When did you know you wanted to be a nurse?

[rachflamini]

I am a freshman in college for pre-nursing. I am loving biology, and doing well in my science classes. I never wanted to be a nurse when I was younger, and I really didn't spark this passion until about 2 years ago. I know I want to work in the medical field, but I'm wondering now if there's another field I would do better in... When did you know you truly wanted to be a nurse and how did you know? Everyone says you'll know when you start nursing school, but I'm wondering if anyone else has had a different experience.

[PeanutButterToast]

I was volunteering in the respiratory therapy department but could not focus because I was fascinated with what the nurses were doing. They were so busy and I loved that! I started researching and just developed this fire in my gut that this is what I wanted to do. That was 10 years ago and I couldn't pursue it then due to life but I am still here with the same fire and ready to go. I worked as a home health aide, in an ER and for the past 8 years as a medical transcriptionist just to stay involved somehow in medicine. There is so much about nursing that gets me fired up...the opportunities, the amount of knowledge they have, always learning, working until your bone dead tired (yes, I like to do that), everyday being different, being an advocate for your patient, educating and so much more...even the thought of just trying to get through nursing school and clinicals is exciting for me. I don't even know what nurses in my area make and I don't care. I am not going for it for the money. Out of all the medical fields out there to pursue, nursing just gets me in a way the rest of them do not.

[Julius Seizure]

I didn't know that I wanted to be a nurse until...gosh....nearly a year after I started my first nursing job.

[Luckyyou, BSN, RN]

I've been a nurse almost five years now, still not sure what I want to do when I grow up.

[DiplomaNurseRN]

As a young US Army medic assigned to an Air Ambulance Company (we call them 'Medevac' now) in Vietnam. Watching the wonderful Army Nurses go about their duties in such a professional, sincere and compassionate manner inspired me to enter the field. Something I never regretted during the 38 years I was in practice.