Why did you choose to become a Nurse?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am an aspiring nurse and I am looking to become a Nurse because the profession seems to really fit me unlike the others. I originally planned on becoming a surgeon, but couldn't stand the fact of going to school for 14 years and ending up in half a million in debt. Also, I'm pretty sure i wanted to become a surgeon only for the money. So here i am, saving myself from 14 years of misery and deciding i want to be a Nurse. Nursing seems like a job i would genuinely enjoy doing on a daily basis. Surgery on the other hand, not so much. Nursing will allow me to have hands on care with my patients, work in different departments, and give me enough freedom to where i would feel my career isn't "Taking over my life" so to speak. So, why did you become a nurse?

To OP and others considering nursing so you can care for people and make a modest living for only a few years of school, are you sure the working conditions are a fit as well? Do you have a good understanding of the working conditions?

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*hugs* jistravel.

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To OP and others considering nursing so you can care for people and make a modest living for only a few years of school, are you sure the working conditions are a fit as well? Do you have a good understanding of the working conditions?

What exactly do you mean by working conditions? Could you please clarify

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What exactly do you mean by working conditions? Could you please clarify

Patient ratios, acuities, staffing, customer service expectations..

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Let's see. I worked in retail management for 5+ years. Had a kid, ended up with a c section, and I unfortunately the retail management + newborn child weren't the best mix. One job later the company I worked for closed and I decided to become a doula. Then I found out I was pregnant. Then I worked as office staff at a birth center. And I decided to have my baby at home with 2 Certified Nurse Midwives. And *that * solidified my very slow growing interest in nursing.

At first, nursing school was just a necessary step to become a midwife, and I even considered becoming a more traditional midwife and bypass nursing school all together. But the more I learned about nursing, the more I realized it suits me. The options, the growth, the mix of science and art, the mix of book smarts and critical thinking.

And I happened to move to an area where there seems to be an actual shortage of nurses. Currently in my 2nd semester of nursing school and loving it (except maybe the med cards they make us handwrite)

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Specializes in Pediatric Oncology, Pediatric Neurology.
What exactly do you mean by working conditions? Could you please clarify

Not intending to hijack the reply but found it fitting as I'm reading AN in bed with one heating pad on my lower back and one on my lateral knee- I'm 30 and feel like I'm falling apart. Blaming it entirely on nursing. I work in Peds and getting down on their level is unforgiving on the body.

However, I wouldn't change my profession for the world. Just make sure you're making the right choice for you and understand a few of the sacrifices you'll be making.

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I needed a career that would allow me to support my children financially but also allow me to spend time with them while they were growing up. Nursing worked out perfectly. Now I have done it for so long I wouldn't know how to do anything else. I have enjoyed it and am glad I chose it.

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

I wanted to be a music teacher. In high school, I was in band (French horn), orchestra (clarinet), dance band (alto sax), and I sang in choir (alto). I also played piano. I love music! But - by the time I graduated high school - I was done with studying for a while. I tell people that I had senioritis and spring fever. So ... I got a job as a nurse's aide in a nursing home.

And I loved it.

I enjoyed interacting with these older people. I enjoyed helping them. I wore out my shoes every 6 months doing transfers from the bed to the W/C, to the commode, back to the bed, etc. I was pleased that I could do these things. I liked hands-on care. I still do. After a few years at the nursing home, it was time for me to decide. I still loved music, but I loved being an aide, too.

I chose nursing because I figured it had better job security. Now, I would stay in nursing regardless. I enjoy it. I help others. I make a difference!

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I chose it because my oldest son died of cancer at the age of 13 and I wanted to die right along with him. I wasn't granted that luxury. Nursing was the only thing I knew to do that would give me a way to honor his life and what he taught me. So I became a nurse.

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Cherry Ames.

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Specializes in Forensic Psychiatry.

I was kind of lost in college, I had always planned on being a teacher right out of high school but I found that it really wasn't for me. I then switched to psychology. I liked psychology, but I didn't know what I wanted to do with it. It was at this time that I started working with adults with disabilities and mental illness out in the community and I fell in love with it. In addition, my grandma fell ill at this time so I moved back and transferred colleges to help my parents take care of her so she didn't need to go to a nursing home. She always told me I would make a great nurse and that stuck with me. After she passed, I made the decision to go to nursing school and it was th best decision I ever made. The profession has it's downfalls, but there are so many options and areas of expertise I know that I will never be bored and be able to have a wide range of opportunities available to me. Plus the money isn't too shabby... I found my niche and my calling and I couldn't be happier.

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I chose it because my oldest son died of cancer at the age of 13 and I wanted to die right along with him. I wasn't granted that luxury. Nursing was the only thing I knew to do that would give me a way to honor his life and what he taught me. So I became a nurse.

I don't have the right words but wanted to say I'm sorry.

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