurse and then go back to get a master's to be a nurse practitioner...