What is the reason you are choosing to go into nursing?

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Specializes in Instructor of Nursing and Med/surg nurse.

Why choose nursing? Influence from a family member? You want to help people? Financial?

What is drawing you to this field?

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

My reasoning is as follows: I've always been interested in medical science. When I was a kid, I got sick a lot - so I was in and out of the hospital, seeing how the nurses especially made an impact on me. I've always wanted to have a career where I was either creative, or helping people.

While I have relatives who are nurses, none of those people were close to me.

When I was a teenager, I wrestled with the decision of what to do with my life. On one hand, I wanted to be a nurse. But I didn't feel like I was capable of doing it, because I always struggled with math. On the other hand, I wanted to go to Art School, but knew that the market was volatile, hard to break into, and the cost of attendance was basically unjustifiable.

As I got older, I weighed my options and realized that if I chose nursing - I could have a stable, well-paying career in a field I was actually passionate about that also provided me with enough free time to pursue art on the side. And once I'd realized that, my mind was set.

And here I am!

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I love medicine and science, but I love taking care of people as a whole more. I spent the last ten years as an EMT climbing all the way to General Manager of the ambulance company I worked at. Didn’t love it, but I dealt with it because it was great pay. Throughout those ten years nursing kept coming up for me but I didn’t want to go back to school. After giving birth to my son, I kept thinking about become a labor and delivery nurse or working in obstetrics as a doctor. Last March I was laid off and I took this as an opportunity to return to school and do what I’ve always thought about. It came down to choosing between med school and nursing. My choice was clear when I realized that OBGYNs are trained surgeons. Nothing against surgeons, they are super cool, but I want to care for the whole women in the safest holistic way possible (csection rates are at an unnecessary all time high) So I decided to go the nursing route. My plan is to get into Women’s Health residency and work there for a while then continue on to become a Ceritfied Nurse Midwife/ Family Nurse Practitioner so that I can work with women and the children they bring into this world.

I would also like to point out that I LOVE science and want to minor in Physics AND if I didn’t love women’s health so much and knew that a lot of improvement in the field is needed, I would try to become a nurse for NASA.

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Specializes in Instructor of Nursing and Med/surg nurse.

WOW! that is amazing! I remember my first class in an ASN program my class all raised their hands they became a nurse to deliver babies. I find that very funny now and none of them went that route. It's interesting to see what we all are drawn too, I think our purpose!

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Lifelong desire to be a healthcare provider. I was a sick child, intractable epilepsy. My first child was a micro-premiere, 1lb 6.5oz at one point, 15+ surgeries, 4+ years of very critical caretaking before I joined the military to provide a better life for my family. Divorce, severe disability in the military, and I found myself no longer the caretaker but again the patient. Fast forward 10 years later and I’m finally recovered enough to give back to society.

I can’t see the stress of medical school now, but I think I will make a very solid mid-level provider. My eyes are on the NP goal, with a desire for either neonatal or psychiatric mental health specialty. I know what it is to deal with trauma, loss, disenfranchisement, and being lost in a deep dark hole that life put you in. It would be nice to help others out of that, or help another young family deal with the struggle of a premature child.

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Specializes in Instructor of Nursing and Med/surg nurse.

That is very admirable! I think we all have some love and care in our heart that directs us to nursing, but sounds like you have so much to offer on a lot of levels!

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I always wanted to be a nurse when I was younger, but it never really worked out that way and I ended up going down the creative route! Now later on in life, I'm reconsidering my career options and want to pursue a career that will help others, and something where I feel I can really make a difference. I have a passion for mental health and really want to go down this route eventually!

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The simple answer for me is because I’ve always portrayed myself as a healer. I’ve helped many people in my past with all kinds of problems so this field does match with what I’ve been doing as well as who I am as a person.

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Specializes in Career changer.

'life long' dream. I was first introduced to nursing when my sister was born prematurely. I was 12 then and loved the nursing staff who treated her and educated my parents and I. Then, I had my own experiences with nurses and I'm now ready to apply! Life has a funny way of humbling you and reminding me the path you're supposed to be on.

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