Why Nursing?

This is my story on how I chose the wonderful profession of nursing. My decision to pursue nursing took a bachelor's degree in another field and life and work experience to solidify my career choice. I am very excited for the journey ahead!

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Why Nursing?

I have about five minutes left in my shift for the day as an operating room attendant but I will not be clocking out once the clock strikes 6:00pm. Instead, I am still on the medical surgical floor of the hospital waiting to transport a patient down to surgery.

This assignment started off as usual, a coworker and myself made our way up the elevator to the specified floor, received the patient's chart from the nurse and introduced ourselves to the patient. The only difference between this patient and the others I had previously encountered during my internship with the hospital so far is that the patient is now refusing to go through with the procedure. Undergoing surgery is usually not a tranquil experience, especially knowing after you wake up from the anesthesia both of your legs will no longer be there. I learned that the patient has refused twice before, and that this final refusal could cost the patient's life.

After introducing myself and learning that the patient is not having the surgery, I make my way to the hallway to let the nurse know the patient's decision. Before the nurse arrives so I can relay the message, I am called back into the room by one of the medical assistants who states that the patient wants to talk with me.

I am asked a simple question, "should I do this?" and after 30 minutes of encouragement I am heading back down the elevator with the patient to the operating room who went through with the surgery and is now able to experience life once again.

Before this experience I knew I would find myself in some aspect of healthcare, but the specific field wasn't made certain until then. At that moment I knew I not only wanted to be able to encourage others to make healthy decisions, I wanted to understand the inner workings of their health issues and be instrumental in their treatment and recovery. Nurses are healthcare providers that excel in this area and I would like to excel in providing care as well.

My fascination with life and the body has been fueled by the college classes I took which eventually led to a bachelors of science in biology but the interaction with patients during my internship solidified my desire to be a nurse. Becoming a nurse is a wonderful way to utilize the science of life and my passion for the betterment of people. I admire the special relationships nurses are able to build with their patients which leads to more trust from the patients and ultimately a higher quality of care.

Ever since I set my heart on the nursing profession, I have found ways to gain more insight into the career and work my way toward nursing school. About a week and a half after my internship at the hospital, I was accepted into a certified nurse aide program and trained for five weeks to obtain certification in the state of Tennessee.

During my training as a nurse aide I learned how to properly obtain patients' vitals, correctly chart patient input and output, assist with activities of daily living, and look for changes in the conditions of patients. Upon completion of the nurse aide course I was hired by the training facility and for 8 months have been working in the memory care unit. I have gained invaluable experience from this job from working with eight to nine patients at a time, practicing time management, using teamwork with the nurses and other healthcare providers, and ensuring optimal care to all my patients and their families.

Through all the experience I have gained and time spent with other nurses, my passion to become a nurse continues to be cultivated. I hope to one day have the unique opportunity to bring about healing and wholeness to others.

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Erufot

About Erufot, BSN, RN

My name is Emy and I will be attending nursing school Fall 2015. I am looking forward to joining the nursing community and hope to provide great care to others in the very near future!

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

What a great story. I wish you the best as you pursue you goal to become a nurse. I hope you write more articles about your journey.

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Very encouraging, thanks for writing. i think you put into words what a lot of people feel / are looking for

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A great one .

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Awesome article. Well written and totally resonates with my experiences. I wish you the very best on your nursing journey. I know that you will be an incredible nurse! ?

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Thanks so mu for this post! I am a sophmore in high school, and I am planning on going into nursing and this really helped me. is there anything else you can say as advice to em for nursing school or anything? Thanks!

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Most likely, this has already been discussed but I am interested in WHY you chose nursing.

I know the typical answer is always "I like helping people" but i feel like for me its more than that.

I want to be able to make a difference in someone's life.

My father had a MVA when i was 7 years old and spend over 6 months between the hospital/ spinal center/ nursing home/ etc.. I know first hand how those nurses impacted not only his life, but mine as well. I remember the nurses giving me chips, drinks and candy while I was having to wait outside the room. I remember the time that they took out of there busy day to sit with me and explain things so that I (at 7 years old) could understand what was happening. It was a very difficult time BUT the compassion that those nurses showed really helped shape me and it continues to drive me to go above and beyond in all that I do.

I would love to hear your reasons and/or stories for WHY you chose this field.

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Specializes in ICU.

Aren't those reasons mutually inclusive? Helping people and making a difference?

For me, I have always loved medicine. I love science and putting the pieces of the puzzle together. What can I do here to help this patient, right now? So they have A and B going on, which intervention can make them more comfortable? I know I'm not going to heal them, I just want to do what I can to help their comfort at that moment.

Nursing is an all encompassing job. You are medically treating the patient, treating their psychosocial aspect, and helping their families at the same time. They all intertwine, and you need to be good at all of them.

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I wanted to make a difference and wanted to make decent money. I still have compassion in my heart.

I still care, but corporate healthcare beat the hell out of me. I went to the darkside.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

I decided I didn't want to be a starving artist. :cheeky: No really, I was a vocal student considering graduate work in music history (I have a huge interest in pre-Baroque)... and thinking about job prospects was scary. Also, working that hard at singing was starting to suck out my joy in it.

I was working as a CNA during my breaks though, and loved it. So I decided to change majors and go in the nursing direction. I have no regrets! I absolutely love being an RN!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I chose nursing because I wanted a stable, middle-income career with opportunities for educational advancement and career mobility.

I grew up in the working class. Both parents had no education beyond a high school diploma and worked manual labor jobs during a time (1980s & 1990s) when economic fortunes and wages were dwindling for those in their situations. Manufacturing and factory work reached a zenith in the U.S. in June 1979 and has been on a steep decline ever since.

My parents' precarious financial situation and lack of options in the job market placed an enormous strain on the family dynamic. Lack of money was a daily topic of concern. Utilities were occasionally disconnected, a car was repossessed, and the refrigerator and cupboards were sometimes empty. They lived a paycheck-to-paycheck existence.

In essence, I entered nursing to attain the financial security that I grew up lacking. Nursing was not a childhood dream or a higher calling for me. I was not inspired by anyone to be a nurse. Rather, nursing was attainable, stable, and purposeful.

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Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

I wanted a job with plenty of variety and challenges, where I could quantify what I was doing for someone else each day. That is what I got. Overall a good choice for me, but there are nights when I just want to quit and stock shelves at Target for a living.

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