Why did you become a nurse?

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I'm just wondering what inspired others to become nurses (or why you are aspiring to become a nurse).

Were you attracted to the lifestyle of long shifts condensed to one portion of the week and opening free time through the rest of the week? The payment? Desire to help people? Family encouragement? Geographic mobility via contracts?

There's no interviewer here to impress, so I'm curious about people's REAL answers.

Cheers!

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

The paycheck

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The paycheck. The ability to relocate anywhere. Pressure to get my life going. A foundation on which I could build and grow.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

The big return with minimal investment. I came from a low income family and wasn't sure how I was going to afford college. The hospital based diploma program I attended was free 100% in return for me, working at the hospital after graduation. Best investment ever

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I love helping others and truly do feel that nursing is my calling. The pay isn't too bad, however with all the crap I have to put up with sometimes the pay definitely isn't on the top of the list to why I became a nurse. IMHO. When I chose nursing, at a very young age, I wasn't aware of the schedule of flexibility. I must say the flexibility is a plus. I can work in so many different areas of nursing and feel as though I'd never be bored.

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Nursing is not my calling!!! Trust me if I had the time to go back to school I would. The reason I went into nursing, I was in vet school and had to quit due to a family emergency. I had to come home and since there was no vet schools around and I had pretty much all of the curriculum for nursing school figure I would go so I can at least work and be making some kind of money. And I'm still here.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Because I was wait listed for dental hygiene and didn't want to wait a year.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

It promised never to be boring.

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I never knew a nurse before I went to nursing school. I had no clue what shifts or days nurses worked, had never heard of travel nursing. I just wanted to do it.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Encouraged by my Dad who was a firefighter - he enjoyed helping others in a time of need and that characteristic rubbed off on me.

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I did it for the scrubs. And fancy shoes. :nurse:

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Specializes in 4.

I was all of 18 years old and not sure where my life was going. I dropped out of college and having a hard time living at home with my parents. I had a friend who was a medical assistant and she told me about an agency who could help me find a job. I had to take a long test and the agency suggested that I may be suited to work in a doctors office. They actually had a job in line for me and that was 1990. I have been in the medical field almost since then and never looked back. From working as a front office receptionist, I wanted more and was so interested in the actual care patients were receiving. It was from that point on, that I knew what I wanted to do. This was my calling and I didn't care what the pay was. Yes, it does bother me when others use that reasoning but it is truly a personal choice. Personally, when I help others I get a return that no paycheck or benefit even comes close to. Nursing has changed since I came on board in 1990 as a wide eyed high school graduate but all of my middle years experience has helped me become the nurse that I am today. I have been an LVN for nearly 4 years and I am taking ASN/BSN RN pre-req's now. I have no regrets and I truly appreciate the path I am finally on.

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