What guided you to Nursing School?

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Hey guys,

So I've always wondered, what guided you into starting your path into pre-nursing/nursing school and was it initially your first choice?

I can honestly say, that nursing was not my first choice of all the majors I could have chosen, but now I wouldn't choose any other major. This is because life dealt me some cards that lead me to wanting to pursue Nursing. Heres my story:

Life hasn't been all that kind when it comes to a health aspect. My husband and I struggled to have a child for over a year until I learned I had high prolactin levels. I was placed on medicine for this and shortly later found out I was pregnant with twins ( who are now 2 1/2 years old). After their birth, they were stuck in the NICU for a week, with wonderful nurses :) Soon after they were born, I became very sick and could barely get out of bed. Later, after 5 trips to the ER and advocating for some help, I found out that I had a pituitary tumor that was bleeding out, which caused massive pain in my head of course. It was ultimately the tumor that had been the source of my high prolactin lvls to begin with.

Skip to Nov. 2012, not only had the tumor produced too much prolactin but it was also making my IGF-1 (growth hormone) levels sky rocket. Leading me to become diagnosed with a rare condition. In 2013, I had two surgeries to remove the tumor, two lumbar punctures and a case of chemical meningitis, needless to say I had enough of a stay in the hospital last year.

But honestly, if it hadn't been for my whole experience, I wouldn't be where I am today. A pre-nursing student who will apply for nursing school after Fall 2014, in order to one day become a nurse who will one day help others, and guide them through any difficult time they may be going through.

So, whats your story? I'd love to hear it.

;)

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I'm mobile so I'm going to make this is short as possible and please forgive any typos!! My daughter was born very ill. Her journey from birth to diagnosis has been ongoing for 7. 1/2 years now and some things are still undiagnosed. It has been the most challenging and rewarding time in my entire life. Along the way I have met some amazing nurse who have guided me. I have always known I wanted to work with children and I have always loved medicine. After spending years researching medicine for my daughter I decided to go ahead with my dream of working in medicine. I started pre reques for a sonography program for I never thought I was smart enough to be a nurse ( this was most likely due to my (now ex) husband who was an abusive a**hole that told me everyday how dumb I was)After a year if school and getting a 4.0, I divorced him and changed my major to nursing! I am now a single mom. 2 kids, one medical special needs (she now has 11 doctors), a full time job, and 3 years of a 4.0 in pre reques. I know I'm smart, I know I love medicine, I know I'm caring and I know I'll be a darn good nurse one day! My passion for the profession was always there but it has grown and blossomed due to my experiences.

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I had paragraphs in there, I swear!! The mobile format took them away!

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Hey guys So I've always wondered, what guided you into starting your path into pre-nursing/nursing school and was it initially your first choice? I can honestly say, that nursing was not my first choice of all the majors I could have chosen, but now I wouldn't choose any other major. This is because life dealt me some cards that lead me to wanting to pursue Nursing. Heres my story: Life hasn't been all that kind when it comes to a health aspect. My husband and I struggled to have a child for over a year until I learned I had high prolactin levels. I was placed on medicine for this and shortly later found out I was pregnant with twins ( who are now 2 1/2 years old). After their birth, they were stuck in the NICU for a week, with wonderful nurses :) Soon after they were born, I became very sick and could barely get out of bed. Later, after 5 trips to the ER and advocating for some help, I found out that I had a pituitary tumor that was bleeding out, which caused massive pain in my head of course. It was ultimately the tumor that had been the source of my high prolactin lvls to begin with. Skip to Nov. 2012, not only had the tumor produced too much prolactin but it was also making my IGF-1 (growth hormone) levels sky rocket. Leading me to become diagnosed with a rare condition. In 2013, I had two surgeries to remove the tumor, two lumbar punctures and a case of chemical meningitis, needless to say I had enough of a stay in the hospital last year. But honestly, if it hadn't been for my whole experience, I wouldn't be where I am today. A pre-nursing student who will apply for nursing school after Fall 2014, in order to one day become a nurse who will one day help others, and guide them through any difficult time they may be going through. So, whats your story? I'd love to hear it. ;)[/quote']

I know that this might sound lame and I've seen a lot of people get a lot of flack on this site for saying things like this, but I decided to pursue nursing because I can't even describe in words the feeling that I get when I know I'm helping someone who really needs it. They don't have to appreciate it, it just makes me feel amazing.

My older sister was born with intestinal malrotation requiring surgery and a month-long stay in the hospital after she was born. My mother still talks about the nurses that helped her through the incredibly scary ordeal that was. A few years later when my sister was 9 years old she had to go back in for emergency surgery for adhesions. Growing up, I heard many stories from both of them about their experiences with the nurses and the way those women had such a profound impact on their lives.

When my grandmother died in 2001, my family and I were going through an extremely hard time and we were living about an hour away from the hospital my grandmother was in, back in our hometown. My mom and sister had just gotten back from the hospital when we got the call that she wasn't going to make it and we had to rush back. The ICU nurse who we saw most of the time had taken a liking to our family and my grandmother and had promised to stay with her if we couldn't get there in time so she wouldn't pass alone. Whether she did or she didn't, the gesture meant and still means a lot and I'll never forget that.

I get that nursing isn't going to be great all the time and I don't expect to be the next Florence Nightingale or to change the world or anything like that, but Regardless of why anyone becomes a nurse, nursing is an amazing job. You can really have an impact on someone and make a difference in their lives.

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I was tired of Graphic Design and weary of communing with computers. I wanted to BE more and DO more of what mattered.

Right at that time, my grandfather became ill and died over the course of a couple of months. Throughout his illness, his nurses were wonderful. They kept our spirits up. They let us complain and vent. They gave us shoulders to cry on.

Everything they did for us mattered. I needed to give and receive on that level. One short class later, I was a CNA and worked part-time at being there for patients and families.

It just wasn't enough. When I left Graphic Design, I continued working as a CNA and knocked out my pre-reqs as fast as I could. Soon, I was a nursing student. I started to feel that I was finally BEING more and DOING more.

Not long after, I became a Med-Surg nurse. I finally felt like I was... enough.

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Specializes in CRNA.

I started out as a Pre-Pharmacy major in 2002. In 2004 I withdrew from school due to bad grades and just a poor work ethic for school. I wasted time from 2004 until 2006 when I became a volunteer firefighter in my hometown. I worked in a casino while I was becoming an EMT then eventually becoming a Paramedic. My whole mindset was to become a career firefighter paramedic. During my paramedic clinicals in the OR during intubations I was under the direction on a CRNA. I didn't know much about the job but I asked a lot of questions while I was doing my clinicals and thought it was a really interesting job, but at that time I have no desire to become a nurse because I was dead set on becoming a FF/Medic.

In 2012 I tested with Tulsa Fire and made it all the way to the PAT and failed miserably. Also at this time I was getting ready to marry my wonderful wife. I made the tough decision of walking away from trying to become a firefighter. Then I thought back to the days that I spent under a CRNA during my clinicals and it clicked in my head that this is what I wanted to do. So I got a job in the ER as a medic and enrolled in prerequisites.

I know that it will be a very long road. I have two semester completed, another semester of prerequisites then 3 semesters of nursing and I will have my ADN. I will start working in an ICU while getting my BSN, and hopefully in 7 or 8 years I will be finishing CRNA school.

So there is my story and I hope that it might help someone.

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

While I was in the Coast Guard I dated a girl who was a nurse. I became interested in nursing and earned my BSN in 2006. What I learned from that is even if a relationship doesn't work out in the classic sense, you can learn from any experience. I am thankful I met her and without her who knows what I would have ended up doing.

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Its amazing what experiences we go through in life can do, such as guiding us to our future careers :)

Ant2Cory: I had thought about sonography at first, but decided I really wanted to shoot for a BSN.

Mmc: Meeting with nurses who have taken care of you and your family, can have a profound effect on your decision, especially if you have a pleasant experience with them. With some nurses you can just tell that it is their calling and they love their jobs, others can give you a feeling like they really hate their job!

Canigraduate: Wow! That is a big change in careers that you wanted to pursue. Were you nervous about going into the nursing field?

Cowboymedic: I wish you luck on the rest of your nursing journey, sounds like you have a good bit of experience as well when it comes to a medical type setting. You can do it!

Windsurfer8:What type of nurse are you as of now? Is there anything you found difficult in nursing school?

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I wasn't nervous, I was psyched! I was really excited because I knew my life would be better and I could give more to my community once I finished the transition.

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Specializes in ICU.

I had started my journey to become a nurse about 15 years ago. It's just something I have wanted to do. I have always been interested in the medical field. I can remember being about 10 years old and being at my grandmother's house and reading her medical dictionary for fun. My ex had me quit school when we got married. I am now getting a divorce and will have to support me and my son. There was no way I was going back to retail. So I decided to go back and finish my prereqs and am applying to nursing school for the fall. I am very happy with the route I have chosen.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I'm one of those who wasn't drawn to nursing through warm, fuzzy feelings. I spent 13 years working in hospitality, and it was only after a suspension from work and anxiety over potential firing that I decided to go for nursing school. Why nursing? Because I'm interested by the lurid, the obscene, and the disgusting. Heck, my Dad was a paramedic, and I used to go through the gruesome pictures from his old textbooks as a kid with complete fascination.

Of course, this isn't what I tell my patients...

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I knew I was either going to pursue a career in law enforcement or medicine. The law enforcement path fizzled out after a meeting I had with a police academy instructor. I realized that I didn't want to live my life afraid of people and their intentions, respectably police officers must be on their guard at all times. It's hard to explain it, but I want to trust people, not saying that cops don't, but I guess I don't always want to have my guard up, I hope you understand what I mean lol. I was really contemplating going full fledge and becoming a doctor, but the truth is, i'm not young, and I do not want to be in school for the next 8-12yrs. If I were 18yrs old I would've. I chose nursing because I can still make a great living, and the field is so diverse. I want to do traveling nurse for a few yrs, and eventually become a school nurse. I want to be able to have a great career, but also one which allows me to actually enjoy life with my family, I feel that nursing is the best fit. Right now i'm still in school, and I work as a pharmacy technician. Becoming a pharmacist is not even a choice for me, it is extremely boring, and I hate being enclosed in such a small work space for hours on end. Retail pharmacy is the worst lol. Anyways that's my story :)

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