Did you *know* you were going to be a nurse all your life? Or did you come upon nursing in a way that surprised you and your family?
I have always loved writing, so I majored in journalism in college 12 years ago. Everyone always told me that I was a great writer, so I chose journalism as my major. No one ever really mentioned nursing as a career to me.
Fast forward 8 years after college graduation ... I have gone through a few journalism-related jobs and one boring secretarial job when I become interested in nursing ... I am attracted to the fulfilling aspect of the job, the decent pay, the security, and the variety it offers. There are six nurses and a CRNA in my immediate family ... and all of them love their jobs. I realized that I have been longing for a career that is rewarding and pays well. I want to feel like I've made a true difference at the end of the day, and I do not want to sit at a cubicle all day.
So ... after pondering it for about two years, I decide to pursue my ADN. Now that I've made this decision, my family tells me that I would be a good nurse and that I would enjoy nursing as a career much more than journalism. But I can tell you that I *never* thought I would pursue nursing! It is strange for me to hear people say that they "always knew" they wanted to be a nurse. I mean, here I am ... a writer-turned-nursing student ... it's so crazy! And yet I'm even *more* excited than I was when I started journalism school. I think having "RN" beside my name one day will fascinate me for the rest of my life, simply because I never thought I'd go down this path.
Anyway, I'd love to hear any other stories about how and why you chose nursing! There's got to be some really interesting stories out there!
I never thought i'd be a nurse. I studied for my bachelors in philosophy for many years.............did alot of stuff in between. I had my son and only then did I realize that I had a calling to help other moms, and laboring moms. Only in nursing school did I find out that my homebirth was sort of an outcast on birthing...................so I set out to find an ER job after graduation.
I got my ER job after graduation, and have worked in little hospitals, and level I trauma centers as a travel nurse. Nursing has excellent opportunities and I say go for it!!!
Specializes in LTAC, Homehealth, Hospice Case Manager.
From my earliest memories I always knew I wanted to be a nurse. Unfortunately my life presented many detours in reaching my goal. I started in a RN program straight out of high school in '82 & wound up giving it up due to lack of money, responsabilities & my ex's military career. About a year or so later I tried a LPN program & again (for the same reasons) had to let it go. In '98, after dealing with a nasty divorce due to years of physical & mental abuse, I managed to make it through a night time MA program, to me at least it was something medical that helped people. At the time I just didn't have the financial means for nursing school. I loved my job as a MA, but never lost the inner desire to be a nurse. So, once again about 4 years later, I tried to go for RN. That time my job threw the curve ball & almost fired me for taking too much time off to deal with college counselor appointments & applications...My doors finally opened when I took my daughter to the local community college to get her enrolled. We were in the financial aid office & she looked at me & said "Mom, you know you've always wanted to be a nurse. Why don't you go back to school with me?" LOL Without any thought to the fact that I worked about 50 hours a week & had bills to pay, I said "Ok, but this time I won't stop til I'm done!" I just have to assume that it was finally the right time because everything fell in place & nothing stood in my way. My pinning ceremony was one of the most wonderful events of my life...I did receive one of the highest awards & I could hear my duaghter over all the guests shouting "That's my Momma!" I am still on cloud 9! This is meant to be...I have so much to give. :heartbeat
hlfpnt, that's a wonderful story! It must have been amazing and meaningful for both you and your daughter to be in school together. She must have been so proud of you acheiving your dream at long last! I can just image the ceremony with her yelling out her pride in you for all to hear!
Specializes in LTAC, Homehealth, Hospice Case Manager.
cfrimer,
Thank you! I am so very proud of her, too! It's definately been a different kind of experience. I put in my post in hopes that it will be an inspiration. Life gives us many trials & tribulations, but where there's a will there's a way! I firmly believe there's a purpose for everything in life. Anyone who is willing to reach for the stars can have them...just don't ever give up! :wink2:
I always wanted to be a vet, but after getting my ASlevel results in January and again a fortnight ago, i sorta changed my mind!!! I think i have finally decided fully on nursing. filling in application for UCAS at this moment and hope to get into nottingham uni(UK) to do MNurs.
No, I never wanted to be a nurse growing up. My mom was a nurse, and she worked mostly with the elderly, but she also did hospice care for terminally ill children for about two years. She would get really attached to the patiens, and then they would die. I could tell it took a big toll on her emotionally. I knew she loved it, but I swore up and down I was never going to go into nursing.
I didn't really know what I wanted to do during highschool. I finally decided to follow in my fathers footsteps, and went to job corps to become a heavy equipment operator. It was fun at first, but I quickly descovered I didn't want to make a career out of it. I switched to the autobody program, but the instructor decided that I should be an insurance adjustor, so he put me to work filing in his office. It was boring as heck, I did not want to be a claims adjustor, and I wasn't learning anything really. So I gave up on job corps alltogeher.
I worked in a motel and retail for a while after I got married, and then my husband and I decided to start a family. Thats where I started to figure it out. :chuckle I read tons of books, and I was completely facinated by pregnancy and the body in general. I figured that it would abate a bit after I got pregnant, and then after I had the baby, but it never did.
I went to a C.N.M. during my second pregnancy, and I really loved her. She was amazing, and I just really wanted her job. :) So, I decided to start working toward that. I'm starting my pre-nursing classes this fall, and I am so excited about it.
I'm interested in a few other fields too. Thats the great thing about nursing, isn't it? It's such a wide open field. There are so many diffrent things you can do.
TinyNurse, RN
692 Posts
I never thought i'd be a nurse. I studied for my bachelors in philosophy for many years.............did alot of stuff in between. I had my son and only then did I realize that I had a calling to help other moms, and laboring moms. Only in nursing school did I find out that my homebirth was sort of an outcast on birthing...................so I set out to find an ER job after graduation.
I got my ER job after graduation, and have worked in little hospitals, and level I trauma centers as a travel nurse. Nursing has excellent opportunities and I say go for it!!!