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 story is pretty boring. I just wanted to help people. I honestly love being a nurse. My wife tells me that I'm empathetic and compassionate, but she may be biased. :)

My wife is also a nurse. She says she became an RN because she grew up in the hospital as a patient. She lit herslef on fire as a child, beat the odds and lived, and feels it's her responsibility to give back.

Interesting thread.

Specializes in Pediatrics.

My story; a little boring but I'll share anyway. I come from a family of nurses. I have a mother, two aunts, a cousin, and a sister who are all nurses. Oddly enough, I never considered nursing as an option for me. I was accepted to an excellent education program at a highly rated college in my area. I decided since I was not getting much financial aid (and I was paying for my own school for my first two years) I would attend the community college and then transfer my credits. Well, I started at the CC in a 2+2 program for Elementary Education. My best friend was attending the same college for nursing. I ended up getting married during my second semester, moving out of state, and having children. Meanwhile, my best friend failed two co-requisites and was taken out of the nursing program. I took almost three years off to be a SAHM, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However our family grew exponentially and I hated seeing my husband sacrificing all his days off and working 12-16 hour shifts so that we could make ends meet. I told him that if we moved back to NY I would go back to school since we had family here that could help with the kids. Well, for my third pregnancy I was tended by midwives. They made such an impression on me and it dawned on me that I wanted to be (and was meant to be) a nurse. I applied to the LPN program on the last possible day, interviewed on the last possible day, and somehow was chosen out of 413 qualified applicants. It was God's grace. I graduate this Tuesday, but I've already been pinned. I don't regret making this career choice at all & I absolutely CAN'T WAIT to start my job 6/6/05 and continue towards my RN this August.

:chuckle PS- I mentioned my best friend to say this. She has gotten her Associates and is working as a paraprofessional- slated to start school this coming January for her teaching certificate. :chuckle

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

I became a nurse because wanting to become a doctor instead didn't pan out.....................for various reasons I won't drudge up.:o

I never wanted to be a nurse. Now that I'm 53, kids grown and gone, husbands out of my life, I want to become a writer who makes a great living writing books of action/drama/fiction/ and even some nonfiction books that relate to the grey areas of life many people are afraid to talk about. :)

Specializes in ER, ICU, Corrections.

Well I started out wanting to be a horse trainer but I realized that I wasn't going to make the big bucks at that job and I decided to become a high school teacher but that didn't pan out and I am glad that it didn't. I finally decided on becoming an nurse and i am soooooooo glad at what I did. I would have never been able to do and see the things that I have all these years.

I have been a nurse for 30 years and in corrections for 16 and I am glad that I am doing this. I love my job and I wake up wanting to go to work and each day I feel like this is where I am supposed to be, taking care of these guys and making their life just a little better and making them feel like there are a few people that care.... I only have 6 more years and then I can retire, but I don't think that I would ever completely quit working, I will find something to do in my spare time when I can.

Joe V said:
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.

Delusions of grandure?? I thought at one time, I could make a difference. Like I said-delusional plain and simple

Specializes in I don't have much experiance yet..

When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of being a nurse. Most children say they want to be a doctor but for some reason I didn't. At the age of 20, I had my first son. He had to have surgery for Pyloric Stenosis (runs in my family), when he was a few weeks old. After he had his surgery, he was put back into his room. Unfortunately, there was only one nurse for half of the floor. She was running around like made. I tried to help as much as possible but there was only so much I could do. When it came time for his pain medication, I just sat and waited and waited and waited. Finally, I went and found her and very nicely ? , reminded her that he was due to have his pain medication a half an hour ago. She said she would be right there. So, I went back to his room and again, waited and waited. Well, if you are a parent, I sure you can imagine that I was beginning to get upset, especially b/c he was becoming very irritable due to pain. So, I went to find her again and this time, I was very forceful. :argue: Needless to say, he did receive his med an hour and 25 minutes late. Of course, the mother in me was extremely upset, but I really could not blame her b/c she was just entirely too overwhelmed with patients. Once my son was released, we had a visiting nurse come to the house for about 2 weeks to make sure his stitches were healing properly. In that time I talked to the nurse about what had happened at the hospital and that when I was younger I dreamed of becoming a nurse. That was when she suggested that I still could become a nurse and gave me the information of how to get started. Well, once my son was almost 2y/o (2001) I started part-time at the local college and even though it has taken me awhile, I will be starting clinical this fall(05). In all honesty, after I got married and had my first son I didn't think I could work, go to college, and be there for my new family. However, I am very proud to say, I have made academic Recognition every semester but one, and that was the semester that I had my second son(2003) , and while studying my @** off, I still am able to make time to be with my family and work a few days out of the week. Now, I am fully aware that when clinical starts things will change. I have tried to prepare my husband and children for this. Even though, I am going to miss my family dearly when I'm in clinicals, I know that it will pay off in the end. I am one of those fortunate people who will be able to get up every morning and know that even if I have a bad day, I am doing a job that I love. Someday, I will be a Nurse Practitioner. As of right now I am working towards my ADN.

Thank you :thankya: for this uplifting thread and giving me a chance to post my story!! ?

Sorry for such a long post and all the icons. I couldn't resist ?

Jennifer

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.

Winter, 2 weeks before Christmas and I got laid off from my manager position at a convenience store. Most of my life I had been in food service, sous chef, baker, cake decorator, fast food, slow food, massive quantities of food...other times I had cashiered for a living, usually making my way up to a manager position. I get bored easily and like challenges.

Anyway, there were no jobs available (small town) but, if I was willing to put in two weeks of learning, without pay, and two weeks with pay, the local nursing home was willing to train me as a CNA. After my training was over I spent my first month on the job saying, "I'm NOT going back tomorrow." Then my nurse asked if I would be willing to work the "locked unit," the Alzheimer Ward, for just one weekend. After that they couldn't get me out of there, I fell in love with my Alzheimer residents.

3 years later...I was driving our new graduate RN nuts, I kept asking her questions about different diseases, etc. listed on our residents. Finally in exasperation she hollered at me..."For goodness sakes, you know more about these people than I do, why don't you go to nursing school?" So I did, a new challenge.

The vo-tech had a 2 year waiting list and I knew that I would soon forget about it if I had to wait that long, so I enrolled in the BSN program. I started college at the age of 35, graduated before I turned 40.

I got my first, and only, nursing job in a nursing home. I couldn't get on the Alzheimer unit, so I took the End-Of-Life care unit posting. One and a half years there and I had to stop, I had hardened my heart so much, so I wouldn't get hurt, that death was becoming a "non-event" to me. I firmly believe each death deserves a tear, heartfelt sadness. A posting had just opened on the Rehab unit, which I took. I am still there, working medicare rehab, nightshift, weekends.

I love my job, I wouldn't give it up for anything. I passed my five year mark in January. Sometimes I miss cashiering or cooking...but not TOO much.

Well, I'm a pre-nursing student but I thought I'd share my story...

I always wanted to be an elementary school teacher growing up. I loved kids and the idea of teaching in general. My mom became sick when I was in high school and had a couple close calls with death. I felt so powerless to help and saw nursing as my true call to help people (my mom). I became a CNA and got a job at a nearby hospital and worked on pre-req's at the university.

After about a year I became sick with an eating disorder. I spent 6 months in the hospital recovering from anorexia. While there, I bonded with some the the nurses who cared for me. They were so compassionate and caring. They took the time to listen to me and truely cared about my well being. I know that nursing is my calling. I have been out of the hospital for two months and am working on going back to school in the fall and I just got a new CNA job starting June 6. I want to pick myself up and recover and when I become a nurse, work with patients with eating disorders so I can provide the kind of care and support I received and offer hope for others struggling with eating disorders.

Keely

Keely-FutureRN said:
Well, I'm a pre-nursing student but I thought I'd share my story...

I always wanted to be an elementary school teacher growing up. I loved kids and the idea of teaching in general. My mom became sick when I was in high school and had a couple close calls with death. I felt so powerless to help and saw nursing as my true call to help people (my mom). I became a CNA and got a job at a nearby hospital and worked on pre-req's at the university.

After about a year I became sick with an eating disorder. I spent 6 months in the hospital recovering from anorexia. While there, I bonded with some the the nurses who cared for me. They were so compassionate and caring. They took the time to listen to me and truely cared about my well being. I know that nursing is my calling. I have been out of the hospital for two months and am working on going back to school in the fall and I just got a new CNA job starting June 6. I want to pick myself up and recover and when I become a nurse, work with patients with eating disorders so I can provide the kind of care and support I received and offer hope for others struggling with eating disorders.

Good Luck in your future nursing career, Keely!

Hugs,

Elizabeth

Thanks Elizabeth! ;)

Keely

My oldest child had a TIA and was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. We were told without immediate surgery she would die. We were very lucky that the specialist was able to get her into a WHO study. Within days we were back in the States. When we returned to Berlin I had a very different little girl. After her second surgery she went into renal failure.

I became a medic to be prepared, terror was a great motivator. I moved back to the United States and applied to the RN program.

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