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 Case Manager, LTC,Staff Dev/NAT Instr.

Growing up as a child my house was full of nursing books, material that my mom collected...It took me awhile to realize I was destined to become a nurse...after thinking I wanted to become a teacher/actress/singer/writer...as a child I would play nurse on my sister and brothers by giving them pixie sticks in their mouths for pretend thermometers or sweet/sour tarts for medicine...popping my wrist like the local nurse at the clinic shaking down an old mercury thermometer....it never dawned on me until the day of graduation my mom hugged me with tears in her eyes saying I quit nursing school and chose to have you over my career as a nurse and you have made me very proud by becoming a nurse....

I love nursing!

I was born a nurse. I knew it from the time I was a little kid. Grew up in a project. 11 Bros & sisters. They were my guinea pigs. I always patched them up. Once removed a bullet from my lil bros. leg. Didn't finish HS. Dove headfirst into the 60's and 70's. Married at 18. Two kids at 20. Low paying jobs. Poor & neurotic. At 43 went to live in Oregon forests for 3 yrs. in a 15' trailer. Returned, took care of dying mother with Hospice support. Mother died. I had an epiphany. Divorced. Went to school. RN grad at 50. Agency Nurse. Transitional Care Nurse. Currently own/operate AFH. There was a nurse living inside of me my whole life. Thank karma, I let her out. Oh, I am back with my X (childhood sweetheart). Still neurotic and a hippy at heart. Oh, and a nurse too. P.S. I want to get my BSN now. Please, let me hear from some BSN's out there. What is the best way to pursue this next goal of mine?

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

Your mom is a smart woman. You an obedient child:rolleyes: :balloons:

What awesome stories! I've so enjoyed them! Mine? I've wanted to be a doctor since age 9. When I was 12, we lived out in the "boonies"; I went swimming one day with my brothers at a distant lake and while walking up on the boat landing, I cut my foot on a piece of broken beer bottle---a kind older nurse was nearby at the time. She immediately took my brothers and me in her car to our house and then helped to transport me or accompanied us to the hospital. I needed many stitiches. She made a lasting impression on me...but I still wanted to be a brain or heart surgeon--just didn't make good enough grades nor had the financial resources to pursue medical school. I have enjoyed a variety of jobs during 20 years of nursing but as an LPN have not been able to do what I'd truly love to do which is surgical nursing. And alas at age 46, I just don't have the financial resources, energy, or motivation to pursue the RN.

I went back to school at age 47 and graduated from RN school at age 50. I was basically homeless and was given a grant. Lived with my kids during part of my schooling. You can do it. Go to the mirror, look yourself square in the eyes and say -- I am a powerful and worthy woman and I am capable of achieving anything I want! Grannynursetoo

I always wanted to be a social worker. So I took Sociology as a major in school. It wasn't what I thought. I wanted to help people, not do this sociology thing. I loved biology, got to thinking about the whole thing. Seemed like God switched everything in my mind and I felt a calling to become a nurse. So after revamping my major, vala, after 5 years of busting my butt, (I was told by several people, that I didn't have the smarts or anything that it took to be a nurse) I obtained my BSN. I've been in nursing for 29 years now. I do believe I proved a few people wrong. Don't tell me I can't do something. Also, because it was a calling, God gave me what it took to get where I am.:balloons:

. The doctor did a quick ultrasound and found out she was too small and wasn't getting enough food or air.

Shannon

Just wondering - can an ultrasound tell if a fetus was too small due to not "getting enough food or air?" I am not doubting you, just want to know for my own education.

The ultrasound showed she was small (4lbs 9 oz at birth) The ultrasound also showed scales on the placenta. I am not a nurse yet, but the scales on the placenta I guess told him she wasn't getting enough. I could be totally wrong. I was so scared. I was leaking fluid for a week before the ultrasound. I don't know if that's where the scales came from or not. It was a real botched labor the nurses kept telling me not to come in even after I told them I was leaking fluid.

I hope this makes sense. Please let me know if I was wrong about this, I would hate to have been telling wrong information all these years LOL.

Hugs :icon_hug:

Shannon

Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.

Almost everyone in my family is either a doctor or a nurse. It felt natural to be a nurse. I became a CNA in my senior year of high school. Took me an entire lifetime to buckle down and fulfill my dreams, but I did it! :nurse:

Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry.
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

Bekahlynn, I'm sorry about your sister. However, your story just justified my reasons of becoming a nurse. My aunt was diagnosed with cervical cancer (she's an RN as well) and she was so strong and brave that I can't help but admire her. She's the best nurse I know and she's a survivor in more ways than one. Your story makes me want to be one of those nurses who gives comfort and gentleness. It's stories like yours that solidify my decision. Congratulations on your accomplishments and you know your sis is looking out for you. God bless you in all you do!!!!

since i was born ive had many medical problems and that is the main reason why i've chosen to become a nurse. at the age of 1 i had epileptic seizures and was flown immediately to john hopkins where i stayed for a year and that is where they diagnosed me with tuberous sclerosis. i don't know if many of you are familiar with it but it's a genetic disorder that leaves benign tumors either on your internal organs or in my case red benign tumors on my face. i was put on medicine for my seizures and had to report to john hopkins every week for tests to determine whether or not i was going to be mentally handicapped. most people born with tuberous sclerosis are so luckily for me i passed the tests and was considered average. i went through over the years many surgeries on my face and have a lot of experience with anestesiology. at the age of 8 years old i realized that i wanted to help people and it became a passion of mine over the years. at the age of 11 i was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. a year after that i began having kidney problems and am now on lipitor. after that at the age of 16 i was diagnosed with breast cancer as well as my mother furtunately both of us are still here and alive because of all the nurses and doctors who helped us through a rough time. they were kind and caring, always seeming to just be there to whenever you needed them to be. they were so compassionate and at the same time so thurough in what they were doing that i knew then that i would like to work with cancer patients one day. the nurse's were absolutely amazing. i began volunteering at the hospice house near the hospital a couple weeks after i found out that my cancer was in remission. about two years after that my uncle was diganosed with liver and pancreatic cancer. his wife at the time was a nurse at the local hospital and was actually working with cancer patients. after 7 years of medication, chemotheropy and feeling sick most days he finally passed on this past year. in the same month i was 5 months pregnant with my daughter, and being a diabetic plus having tuberous sclerosis meant that if i had my daughter in augest 12th my due date there could of been complications and there was a 75% chance she would have had tuberous sclerosis and be mentally handicapped. sadly i didnt' make it that far because april 28th i went to my doctors appointment and was told by my doctor that she was gone. her little heart just couldn't handle the complications my body was putting her through and at 5:31 am on the 29th my daughter was stillborn. we had an autopsy done and she was sent to a research lab. the autopsy showed that because i was a diabetic no matter how much i tried to keep my sugar in control there had been something wrong with the placenta. i had a little picture of a tear drop placed on my door and my blood pressure level sky rocketed and i was kept in the hospital for 5 days. i remember two wonderful nurses named rebecca and bonnie who came in even though they were both of duty to hold my hand while i gave birth. they cried with me and sat down and talked with me about how i was feeling and after i came home i got a letter in the mail from them both telling me if i ever needed them to just call and they'd be there. the following day and 2 weeks after i had a single rose delivered to my house every day and for that they both have a litttle piece of my heart. and lastily i just learned recently that my mother had breast cancer, liver cancer and lung cancer. how this happened i have no idea. she had been going to regular doctors appointments and still one day she called me with the news and i was heart broken. she is going for her first chemotherapy on the 26th of this month and i'll be there with her so she is not alone. i believe that being a nurse isnt just about doing your job but you have to be compassionate towards your patients and their families because i know that as many times as i've been in the hospital it means the world to people when they know someone cares and not just because its their job to do so but because they are genuine and thoughtful. so i'm begining college either in january or feburary of 2006 and i'm so happy to finally be able to do what i've wanted to since i was 8 years old.

~amber~

I saw an advertisement on the side of a city bus that said,

"Get your RN in 2.75 years."

I don't know why it appealed to me, but it did, so I wrote down the phone number of the school and the rest is history.

Oh, and by the way, it took me five years, but I was working full time and going to school part-time for my pre-requisites.

Hi Renee!...

I like your honesty...:) Sometimes that's all it takes, and then of course you find out that that IS what you want to do.

I also wanted to tell you that we have something in common...hehe...our Birthdays! December 21st! Very cool day..eh? not to mention it's the first day of Winter!!! oh..and my middle name is Renae. Though, I'm 42..but not for long....43 is RIGHT around the corner!!

BTW, since we're on the Nursing subject, how WAS school for you? Any subject(s) you find difficult and how did you deal with them? I'm not a nurse yet, I'm waiting for school to start in January to start taking my pre-reqs..then it's on the road to LPN or RN or maybe even BSN..if I can hack the Math and Science courses.

Was a Navy corpsman in the Fleet Marine Force.

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