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.

my mom was nurse, and she always said never be a nurse because they're all overworked and underpaid. i watched her struggle through a transition from an l&d nurse to a home health nurse, and back again, and heard time and time again what an amazing nurse she was. at her funeral in '02, i was just 16, and i heard all her coworkers talking about how great she was and how much she'd be missed.

well, that was enough for me.

i was never going to be a nurse!

i decided to become a respiratory therapist shortly after my mom died. i was dating this guy (who turned out to be a jerk!) at the time, and wanted to go to york college, in pa, and had my paperwork in when my boyfriend told me that i could "go wherever i wanted, but york was far away and we'd probably break up". so, doing the stupid teenager thing, i transferred my paperwork to pitt johnstown and started taking classes there a week after high school graduation. well, my first day there, that boyfriend broke up with me, (i later found out he'd cheated on me!), and i was so upset i finished that 7-week class and transferred home! the closest college to me had nothing but pre-med or nursing, so nursing was what i decided to do!

crazy, hm?

but let me tell you- i made it through two years of school, two years of heartbreak (after taking previously said boyfriend back over and over before finally kicking him to the curb about 5 months ago!), and boards, and i'm happier now in the icu than i have been!

i guess sometimes things happen and you don't know where you're path will lead, but let me tell you - it always leads you home.

........................................................................................................

"i now only have good days and great days." -lance armstrong

***charity, rn***

Well, what's my story?

I never really wanted to ba a nurse, not before and not even now, I grew up in Cavite, south of Manila in the Philippines and back in 93 all my friends are out of school, I enrolled in one of the Universities in Manila but ended up envying the leisure time that my friends have and decided to quit my engineering course which brought my family into an uproar he he he.

Anyway, in 94, I told myself that I wanted to finish a degree but not away from my friends, so I decided to enroll in a college in Cavite, unfortunately, or may I say FORTUNATELY, only the Nursing Course was the best option or offer that they could give me, hence, I ended up being a nurse, kindda regretted it though before but now I certainly am thankfull for it, I met my lovely wife during my nursing school days :D

I didn't dream of becoming a nurse growing up. I was originally a nuclear medicine major. My older sister became ill with leukemia, and fought an amazing fight. She was the strongest, bravest person I will ever know. She always said that when she recovered, she was going to go back to school to be a nurse. It will be four years next month since she passed away. She was only 30. The care from that she received from her nurses was nothing short of extraordinary. When I returned to school that fall, I switched majors, and just graduated with my BSN last weekend. I am 24 years old, and so glad that switched so young, because I know that I am going to love doing this for the rest of my life. :)

Bekahlynn

wow! that's one of d great story. dont you know that burning desire is the most pwerful weapon on earth? as long as you have the desire to serve the people with your passion, commitment and dedication i'm sure you will enjoy nursing. just think about your sister but be sure you are strong enough to face what really all NURSING is all about. goodluck!!!

one thing try to have a clear definition of our life's utmost meaning when you got involved in giving nursing care. relatively, i have the same story like you when my mother died that trigger me to fail the misguided nursing students while still in the philippines and i hope you will stick with your REAL motivation why did you took up nursing. OK

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!!!

hi! nice 2 hear that. it's a trend in phils. but i just hope finding the true meaning of life is a different thing, sometimes we cannot find the answer what's really the reason why we took up nursing. after all, we cannot go back and blame other people when we are already there. which i experienced so many times after my students graduated. " many are called but only few are chosen..." money can buy everything but not happiness it's only inside of your heart and no one can see that. so, good luck to your exam and to your dream.

skybirddejected

Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry/PCU, SNF.

It's along a twisty story involving youthful reluctance to do what your parents want and a whole lot of growing up.

I started out young, always interested by all things medical. And why not? Having had basically chronic otitis media since as long as I could remember adn the lasting effects of htat, plus have brother, twins who were born way to early exposed me to the medical field early in life. But as I grew older and more bitter with life I realized that going into medicine would make my parents happy, and that was not acceptable. So I chose teaching...wrong choice there, it made them happy, but I hated the thought of it, but having spent time earning credits towards a history/english specialty I continued the only course that made sense: a liberal arts degree. By now I had grown up a little and lost the teenage angst that led me to rebellion (there is more to the story there than choice of major, but suffice to say, it was not healthy), so I finished with a BA in social science.

But what does one do with a meaningless degree like that? Nothing. I loaded cargo aircraft for 4 years. After 1 year I had topped out, as far as I could go with my airline. Then 9/11 happened. Whatever future there may have been in the industry was gone. So sitting at home one day, beat from the hell that job was I had a moment of lucidity. I realized I had always wanted to help people, not just take up space. As I sat there thinking about this, a news item came on about nursing. The proverbial lightbulb went off and I started the journey. I wasn't 100% sure that it is what I really wanted to do until the first clinical of my CNA class. Then I knew. A year later I'm working as an extern and loving every minute of it. Who would've known?

Cheers,

Tom

Specializes in Utilization Management.

What an amazing thread!

I was a born nurturer. I loved taking care of people and animals. I remember "helping" to take care of my little sister, dressing up my poor ol' tomcat in baby clothes and taking him for walks in my dolly stroller (he was my first restrained patient).

As I grew older, wounded people and pets came into my life and I loved taking care of them. But everything I did was limited. I didn't have enough knowledge to really be helpful. I was drawn to medical and social issues and read everything I could get my hands on.

I kept thinking that if I knew more, I could do more. Nursing programs where I came from were extremely demanding and I always had the highest regard for nurses because of their knowledge, their professionalism, and their ability to help so many people.

So I became a nurse. It was like coming home. It's where I'm supposed to be. :)

i have just spent a fascinating hour reading all the replies to this post and felt i needed to tell my own story. i went through several phases before nursing became my vocation: the nun phase (catholic schools), the architect phase (my father was in construction), the mother of 12 phase (hormones raging), and then the physician phase (learned in high school i was not stupid as i had always been told - by the nuns).

my first real job other then babysitting (at home and for other with pay) was as a dishwasher in a nursing home at 14 years old (you could lie about your age then). within a year, i progressed from preparing trays, to cooking the meals, to delivering the trays, to feeding the residents, to helping lift them into bed. my last summer at home after graduation, i worked the night shift in a nursing home without any training - "just take care of them" i was told. so i did what i had to do at home to care for my siblings.

i still wanted to be a general practitioner md in a small new england town and help everyone. i finished high school as college-prep and entered the university of vermont as a pre-med student. i took 21 credits and worked 30 hours a week in the college kitchen. needless to say, i burned out quickly and was placed on academic probation. as the oldest of eight, one year was all my parents could afford. my dad was dead set against college "for girls" and wanted me to make him a grandfather (never happened).

i stayed in vermont, working two and three jobs at a time in manufacturing, as a nurse aide, and bartender/waitress for the next couple years. in 1973, i realized i should be graduating pre-med but was in a rut and going nowhere fast. i nearly ended up married to a guy 13 years older then i with four kids. one day i was walking to my bartender job and passed the army recruitment office. i went in, talked with them, took an aptitude test, and signed on the doted line and still made it to work on time. i knew that i would be able to do my three years and go back to school on the gi bill to get my md.

i was stationed in alabama, texas, and then virginia where i had my first working experiences with "real nurses". one nurse, a civilian nurse in an army hospital, became my mentor and supporter. i would say, "i want to do that" and she would say "ok, but first you have to this". she would give me reading on the procedure and quiz me on the information. she showed me how to do a procedure (enemas, catheterizations, medications, etc) and how to document it in the notes. i then had to demonstrate the procedure back to her perfectly and then i was expected to do that procedure from then on without complaint. i learned to draw blood, start ivs, assist with liver biopsies, do sterile dressing changes (hour long ones), assist mds with minor surgeries, give pre-op patient education, and provide post-op care. there was never a single thing i wanted to do that she refused to teach me or insist that someone else teach me (anesthesiologist taught me the art of ivs). it was then that i realized i wanted to be a nurse not a physician.

she encouraged me and with army assistance, i started taking college courses. i tried to get into the army nurse corps but they refused me because i was already in the army. the army wanted to send me to pa school for 6 weeks with a year of on-the-job training. i refused to apply knowing that i needed more then just 6 weeks of schooling. i got married (to make my father happy), divorced two years later (husband wanted me barefoot and pregnant), re-enlisted for another four years, got an honorable discharge, and started nursing school. i was an "older" student with lots of experience and drove my instructors crazy but i finally graduated in 1983 (10 years after joining the army) with a bs in nursing and a bs in psychology. i was the first one on my father's side of the family to ever graduate from college. i knew dad was proud of me even though he never said so. i cared for him as a daughter and a nurse for the last 6 weeks of his life just five years later when he died at home from lung cancer.

i have worked in home health, nursing homes, and physician clinics. i am now a nurse manager/educator/care coordinator in a large assisted living home for elders and teach cnas at the local university. i use the same techniques in teaching that my mentor used over 30 years ago. i encourage and support the cnas to go back to school to become nurses. i have loved every job i have had in nursing. i have never had a regret in changing my profession to nursing. i believe nursing has always been my vocation and that i had to experience life to discover that. i finished my msn last year and start on my gerontological nurse practitioner certification this summer. i plan on getting a doctorate in nursing before or just after retirement (just 12 years away) just to keep learning and working in the field i love.

thanks for reading my story. i have it written up, with more detail, for my family genealogy and history.

I am 39 years old and just finished my BSN and passed boards. This is my third degree (I am a professional technical writer with a master's in biology). I went into nursing for my sanity (REALLY I did!). I cared for my Mother for 18 months as she fought (and lost) her battle with multiple myeloma at age 66. After her death, I buried myself in work, neglecting both my friends and my family. I work from home and about 3 years ago, I determined that 1) I needed to move back to my hometown to care for my aging Dad and 2) I was slowly, but surely, becoming a hermit (I often would not see another person unless I had to go to the grocery--I did EVERYTHING by email or phone). Nursing seemed the logical choice, primarily if one needs to live in an area where technical writing and scientific work is sporifice (which correctly describes my home town). So I went back to school, albeit completing my degree too late for my Dad (he died with lung cancer in April). However, I believe I have found the career God intended for me. I will be starting my career as a nurse on an oncology unit. So, for me, nursing is a new life--one that also gets me away from my computer (at least for a few hours each day).

Specializes in Obstetrics, M/S, Psych.

I wanted to be a veterinarian, but single momhood occurred first, so plans changed. I wanted something that was satisfying, more lucrative than waiting tables for tips and didn't take long to accomplish. After being a CNA, I admired an LPN who seemed to like her job, so decided to do it, as it seemed better than what I was doing. I kind of liken nursing to a waitress with an education. Still taking care of people, but the science makes it more interesting. RN came later once I realized I was kind of "locked in" to the field as I was making OK money and needed to continue doing so. Really, it hasn't been bad overall. Still would've rather been a vet, but my kids came first and they have always been my real reason for being, so being a nurse has benefitted us all. I'm grateful for that.

I was an exotic dancer (best job I ever had!), but knew that as I approached my late 30s I'd need another career, so I went to nursing school. Thankfully I like nursing almost as much as stripping.

I went to college for an athletic training degree right out of high school. I then got my master's in counseling and worked as an athletic trainer for a few years. In the meantime, I had a daughter and got married. Athletic training hours were too funky for a family with only one car. Hubby (at the time) was making good money so I stopped being an athletic trainer and decided to be a stay at home mom. Got pregnant with daughter #2 who was born at 26 weeks gestation. I spent A LOT of time in the NICU and watched and learned from the nurses there. The idea of "Hey- I might like doing some of this stuff" was planted in the back of my head. Daughter #2 came home and my days were filled with therapies and developmental clinics and RSV shots. As she got older and healthier, I started looking into nursing school and what it would take to become a CNA first at that point. Got pregnant again and had a son so everything got put on the back burner. Divorced my husband about a year after our son was born was born. I decided that since child sopport was sporadic at best that I needed to be able to support myself and my children without having to rely on my ex. Working as an athletic trainer was definitley NOT an option as a single mom. I went to CNA school and have been working as a CNA for almost 2 years now. I finished up the pre-reqs for nursing school (had to take A&P again since it had been longer than 10 years since I had taken it last) and I am now in the middle of my first and second year in an ADN program. I absolutely LOVE it!!!

I have really enjoyed reading everyone's stories :)

:) It is really neat to read everyones' stories. My story is complicated and yet simple to explain. I had a full scholarship to Northeastern University pre-med. I fell in love december of my senior year and left school. :uhoh21: My first husband left after my first little girl died at 3 months old of crib death. The nurse was the only person in the ED(This was 1970) who held me while I wailed and didn't judge me or question if I were somehow to blame! The idea started to take root that horrible night.

I became a nurse's aide and then my very abusive second husband decided to leave me and my 2 beautiful little girls age 3 and 7. I knew I couldn't raise them on my aide's salary and though I didn't like the idea of welfare I vowed to myself I would make good on the opportunity it afforded me to realize my dream and care for my family.

I met a wonderful man in nursing school and 2 more beautiful girls and 25 years later, here I am. I have had a wonderful career as a critical care nurse.

I recently joined the ranks of the "clipboard high heeled nurses", as my FAVORITE ED doc affectionately calls me, and am learning all I can about the wonderful fascinating world of the microscopic as our hospital's Infection Control Nurse. I am also the Employee Health Nurse, Survey Coordinator, Emergency Preparedness Representative at the local and state level and the Education Coordinator of our 16 bed Critical Access Rural hospital.

The things I have loved most about Nursing is the privilege of caring for people in the worst days of their lives and having the ability to make it just a little easier to take and I have never stopped learning not one new thing a day but MANY. :balloons:

Sorry to be so long winded. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Eeyore

+ Join the Discussion