Nursing doesnt define you

Nurses General Nursing

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It only defines a part of you :p. So what are some things you enjoy in your off time? Ive met so many special personalities here on allnurses. Some fiesty nurses, some sweet nurses, as well as some great student nurses. Ive been in nursing (officially since 2003) and it's a special part of my life, but one other thing that Im known for is my goofiness (which you may not see on this page) LoL! Anyhow, I like to write, do things with my husband and kids (amusement parks are my fav because I love rollercoasters!), I love museums, Im always trying new recipes, history is my fav subject, Im crazy emotional - I guess I could go on forever because Im also VERY TALKATIVE. :D Enough about me, what about you guys? What other things make you, you? :)

Specializes in Acute rehab, LTC, Community Health.

My husband often tells me this very thing and it is funny that you should post this. I have recently re-located out west and have left the busy hustle and bustle of the big city for small town life in beautiful wine country. I feel very lucky to be here (and just scored a job as a new-grad RN:), but the change has caused me to become introspective about where I came from and how I have misplaced pieces of that person through this crazy journey of becoming a nurse...

I love love love animals and wanted to be a vet when I was a kid. I have 3 cats (one of which is 22 years old!) and have recently rescued a 5 year old English Bulldog. I am now looking to start volunteering for the rescue I got him and couldn't be happier with my new bestie!

I love wine, and great food, so living in this region is definitely a perk!

Besides being a vet, I wanted to be a teacher, a fashion designer, a chef, a writer and an actress. I guess I have always been indecisive! I feel sure that being a nurse is where my life has led me and is what I am supposed to be doing, but I choose now not to forget about the little girl making paper dolls, collages and putting on her grandmas heels, singing into a hair brush and dreaming of going to mars.

When things get tough in our jobs, remember that child hood wonder and do remember that nursing truly doesn't define us:yeah:

Great Post topic!

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Specializes in Cardiac.
You da best, Kool!

Thanks, Cane! You're pretty cool, too! I love reading your posts!

Actually, Luke is a pretty subdued dog, but something I always do to get him riled up is I snort like a pig (obnoxiously) and he just goes berserk! It's so funny!

That's great about your dog, Minnie! I love to hear stories like this! Those ASPCA commercials with Sarah McClachlan break my heart. :(

And thunderstorms put me right to sleep, as well! Like a baby! :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Interesting thread :)

I recently thought about I should enjoy my life more before I get too old.

Nursing is a big part of my life. I got into this profession in later years in my life and my life is mainly focused on my family and the work.

I have completed all of my long term financial obligations and have loving and supportive family. However,,,

My mind is constantly challenging for a new advanture, like trying out different area of nursing, and I am always thinking about different stuff. I want to stop thinking and just enjoy where I am at.

I like all types of music, except hard rocks. I want to learn to read and play the music.

maybe I might learn to dance too.

This year, I am planning to enjoy outdoors more and read few books that are not nursing related :) :nurse:

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

My other life is my family. My husband with some health issues and our 7 kids. I love to spend time with them and snuggling on my days off is the best.

Hobby wise, I love to knit, but only if I don't have to think, lol. My mindless hobbies are painting and detailing cars and gardening. Give me a bucket of hot water, brushes, and I can clean a car all day long. Planning my garden is a spring hightlight every year.

TV: Love American Idol, America's Next Top Model, though I rarely get to watch due to work.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

I used to think ER nursing defined me, but since forced retirement due to a battle between my muscles and immune system, I'm looking at a bigger picture. I've 2 wonderful daughters in their mid 20's, no grand kids yet. I've always worked at seeing life from differant angles, which usually ends up with somebody telling me I'm never serious. Actually I'm ALWAYS serious! For instance if I make an observation in the men's room that strikes somebody funny, they call me a clown. I think I'm just being a comodian. Still have tye dyed shirts and love beads from the 60's. Anybody know why we wore them? Love a few TV shows, Jeopardy, NCIS, and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Enjoy all kinds of machines; cars, planes, and now with limited mobility target practice at the local Army base. Heya in Texas guns are common for self defence. Self defense seems like such a sefish one sided way of looking at it, I like to think that I keep a gun nearby to use for "behavior modification." I enjoy writing and have had a dozen or so short articles published on other nursing web sites (whoops, there's nursing again). Maybe nursing doesn't completely define anybody, but it's given me a wonderful 25 years, and I've never seen another web site offering such great comraderie oriented towards a single career trach as this one. Can we all agree nursing IS special?

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

Any guesses on one of my hobbies (hint: see user name)!

I most enjoy hanging out with my 2 teenagers on a Saturday afternoon when we just randomly end up somewhere on a whim. I love to travel and read. My family thinks there is some brain disconnect in my head as I love to take really good care of my little old people all day and come home at night and either read or watch TV shows that involve psychopaths, killing, etc Kinda funny when I think about it. And yes, I like to watch Nascar - go Kasey Kahne.

Nursing doesn't define me but on the other hand I've said I wanted to be a nurse since I was five. When I was five I didn't dream of being a wife or mother, I couldn't read yet, I didn't get to decide where I might travel and no one let me watch any of the gruesome shows I love. Nursing has been in my heart before most anything else so it really does play a very big part in who I am.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Great idea for a thread! Thank you for starting it, really enjoying reading them!

I have 2 teenage girls! Just got the oldest off to prom tonight, boy does time fly-she sure is beautiful and even though I'm a nurse I have no idea how that happened. LOL. I'm a joker, love to laugh at myself! Also run a bit into sarcastic with humor. Those girls keep me running with an inherited love of horses,( 4H), (I love teaching them about their horses-and especially love seeing them smile when interacting with their magnificent steeds! (That's where my money goes)) haha. I love planting flowers and am planning a hunting expedition to take out those rodents who are stealing my tulip bulbs (all gun toting nurses welcome to help or throw me an idea to keep them away!! Several times a year I do small home improvement projects, really love Lowes and Menards, go figure. You will also find me lost in a good book or occasionally writing, mostly poetry or random thoughts. My favorite retreat is the beaches of Lake Michigan, watching the waves recharges my battery in an amazing way!

I confess I love my days off and have been known to loaf a day away on occasion just because I can! Nursing doesn't define me but it surely has changed how I think about things, now you all admit that you assess people wherever you go- please so I know I'm just one of many! Lol. Yeah really no confessions needed I know you do!

So there's the short on my life! Have a blessed day!

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
Any guesses on one of my hobbies (hint: see user name)!

I most enjoy hanging out with my 2 teenagers on a Saturday afternoon when we just randomly end up somewhere on a whim. I love to travel and read. My family thinks there is some brain disconnect in my head as I love to take really good care of my little old people all day and come home at night and either read or watch TV shows that involve psychopaths, killing, etc Kinda funny when I think about it. And yes, I like to watch Nascar - go Kasey Kahne.

Nursing doesn't define me but on the other hand I've said I wanted to be a nurse since I was five. When I was five I didn't dream of being a wife or mother, I couldn't read yet, I didn't get to decide where I might travel and no one let me watch any of the gruesome shows I love. Nursing has been in my heart before most anything else so it really does play a very big part in who I am.

Kasey Kahne is a total cutie!!!!

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Specializes in Mental Health, Medical Research, Periop.
It's funny that you brought this topic up, because my husband is constantly telling me that my profession SHOULDN'T define me. I think that it does. The reason I say this with such feeling is because I was in a position several years ago where I was incapacitated, in the hospital for weeks, and had to go to months of PT to get back to normal. I lost myself during that time, and part of me was mourning the loss of being able to work. I am a hard worker; I like to get my hands dirty and love marathon surgeries. My self esteem took a large hit when I was not able to do for others during my illness. I pray that I will never EVER have to endure something like that again. I realized that the root of my depression was because I was unable to contribute. To anything. Contribution is what drives me, and ultimately what makes me the happiest.

When I am not in the OR, you can find me in the yard doing gardening, diagnosing problems with my plants, lawn, seedlings. I love to cultivate and grow plants that can be "problem children". I even sing to them!

My first love however, is deep sea fishing. When I am on the boat, my husband is driving, and I am standing on the gunwale, hanging on to the T-top in search of a bait ball. When we get up in the morning to prepare for a day of fishing, we get the boat ready and then we go to a very small island that you can only get to by boat. My dog has learned that as soon as she hears the bottom of the boat hit sand, she "Superman's" it off the bow-much to my displeasure! (All I can think about is FRACTURE!!) While she is running wildly, we throw the cast net into shallow waters and get our bait for the day. At the end of the day, we return to the island to let our dog run off some energy (she gets so excited when we bring a fish in). I will walk along the beach and pick up the most amazing treasures-hundreds of conchs, whole sand dollars, beautiful coral, clam shells that are as big as salad plates and even a few starfish. Since the island is uninhabited, these gems just wash up. It is nirvana for me.

Other than that, I read VORACIOUSLY! My hubby got tired of storing paperbacks (I go through about 3 paperbacks per week, because I read before I go to bed-it is my one true vice) and he got me a Kindle for my birthday last year. I read everything from Quantum Physics to Janet Evanovich.

I don't watch TV in general, but you can't keep me away from it during NFL/NHL season or ACC basketball season.

This was a nice post. Thank you, OP for starting it. I love to hear about everyone's interests besides nursing, although I really enjoy hearing stories about what your day has been like, or what issues other members are struggling with that I can somehow offer a bit of advice about.

Your post will help me to reflect more on my life outside of work. I know that I must focus more on this, and I thank you for reminding me to do this :)

Youve been through a lot, and you deserve every bit of happiness that is out there for you. This was a beautiful post, thanks for sharing :)

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
I used to think ER nursing defined me, but since forced retirement due to a battle between my muscles and immune system, I'm looking at a bigger picture.

OMG, dth, from your posts, I thought you were a youngin'! I never looked at your age until now. You have a young heart, my dear one. I want to be you when I grow up!:redbeathe

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Specializes in Mental Health, Medical Research, Periop.

OMG! Its so many talented nurses here. I love all of these posts. So many of us have a lot in common. I have a golden myself (who happens to be a goofball, his name is Simba). Someone mentioned watching "psycho killing" stuff, lol - I use to watch "Snapped" and I love the show "Dexter." I grew up in a small town (where we didnt even have fast food restaurants, and they still dont) just got a street light there last year, it was big news! But Im in the big city now, but I still know all about hunting - and have eaten my share of wild game. LoL! I had a difficult childhood which played a role in my decision to become a nurse (I originally wanted to be a Psychologist), and thats a huge part of my life I love as well. I cant thank you guys enough for sharing. Love all the posts!!

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Much like one nurse in this thread, I have this quarter and one summer quarter before I finish my BSN but after that date, I'll be pursuing the following:

- salsa dance classes

- skeet shooting

- french class

I have no kids, no boyfriend and my friends are now married so I have way too much time on my hands bwahahahaha

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