Why did you take up nursing? What's your story?

Every nurse has their own story to tell about how or why they chose to enter the nursing profession. Some may have been inspired by a personal experience with healthcare, while others may have been drawn to the idea of caring for others. Some may have stumbled upon nursing by chance, while others knew from a young age that it was their calling. Whatever the reason, each nurse has a unique narrative that led them to become a caregiver. These stories are a testament to the diversity and passion within the nursing community and the profound impact that healthcare can have on our lives.

Please be as detailed or as short as you wish. It'll be interesting to hear everyone's stories.

Specializes in ER/Nuero/PHN/LTC/Skilled/Alzheimer's.

My mother and my grandmother both wanted to be in the medical field but due to the times (50's and 70's) and money neither were able to go. Mom wanted to be a resp. therapist and Mamaw wanted to be a nurse. So growing up I ran between the ideas of a doctor, a nurse, a dental hygenist, or a vet. When I graduated high school, I worked at a humane society and started to take classes for vet tech, but I found out that taking care of animals was too hard. I loved the animal part, hated dealing with the humans who would want to put their animals down or take them to the pound for selfish reasons ("Oh I can't afford to treat my animal" as they drive up in a brand new jetta or "my dog doesn't match my new interior to my house", no kidding some one actually said that). So, got married to a military man, moved around some, went to school part time and finally got a two year liberal arts degree. What to do now?

My husband and I discussed it and decided I needed a degree in something that would have job security and availability no matter where we went with the military and paid good money. After talking to a career advisor I went to nursing school. Plenty of jobs and paid well from what I could see (have a few nurse cousins). SOOOO, two weeks into the program as I'm giving a bed bath to an old man who apparently grew cheese between his toes, I thought to myself what the hell am I doing here?!?

But I stuck with it and found more than a job and a paycheck, I found a way of life for me anyway. Good thing too, because 6 months after I graduated, my husband was discharged from the USCG with a seizure disorder due to chemical exposure during his military tours. Now I am the main bread winner for our family and he is kicking around the idea of getting his LPN since his school is paid for by the GI bill and he can't reenlist.

So I started out looking for job security and good money, but I've ended up with a major accomplishment for myself, found out exactly how tough I am, realized that everyone at sometime is a scared sick pt who needs me and I need them, and fulfilled two other people's dreams too. I don't think I would be anything else even if I could be;) :nurse: .

Specializes in Med/Surge, ER.

it must be hereditary. my mother was an er nurse, and the thought of it excited me growing up, so here i am....a very proud and happy nurse!!!

Specializes in Diabetes ED, (CDE), CCU, Pulmonary/HIV.

Nursing was a complete career change for me. When I entered college after high school, my aim was to become a high school Spanish teacher. I finished college with a degree in English & secondary education, and minors in Spanish and French. I married and moved to Chicago right out of college. Chicago schools were in a mess & teachers were striking for hazardous duty pay. I was also slightly afraid--at the time I was 5'1, weighed 105 lbs, and looked 15 years old. Needless to say, I didn't start teaching there. I worked for an insurance company in Chicago for the year we were there. I worked for the same company in Houston next, but in employee benefits and pension plans. I stayed in employee benefits for over 20 years. By that time I was working for a smaller pension planning co. I lost my job to downsizing at age 41. It was the perfect time for me to stay home though--my son was 2 months old and I was perfectly happy to stay home, breastfeed on demand (and not have to pump as when I was working), and collect unemployment.

My husband (2nd) was one of the fired PATCO airtraffic ontrollers. So on August 3, 1991, we were in Washington, DC attending the PATCO 10 year reunion. In the hotel room, my husband collapsed in pain & thought he was having a heart attack. He took antacids figuring that it probably wasn't a heart attack after all. He felt better, we stayed 2 more days until the reunion was over. We flew home to Miami, my husband went back to work (Post Office)for one day, and then went to his PCP who pronounced him healthy. As he was about to leave, the doctor decided to take a chest xray. One lung was down. The intense pain he had felt in DC was the pain of a spontaneous pneumothorax.

Dale went straight to the ER where a chest tube was inserted and he was admitted. He was there for several days including our son's first birthday on August 10.

Remember that by this time I have been unemployed for 10 months. I looked around and watched the nurses as they worked. I thought to myself, "I can do this." I have always loved science (2nd only to languages). I was a good student, and I enjoyed school.

I investigated right away and found that I needed an A&P course, microbiology, and human growth & development. So I started part time at the medical campus of MDCC. I applied to the 2 year RN program, the 1 year accelerated program (both at MDCC), and the 2 year Accelerated BSN program at Barry University. I was accepted by all three. The 2 year AS program started first, and I wasn't sure I could get the money together to go to Barry, so I decided to start at MDCC.

In the meantime, Hurricane Andrew blew into town. Our house was demolished, and school start date was postponed until Sept 14.

Living conditions made the first 9 months of nursing school a challenge. But I did finish on time and as the top student in our class. (In my opinion, the NCLEX was a piece of cake compared to the exams we had in nursing school) 75 questions in 45 minutes--we were the first class to take the test on computer. I knew one student who failed after 75 questions, and another who passed after 225!

I went to work on a Cardiac telemetry floor--a horrible place for new nurses, but they always seem to have openings.

Because I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant, I becaame very interested in the disease. After 9 years at the hospital I started at, I took a perdiem job at another hospital for extra money (by this time I was working 12 hr shifts in CCU.) At the new hospital I saw an opening for a part time diabetes educator. Eureka! I applied and got the job. I eventually increased my hours as a diabetes educator and left CCU.

FINALLY--I'm using my teaching skills, work days instead of nights. Oh, and about half of the classes I teach are in Spanish. This is Miami, after all!

I went into nursing because I needed a job. I have stayed in nursing because I love helping my patients. And that was true even before I got my perfect job!

I am not an RN yet. Still in Nursing school and graduating in May 2007 (crosses fingers):roll . Before graduating high school I was thinking of going into either Art or joining the Navy with my best friend as long as I didn't give in to what my parent's suggestion of joining nursing school.

I ended up going to nursing school for BSN after one year of having a major that's undecided. My best friend joins the Navy and comes back after a year to go to an associate degree nursing school. He even graduated before me. But at first all I thought was "I'm going to give medicine to sick people"....but it has changed my whole perspective of nursing. I have to say I am growing to love it.

i just started the nursing program, i am 34 always wanted to be a nurse but life got in the way!!! :nuke: so my husband finally told me if you are going to do this now is the time. so i took all of my pre-regs and applied. i am very excited.

Everyone has his or her own story about how or why they became a nurse. What's your story?

Please be as detailed or as short as you wish. It'll be interesting to hear everyone's stories.

Hi there

Not sure if this will go through as it's my first posting so I'll be brief. I am almost 49 years old and just starting my second year training to be a mental health nurse here in the U.K. I'm married with 2 children aged 10 and 8. My wife has also yesterday embarked on a 3 year diploma course to become an adult nurse - she is the same age. Our pipedream I suppose is to get qualified and work in Canada. I'd be really interested to hear from any Canadian nurses who may be able to help us as this idea is really just in it's embryonic stage. We'd love to hear what it's like to work/live in Canada as a nurse. If this posting is successful I'll write a more comprehensive email next time.

All the best

Alex

helo

4 me i like 2 help ppl and it is kind of was my only choise

Specializes in Gerontology/Home Health CM, OB, ICU, MS.

Reading these replies, I am proud to be a nurse, and feel a strong solidarity and admiration/fondness who are truly called to it.

I did it all backwards, or so it seems to me. I never consciously wanted to be a nurse; in fact it didn't fit the "image" I had of myself (I saw myself as nontraditional and nonsubservient). BUT, I have always loved helping people, especially old people. It would make me happy to help an old lady with her groceries, and have her smile at me & thank me.

When I was divorced, and I became a single parent, I studied Botany, but that wasn't practical. All my life-science classes in college were applicable to pre-nursing, and I too love Human Physiology, and so I was confident about the academics, and I just didn't think much about whether the work fit my temperament - I just had to choose something where I could make enough money to support us, right out of the gate.

I have lots of patience & stamina, so I hung in there, but nursing has always been stressful for me. I had a back injury, which kept getting aggravated, then while drawing blood from an AIDS patient, I had a blood splash in my face. After this I was sort of traumatized, and didn't know what to do about it, since I had become used to a certain standard of living - a nice house in a nice neighborhood, excellent credit, etc.

When my daughter became independent, I tried to stop being a nurse, and support myself with my art. During that period, I was diagnosed with major depression, for which I am now being treated.

After 10 years out of nursing (at least at a professional level), I am trying to get back in for financial reasons. Also, having my depression treated has allowed me to face that prospect without the fear I used to have.

So far, I have not gotten back in. I have excellent nursing refs & background, but having been out 10 years, I think people don't want to take a chance with me.

Anyway, I am happy and peaceful and am able to handle what comes.

i grew up living in a trailor with my mom and whatever guy she chose to have in her life at the time. when i was 5, my grandfather (my mom's dad) got leukemia. while he was sick, we were in and out of the hospital and i would try to help the nurses take care of him. my mother had to give him injections in his hip every day and i would watch her. i loved watching it. i would always put a bandaid on it for him! then one night we came home and i remember my granny saying that we had to take him to the hospital and she thought this was going to be it. he died the next day. i was in the room with him when he died. he couldn't talk or move but he litterally sat up in the bed and looked at me and said he loved me. he told my mom to make sure she takes care of me. then he layed down and died in front of me. my mom started screaming and made them take me out of the room. i was at my mom's husbands (at the time) mom's house. my aunt came to get me that day and i remember asking her if my grandpa was ok and she said yes. i asked if all the tubes were gone and she said yes. then i remember her telling me that he was gone. april 4, 2007 will be 15 years and i still cry all the time about him. he was like my dad. he meant more to me than any man in this world. then everything fell apart. my mother and her previous husband got divorced. then she started dating this one guy which would become husband number 3 and things were good for a while. they would start to fight and it seemed normal. well, one night he came home drunk and broke my mom's arm. we ended up at the er all night. he kept coming home drunk night after night and beating her to a pulp. i remember one night, i woke up and he had her on the kitchen floor choking her. he tried to drown her in a mud puddle outside. they had my little brother and when he was 4 months old, the husband shoved her while she was holding the baby and she fell on top of the baby. i can't count how many times i had to call 911. she stayed with him for 8 years until i was 16. she finally divorced him. my mom always depended on a guy. she never finished high school and can't keep a job. she has bounced back and forth from friends to family and to the last guy she married. she is so dependant on others. she was fine until my grandfather died. i met my husband when i was 16 and when i was 18 i was forced to move out of my mothers house because she had gotten evicted from her trailor and i had no where to go. my husband (boyfriend at the time) helped me to find my on place and a roommate. i have been on my own for almost 5 years. i want to be a nurse because i want to help people like my grandfather and my mom. i don't want to have to be dependent on anyone else for the rest of my life like my mom is. she is capable of working she just doesn't. the last idiot she married that tried to kill her has her so messed up that she just can't take care of her self that well. she isn't handicapped or anything. he just never let her do anything so she has trouble keeping jobs now. i don't want to end up like her.

sorry this is so long......

My oldest son was born with cleft lip/palate. At the time, I didn't have a clue about it, and the nurses really helped me through it all. To them, I owe my life and sanity! I now (4 years later) am in nursing school because in my mind, if I can help one person like they helped me, It will be worth it all!!!!

Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.
I was in my back yard one evening with a nice fat possum on the grill. I heard a noise and looked up to see a spacecraft directly above me. In an instant, I was transported into a dimly lit area equipped with strange equipment. Then a 3 ft tall being with a single eye in the center of his neck...or what I though was a neck, kicked me in the shins. As I jerked my leg up out of the way, several of the little critters pushed me back on an exam table. The next few hours were a blur as I went in and out of consciousness. Before I knew what was happening I was graduating from nursing school. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Youre silly.

Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.

Its really weird.I really dont know the exact reason.I very vividly remember when I was in kindergarden class, helping a fellow classmate who had a knee injury.the teacher stated I would be a good little nurse.I used to volenteer SP?when I was a kid,my older friend was a N/A,I used to help feed and talk with the elderly patients,When I was old enough to work,something kept pressing me to go to the local nursing home for a job.I was hired as a n/a{ dint need to be a CNA at the time was trained on the job}Went to nursing school cause I felt it was my religious duty to do.I still feel Im doing what God wants me to do.

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