My inspiration comes from growing up with an epileptic mother and when my grandfather got sick when I was 15. My grandfather had leukemia and Parkinson's disease. He was put on hospice, first at home, and then inpatient. I was with him the entire time, and seeing the way the nurses cared for him and our family inspired me to become a nurse. Five days after being admitted to an inpatient facility, he passed away. My mom was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 8 years old, after she had a bout with meningitis. My father and I have been her primary caregivers since, and even though her seizures are relatively well controlled, I have witnessed them and cared for her many times.
When I think about being a nurse (everything from HOPEFULLY getting the acceptance letter to my program to my personal experiences) it brings tears to my eyes. I can't think of anything I'd rather do than help people the way I've seen my loved ones helped. I was never one of those kids who thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I didn't realize it until I got older and went through some very difficult things. I can remember going to my school counselor and principal in high school and telling them, "I want to be a nurse." They smiled, said they knew I could do it, and set me on the right track. I'm now 19 and getting ready to apply to nursing school in January. I'm excited, nervous, scared, and pretty much every other emotion there is. At times, I still doubt myself and wonder if I'm smart enough to do it. I may not be the smartest, but one thing I definitely do have that can't be taught is compassion.
So, when did you realize that nursing was what you wanted to do? Was it an experience?
I never wanted to be one when I was younger. My mom was one and told me all about how great it was, so naturally I wanted nothing to do with it.
I couldn't find a job in the field I did choose, so I started thinking about going back to school. I wanted something that would be financially worth going back to school for. I didn't ever want to have to do any sort of sales (I found I am really bad at that when I attempted to run my own business in my previous field). I wanted to do something interesting, not crunching numbers in a cubicle somewhere. I wanted something where I could do a variety of different jobs or transfer to different types of jobs, to potentially work part time and still make decent money when I have kids. I wanted to be able to find a job whether I decide to settle in a small town or big city, anywhere in the world.
Wow that is an amazing and touching story and reason.
First of all, I was always looking at people in need and wanting to help. When I was little I grew up in Chicago and I would see homeless people sitting on the side of the road with almost no skin on their bones. My inner instinct wanted to help them. I got teary eyed every time I saw someone hurt and sick or in need. I would feel so much empathy for people who were disabled also.
My sister has Down syndrome and she was born with many difficulties including no esophagus. She could not go home for almost a year and a half. When we came to visit the place she was staying at, I watched the nurses take care of her with compassion and no selfishness. I was 8 at the time my sister was going through the difficult situation. As I got older, I was my sisters primary care giver while my parents were working. I learned hard lessons and I had to learn patience because she didn't know any better sometimes but I found out that she still felt emotions. By the time I was 13 or 14, I had to watch my Grandmother go through dementia and Alzheimer's disease. I watched how the caring nurses took care of her and I also saw rude nurses. I made up in my mind that I would never be rude to someone, especially if they cant defend themselves. I took care of her with my Mother. I didn't understand sometimes but at the end I dedicated everything to her comfort. Before she died, she remembered me and that was the most amazing thing ever. She had almost forgot everyone. I read to her, sat by her, held her hand, prayed for her, took care of her and was there for her. She ended up dying in peace and I was still beside her.
I love to serve and help other people and I would always say that I wanted to be a doctor to my mother. Right now, that's my long term goal but right now im pursuing nursing. A doctor that I admire told me that some of the greatest doctors were nurses first. She was a nurse first. She told me to just see where the path takes me and if I want to keep going then keep going. She is a caring doctor. I don't ever want to be uninvolved with patients.
I'm waiting on my acceptance letter that is coming next week. I'm nervous. I am 19 years old too. And I definitely doubt myself but the drive of compassion can get us through a lot of stuff! Keep going. That's a good reason to want to be a nurse.
My grandmother was an Army Nurse in WWII, and had amazing tales to tell. I remember listening with rapt attention to her. And I remember going to the hospital, and seeing the nurses in their whites, with the little caps... and I wanted to be like them. I ended up getting married, and putting aside that dream.
My dad had to have emergency bypass surgery. They started out trying to do stents, and couldn't, and then he ended up with 5 bypasses, and they found that his LAD was 99% blocked. I spent a lot of time in the hospital with him, and got to be part of several procedures, including the removal of the drains and the vent. I loved how calm and collected the nurses were, and they were wonderful to answer any questions that I had.
I had been hired as an assistant in the Special Education department, working with the lowest functioning children in the system (IQ below 50). I enjoyed my job, but it became apparent that I could not survive on $800 a month, and I NEEDED to go back to school and get some kind of degree that would allow me to make a living wage. So, at 37, and with all of these things to motivate me, I am beginning nursing school this fall. It is nice to finally be able to pursue my dream.
Simply, my mother. My mom is the most amazing woman I know who worked and saved from the time she was 18 to get her ADN degree and RN and even as a small child I remember her working graveyard shifts on MSO, coming home to sleep for a bit, and STILL being able to balance a family and having time to help out with my brother and I in our classrooms. It amazed me the quiet strength she had, her ability to connect with people, and her infinite knowledge of the human body she was always ready to share. Plus, it was always so much fun to break out Mommy's nursing bag and play with the medical tape or stethoscope!
From then on I knew I wanted to emulate her. Thus began my interest in medicine. As a teenager, my interests bounced around from veterinarian to orthopedics; all I knew was I wanted to help people. Soon after, I began volunteering at the hospital where my mom worked in as a CIC, in infection control and prevention. Her wealth of knowledge grew even more to all kinds of microbes; it amazed me how many things could ail the human body. They even called her the bug lady at work :) I noticed how much respect she garnished from her peers, how much dignity she carried herself with, and how fulfilled it made her to share her knowledge.
As I rounded on patients with her, checked hospital equipment, and washed my hands more times than I could ever count, it became clearer and clearer that the hospital was my calling. Later that summer of 2011, I was able to accompany my mom to the annual national convention of her nursing specialization. I saw the broadest possibilities nursing could open up for me as a career. And that's when it clicked; if I really wanted to heal people so badly, nursing would be my calling. It was right in front of my face the whole time with my mother leading by example. I never looked back. Fast forward four years later, and I am getting ready to apply to nursing school this fall at 20 years old. Right at the hospital where I received all my informal training. Funny how life is seldom what you plan. I'm ready to do you proud, mom.
I was in the Air Force stationed in Germany, and volunteered with the wounded warrior project at Landstuhl hospital. The way those nurses dealt with the evening PTSD nightmares and interacting with the new patients was so inspiring. I was also a victim advocate for my base in Ramstein, so naturally SANE nursing is my path.
I was obsessed with the medical field from about age 9 onward... I thought I wanted to be a doctor. I watched every medical drama, surgeries on the science channel, read Grey's Anatomy like my friends read teen fashion magazines.
I just wanted to be directly involved with patient care and the day-to-day of practising medicine. When I was 14, I was finally ("YAY, FINALLY!") old enough to volunteer at the local hospital, so I did. I asked to be put in the Emergency Department. There, I worked with the nurses, and saw that NURSING was where the hardest work, most direct care and greatest satisfaction was to be found. I saw what the doctors did, and knew that wasn't what I wanted. It was a huge "eureka" moment, and I haven't wanted to be anything but a nurse since then. Those ED nurses were AMAZING!
I just started a RN program via a local teaching hospital. I'm so excited!
I decided within the past 5 months that I wanted to pursue nursing. For years I had my heart set on being a dental hygienist. Still til this day it still breaks my heart that I won't have my dream job. Straight out of high school I did a dental assisting program. And for years I did my best to find a job in that field and I gave up after I had a job interview as a surgical dental assistant and being in the office I felt out of place and I felt a lot of bad vibes. And I feel like I didn't get the job because of my race (black) sad to say. And my friends dad is a dentist and I entertained the idea to my (white) friend about working for her dad and she said "haha he doesn't hire black people". And ever since then I decided to pursue nursing for a little bit of job security. I feel like if I were to be a hygienist I would be trying to find a job with a private business owner where I can easily be turned down for something as stupid as my skin color. And I am a very pretty girl so for this to cross my mind I Have to be telling the truth. My neighbor is a retired nurse and she's like my mentor she begged me to do nursing and follow her footsteps. Her daughter is a pediatric dentist and she was very understanding to why I wanted to be in that field. But I choose nursing because I can work in any field and I'm not limited to just cleaning teeth. The hours vary unlike in a dental office.
I was obsessed with the medical field from about age 9 onward... I thought I wanted to be a doctor. I watched every medical drama, surgeries on the science channel, read Grey's Anatomy like my friends read teen fashion magazines.
I just wanted to be directly involved with patient care and the day-to-day of practising medicine. When I was 14, I was finally ("YAY, FINALLY!") old enough to volunteer at the local hospital, so I did. I asked to be put in the Emergency Department. There, I worked with the nurses, and saw that NURSING was where the hardest work, most direct care and greatest satisfaction was to be found. I saw what the doctors did, and knew that wasn't what I wanted. It was a huge "eureka" moment, and I haven't wanted to be anything but a nurse since then. Those ED nurses were AMAZING!
I just started a RN program via a local teaching hospital. I'm so excited!
I used to be obsessed with Untold Stories of The ER, Dr. G, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, etc.
My mom and grandmother were both nurses (ICU and L&D respectively). At my kindergarten graduation I said I wanted to be a nurse (my mom had just completed her 1st year of school). All through my mom's nursing school I would read her nursing texts. I've been obsessed for 30 years. I had some awful adults in my life that broke me down and made me think I could never do it. Then I stepped on my own toes. But I'm going to do it now. BTW, last summer my mom gave me that med-surg book I used to pore over when I was only 5 years old, it sits on my shelf reminding me now
I grew up DEATHLY afraid of anything medical. In 2005 I had a cat bite & went to the ER twice & had a GREAT experience. I had done retail/restaurants FOREVER. The next year I decided to take a CNA class to see what it was all about. 3 weeks in I wanted to go to nursing school. Applied at the hospital where I had gone to the ER and was hired. After 1 year I started nursing classes. Became an RN 2 years ago. That's my story & I'm sticking to it.
ShelbyaStar
468 Posts
I never wanted to be one when I was younger. My mom was one and told me all about how great it was, so naturally I wanted nothing to do with it.
I couldn't find a job in the field I did choose, so I started thinking about going back to school. I wanted something that would be financially worth going back to school for. I didn't ever want to have to do any sort of sales (I found I am really bad at that when I attempted to run my own business in my previous field). I wanted to do something interesting, not crunching numbers in a cubicle somewhere. I wanted something where I could do a variety of different jobs or transfer to different types of jobs, to potentially work part time and still make decent money when I have kids. I wanted to be able to find a job whether I decide to settle in a small town or big city, anywhere in the world.
Nursing fit. Not very romantic, I know.