Why did you become nurses?

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Experienced nurses:

1) Why did y'all become nurses?

2) Is it what you thought it would be, or what you were told it would be?

I am considering getting out of my current profession and going into nursing or a similar medical field. I have my own reasons, but I'm wondering what some of yours were.

thank you,

-rup

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
She got her bluntness, I got mine, and I appreciate hers - I know where she stands.
If you are still referring to the member ♪♫ in my ♥, he is a male nurse.
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I became a nurse because: -I love helping others and working with public in general even thought they can be difficult at times.

-I wanted a carrier in which I can find jobs and this one has a pretty good job market.

-I did not know what else to go to school for, I have always been pretty good on biology and nursing

had a big amount of it.

-The pay it's ok.. LPN's don't get pay nearly as much as the RN's but it's not too bad after all.

Is it what I thought.. well they are days that I feel like it is but they many days I feel like I am underpay for all the responsabilities

and pressure that involves being a nurse..

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Specializes in Geriatric/Hospice.

To be honest I never wanted to be a nurse. Ever. In my wildest dreams, never. I never wanted to do patient care, I never wanted to deal with bodily fluids, medications or the responsibilities of keeping people alive. I don't deal well with stress and clinical anxiety has been a problem my entire life so nursing just wasn't for me.

I became a CNA out of necessity because I desperately needed money for bills and food, the necessities. My first job was at a rehabilitation center for people with TBIs (traumatic brain injuries.) Working there I discovered I actually liked helping people with their daily needs. This did not mean I wanted to be a nurse, yet, but it started the wheels turning.

I had a few experiences at this facility that upset me with their nursing staff. The poor care and clear disrespect for their clients and family members was atrocious. All I kept thinking was that these people need better care! They shouldn't be treated like aliens just because they don't "act right."

This is what finally drove me to being a nurse. I wanted to be that person that people could come to for help when every one else looked at them as "other." I wanted to be the nurse who actually pays attention to her residents and responded to the concerns of her CNAs. I just kept thinking, "How would I feel if I were that TBI resident?" and it made me sad to think of how lonely and belittling they were being treated. :/

Long story short, I became a nurse in order to care for people who weren't getting cared for.

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Specializes in PCCN.

Why? because there was nothing but hospital nursing jobs available in my area. Or server jobs. All service jobs.

The thing that was a rude awakening was having to babysit confused brain damaged drunks, or combative dementia patients, while still having to take care of my other patients , because place is too cheap to hire sitters to babysit these people. I not joking either. They need to be babysat- worse that a 2 year old......

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Specializes in Hem/Onc/BMT.

As a patient, I tend to love the nurses. It's the doctor I usually wanna tear into. Then, when I'm over that, it's the insurance industry I'm ready to gas.

LOL There are times when I would completely agree with you! But the hem/onc doctors I work with are amazing. Each doctor is different, just like each nurse is different.

In the end, possessing the competency and ethics is what really matters in a healthcare professional. What motivates one to enter the profession, whether a nurse is driven by compassion or science... they're all just a matter of philosophical difference which we cannot and should not say right or wrong.

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LOL There are times when I would completely agree with you! But the hem/onc doctors I work with are amazing.

I know what you mean. I had a student who is an infectious diseases physician in a clinical + research hospital - one of the most humble and nicest people I've ever known.

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I am surprised because most of the nurses I grew up around including my mother went into it for better reasons than you did. I am glad there are some people who went into it because they have compassion for the injured sick, and dying.[/quote']

So are you saying you would do this for free? I have compassion but I also need to eat and pay my bills.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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DoeRN - how does me thinking that entering a career for the passion of it and not the big bucks arrive at me saying I'd do it for free? Check your math.

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DoeRN - how does me thinking that entering a career for the passion of it and not the big bucks arrive at me saying I'd do it for free? Check your math.

My math is fine. You were criticizing some of the nurses on here who went into nursing for the money. You basically said that if they are in it for the money then they have no compassion. I asked if you would do it for free? You have passion for it so would you do nursing for free? Simple question asked.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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You basically said that if they are in it for the money then they have no compassion.

Where? Not seeing me or feeling me saying that at all. I could sooner see some of the nurses here saying that for themselves, but I didn't say that, nor do I believe it. I went into my job for the money, and occasionally, I have a passion for it. You're putting words in my mouth. So maybe you're math is right, applied to someone who said what you accuse me of saying.

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Where? Not seeing me or feeling me saying that at all. I could sooner see some of the nurses here saying that for themselves but I didn't say that, nor do I believe it. I went into my job for the money, and occasionally, I have a passion for it. You're putting words in my mouth. So maybe you're math is right, applied to someone who said what you accuse me of saying.[/quote']

I see. Unfortunately my iPhone won't let me quote multiple posts in one reply. If you don't see what you posted in reference to music in my heart then I can't argue anymore about that. I know what I saw and so did other posters.

Good luck with your nursing career!

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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Fair enough. Thanks everyone for your posts in here. It was really helpful to me.

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