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.

Specializes in Med-Surg/Telemetry.
My mom is a nurse ( she just retired 2 years ago) and I just sort of followed in her footsteps I guess. I found an old picture of me when I was about 4 years old wearing my mothers nursing cap. I guess that was a sign of my destiny. I enjoy taking care of people and that is why I became a nurse and have never regretted it. :balloons: :p

I wonder how many people here decided to go into nursing because a parent or parents are nurses or a relative is a nurse?

My best friend's mother, aunt, uncle, cousins are nurses. She decided to go into nursing because of that mainly.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do in life, nursing never crossed my mind. my best friend talked me into nursing, how there are many specialty areas a nurse can go into, i can work anywhere, and the pay is good. So I decided to give it a try. Right now my best friend and I are in our last year of nursing school. Hopefully we can pass the NCLEX together as well.

But there was never really that special event that pointed me into nursing. I'm reading some posts here, some went into nursing because someone in their close family or themselves had a serious disease, and the nurses took care of them through the illness, and they finally realize that nursing is something they want to do. I never had any of that. My best friend just persuaded me that nursing might be something I will like. Helping sick people and caring for them in my opinion is automatic for a normal person, I don't think about that part, because I know as a nurse that is my duty, and I'm more than happy to provide patient care and possibly make a difference in the patient's life somehow, someway, even if it just a little bit, whether it be through talking with the patient, or just being there in person to let them know that I'm here if they need anything.

I have been trying to be a nurse for awhile since the 80's... finally happened when I got terminated from a medical lab tech career as a result of personality conflict. The unemployment office financed my LPN.... then I worked as an LPN for ten years ...got frustated doing LPN assignments and RN assignments .... went back to finish the journey and completed my RN and I have been loving it ever since....BSN here I come... :Melody:

I always thought I would be a stay at home mom until my son was older. Just like my mom was. However....I found my self in the single-mom category and realized that I was going to have to work. I remembered how wowed I was by the nurses that took care of me while I was in the hosptial having my son. So professional, caring and knowledgable. Not at all the Dr's handmaidens portrayed on TV and in the movies. That always stayed in the back of my mind and when the time was right I went to school to become an RN. It's who I am. It's what I do. I really can't see my self doing anything else.

Specializes in NICU.

I remember being about 4 (1963), driving past a local hospital with my mom. There was a new hospital building and a very old building next to it. I remember seeing some nurses in white uniforms and capes walking down the steps. I was fascinated. I asked my mother what the building was. She said it was a nursing school. I didn't remember that day until I was enrolled in the school. Nothing happens by accident. How did I end up there? I spent many years hopeless and suicidal, until I realized that God was real. Nursing seemed the most giving, loving profession and the best way I could serve Him.

I needed a job.

;)

Left school,

Worked as a draughtsman,

Trained and qualified as a building surveyor,

Got married,

Made redundant,

Self employed surveying and draughting,

Hard to find work,

Divorced,

Looking for any regular job with accomodation (in the sixties),

Became a live-in student psychiatric nurse,

(I was told that I could live in and train and get paid - just what I needed!), Qualified as a psychiatric nurse (RMN) then went on to mental and physically handicap,

Finally (So I thought!),

General nursing, becoming a RN.

Followed by specialities - Paediatrics, Theatres, A&E, Community, Aged Care .

Aged Care, that's the area of nursing where I still work in today,

37 years of nursing, and proud of it!

OK so I am 63 going on 64.

(I am told that most surveyors either retire before 60, become a psychogeriatric, or die! I never ever met a happy old surveyor, or a happy old rich one!)

I would do nearly all of it again, (perhaps leave out the divorce bit and not be such a rebel!)

Love all you nurses - you are very special and "one of a kind" :nurse:

Mister Chris :specs:

I may write a book one day :idea:

My mom, aunts, and 2 cousins are nurses. I always told my mom I would not follow in her footsteps because it was gross.

I grew up, got married, had children and realized I wanted a carrier not just a job. I told my husband one night I was going to nursing school and he supported my decision 100%. I had to wait 10 monthes for the program to start so I got my prereq's and graduated 12/04.

melissa

Specializes in Pain Mgmt.

My first marriage was coming to an end and the local nursing program was converting from LPN to ADN curriculum and advertising for candidates. I thought nursing might be a good place to meet chicks. No joke. To my surprise, the work turned out to be unexpectedly gratifying. (And I have met some wonderful women along the way, too.)

Because I was too lazy to continue premed/med school.

To marry a doc.

I did it for all the prestige and respect...

OK now seriously...it seemed a smart choice for a career and a job that would always be needed....I can always find work. People are always sick...LOL!

Specializes in Behavioral Health, Show Biz.

LIGHTS!

CAMERA!

ACTION!

Mother: When grow up, what do you want to be?

ME: Hairdresser or nurse.

Mother: Why?

ME: Because they both wear white and help people.

CUT!

:rotfl:

YES. I was attracted to the white uniforms back then during the 19'.... NO. I can't do hair to save my or anyone's life. So... I became a nurse.

I LOVE NURSING. The caretaker role is deeply rooted in my personality and the profession offers opportunitunties, options, flexibilty! HEY, if you're having a BAD HAIR DAY, my clinical expertise in psych nursing can serve you well.

Who needs a bad hairdresser, anyway? :rotfl:

Specializes in Nursing Instructor.
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.

Growing up, my mother as obsessed with one of us three girls becoming a nurse. She had quit nursing school 2 months before graduation and always regretted her decision. Well, being the rebellious teenager that I was, I wanted to do ANYTHING but what she wanted me to do. So when I enrolled in college back in 1990, I was an Elementary Education major. 3 months into my college career, I was pregnant with my oldest child. I dropped out of school, got married and had another child. 5 years later, my husband at the time was stationed at Ft Hood and we had a friend who was expecting her first baby all alone. Her husband was deployed to Korea and was not going to make it home for the birth. We got to be pretty close and she asked me if I would be her L&D coach. Her due date was approaching and she came over one day and I noticed that her feet and face were pretty swollen. I loaded her into the car and took her in.... her BP was something like 210/140... In comes the mag sulfate drip and the pitocin to start her labor.

After 8 hours of labor and her puking right down the front of me, her beautiful son was born. Seeing a delivery from that aspect told me right then and there that I wanted to be part of this process. I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do.

However, I was married to an emotionally abusive idiot who told me how stupid, fat, ugly, lazy etc.... that I was constantly. Every time I brought up going back to school he brought up going to get his masters.

A year later, I had left him and was living with my parents and seeing someone else.

This someone else and I eventually got married, had another child and were living happily ever after.

One night in 1999, we were laying in bed talking and I was telling him how unhappy I was being a housewife. Nothing wrong with it, it just is not for me. I need to be doing something. After being married to the previous idiot, I realized that I was none of those things he had called me. My husband now said to me Do you really want to go to school? And I replied that of course, I did.... his words... Then get off your A$$ and do it!!

Within a month I had been admitted back to the same school I had left in 1991. For my mother's 50th birthday I gave her my letter of acceptance to nursing school and she cried like a baby. A few months later, my husband urging me to go all the way and try pre-med (he is amazing that way) I was watching an episode of Maternity Ward on TLC. There was a nurse carrying a 23 weeker to the parents so they could say their goodbyes. He turned to the camera and said The difference between me (meaning himself the nurse) and the doctor, is that the docs treat the illness, the nurses treat the patients. That statement had a profound impact on me and I knew that nursing school was the right choice for me.

When my mother died 2 years later, I almost quit. I could not deal with losing her and school at the same time. But my family convinced me that I needed to continue... she would have expected it of me.

I went to nursing school for many reasons... To become a CNM (which I am still working on, just graduated in May passed boards in July) To take care of my family, but most of all I think it was to help my mother's dreams come true. I think about her often when I am at work and I hope that she sees me and sees how happy I am (most of the time lol) and knows that I would not be there if it were not for her.

I helped take care of my grandmother after she had a stroke.I was 15 at the time.Then 1 year later went to a convalescent down the street and applied for the CNA class,after a friend told me about it(she was working there).And then have been working as a CNA ever since...but going for my LVN soon. :)

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