Why did you take up nursing? What's your story?

Every nurse has their own story to tell about how or why they chose to enter the nursing profession. Some may have been inspired by a personal experience with healthcare, while others may have been drawn to the idea of caring for others. Some may have stumbled upon nursing by chance, while others knew from a young age that it was their calling. Whatever the reason, each nurse has a unique narrative that led them to become a caregiver. These stories are a testament to the diversity and passion within the nursing community and the profound impact that healthcare can have on our lives.

Please be as detailed or as short as you wish. It'll be interesting to hear everyone's stories.

I am a new Nursing Graduate from the Philippines. I was supposed to take the Nurse Licensure Examination in the Philippines last week but due to some requirement delays I was not able to join the said examination instead I would be taking the exam this December 2005. But anway, I would like to share some of my thoughts about this thread.

I am 25 years old, and in the Philippines at that age and as a fresh graduate seems to be old. Everyone would thing that you have been bad as a student that's why you were not able to graduate by the age 21 or you are a working student etc. I am a BS Computer Engineering graduate prior to earning a degree in nursing. After graduating high school, my dad didn't want me to take up nursing instead he wanted me to take up engineering. Such Parental intervention is common in our culture that most parents would tell you what course to take up in college. I followed his advice but I never tried looking for a job after graduating. While in the college of engineering, I always envy student nurses having their clinical rotations. I never found happiness and satisfaction in my course. That after graduation, though i have job offers, I never accepted them instead I went to a college of nursing seeking admission of which the dean has never doubted my capacity and interests. My dad had seen difference in me, I have been learning a lot in nursing rather than those things learned in Computer Engineering. I am so happy that last April 23, 2005, I finally marched during the graduation ceremony and got my Diploma for BS in Nursing degree and having my Nursing pin placed on my Nursing Uniform. It was indeed a good day for me and I am looking forward for the time that I'll be taking oath as a registered Nurses here in the Philippines and hopefully in the United States with God's Help!!!

Specializes in Cardiac Care.
I will be starting nursing school this Fall at Deaconess in St. Louis. I have most of my gen eds out of the way (bio, chem, microbio), so I will be concentrating on my nursing classes. I had recently been hired for a job in the emergency department here at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, in preparation for my move to St. Louis. Initially, I had been planning on becoming a radiation therapist. But in working with the good people here in the E.D., I decided that I liked the role of the nurse better. I had already thought about becoming an RN several times before, but my parents didn't want me to because it isn't a "guy's field." But in seeing all the male nurses around the hospital, I no longer think it is an issue.

I am a registrar in the E.D. currently, but there is nothing more rewarding than covering a patient with warm blankets, helping someone down the corridor, or even just taking a minute to listen to what the patient has to say. And the nurses here say that there is nothing more rewarding than receiving a thank you card from a family who appreciated the care that was given to a patient. I can only imagine what it's like, but it'll become a reality for me soon enough.

And that's my story. :-)

One of my dearest friends, a male currently living in south Florida, graduated from your school back in the 80's. He speaks very highly of the education he received at Deaconess, and is a very busy (and sought after) hospice nurse. Much luck and success in your studies!

Would you believe it was because my parents would not allow me to remain, in California, when they moved back to NYS? I was offered a scholarship, for 62 credits, at a NYS DMH School of Nursing. The scholarship was towards 62 credits at a ocal university. I took it. I dropped out seven months before my graduation-that is another story. I got an LPN license on wavier, worked for 18 months, changed jobs, went to an associate program,graduated, went for a BSN. Then went on for a Masters in Hospital Administration. I have enjoyed working as a nurse and have had a varied career. I am currently going back to be an FNP, after being permanently disabled.

Grannynurse :balloons:

Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

What awesome stories! I've so enjoyed them! Mine? I've wanted to be a doctor since age 9. When I was 12, we lived out in the "boonies"; I went swimming one day with my brothers at a distant lake and while walking up on the boat landing, I cut my foot on a piece of broken beer bottle---a kind older nurse was nearby at the time. She immediately took my brothers and me in her car to our house and then helped to transport me or accompanied us to the hospital. I needed many stitiches. She made a lasting impression on me...but I still wanted to be a brain or heart surgeon--just didn't make good enough grades nor had the financial resources to pursue medical school. I have enjoyed a variety of jobs during 20 years of nursing but as an LPN have not been able to do what I'd truly love to do which is surgical nursing. And alas at age 46, I just don't have the financial resources, energy, or motivation to pursue the RN.

I don't have a really good story. I started college 4 years ago.. I had always intended on being a doctor, because I wanted to make my parents proud (I'm the first person in my entire extended family to ever attend and graduate from college!!) but I quickly realized that it wasn't what I wanted to do.. and they really could not have cared less than I didn't want to do it. They just wanted me to be happy! (duh..) I've always known I loved the health field, so I took my nursing pre-reqs, got accepted into my school's college of nursing.. and graduated in April! Took my NCLEX yesterday, and now it's all just crossing my fingers until I find out :uhoh21:

The long and the short of it is: the "dreamkillers" made me do it! :angryfire We're talking the early 60's here, right out of high school of course. I grew up in a family where you NEVER dared "question" the wisdom and counsel of dear old dad.

I knew I harbored this passion for writing ,but I was also smart enough to figure out that "dear ole dad" would never support me in terms of it becoming a "career" of any description. It was only after I had worked as a "candy striper" in the local hospital, and began hearing from significant adults around me that "you would make such a wonderful nurse"....it became a possibility in my own mind. Such feedback was not lost on my parents' ears either. It even filtered through to my high school guidance counselor's ears and he beat me over the head with the idea for two solid years.

Frankly, to shut everybody up (the dreamkillers) - I became a nurse. Have I loved it - you bet. Has it only enriched my passion for writing - you bet. Would I do it the same way again - NO! :rotfl:

And Brian.......where are you in Minnesota? I'm near St. Cloud.

Bonnie, Freelance Writer, retired from the frontlines of nursing

From the time I can remember I wanted to be a doctor. Then, in high school, having never even been in a hospital. I realized that I wanted to "take care" of people..

Nursing is an art. I think it is a calling. I love all of the aspects. I used to be so disgusted when a doctor would say to me "but you're so smart, you could be a doctor"...like I would rather do that than be a nurse. Doctors make big decisions and walk out of the room, they break terrible news and the nurse is there to help pick up the pieces. We are the ones who put it all together. If it wasn't for the nurses there would be no hospitals

Hey everyone. My name is Erin, I am 22y/o, an ADN student (got in last fall, audited due to personal/financial reasons, got back in for this fall...), lifelong NC native, etc. My reason for going into nursing is truly personal. I had ALWAYS known I wanted to go into healthcare (probably since about the age of five or thereabouts). I had ALWAYS had the dreams, aspirations, etc. of being a physician though. However, at the age of eight/nine I realized that since I struggled SOOO much with math, ALWAYS would, etc., I'd better change my thinking. LOL. So...I still kept it in the back of my mind as the years went on...anyway, my reason, furthermore, was because I wanted to "give back" to the medical profession for saving my life/taking care of me. I was born 10 weeks early @ 2#2oz., 10 1/4" long, had some of the common premie problems as well as one somewhat uncommon one (well, common mainly to the smaller premies). I had: As & Bs, exchange transfusions, seizures during my first 2 weeks of life, a Grade III IVH (intraventricular hemorrhage, aka: brain bleed)---that's the "uncommon" problem I was talking about, developed CP @ 2yrs., am deaf in my rt. ear, etc. Due to the IVH, I developed (subsequently) PHH (Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus), was initially shunted at 5 wks., 2 days old with a subgaleal shunt, etc. I wound up having ten surgeries during my first seven years, and managed to go EIGHT weeks and TWO days shy of FIFTEEN years before having to have another shunt revision (#11) on 4/20, and I had (brace yourself) a Delta 1.5 medium pressure, occipital burr hole, non-programmable right sided VP shunt placed (whew! what a mouthful! LOL!). On May 10th I had another surgery to have my 14y/o shunt (just the ventricular, or proximal, catheter) removed *and* a left ICP monitor placed (for 3 days). On top of that, I was dx'd w/migraines the day before I was d/c. *SIGH* So...backing up into my high school days...I took health occupations education classes my 10th and 11th grade years (some of y'all may have heard of HOSA: Health Occupations Students of America, and even participated in the classes/club), went to competitions at all levels, placed at regional, state, and even national level (summer before my senior year: a knowledge test in pathophysiology, 3rd at state, 10th at national). Anyway, I had narrowed down my specialty to neonatal nursing (Level III) by my sophomore year when I found the neonatologist that cared for me (via the Internet), started corresponding via e-mail with him, agreed to meet/eat lunch/tour the NICU, etc. and on December 28, 1999, I met him (Dr. Ernest Kraybill, now retired, since 2000) at UNC Hospitals (which was before they built the new Women's and Children's Hospitals which were dedicated September 8, 2001). I also met some nurses, and again, was able to tour the NICU July 13, 2001 with the nurse manager (Maura Williams), who ironically enough had been one of my primary nurses when I was there), and got to shadow a couple of nurses (staff as well as NNPs, because that's what I had intended to do) for a few hours. Anyway, I am still fascinated/interested in premies, NICU nursing, etc., but have shifted my focus/specialty from that into neuroscience nursing b/c of my recent hospitalizations. One thing I had worried about when I had set my sights on NICU nursing was becoming too involved/my personal experience(s) and how that would tie into everything, but everyone assured me that this wouldn't hinder me in any way; it would actually help b/c I have a certain perspective that no one else does. I hope to be able to do neurology/neurosurgery (floor) nursing. I also like the idea of maybe NSICU nursing, as well as neurosurgery clinic nursing, OR...heck, anything that deals with neurosurgery. LOL. Sheesh. However, I REALLY am leaning towards floor nursing...I TRULY enjoyed the nurses, NAs, doctors, EVERYONE on the floor during my hospitalizations, got to know them, etc. and they're all a GREAT group! I'm fond of quite a few of them, some just a tad bit more (there are two guys that are HILARIOUS together). Anyway, that's *my* story! Thanks for listening, and sorry this is long! LOL!

Erin

P.S. I guess I should add that my Dad having had MULTIPLE health problems also factors a little into my decision as well: he'd had metastatic kidney cancer w/mets. to lungs and bones., with prosthetic right elbow joint; NIDDM, HTN, chronic sinus problems which he'd never had until NG tube removal re: the RCC, diabetic complications, etc. He passed away 10/3/03 due to an anoxic brain injury (went w/o O2 for ten minutes) which was d/t cardiac arrest and *that* was d/t ARF. He also had other problems that we never knew about (but looking back, I'm not surprised) until we had a partial autopsy requested b/c we wanted answers (i.e. he had atherosclerosis, BPH, etc.).

I am not even a nursing student yet but I want to become a nurse because I have a genetic disorder, Neurofibromatosis, and have been hospitalized multipal times for surgeries. Well, my nurses have always been awsome to me, even haveing them pretend that they understood what you are going through is helpful. Like once, I was five and I had just had surgery a day or two before and I needed a blood test. I was not letting the tech anywhere near me. The nurse told me she had needed blood drawn and that she had had this certian tech do it for her because he was very good. I let him take it.

I was in my back yard one evening with a nice fat possum on the grill. I heard a noise and looked up to see a spacecraft directly above me. In an instant, I was transported into a dimly lit area equipped with strange equipment. Then a 3 ft tall being with a single eye in the center of his neck...or what I though was a neck, kicked me in the shins. As I jerked my leg up out of the way, several of the little critters pushed me back on an exam table. The next few hours were a blur as I went in and out of consciousness. Before I knew what was happening I was graduating from nursing school. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

They got to you, too? I thought it was just me! :rotfl:

Specializes in Gen Surg, Peds, family med, geriatrics.
Everyone has his or her own story about how or why they became a nurse. What's your story?

Please be as detailed or as short as you wish. It'll be interesting to hear everyone's stories.

I got burned. We moved to Canada from Brazil September 1967...I was a few months shy of 5 at the time. We didn't have much in terms of kitchen stuff...so my dad was boiling water for tea in the bottom half of one of those Italian expresso coffee makers. He picked up the pot and went to pour it into his cup...unfortunately I was standing right next to him and he spilled all the boiling water all over me. I don't remember much except for my parents pulling my flannel jammies off and I vividly remember grabbing my right upper arm and when I pulled my hand away, the skin of my arm was stuck to it.

My dad barely spoke any English and my mom none....they were both scared to death and I screamed and screamed and screamed. Instead of taking me to the hospital they chose instead to bandage up my burns themselves. All went well until the dressing on my upper arm stuck. Once again I went into hysterics and wouldn't let my mom near me. Finally my mom's friend Sonia showed up....told me she's a nurse and she would take care of me. And she did....removed the dressing without any pain and redressed it.

From that point on I wanted to be a nurse just like Sonia.

It wasn't until I was about 15 or 16 that I learned that Sonia wasn't a nurse...it was all just a sly ploy to convince me to cooperate. Too late... I was already bitten by the nursing bug.

You know something...it just occurred to me...I don't think Sonia knows that I'm a nurse because of her. It's a shame, I haven't seen her since I was a kid.

Laura

A couple of months before I graduated from high school my parents asked just what I planned on doing? I had it all figured out, I was going to take a year off and just relax and continue to work at Burger King and then I would go to school and become a teacher. I also thought I would probably get married as my husband and I were engaged. They then said they thought I should become a nurse. Just give it a try and if it wasn't for me, then pursue something else. I thought no way, since I had the weakest stomach in the history of the world, but I was a gutless wonder back then and would never have questioned their wisdom. Thinking back they must of had put some thought into this before they sat me down because they had a very impressive presentation. They listed alot of perks and pro's, some of which I have given up waiting on. Anyway I became an LPN and got married the same week I took boards. I guess they knew me better than I knew myself, been doing it for 19 years now. When I get really stressed I think I've got to do something else, but then can't seem to think of anything else that I want to do. I guess I'm destined to be a nurse.

p.s. I love kids, but at this point in my life the thought of being stuck in a classroom with a bunch of kids 5 days a weeks sends chills down my spine.:eek:

I guess mom and dad knew best.

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