Why I became a nurse, the down and dirty

nursefrances, BSN, RN · Aug 18, 2012

Libran, I can tell you are an ER nurse through and through. I went to school with some friends who were EMTs while in nursing school and are now ER nurses. I used to crack up at the phrase "treat em and street em." Good for you that you found your calling. :up: It takes many of us some time to find our niche. Glad you are where you want to be. :)

mustlovepoodles, RN · Aug 18, 2012

I hear ya. I fell into nursing school after helping my roommate study for some of her classes. When I realized that *i* was learning this stuff and *she* was flunking out. :idea: I was 17 and from a very poor family. It was my duty to my family to get up and get out, the sooner the better. Nursing wasn't some noble profession that drew out my desire to heal people. I just needed a J.O.B., one with benefits that would enable me to get independent as quickly as possible. At the age of 20 I was working full-time, living in my own apartment and paying my own way.

Lucky for me, I fell in love with the work or it could have ended pretty badly :cool:

runforfun · Aug 19, 2012

Haha oh my goodness, you love guts and gore and watching the first bit of blood splash into a test tube. You can't teach someone that, and you also can't teach such a positive mindset, you were made for this! Thank you for your post.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Aug 19, 2012

I love doing IVs. It's such a satisfying skill, particularly on little kids (moving targets!). I had a heck of a night the other day, 3 overlapping really sick kids (2 tubed and sent to ICU, 1 went to step down) and it was just craziness and I loved every minute of it.

I was also more motivated by a pragmatic assessment of my talents and the realities and benefits of nursing. I'll cuddle my baby patients and hold hands along with the best of them, but that's not what made me go in to nursing. The hours, salary, doing work that was important to society, having a tangible, physical skill set rather than merely an intellectual one, and being able to actually see the results of my labor all brought me to nursing.

suzisweet · Aug 19, 2012

I became a nurse by accident. In 1978, my neighbor was working as a nurses aid and told me there was an opening at the local nursing home where she worked. This was before you had to be certified, just be willing and able to do the job. The clincher for the job was that we could carpool and save money. I worked as a nurses aid for 8 years(becoming certified along the way), started having back problems and realised I couldn't continue at this very physical job for the rest of my life. There was a local tech school with affordable tuition for LPN classes, and the rest is history.

midido80 · Aug 19, 2012

I've been in patient care for almost a decade now, I've progressed from a phleb, to M.A., to PCT.... finally becoming a nurse seems like the logical next step for me. I never had a "calling", nor do I have a strong desire to save the world. I just love what I do! And I could never in a million years imagine working in another field, I'm in this for the long haul...

midido80 · Aug 19, 2012

......and yes, I'll be happy to get the pay increase and solely support my family.

NewTexasRN · Aug 19, 2012

I became a nurse because I truly felt that it was a divine calling. No one could convince me that wasn't the case. I felt that there were so many things I could do, but this is what I should do. I believe I was young and very naive. Now, I stay in it because I'm looking to find something else that I am passionate about. I don't regret all the people I have met and all the experiences I have had. It's an interesting career field with a thousand different little roads. I love to hear other nurses talk about what they love about nursing. I also love to read the stories about little and big miracles that happens everyday. I pray that one day I will find my true calling. Please continue to share your passion for nursing.

OnlybyHisgraceRN, ASN, RN · Aug 19, 2012

I became a nurse because it is my calling and ministry. We all become nurses for different reasons. Glad you enjoy being a nurse.

cupcakesss · Aug 19, 2012

This post really resonates with me. I just started LVN school last week and everyone in my class had to do a small introduction for our fellow peers. One of the questions was, "why do you want to become a nurse?". I cannot tell you how many sob stories I heard, some touching, some bothersome. I was practically the only one in the class who didn't say that I wanted to become a nurse because my grandma died from cancer or because I wanted "to just help people in their time of need." Frankly, I am not a people person, and far from touchy-feely like many nurses I've met. It's just not me, and I always feel like I'm being judged for not having an epic tragedy behind my reasons for wanting to be in the Nursing field. I am extremely detail oriented, and I am excellent at managing several people and ideas at once. I just know that I would be successful in whatever area I decide to work in.

Has anyone else ever felt this way???

SwansonRN · Aug 19, 2012

Cupcakesss, I feel that way! Only difference is that I do have a tragedy that caused me to want to be a nurse, but more because I was so impressed with how bad A the nurses were at the hospital when I was visiting. I would not call myself the quintessential people person, I find dealing with people exhausting. I get annoyed when everyone focuses too much on the "pillow fluffer" portion of my job. Yes, I do fluff pillows and hold hands and of course all of the sentimental portions of the job, but that's a very SMALL part of what I do. I feel like I am always explaining this to my family, but I don't think they'll ever know unless they follow me around and see what actually happens in a shift...