What has made you become more persistent?

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Hi guys. What are some incidents in your life that has made you become more persistent? What was that one occurrence that made you push even harder to reach your goal?

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Can't think of any one incident, really-- it was a matter of watching people better than me do it, learning why they did it, learning enough to do it myself, and then. like when a fledgling finally lets go of the nest, just doing it and never looking back, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

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Specializes in Ambulatory Surgery, Ophthalmology, Tele.

I think of this question in two ways.

During school I wanted to do the best I could, earn good grades and join the Nursing honor society (when I found out about it). None of this was for bragging rights. I went back to school at the age of 32 and I wanted to do it for myself. I always challenged myself to do better.

After I became a nurse I still tried to challenge myself. At the end of a day as a new grad nurse I would ask myself, how could I have managed my time better, what could I do differently next time in that situation?

Next, I think of your question as a patient advocate. Sometimes as a new nurse one might be shy and not speak up for patients as easily. With time and experience I learned to be more persistent in speaking up for patients when I questioned a doctors order, etc.

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Specializes in Rehab/Brain/Stroke/Spine.

Dtermnd2Bgreat, you can't ask without answering your own question ... :D!!

Having strong, independent women as role models in my life.

My great-grandmother (1901-1996 RIP, my great one) especially! She shared her story of practicing her right to vote, and how important it was. She witnessed the women's sufferage movement, and recalled the women before her that did not have the right to vote.

She was my mother's grandmother. My mother has certainly blazed paths in her own right. Mom fought the local schools for equal treatment of my physically handicapped brother. In the early 80's public schools in rural America still had the mentality to place any "abnormal" child into a specialized program for MRDD. My brother was not MRDD! Mom won the battle, and my brother flourished. She utilized the specialist's my brother had in the Maryland/D.C area to fight and win. Home health at the time was not available for her and my brother. She learned to give my brother's meds thru his Broviac catheter in his abdomen. She changed his sterile dressings, and performed neuro checks.

If he had changes, my parents, my brother and I would drive 350miles to Maryland/D.C., and he would be under observation or have a shunt revision. No hospitals in Ohio could offer the care he needed in 1976.

My brother's physician initially was Dr. Thomas Milhorat

"In 1969, Dr. Milhorat was appointed Chairman of Neurosurgery at the Children's Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery and Child Health and Development at George Washington University School of Medicine. He was promoted to the rank of Full Professor in 1974. While in Washington, Dr. Milhorat's investigations on hydrocephalus and the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) led to landmark articles in Science, The New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of Neurosurgery. He also authored four books, including the classical monograph Hydrocephalus and the Cerebrospinal Fluid (1972)" QUOTE from Dr Thomas H Milhorat | Neurosurgeon

I remember him slightly. I remember his office, and him sitting at his desk. It always smelled of cigars. If not for this man's passion, expertise, knowledge, and persistence my brother would have never had the opportunity to achieve what he did. (1976-2010, I love you brother). This is not only true for my brother, but also thousands of children and people that have benefited from his life's passion. He moved to N.Y. before my brother was 5 yrs. old.

Unfortunately, Dr. Milhorat was forced into retirement after an incident that I find does not trump his contributions to neurosurgery.

Dr. Mary Kathryn Hammock took over as my brother's Pediatric Neurosurgeon. I remember her VERY well. I witnessed her treatment of my brother in such a beautiful, indescribable, passionate reverence ... you would have to have known her to understand. She was persistent and awe inspiring, to all that knew her. I learned from her about persistence just by being in her presence.

She passed away in 2006. There is an article, if interested, in the WINS News Autumn 2006 publication.

I became a RN because of the above ramble, and because ....

The nurses in the hospital were always smiling, they gave my parents encouragement thus giving the shy, scared little girl HOPE, and my belly quit aching (could've been the popsicles they gave me). Every time he was hospitalized, the nurses made me feel like I was some how important just being there. The amount of time I was permitted to be at the hospital was limited, yet it was enough that they impressed me greatly .... because of them I knew he would be coming home, all better soon!

Once home, I was his protector-bully-fighting-hand-holding sister. I was very persistent in being so! From the school bus, until he was 34yrs old, then the role reversed. Now I know he is protecting me from above!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Precepting, Education.

So I have two specific events that I seem to refer to when I'm ready to try something easier or just plain quit and in return this is what I think helps me stay dedicated and persistent in most situations. The fact that I'm actually describing these two occurrences to other people cracks me up because they probably don't seem like a big deal BUT at the time they were big for me. The first event was many years ago when I attending cheerleading camp (haha I know...you may consider skipping my post now). I was nominated to become an All-American Cheerleader. I was suppose to try out and if selected I could cheer in parades and football bowls around the country. I was too nervous to try out by myself in front of other people so I declined the offer. Shortly after I realized that I made the mistake of not trying something because it was out of my comfort zone. My second event that I refer to is quitting a summer job as the youngest assistant ranger to be hired at my state park. I worked the job for maybe three weeks then quit because I was homesick and missed my boyfriend. Well needless to say the boyfriend didn't last and I now realize that I should have stuck with it considering the fact that it was a summer position and I could have gained a lot of knowledge along with a cool work experience. So wrapping up my "life regrets" I can say that I often refer back to them when I'mm aking decisions to this day. I evaluate if my decision is being determined because I'm scared and out of my comfort zone. If that is the reason then I try to push through with the new experience. I also went back to school for nursing three years ago. I made a personal goal the try my hardest in all of my courses. I was not trying to compete with anyone I just wanted the satisfaction of looking back and being able to tell myself that I tried my hardest and had no regrets. Surprisingly enough I ended up being the salutatorian of my graduating class. It was a very rewarding experience that was the result of being persistent and dedicated.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

People's lives made me determined to be great in the craft of nursing. People's attitudes had made me determined to leave the craft of nursing to someone else....a work in progress.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Surviving DV has made me more persistent in reaching my goals...being persistent all my life has helped me survive DV. I had the experience of someone giving their ALL to BLOCK progress...and it made me stronger. :yes:

I have learned to make boundaries around one's struggles, personalities, disillusions while using discernment to achieve my goals; this included family, friends, even co-workers. I've learned to advocate many moons ago on choices...we all have to make them; either to choice of yes or no comes with a risk, or a reward; depends on the situation; and it doesn't mean all or nothing either...the all or nothing part I learned to accept after surviving DV.

The same is true of any profession; nursing has a more intimate side; we see people naked physically, psychologically, emotionally; sometimes they are at our bedside or on the healthcare team; the key is choices and discernment in deciding the right course of advocacy, and feelings of "power"...being empowered to listen, communicate and guide.

That's how I stay persistent. :yes:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

First, I know what I want, and I know that Im the only one who can do something about it. Second, always wanting to be the best at anything I do. Not a competitive best, but a personal best. Third, knowing that I always have the full support of my husband and children in what I decide. The best compliment I ever received from my husband was, "I trust your decisions because they are always the best decisions for all of us."

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
Hi guys. What are some incidents in your life that has made you become more persistent? What was that one occurrence that made you push even harder to reach your goal?

After being married for 8 years, my husband decided to try to throw me and our 3 kids our of our home because I had lost my source of income while taking Prereqs to get into the nursing program. Because I strongly believed God wanted me to go to school and had allowed me to complete all of my classes with A grades up to that point, I committed to sticking to the path of becoming a nurse.

When my husband filed a restraining order against me full of lies so me and the kids would have to leave our home of 10 years, I still didn't quit school.

When I was basically homeless living on the floor at different peoples homes for 7 months, I was accepted to an LVN program. I continued to earn straight As through nursing school, even though i had to fight my ex, the police and CPS because my ex told them that I was abusing the kids. I fought his lies and won. (More accurately, God fought for me) in spite of all this, the kids managed to adapt to new situations while keeping A/ B averages at school.

Because I was that persistent to get to where i am today, 2 months from graduating from LVN school, I am reminded to continue being persistent toward my goal of becoming getting into my goal/dream BSN program.

Life hasn't turned perfect yet, but I can see it is much better than it was a year ago. The fact that God got me through the really bad part makes me confident he'll see me through the next part of this path.

This is what causes me to stubbornly persist toward my goal.

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I was turned down for my dream job in a case manager position .

Based on one sentence in my otherwise , spectacular job performance of 15 years.

10 years and many jobs later... I landed a contractor position at that same company.

They noted my performance and offered me that same dream job.

Keep on.. keepin' on.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Battling a mental illness for the majority of my life has meant having to work twice as hard and push myself to do better than everyone else. It's been an uphill slog, and it took decades to find out why so many things were so much harder for me than for others; but in a way I think it's made me stronger.

Even though my nursing career is basically over, I don't regret the time I put into it. Now it's simply time to work on transitioning out with the same perseverance and dedication I used to find my way in. :yes:

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Having a child actually. It made me much more determined to reach my goals.

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