Two questions!

Published

1. How/why did you decide you wanted to be a nurse?

2. What would you *like* to specialize in?

Just being nosy!

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1) This is complicated. xD I'm currently 18 (I'll be 19 in less than a month), and my mother constantly told me growing up: "You should be a nurse." My answer was always: "Hell no." Almost two months ago, a friend of mine had a baby - I've also been babysitting for over four years now. We were talking in the car and she mentioned: "You know, there's nursing for babies, too." I just stared at her. The moment I got home, I logged onto the internet and started doing some research (that's how I found this site, actually!). It struck me...I could go into Nursing and still work with children or babies. I switched my classes into the pre-reqs I could get into for my college's nursing school the very next day.

2) I would like to work in either peds ICU (PICU) or Neonatal ICU (NICU). I'm looking at pediatric oncology, too. As my mother says, though, I've not even started nursing school yet so who knows what'll change!

Have a good summer. =)

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Thanks for answering! I thought it would be fun to read why others are doing it, and what they hope for out of it.

This past May, my Uncle died of leukemia. He was doing really, really well with the chemo, then suddenly had a massive heart attack. He was in the ER, as stable as they could make him and my grandparents ran home to shower and change (they live in another state). Soon after they left, he took a turn for the worse. He ended up dying before they could make it back to the hospital. The nurses never left his side, didn't allow him to die alone like some might have. They held his hand, even though he was very much out of it, and cried when he passed. That touched me on levels I didn't even know I had. Years ago I worked as a nurses aide, and really enjoyed it, but life got in the way. Now, I'm 100% committed to being the kind of nurse that held my Uncle's hand when he passed.

I'm still very much undecided on what I'd like to specialize in. Oncology is on the forefront though.

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I wanted to do something in the medical field so I chose nursing and also another great thing about nursing is that there is SO many things you can do with your degree. I think I want to become a oncology pediatric NP or be a CNM. I dont know yet.

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I also was a nursing assistant years ago, and life got in the way. I now have two children 10 and 5 and am in a place that I can finally get back to school. I am doing this because I am a hypochondriac and would like to be able to quell my own issues, I am naturally curious, I want to help people, and to set myself up to be independant if I ever need to be.

I would like to get into forensic nursing.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Pedi/Tele.

I started out back when I was 14 as a CNA and didn't like it at the time. Decided that it wasn't for me and went into finance and banking. Fast forward 20 years and I got laid off from the last 3 mortgage jobs I had so I decided to go back to it. I love my job now! I wasn't emotionally ready at 14 to do it but now I am. I work in a childrens hospital and I'm currently taking pre-req's for my RN license. When all is said and done I would like to work in L&D.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Why? I like the social interaction. I detest sitting on my tush behind a desk all day. I like the warm fuzzies I get when I know I helped someone... even more so when they know it, too. I (apparently erroneously) thought that it would be easy to find a decent-paying job. I thoroughly dig science and nursing is closer to it than some other options. I also like high tech stuff and there's some of it in the CCU/ICU environment.

Where? NICU or flight nursing would be my first two choices. At this point, though, I'd say: Wherever I can draw a decent paycheck... anything beyond that is gravy.

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I decided to become a nurse because of all the involvement they have with the patients. They also have a variety of things to specialize in. When I first started college it was my major then I switched to pre med. What brought me back to nursing was my mom. She had breast cancer that came back two years later in her liver. The nurses there were very caring and friendly and she even became friends with one. The way they cared for my mom and helped her in her time of need when I felt so helpless just made me feel lost for words. Especially when she was having organ failure and she begin to crash and they tried hard to bring her back. I wasn't there at the time but my dad told me I can only imagine. That is why I want to be a nurse I want to be able to help people in their time of need. Hopefully I can give them if only the slightest bit of comfort and caring that would be enogh for me. I was thinking about going into the er, maybe even oncology peds or nicu. I like nicu because I was a premie the doctors didn't think I would make it and wanted to pull the plug. However my mom never gave up hope and here I am.

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Specializes in ICU.

1) I had been thinking of going into nursing for about about 10 years, since just before I started my undergrad, but my undergrad years took another turn (both geographically and educationally) and I ultimately decided to study Biology - particularly since the college I attended didn't have a nursing program exactly. After undergrad I got married, the biological clock started screaming obscenities at me in the middle of the night and I became fixated on having children for a couple of years. I had a little boy last year and I've been at home with him since he was born :) I'm in the process of applying to an LPN program and an ASN program. I'd like to start next fall - when my little guy will be well into his second year.

2) I want to work with women and/or children - so Obstetrics, L&D, Pediatrics, that kind of thing.

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Specializes in medical/surgical, acute care, psych..

well, when i transitioned from a paramedic to an lpn(which was easy) i knew i wanted to go all the way and be an RN ( iam currently in the lpn to RN program. i have been fortunate to have had nothing but med/surge hospital for the last 3 years since bein g licensed in florida. i just transferred to psych within the last month for a change of pace. nursing rocks.

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I've always felt drawn to the medical field, but I have been busy with having children and living my life. I recently made the decision to go back to college and I knew nursing was what I wanted to do! I honestly can't pinpoint one moment or anything that led me to nursing - I feel that it was a calling, something God placed in my heart and I followed! :) I have a passion for it now, and although it hasn't been there my whole life, I do feel that nursing is just what I have always been meant to do, and I've just been putting those thoughts on the back burner for a long time! As for specialty, I really have absolutely no idea! My experiences in the hospital as a patient or visitor have been limited. The most time I've spent is in maternity lol, but I have also seen the ICU and general surgery environments. I think I'll just have to wait until I start school and see if anything really pops out at me as to which specialty would be right for me.

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1) This is complicated. xD I'm currently 18 (I'll be 19 in less than a month), and my mother constantly told me growing up: "You should be a nurse." My answer was always: "Hell no." Almost two months ago, a friend of mine had a baby - I've also been babysitting for over four years now. We were talking in the car and she mentioned: "You know, there's nursing for babies, too." I just stared at her. The moment I got home, I logged onto the internet and started doing some research (that's how I found this site, actually!). It struck me...I could go into Nursing and still work with children or babies. I switched my classes into the pre-reqs I could get into for my college's nursing school the very next day.

2) I would like to work in either peds ICU (PICU) or Neonatal ICU (NICU). I'm looking at pediatric oncology, too. As my mother says, though, I've not even started nursing school yet so who knows what'll change!

Have a good summer. =)

That's wonderful!! My daughter was born at 29 weeks so I spent 77 days in the NICU and I can tell you, I experienced a wide variety of NICU nurses! Some of them had hearts of gold...they really had a love for children and understood on some level what us mothers were going through. Some were cold and indifferent and working in the NICU maybe wasn't their first choice or something, I don't know. Or maybe they had been doing it too long. I think its probably very rewarding, but I'm sure also very sad. I wish you the best of luck!!!

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