Thought I'd take some time to get to know some of you. So here is my story...
I initially didn't want to be a nurse. That was my sisters thing and I remember joking with her about it. Told her that I didn't want to be the one rubbing powder under boobs, cleaning poop, and such things. So I thought I was cool and went to an engineering school. Thought I wanted to be a genetic engineer. Boy was I wrong. I struggled in general bio, and was scared of organic chemistry. I should have looked into the career more and the classes required before I chose it. I then quickly changed my major to psychology. Until I had my high school psych teacher tell me I was making a huge mistake because the job market in psychology sucks. Well, dang it lol.
So I came home and started taking classes at the local community college and started considering different career choices. Decided on OTA...then heard horror stories, again changed my mind. See a pattern? Then I though "hey! PA sounds great!" But then I realized you need health care experience (duh). I always knew I wanted to help people and I knew I belonged in the health care field, but didn't know just what.
Finally one day, I had a eureka moment. Went into the living room and said to my mom "I know. I'm gonna be a nurse." Finished in two years and a couple years later, here I am.
I tell this story for a couple reasons. One, to get to know some of you. Two, because when I was in nursing school and they had us present why we wanted to become nurses..everyone had such great stories about the excellent care a family member received. And that's what drove them. And I always felt bad telling my story because I didn't have some kind of "special story". But now I realize...I don't need a special story to be a good nurse and I don't need a "reason" I became a nurse.
Lastly, I read a thread saying nursing is a calling. It surely was not a calling for me. If it was, I don't think I would have gone through so many majors or considered so many other careers if it had been a calling.
I became a nurse for a few reasons but two of the biggest were my sister and the author Echo Heron. My sister graduated from RN school about the time Ms. Heron released her 1st book. And between both of their stories, I was hooked on nursing. It also didn't hurt that all of this was happening as I was graduating High School and looking for my path in life.[/quote']
OMG I remember reading some book by or about Echo Heron. (C'mon with a name like that you have to remember something about her) Wasn't she an ER or ICU nurse? Something exciting and not all lovey-dovey doctorey stuff.
I also read House of God a super funny view of doctors' residency.
Once we started looking into nursing, I started thinking about all the nurses I know. About 13 years ago, I hit my rock bottom. I was close to ending it all. A nurse, however, saved me. I've never forgotten her and what she did for me. It wasn't a doctor and it wasn't a psychologist or psychiatrist, it was a nurse. Were it not for her, I'm not sure I'd be here today. She's still a nurse and I'm looking forward to sending her a graduation announcement next spring. She made a difference for me and I want to do the same for others.
I always wanted to be in the healthcare field, even as a young child. After high school I went to college with the intent of becoming a surgeon, but unfortunately my sugar daddy hadn't found me yet so I left school and started working at a medical lab as a plating tech in the microbiology dept. I stayed at the lab for 9 years, moving from microbiology to eventually being trained as a phlebotomist. In the interim, I decided to go to EMT school and went as far as EMT-I with my education before injuring my back too severely to continue working on a truck. By that point I discovered I was a full-blown adrenaline junkie. I already had college credits behind me that I was reluctant to waste, so I enrolled in a nursing program and graduated 6 years later, securing a job in the adrenaline-laden field of the ICU. Been here 18 years and love being a bedside nurse!
I'm a classical musician and was pretty hardcore. I played some jazz piano and sang in some theatre productions, but classical was my first love. I seriously studied voice, flute, and piano; I taught myself the sax (my piano and flute were both in the shop...I was practically experiencing withdrawals...but my sister had a sax! The sax was my suboxone). My high school job was being a church organist, plus some odd wedding-vocalist gigs. I eventually became proficient at a handful of Renaissance era instruments, although the recorder was the only one I had access to in high school.
I didn't know quite what I wanted to do...I waffled between playing piano or singing professionally, or directing band at the high school level (I loved that movie "Mr. Holland's Opus!"), or teaching private lessons to children...but I knew I wanted to do something with music. I was accepted into my top undergrad program choice.
Backup to my Sr. year in HS, though. I knew I'd be leaving my church position when I left for college; my hometown was hours away, and I would only come home on breaks. I'd need part time work, but didn't want to serve food or work in a store (the main options in my small hometown.) My mom told me that my school offered this class where I could learn to be a "nurse's aide." I liked nurses!! I'd been a frequent pulmonary pt as a child, and had to go to the clinic 1-2x a week for allergy shots as a teen. The class was free, part of my HS's course offerings, and I liked the idea of really helping people.
I became a CNA and really liked it. In fact I remember telling my dad a couple years later that I could do it for life if it wasn't so physically difficult. I worked as much as I could in a LTC home during summers and breaks.
Meanwhile, I was getting burned out on music. It got to the point where it wasn't fun anymore. What the heck point is music if it's not fun?? Plus, the possibility of being a starving artist (or a college educated waitress) was scary.
Since I enjoyed my CNA work so well, I decided to become an RN...to the dismay of some music teachers, but to the delight of the RNs and residents where I worked. And my parents, who saw a better ROI of their ed. assistance. :)
I'm a classical musician and was pretty hardcore. I played some jazz piano and sang in some theatre productions, but classical was my first love. I seriously studied voice, flute, and piano; I taught myself the sax (my piano and flute were both in the shop...I was practically experiencing withdrawals...but my sister had a sax! The sax was my suboxone). My high school job was being a church organist, plus some odd wedding-vocalist gigs. I eventually became proficient at a handful of Renaissance era instruments, although the recorder was the only one I had access to in high school.
I didn't know quite what I wanted to do...I waffled between playing piano or singing professionally, or directing band at the high school level (I loved that movie "Mr. Holland's Opus!"), or teaching private lessons to children...but I knew I wanted to do something with music. I was accepted into my top undergrad program choice.
Backup to my Sr. year in HS, though. I knew I'd be leaving my church position when I left for college; my hometown was hours away, and I would only come home on breaks. I'd need part time work, but didn't want to serve food or work in a store (the main options in my small hometown.) My mom told me that my school offered this class where I could learn to be a "nurse's aide." I liked nurses!! I'd been a frequent pulmonary pt as a child, and had to go to the clinic 1-2x a week for allergy shots as a teen. The class was free, part of my HS's course offerings, and I liked the idea of really helping people.
I became a CNA and really liked it. In fact I remember telling my dad a couple years later that I could do it for life if it wasn't so physically difficult. I worked as much as I could in a LTC home during summers and breaks.
Meanwhile, I was getting burned out on music. It got to the point where it wasn't fun anymore. What the heck point is music if it's not fun?? Plus, the possibility of being a starving artist (or a college educated waitress) was scary.
Since I enjoyed my CNA work so well, I decided to become an RN...to the dismay of some music teachers, but to the delight of the RNs and residents where I worked. And my parents, who saw a better ROI of their ed. assistance. :)
Wow, that got long. I'm chatty tonight.
Lol we all have our chatty moments. But I thoroughly enjoyed reading your story!
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I didn't know what I wanted to do growing up. In high school my parents told me about nursing, how it's a good career & how I could make good money. So after I graduated high school I went off to university. Well I didn't do so well at the first university for whatever reason.
Then I moved with my boyfriend at the time & applied to the LVN program in the town we moved to. That was 5 years ago & I never regretted my decision. I hope to get into a bridge program soon.
Mine was definitely a calling. Being brought up a good Catholic girl in private school, I volunteered first at the convalescent hospital playing piano. I hated the conditions. Felt terrible how adults were treated with virtually no dignity. I became a candy striper at a small hospital. 4 years, I got awarded for most hours and I learned a lot about patient care from age 14-18. I did hands on care, everything a C.N.A. did, I did. Even charted on the checklist, they had me sign N.A. after my signature. Oh yes highly illegal but it cemented my resolve. At 18 I took my A.S. requirements, had my A.S. and L.V.N. in 2 years. Sadly I decided I couldn't take any more school. My reviews were good. Everyone begged me to get my R.N. but I stupidly refused. I just loved being a nurse! I did everything R.N.'s do. The R.N.'s would sign off on my work. Chemo, blood, I.v.'s all illegal for L.V.N.'s back then. But I didn't want power or money. I would have worked free if I had room and board. I was a care junkie. I loved helping people for the sake of making them well. I even advised doctors, residents. I retired over 25 years ago. I'm disabled now. I wasn't able to fix the quality of care at the convalescent hospitals. And now I'm old, sick and alone. I'd rather be dead than go to one of those places. I tried. I spent a year at a convalescent hospital. It was horrible! Patients lay in feces and urine for hours. The Filipino nurses were a big problem back then. They hit patients were abusive and refused to speak English. I left there!!! Now I might have to someday be in one! I'm terrified. I have my mind but I'm old. Nurses now want money. They leave the bedside care to abusive C.N.A.'s. Oh dear. If you work in one of those hospitals please treat the old people right. They all worked hard and were once young people active like you. Don't throw our experiences in the trash. God now I'm feeling sorry for myself. I'm terrified I'll be tied up like we tied up the ones who used the call button to much. Chart soft wrist restraints to protect patient. What lies. It was lazy nurses who tired of answering call lights. I saw a lot of bad stuff. Bad nurses, especially at convalescent hospitals. 😔
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a nurse. WHY? I don't know, just did. I did not go to college out of high school. Foolish me, I fell in love (HA!), had 2 kids and wound up in an office job. But then, as a young single mom, I had paychecks bounce. That did it. Off to college I went. Haven't looked back since.
Because: "Urban gypsy, craft beer sampler and mass consumer of books" doesn't pay the bills and isn't a real job title sadly. In a perfect world I'd live in an Air-stream trailer, explore the craft beer of the united states and do a lot of road-side reading.
I was rather content throughout high school and up until my early-mid 20's to live semi-homeless, couch surfing, driving around north america and working odd jobs. Went to college on a whim.... did surprisingly well. Went from community college, to top 50... was heavily involved in research, volunteering, networking with professors ect. Took pre-nursing classes at community college while finishing up at University out of interest. Applied to a bunch of graduate schools and one ABSN program (on a whim). Got accepted to almost all of them, chose the ABSN because it was the most relevant to my interests at the time.
Graduated... applied a bunch of places and ended up in max. security forensic psychiatry (which combined my first degree - psych, my second degree - nursing and my individual interests - independent research and RA positions with the department of criminology). Love my job... I regret nothing.
Now, I'm lucky to have have lived in some amazing places... Still enjoy cross country drives... have read some great books and sampled a lot of beer... but I have a career I really enjoy and it pays the bills. Some day I'll buy that Air stream!
I started back to school when my kids were little; I knew that I would not be able to stay home with them forever. My BA in English, non teachng, wasn't going to go far in this community, so when I learned that the local community college offered an Associates Degree in Respiratory Therapy, I was IN!
In my first class, Medical Terminology, one of my classmates, with a BS in biology, shared she was getting pre-requisites so she could apply to the nursing program at a nearby university. With a 4 year degree already, only the nursing courses were required to earn a BSN. Same amount of time and a BSN--I was IN!
With no medical experience of any kind, I took an EMT class to make sure that I wouldn't faint at the sight of blood. The class required two observation shifts in the ED. Love at first sight! When I learned that I could volunteer while I was in nursing school, I was IN!
750+ hours of volunteering got me an interview for a summer nursing intern position on the Surgical unit. My ED work clinched the job. That led to a part-time position as a nurse's aide during my senior year of nursing school. When I graduated, summa cum laude, during a nursing glut, this connection got me a part-time nursing position at my hospital, and the rest is history.
What nursing has given to me: a chance to grow, to connect with the human race in a way that very few people ever experience. Now that I work in IT, I am constantly asked if I miss nursing. Well, once a nurse, always a nurse. I miss patient and family contact, but I don't miss the grueling hours or the politics of the floor. As an IT Systems Analyst, I can explain to my fellow IT folks why the clinical world may seem to make unreasonable demands. In turn, I can explain to clinical folks that what they are asking for is often beyond the capabilities of any IT system. Instead of being the vector between the physican and the patient, I am positioned between IT and clinicians.
A better question might be, "Why am I glad I am a nurse?" Just identifying myself as a nurse to someone in need offers me a chance to offer assistance in a non-threatening way. Nursing helps me to meet people where they are at, experience their lives. They might need assistance, or maybe they just need to be heard. I learn something new every day--and most often it is something about myself.
Mavrick, BSN, RN
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