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.

Well I swore i would never work in a nursing home. Was raising 2 kids by myself and it was a pretty easy job to get at the time and i needed

one ...lol. I never realized how much i would love it. after leaving that job to work for the VA my supervisor bugged me till i applied for LPN school. Little did i know ( cuz i hate math) i would pass and be excepted. I loved every minute of school. And learned alot. Geriatric nursing is my love. The stories i could tell ...never a dull moment.

I didn't want to be a nurse at all. Hated the idea nursing in fact. It was the only way I could delivery babies - medical school was too expensive and took too long. Hated the "nursing" aspect of school, theories, nsg diagnosis, bleh...

Now, different attitude. Sputum, vomit, poop, bring it on. necrotizing wound, let me at it. Strange diseases, I want to know everything about it. Talking to patient? Educating? Never get tired. Bad thing is, this is kinda distracting me from my goals. Gotta concentrate - can't take a detour. Damn you, nursing - why much you be so much fun?

I joined nursing school because I like to help people especially those that are unhappy with their physical appearance. I have struggled with things that I don't like about my appearance so I feel I can relate to these people. Although I have never had or plan to have any changes done to my body, I would like to help people that do want to change their appearance. I hope to work for a plastic surgeon, but I also like babies so my second choice would be obstetrics. If anyone can share any experiences or information with me in this regard it will be greatly appreciated.

... they wouldn't mind if their daughter cleaned houses for a living. That got me real mad and I knew I could do better than a cleaning lady. I don't know why they thought I could do that because my room was always a mess and my mom did my laundry. Nursing was something I mentioned when I was in grade two and my parents brought that up during our discussion. I don't know why it bothered my when they told me I wouldn't be able to do it. The suggested housekeeping for my career! They knew I wasn't good at that either!!...

I love, love, love your story! I don't know if your parents were using reverse psychology, but I'm going to borrow that trick and try it on my kid if the going gets tough. :)

Specializes in ICU, Trauma.

Well, I am still a student but an "older"one at that. I just turned 40 a week ago and I decided that I was sick and tired of being in law enforcement. I worked as a crime scene technician for 10 years and a paralegal for another 7 all at my local Sheriff's office. I got irritated with the way things were going so I decided to change my WHOLE career. My mother, who has been an RN for over 40 years was ecstatic to say the least although she did say I should have started earlier!!! At one time in my life I wanted to be an attorney..... after working with the attorney's I worked for and how they treat people, I SAID NO WAY...... I got out of there as soon as I could... Right now I am in the third semester of a five semester course.. will graduate next December.

I did my OR rotation the other day and I LOVED IT..... the circulating nurse asked me what I wanted to do when I became a nurse and I told him OR work. I just found out today that they hire nurse techs in the OR, I am going to jump on that with both feet...

I decided to become a nurse when I was about 20 years old. I first worked for 2 years as a nurse tech, then decided to proceed on to LPN school. After working as an LPN for 9 years I felt the desire to further my education. I will graduate in December with my Associate Degree in Nursing.

I always wanted to be in a career that I could really make a difference in someone elses life, what better career than nursing. To help others and feel great about it is the most rewarding thing in life.

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a nurse. My mom was an LPN at a local nursing home and I used to go to work with her to visit with the "old people." When I got to jr. high, I started volunteering at this same place, and when I turned sixteen I jumped at the chance to work as a CNA. Though it was hard work and took its toll on my lower back, I still loved it. All through high school I worked as "bath girl" a few nights a week.

I decided I wanted to be an Oncology nurse after being with my mom through her experience with cancer. She was diagnosed with Leukemia when I was in first grade. She had a long battle and was actually doing well for a while. She developed Scleroderma which eventually took its toll on her internal organs. I believe it was my freshman year of high school when she went into renal failure and had to go through dialysis. Eventually it progressed on to her respiratory system and so on. She passed away during my junior year of high school.

I am still a nursing student, but will graduate this December with my BSN. It is getting so close that I can actually see it as a reality and when I feel like I need that extra push or a little motivation, I think of my mom.

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here, Love to read about all of you. Ive always had a love for nursing I could write a book haha. I have had a love for the nursing profession all my life and after three marriages. The first one ran off with a high schooler, the second had a CVA and the third is a nurse who is putting me through school (guess he is a keeper)I am now 50 years old and getting to realize my dreams can come true and I am and get to take LPN boards in July and go on to RN in the fall. I don't know who is more surprized about the whole change I have taken me or those who have known me for years. I have noticed that there is a definite difference between the young student and the older student, I studied 60 hours a week they partied the same amount of time and got A's. Nursing is sooooooo much different than my career of 30 years as a heavy equipment operator. I used to get grease under my nails now I wear gloves and have clean hands, washed god knows how many times a day. This is all so very exciting too me, I come home grab my husband and tell him about my exciting day he smiles pats my hand and says how happy he is for me and can't wait for me to get 10 years experience under my belt and have the conversation again. Congrats to all of you. May all that you aspire too become reality may the happiness never leave your chosen career and may all that you dream as nurses be reality.

It's nice to know I'm not the only "wiser" (I won't say older ;) ) person going into the new career of nursing. Cheers to us!!!

I've read most & cried through some of the posts so I decided to share my story, much briefer than real time, I hope.

In high school I started working at our drs. office as a file clerk. Had always done well in school in the sciences. His nurse encouraged me to go to nursing school.

Flash forward a few years, marriage, child, divorce, remarriage, he got laid off, had a chance to go to school.

Enrolled in a medical assistant program. Loved it & my instructor. Graduated at the top of my class with a very bitter husband. My mother passed from CA out of state & I wasn't able to be with her. Devastating.

Worked at a medical clinic for a short time but was stuck up front which I wasn't crazy about, I wanted to work with the patients. Got a job with a cardiologist & loved it. I was always fasinated by the heart in school. Worked there for a while until a friend from the school I attended said she was appoached about a job at one of the hospitals. There were 2 openings & did I want to go with her to apply. We did, got hired because we were willing to work part time & 3rd shift. I started out with a combined position of nursing asst. & unit sec. & eventually got the full time position. I found my place on the Med/Surg unit. I had wonderful nurses to work with & they were willing to show me how to do tx., pass meds, change IVs, & at one point gave me my own patient. I learned so much from them. It was those wonderful nurses who encouraged me to go to nursing school, the 1st time.

Applied to nursing school, got accepted, worked full time, attended school full time until the then husband decided "he couldn't take it any more" & was packing his bags when I came home from work. Mind you, he still wasn't working :angryfire .

Flash forward, life happened, had to quit school, quit my job to "make the marriage work" & moved out of state since he got a position back with one of the big 3 (Dumb move, literally, on my part).

Flash forward again, marriage failed, moved back to MI, got a job in a shop to support myself & my son. Moved to AL to care for father, remarried (a wonderful man), moved back to MI, tossed around the idea about going back to nursing school. Started our own business, got out of it. Got a flier in the mail that a nearby school was started an LPN program at that particular campus. Hubby called & had them send the info. I enrolled, started pre req's & hope to start the nursing part in the fall of 2006, if accepted.

Whatever you do, don't give up on your dream. I'm now 46 yrs. young. My hubby is behind me 100%, always encouraging me on. He says when I start talking about when I worked at the hospital, he can't shut me up & he sees me glow. The experiences in my life happened for a reason, I'm a firm believer of that.

When I think back to being with a person who died with no family, but they didn't die alone. Holding the little old lady's hand for just 5 minutes at a time while running between other pts., but knowing I was able to give her some comfort & ease her fear about being in the hospital. Pts. apologizing for throwing up on me, they were so sick they couldn't help it. Taking care of the man I took to the smoking lounge who had a seizure, I was able to handle the situation on my own until help arrived, & the drs. thought I was his nurse. I sure was proud of myself for that one.

Yes, you run your @ss off, don't get lunch most of the time, & have a ton of paperwork to do, but I'm going into this with my eyes wide open & I can't wait to have a patient again. I want to go into either geriatrics and/or hospice. When it's all said & done, it's the little things that make being a nurse worthwhile.

And it's NOT true that the patients sleep on 3rd shift, at least not on a Med/Surg floor :uhoh3:.

Specializes in Long Term Care.
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a nurse. My mom was an LPN at a local nursing home and I used to go to work with her to visit with the "old people." When I got to jr. high, I started volunteering at this same place, and when I turned sixteen I jumped at the chance to work as a CNA. Though it was hard work and took its toll on my lower back, I still loved it. All through high school I worked as "bath girl" a few nights a week.

I decided I wanted to be an Oncology nurse after being with my mom through her experience with cancer. She was diagnosed with Leukemia when I was in first grade. She had a long battle and was actually doing well for a while. She developed Scleroderma which eventually took its toll on her internal organs. I believe it was my freshman year of high school when she went into renal failure and had to go through dialysis. Eventually it progressed on to her respiratory system and so on. She passed away during my junior year of high school.

I am still a nursing student, but will graduate this December with my BSN. It is getting so close that I can actually see it as a reality and when I feel like I need that extra push or a little motivation, I think of my mom.

yours is a beautiful story.

Specializes in Pain Management, FNP, Med/Surg, Tele.

Ever since I was little I was always interested in the body especially when something was wrong with it. I can remember in kindergarten when I was 5 years old, one of my classmates fell and cut his knee and I offered to help the teacher to clean and bandage it. When I was in high school I thought I wanted to be a doctor so I went to college and declared premed as my major. Then as the semester went on, I noticed that that was not what I wanted to do because, it was going to take too long, it had too many hard sciences which I hated and doctors don't spend as much time with the patients like I like doing. So I dropped out of college after the first semester and then worked for a year then I did a Medical Assistant Program for nine months and worked for one year as an MA. Then I decided that I wanted to do more than just help the doctors with the patients and I went to nursing school for 4 years. I graduated in May 2005 and passed the boards August 2005. And I am very excited to start working in the Telemetry unit in October 2005.

Specializes in telemetry, med surg, LTAC.

Well I wanted to be a doctor and then changed my mind after learning all the things they go through (which is why they are so darn cranky). I became an aide senior year. I also got pregnant at senior prom. So my aunt is a wonderful wonderful nurse so I looked it up. I never knew that nurses made as much money as they do or do as much as they do for people. So I went to community college pregnant and all. My husband and I moved into our own pad. I had the baby but never followed through with my plans to become a nurse. Then I got pregnant again. I went to community college pregnant and all again determined to get through. After not being accepted into the program there because I didn't have all my pre reqs I went to become an LPN. I take LPN boards Halloween. I have applied to Barnes Jewish School of nursing and thanks to all my hard work when I was pregnant, I have most of my pre reqs. I eventually want to work in Maternal-Newborn nursing and become a FNP. Allthough my husband and I are young (23) and my kids are young (4,2) and my husband is in school as well, I know that I will achieve my dreams one day but hopefully before I'm 30! Any advice out there let me know!!!!

+ Join the Discussion