when did you know you wanted to be a CNA or a Nurse?

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Dec 20, 2008

I never thought about nursing and if you asked me about wiping someone's butt a couple years ago I would have said no way. But I really enjoy old people, and I got 2 jobs by word of mouth- housekeeping for an old woman and sitting for another with Alzheimer's with all kinds of health problems. The sitting job ended up requiring butt wiping and a whole lot more. I took the CNA class and when she died I moved on to a nursing home job.

I like my CNA job and I would do it forever if the pay was better. But I don't want to live on $13/hr for the rest of my life so I am taking pre-reqs for nursing.

Magsulfate, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2008

I had always wanted to be a nurse, but what really made me want to be one was when I was 19 and in the hospital having twins. I was at a UTMB in galveston which is a teaching hospital. Most of the nurses there were rude and uncaring. I was in high risk L & D and there was a nurse there that treated me like crap for 12 long hours. That is when I realized I wanted to be a nurse and I would be THE BEST NURSE! And never treat my patients like that! I wa a naive 19 year old in labor and didn't know that I could fire my nurse or do anything about it!

SurvivorRN · Dec 21, 2008

My mother encouraged me and my best friend was taking classes for nursing school..So I tagged along!

NursePaula · Dec 21, 2008

I knew from as long as I can remember that I wanted to be a nurse. I took the long way and married, had two children, divorced and then went back to school with 2 young kids and 2 young nephews to support. I cannot imagine any other job. I love what I do and love the patients, co-workers, and my supervisor...most nights I go home and think WOW, they paid me for today:yeah:. Yes, occasionally I think that I need to make more:cry:...but that really is rare.

ocmd79 · Dec 21, 2008

When my son was 2 months old he began having seizures and we were in and out of the hospital for the next year. The doctors would come in and out of the room, but it was the nurses that took the time to talk to us and ask us how we were doing. I remember one of the nurses holding my hand as I cried. I had always wanted to be a nurse, but it was during that time I made up my mind that someday I would go to nursing school. That was about four years ago and now I'm finishing up my pre-req's and enrolling in nursing school next year!

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Dec 21, 2008

I've always had an interest in the medical field. When I was young, I wanted to be an emergency physician or a surgeon. However, my life took a lot of twists and turns, and now I find myself in a place where med school does not seem like a reasonable option. It's not that I don't think I can do it; I know I can. It's just that at this time in my life, the cost/sacrifice outweighs the benefits by a long shot.

I was attracted to nursing when my friend graduated and passed her NCLEX and began practicing nursing. I'm a strong believer in lifelong learning, and can't stand to stagnate in a job. Nursing offered the opportunity to be continuously learning, and if I feel like I'm stagnating in one area, to move on to another. Nursing also offers a certain amount of financial security, and the flexibility and earning potential to allow me to do something I've always wanted to do; travel the world.

I never wanted to be a CNA, and in fact, disliked much of my time as a CNA. I only became a CNA because at the time, it was a requirement for entry into the nursing program. During my time as a CNA, I learned a lot about interpersonal communication and humility, and the true meaning of being of service to others, so it was a valuable learning experience for me, and I do recommend it for those who are considering a career in health care.

mochabean · Dec 21, 2008

Ever since I was a little girl (I have a bunch of younger siblings) I was always fansicinated with the reproductive system, pregnancy, and babies. I've always been interested in healthcare and I took a lot of health related classes during undegrad and participated in a study abroad health program. I volunteered at a hospital doing CNA kind of work (no cleaning people) and I really enjoyed that because I had contact with people plus it was hands on experience, but at the time I wasn't confident enough that I could become a nurse, even though I was always good in the sciences and had a dean suggested I go that path. I thought I would be able to work at a hospital in social services, but nothing materialized. I thought about becoming a dental hygenist, but unfortunatetly a program isn't offered in my city. So now I'm a Nursing Assistant and I enjoy my work, but I don't want to make a career out of it because the pay is too low for me alone to live off of. So in a couple weeks I'll be applying to nursing school (Fall 2009). I would really love to work in labor & delivery or even pediatrics.

lovehospital · Dec 21, 2008

honestly? In nursing school,I realized that I enjoy the classes I'm taking and the clinicals.