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.

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!!!!

I was often sick as a child. I have some connective tissue disorders and Celiac disease (an inability to metabolize glutens), which results in a chronic nutritional imbalance. Obviously this can cause many different kinds of health issues. In me, it manifested as chronic stomache aches, headaches, and intense fatigue. I also had a weak immune system and caught every cold and virus that went around my school. Since these things could be (and were, generally) attributed to hypochondria by my doctors, I went undiagnosed untill I was seventeen. My health grew increasingly worse up to that point, so I was in and out of the doctor's office and Children's all throughout my childhood.

I remember how much better my nurses always made me feel. While the doctors would ask me questions, the nurses would have conversations with me. They always made me feel that they really cared, and I appreciate that more than I can say. When I decided to go into the medical field I originally wanted to be a doctor, but as I thought about it I realized that I want to have the more personal relationship that nurses have with their patients. I want to be to somebody what my nurses were to me. So that's why I decided to go into nursing.

:) For me, it is a calling, always has been and I pray it always will be! I consider myself lucky to have followed this path.:rolleyes:

It was either this or the "other" world's oldest profession:chuckle

Just kiddin' of course!

I find it most challenging to turn the most crankiest, nastiest, and sickest forms of human life into sweetest people you would ever want to meet! When other nurses state that Room # such and such is the meanest person in the world who is impossible to deal with, I say "bring it on!". Seriously, I love getting to the bottom of why some patients are so darned difficult. Maybe I should work in Psych rather than OB!:)

Hello, Im a little new to the site but want to ask for encouragement and pointers as I am in my Jr yr of Nursing school. I had intended on going to college right after high school but I lost my dad to lymphoma jr yr and couldnt deal with it at the time. Got married, had a child, got divorced...now at 34 Im back in school full time and working 2 part time jobs. This is far from easy but I know itll be worth it in the end knowing this is a career I have always wanted. Im off to study for a pharmacology midterm Tuesday and like I said, and pointers would be greatly appreciated. Jodi...future RN

Specializes in Gen Med,LTC.

My mother made me do it....15 years later, here I am.

my story.

i never really wanted to be a nurse or a teacher, as they are female dominated careers. i wanted to be a trailblazer. i wanted to go into a career that no woman had ever been in. i wanted to be anything but a nurse or a teacher.

nonetheless, i was young, hormonal, and in love. in love with a man who my parents felt wasn't good enough for me. being confused about what was right, i spoke with my pastor. he listened intently to my plight and advised me that parents aren't always right. he asked how much education i and my boyfriend(he is now my husband) had. i told him that we both had hs diplomas. he advised that i go to school and continue my education, as it is hard to make a marriage work, especially when finances are in short supply. he told me to look into the lpn program at the local community college.

after graduating in 1979 from the lpn program, my husband and i were married. after a while, my parents grew to love him as much as i.

in 1995, i completed my degree in nursing, and i'm now working as a staff rn at a local hospital, as i find management a bore and too demanding.

when asked for advice, i always encourage people to go into the medical profession in any capacity, as there is always work, the pay is adequate, and the work is very rewarding.

so, if a person were to choose to continue their education, they can afford the tuition and still help out with the family, with the rest of the financial responsibilities, and it will give them a warm and fuzzy feeling helping those in need.

thanks for the thread. it's quite interesting and often humorous.

nursekare:nurse:

Specializes in Case Manager, LTC,Staff Dev/NAT Instr.
May I suggest we stop telling God how big our storms are...instead, tell the storm how big our God is! :kiss

love the quote!

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