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

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.

[lamazeteacher]

go for it - 50's the new 30. Have fun! Now's the time for you to think about you, you've raised your kids, now you're single... go for it. You'll know all there is to know about being an RN by now and maybe you can move into something else after school.... good luck! I hope this thread isn't 10 years old, if so, nevermind, you're probably already in a Master's program....

I hate to throw water on ambition, or thwart anyone's advancement - however, ir's best to know before going to the expense and time, that my experience retaining positions now is terrible, since health insurance companies charge employers more than $1000./month for covering employees over 55.

When I worked per diem, foir home health agencies it wasn't a problem, as benefits weren't offered (except for one that said I'd pay $325/month. When I asked what the coverage was, it had a cap of $1750/year!)

I usually get jobs for which I interview, but as soonm as the health insurance carrier wants my birth date (even though I've said I didn't need their coverage), all of a sudden my work isn't what was offered, and I'm out the door. It's happened 5 times, and I'm going to have to take something far below my qualifications, or not work (disaster).

[BSNGUY]

I needed to find work out of high school in the mid 1980's. I had no education and no real idea about what I wanted to do. I was medically inclined, but poor and didn't have resources or the high school grades to do something like medical school. I kept looking in the paper and seeing jobs for CNA's. It seemed like there were tons of them. I didn't even know what a CNA was. So, I called one of the numbers and the person on the other end told me what it was and did it sound like something I'd want to do. Being naive and needing a job, I interviewed and got the job. Wow, did I work my rear off! Very hard work, almost no pay, and no appreciation. From my perspective, it looked like the nurses sat on their butts and the aides did all the work.

One day, I went to pick up paychecks for everyone. Out of curiosity, I peeked at an RN's check. I almost fell over! It was probably 5 times more than what I was making. I got mad about it and started to ask and research about what it took to become a nurse. I felt I could sit on my butt and chart all day :) Well, I got through nursing school learning more than I thought possible. I didn't know what the nurses were doing behind that desk, and just how much responsibility they had. Now, over 20 years later, I'm still in nursing and can't imagine doing anything else. Obviously I didn't get into nursing just for the pay, but for the satisfaction and the security. Not many people can say they've saved someones life. Remember if you save someone life, you're a hero, save hundreds of lives, and your a nurse.

(I admit looking at someone check without their permission is wrong, but I was young. Forgive me....)

[salsps]

I decided seriously to go into the nursing field when my husband was hospitalized for 8 days during last Thanksgiving. I observed the ways how each nursing staff took care of the patients; noticed some truly fitted into the profession, being compassionate and caring, while for a few others, I couldnt understand why they were there to begin with. I realised that caring for the sick has to come from the bottom of the heart and not because it was a lucrative paying job.

So I started taking my pre-requisites in Spring. Glad I made that move and just can't wait to get into the nursing program.

[JustinTJ, ADN, BSN]

April 19th, 2005 (Age 26) - After playing outside for a few hours I came home took a shower and started having abdominal pain

April 20th-21st - Nausea and constipation started. I thought it was the stomach flu. Pain got pretty bad, however I have a very high tolerance, and told myself if it wasn't getting better by the 22nd, I'd go to the doctor.

April 22nd - Pain subsided, felt much better, no more nausea but still constipated with high fever.

April 23rd - Pain back, much worse than ever. Doubled over almost all day, finally drove myself to hospital around 5pm. I'll never forget the look on the ER nurse's face when she asked me who came with me to the hospital. I told her I drove myself. She looked like I had just told her that I was an alien from Pluto.

Was in surgery within an hour of walking into ER doors, ruptured appendix, peritonitis, sepsis. Turns out when the pain went away on the 22nd, it was because it had ruptured. After five days in the hospital, I was getting cabin fever. Spent over two weeks in hospital, when they let me out, wbc was still > 12,000.

I had always considered nursing, even when I was just out of high school, but the care I received from the nursing staff in that visit made decide to ante up and do it.

[dina77]

I wanted to become a nurse from the age of 9 but have pictures of myself age 5 in a nurses outfit.I remember as a kid i was facinated by pills and was always pretending to give pills to my dolls. I was also always facinated with chemists and all the different tablets, lotions and potions on offer. Funnily enough giving out medications is probably one of the jobs i least enjoy now! I still love the job but wish there wasn't as much paper work as there is now. Sometimes i feel that patients are neglected in order to get all the paper work completed before the end of the shift.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I stated as a CNA because it was a job that I could make a reasonable wage at with a minumum [3 weeks] of training. After five years I decided to go to school to pursue my RN, mostly thanks to a truly terrible nurse. She was one of those lazy nurses that rode the desk all day. We CNA's did her treatments during cares, took care of our 2 tube fed residents [i really think they would have starved to death without us] and passed her meds [at least she set them up herself]! I figured since I was doing most of her job anyway I might as well go to school and get her wage. I do thank that awful nurse because getting my degree was the best decision I could have made! I am now a nursing supervisor in that same facility, been there 14 years and counting. Of course I complain about my my job, but for the most part I really do love it. The staff I work with are excellent, we work well as a team and take pride in providing quality care.

[FranNHRN]

I am also someone who knew as a child that I wanted to be a nurse. My father was a nursing assistant and my older sister is a nurse, so I guess it runs in the family. I can remember hiding to read my sister's Maternal Nursing text book and being completey fascinated by it all. That's how I found out where babies came from!!! I also have always been fascinated with the human body and disease. I love caring for people and relieving pain.

[nurse2b2010]

Do you think someone going into the nursing field who has had no medical experience will make a good nursing student and nurse?

[lamazeteacher]

Do you think someone going into the nursing field who has had no medical experience will make a good nursing student and nurse?

Certainly you do, as long as you care about others' wellbeing!

[Fathappychap]

The Reason that I choose nursing, my fiance was in a pretty bad car accident. His head went through the windshield of the car and the roof cut the back of his head sorta well off. We spent 8 days in the hospital, the nurse's were awesome, I walked away not feeling scared but pretty excited. Funny that I would feel that way, but it was cool to find out that no matter how bad it looked I could actually fix it. Well 4 months of wound packings later I decided thatI definitly wanted tobe a nurse. I want to be the person that makes a horrible situation cool and fixable. So I have put myself in to collegeand amon thewaiting list. Oh by the way the head wounds are very narly ( originally down to the skull) I took a picture diary so if you want to see send me a message and I will email them, apparently the wound is pretty rare to live through. Healed great though and only one more surgery to go! woohoo!

[k_r_ah]

I didn't grow up wanting to be a nurse. I wanted to be a vet or a surgeon. After graduating high school I went to college for a year and a half and then quit because I found a job that paid "well". Well, after a while I realized my job didn't pay so well, so I started working for a vet and looked into vet school. I decided vet school wasn't for me but continued working for the vet for 4 yrs. I loved working with the animals but I felt like I could do so much more helping people. I also had great experiences with nurses and midwives when I had my children. That is why i decided to go to nursing school.

[nursval]

I had wanted to be a nurse since I was about 7. However, the true calling came later. My daughter had a birth defect in which her intestines were on the outside of ther body. (gastroschisis). I had her on July 2nd, 2003, she had the surgery on the third day, and was doing great.

July the 5th I was involved in a horrible MVA. A 14 year old kid pulled out in front of us and stopped. His mom was letting him drive, and it was nighttime and he was trying to get on the interstate. I was life flighted along with my son to a Nashville hospital, and eventually found out I had a fractured C-2, both lungs were punctured, one had collapsed and the other was well on it's way. Over half my ribs were broken, and the nurses that saw my breasts (I had been trying to pump milk for my daughter) had that look on their face like you have when you see something truly awful but you are trying not to show it. I was 2 floors below my daughter in the trauma unit for 17 days. My daughter was discharged the day before I was. My son turned out to be ok, but the lifeflight nurse that was with me told she would come back and tell me how he was. She forgot. I actually asked my husband if he was dead. It was truly hell on earth.

BUT, the reason I knew I wanted to be a nurse was because of a nurse named Vicki. She was a NICU nurse, and everyday that she worked, she brought my baby down to see me. She was told not to due to infection possibilities, and was told by several different people. She had security called on her because someone thought she was trying to steal a baby. But she never missed a day. Not one. She was my angel in what I find to be the hardest time in my life, and did so without being asked. She could have lost her job for it, but she did it anyway. I went to see her about 6 months after the accident with Stacia, and I called into the NICU and asked for her. I said "My name is Valerie, and my daughter is Stacia. Do you know who I am?" She said "Yes, I do." I gave her a picture of Stacia, and we cried together. I have moved out of state now, but I would love to find her and tell her that I am an LPN, and am in school for RN. I even worked as a well baby/ postpartum nurse fro awhile. She was truly my hero. Thank God for nurses like her. Sorry so long.:heartbeat