My Mother Was Right

My mother saw something in me that it took years for me to realize. As a child we aspire to be what we want to become and not always what our parent say they see for us. However there was an event that happend in my early childhood that shook me enough that I wanted to help people. I thought that teaching was my calling but soon there after became a foster parent. It was through taking care of these children and having to learn to give medications to small children that were very ill, I really felt that I wanted more. Nursing was never really out of the picture but that was what my mother wanted for me. After caring for these sick kids drew me that nursing was what I wanted and yes, you can say it; my mother was right! I loving being a nurse.

My Mother Was Right

When I was a young girl growing up in America's Mid West, my mother loved nursing and thought that her daughter should follow in her footsteps. It was her dream that helping people was a great profession and she wanted me to become a nurse when I grew up too. However as I grew up my dream was to become a teacher.

I felt that that was the career that I wanted for myself. While in high school there was an event that impacted my life deeply. A friend of mine from school was a foster child. On a couple of occasions when I visited her in her foster home I met three younger foster children, twin girls and their younger brother, that lived in the same home.

After a few months the three young children were returned to their biological father. It was heartfelt to see them go but that is how the foster system works. A few weeks later what I learned hurt me to the core. What I learned was that all three of children had been hospitalized. After some time of being admitted one of the twin girls was pronounced dead. Her father had beaten her repeatedly until she became unconscious.

No reason was ever known to me. However what I did learn was when she hadn't regained consciousness one night that the next day he took her to the emergency room stating that she had fallen off the swing in the park. No one was fooled.

When I was eighteen I got married and soon after at the age of twenty became a mother myself. Even though I did not go to college straight out of high school, it was still in the back of mind that I would be a teacher. At the age of twenty two my dream came to pass and I went to college and obtained a degree in Early Childhood Education.

My first position was as a substitute teacher at an elementary school. As all mothers, she still tried to persuade me to become a nurse. She must have saw something because she just would not let it go.

After a few years of teaching I felt that I was missing something. I wanted to do something to help others. I decided to become a foster parent. My mother thought the best way for me to help people would be to become a nurse. She was persistent if nothing else. After a couple of years of being a foster parent I was ask if I would be willing to take an infant with medical needs.

How did I feel about this?

Was being a foster parent for an infant any different from an older child?

What was going to be different was my thoughts?

I can do this!

First I took a baby from the newborn unit of the local hospital that had been born eight weeks early. He was so tiny; he still weighted less than five pounds. But I cared for him and nurtured him until he was able to be placed. The next child I took was an eighteen month old with Tay Sacs disease that had been abandoned at the same local hospital. The third child was a fifteen months old battling leukemia medical needs infant.

My leukemia baby was such a sweet, happy, loving child. The things I feared about becoming a nurse (holding a child so blood could be drawn; or placing a small needle so chemo medication could be infused or even the thought of sticking a needle in this precious child myself) were things I learned to do.

After fifteen years of being a foster parent I realized that my mother was right, I was meant to be a nurse. I returned to college once again and attained a degree in nursing. Better late than never so at the age of forty four proudly passed my state boards and became a registered nurse. That was well over a decade ago. My mother is now a resident of heaven and I know she is proud that her only daughter followed through on a dream that her mother saw in her and became a nurse like she was.

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jlindsey

About jlindsey, BSN, RN

I fought the thought of becoming what my mother always saw in me but has become my true calling. I have been a nurse for 12 years and I love it.

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This touched my heart. My mom AND her mom (my grandmother) are nurses. My mom encouraged me for years. I finally made the decision and am 5 years in "I'm loving it!" (like Mc Donalds) lol

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mine too...!! my grandmother was an RN... she always encouraged me to become a nurse throughout the years, but I respectfully declined... my beloved grandmother passed away in 2007. I changed courses and decided to pursue nursing... I took the required pre-reqs, and received my official letter of acceptance into the nursing program on June 8th--- My grandmothers birthday.. I cried, it was bittersweet... still brings tears to my eyes.. thanks for sharing...

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isitpossible,

June 8th is my birthday also! I'm sure your grandmother is proud of you.

jlindsey, Thanks for posting!

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I too was all set to go being a teacher when I graduated high school. I went to a teachers college and actually enjoyed student teaching. One year I applied to the teachers college to continue my teaching studies but also applied to the local hospital. There was this one RN that practically insisted I become a nurse! I received both acceptance letters for teaching and nursing on the same day!!

I remember asking my parents which career to follow. I was told it is my decision but felt my Dad wanted me to be a nurse, so I went to the local nursing school program and finished and graduated from nursing school. I did however after working for more than a decade in nursing, worked as a teacher. Even though I enjoyed working as a teacher from preschool to grade 8, I too felt like something was missing and after working for more than 10 years as a nurse, I felt for lack of a better word, I felt that teaching was boring. Just my opinion having done both teaching and nursing.

I then continued to work as a licensed nurse and I really come alive when I am working as a nurse. I also have a people person personality and enjoy talking to patients. I am now furthering my nursing education and yes my Dad was right!!

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I too was all set to go being a teacher when I graduated high school. I went to a teachers college and actually enjoyed student teaching. One year I applied to the teachers college to continue my teaching studies but also applied to the local hospital. There was this one RN that practically insisted I become a nurse! I received both acceptance letters for teaching and nursing on the same day!!

I remember asking my parents which career to follow. I was told it is my decision but felt my Dad wanted me to be a nurse, so I went to the local nursing school program and finished and graduated from nursing school. I did however after working for more than a decade in nursing, worked as a teacher. Even though I enjoyed working as a teacher from preschool to grade 8, I too felt like something was missing and after working for more than 10 years as a nurse, I felt for lack of a better word, I felt that teaching was boring. Just my opinion having done both teaching and nursing.I worked in every department form OR to Burns to ICU to Pediatrics to Med/Surg. and surgical short stay.

I then continued to work as a licensed nurse and I really come alive when I am working as a nurse. I also have a people person personality and enjoy talking to patients. I am now furthering my nursing education and yes my Dad was right!!

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