I tried posting this under the "Would you recommend nursing" section, but don't seem to be getting any replies yet, so I thought I'd try posting here also.
Here's my question... it seems as though many of you who are already nurses chose that career because you felt some sort of a "calling" or a need to help people, or maybe it's just what you always wanted as you were growing up. For those of you who went into nursing for other reasons, what were those reasons? I don't know for sure what is making me consider nursing. It's not a money thing, because I'm doing OK now at roughly $22/hour plus great benefits (in a location where even $12-$15/hour jobs are very hard to come by). I know why I want a career change, but I don't know why I'm being drawn to nursing... is there anyone else out there who was as unsure as me, but just decided to go for it?
i always wanted a job that would heal someone...thats just been my personality type..and i'm a little self righteous. hehe. i myself am not very tolerant of pain and i hate hurting others.... i thought as a nurse i could just use what i already had, empathy and like make it a career... and i always admired nurses. they're just compassionate, sweet, and thoughtful.. the hospital is like portal or a gateway to the next world. i think miracles happen here all the time.. i really like cuddling, hugging, coddling, and nurturing people part too because it just makes me feel good inside. i also want to do something meaningful with my life because when i'm not doing something meaningful, it just feels empty and depressing and lonely.
Growing up I never thought of being a nurse. I actually wanted to be Michael Jackson when I was 5 or at least be able to dance like him.
Later on I wanted to be an actress, a poet, a writer and briefly a doctor. When I graduated from high school I studied fashion design, which I left part way through. I worked mostly in administration and accounts payable, spent some time traveling, more administration work.
I went back to university at the age of 22 to study science and left after the first year to pursue acting, which was something I still loved. At 24 I graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Screen and Stage Acting and ended up working in administration again - something that was much easier to find paid employment in, than attempting to be one of the 5% of actors employed as actors.
I still wasn't happy though. I drifted about in various administration and accounts jobs for a few more years and had both good and bad jobs. The one thing that was never far from my mind was I didn't want to be working in administration for the rest of my life.
Then in the middle of 2007, I reached a low point in my life and realised that I couldn't keep doing what I had been on and off for the last 10 years. At that point I decided that I was going back to school - I just didn't know what I was going to study.
I started looking at the courses that were available and set myself some rules. The rules were pretty simple - if I was going back to school it would be to study something where I could get a job at the end of it and it had to be something that held at least some interest for me. I also thought about all the different jobs I had had over the last 10+ years - both paid and unpaid and what I had liked about them. Of all the jobs that I had there were two that I loved - working as a volunteer reader at a radio station that did live to air readings of newspapers for people that couldn't read and fostering sick and pregnant animals.
It was those two volunteer jobs that made me realise that I had been most fulfilled in "helping" jobs, so I focused on looking at "helping" jobs. Then one day it just hit me that nursing offered the perfect solution to what I was looking for. I wasn't a total stranger to the health/medical profession with my father having been a paramedic.
In August of last year I quit my job and put in an application to study nursing. Today at 28, I have finished my second week of school and I feel like it's the best decision I've ever made. And in a few years time I see myself saying something similar to what I did today - but instead of saying "I made it through the first two weeks" it will be "I made it through the entire course and am about to become a Registered Nurse"
I guess I just finally started listening to myself now that I am older and wiser. Of course, I am nervous but the excitement is much greater...and I feel much like I did when I first started in radio 10 years ago. Passionate and excited.
I think it is possible to have more than one passion in life...one down, one to go.
I did always have a strong interest in the medical field and wanted to help people, but my reason for going into nursing has a lot to do with my having the attention span of a gnat. I have ADHD and changed careers several times before I was 30 (including math teacher, insurance agent, and web developer!)
I figured with a nursing degree, there would always be the option to change specialties, teach, do research, be an administrator, sales, IT work, and/or care for patients in critical care, acute care or home care settings. Plus there are almost limitless options for different hours and shifts. It seemed to be the best way to get a degree yet have dozens of options open.
I had decided that I wanted to teach Home Ec (what your kids now call Family and Consumer Sciences...) I quit college to get married.... yup I know, "young and dumb!"
After 6 yrs of a very BAD marriage, I left with no skills, and very little opportunities to keep a roof over my head. The local Vo-Tech was running a CNA course (at the point in time we were simply NAs) and I knew that finding work would not be a problem.
The director of the nursing program saw something in me, and approached me about the LPN program. I had NO income, and was recieving no support from my EX --- the local YWCA had a program that would sponsor someone's education as long as it was one year or less,and would result in employment,,,,,,
God truly closed a door (my marriage) and opened a window..... I could have never guessed how much I would love what I do....
I feel like I have this HUGE family.... and many leave a hole when they pass....
Im in nursing school right now and some of the reasons why I wanted to be a nurse are as follows:
1. My grandmother ( I took care of her since I was 8, there is no more satisfaction that could fill how wonderful I felt taking care of her.
2. I literaly love to help people. I mean seriously, that really makes me happy.
3. Lord Jesus. I truly believe this is my destiny. to follow my dream to become a nurse. I dont care how hard it gets , I wont give up. I will keep on pushing. God says you have to believe it in your heart before you conceive it, and thats what I believe. I picture myself being a nurse and I know one day not to far , I will be one. So I thank God for the trial and tribulations, for all the blessings that nursing school has giving me, because it literaly changed my life. I take care of my dad, my mom and my little brother every single day and there is no greater satisfaction than that. I cant wait to take care of people every single day. I really dont care about the money, I really care about ways of becoming a tool to others, and how to help people.
I wish you all the best and I true believe that we haven't seen our best yet. God had a lot in store for us. May God Bless you today, tomorrow and always..
i just want to serve this country and its people. can't be a fireman, cop and my hubby won't let me in military (hehe) so i'll be a nurse! if it doesn't work for me, i'll be a teacher :-)
mashamontago
123 Posts
i always wanted a job that would heal someone...thats just been my personality type..and i'm a little self righteous. hehe. i myself am not very tolerant of pain and i hate hurting others.... i thought as a nurse i could just use what i already had, empathy and like make it a career... and i always admired nurses. they're just compassionate, sweet, and thoughtful.. the hospital is like portal or a gateway to the next world. i think miracles happen here all the time.. i really like cuddling, hugging, coddling, and nurturing people part too because it just makes me feel good inside. i also want to do something meaningful with my life because when i'm not doing something meaningful, it just feels empty and depressing and lonely.