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.

i was a certified nurses aid for 14 years when i decided to go into nursing. i had no math or science backround and had to take high school chemistry and algebra before i could even get in to nursing school! many told me i would never be able to do it... my pastor told me a long time ago that most people are discouragers rather than encouragers... school was very hard for me ( i dont think i ever cried so much in my life):o well,,, to make a long story short, i am proud to say that i am registered in the state of pennsylvania!

Specializes in CCU-Med Surg.

:uhoh21: Hmmm.... truth... or fiction...:angryfire vhat to do, vhat to do?

Ok, when I was a kid, I didn't even know there was such a thing as college. True story! I was among the less fortunate and poor. :o Thankfully, my mom found a way out of that funk into a better one. *non funky*. She decided to go to college. :idea: Ding! What an IDEA!! Of course from that moment on I was enamored with the thought of school after school...ya have to understand, I was a bit of a nerd then. :studyowl: ( I love smileys).

So yeah, back to the "why I became a nurse thing". I decided that I needed a career path and waitressing was just not cutting it with the money. I got really into sciences in high school. Biology became my most encourageable passion. So when I was finally able to go to college ("the promised land") of course I blew it. :trout: ... Long story... too long for here... (like this one isn't, right???) A few years later, I got the opportunity to finally attend nursing school. I developed not only a passion for science, but also one for medicine (the study, not the drugs! lol). I graduated nursing school with honors one year ago this week. I finished my internship in the Adult Critical Care area last October and I've had a pretty good start out. I'm still a little scared, hell, alot scared. I love this job and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. We get to help people in pain and illness everyday and we get to make a difference in their lives. I don't think Pizza Hut can top that one!

WOW, that was long winded. Lol.

So yeah, love nursing, bumps and bruises along the way, but hey, I'm here and I'm finally doing it.

Thanks for letting me be part of a really great family.

Sincerely,

M.

Specializes in Psychiatry.

I couldn't meet a husband on the golf course! Just kibbitzing!

I am on my 5th career after owning my own restaurant and working for Pepsi thereafter in event coordinating...It happened serendipitiously, I opened the calendar to take a university computer course and was frustrated at the course offerings....I threw the book down, it opened to the page on Psychiatric Nursing ...and viola...enrolled and was accepted and started my first course in a one week duration....haven't looked back since. Something about entering a person's life at their most vulnerable speaks to me.

Bobo

I knew I wanted to become a nurse when it seemed that everyone in my family and relatives were beeing diagnoised with diabetes, high blood pressure or cancer. I vowed that I would learn as much as possible to help and educate them on what needs to be done and why. Not to get all emotional but I am still grieving. I just lost my uncle to a heart attack that could have been prevented if he had controlled his highblood pressure. I am on a mission to try to help everyone I can in overcomming these diseases that take our loved ones away. :cry: That is why it is important for me to become a nurse and succeed.........

My Roommate in the dorm room said lets go to nursing school and we will be finished real soon and making good money. I said O.K. we both finished I never been out of a job, Now she is a beauty operator like her mom. There were a lot of beautitians in my class of 1978.

Specializes in Urgent Care.

I'm a guy, 39 years old. I have been married twice and both of my wives went to nursing school while we were married. I helped them both with the sciences quite a bit, and had some interest in nursing. But as my first wife had been a CNA in LTC for many years I knew a bit about what was involved with being a nurse, and I didnt see where I would fit in.

I had spent a number of years doing IT (Computer) work in various healthcare settings. I was working with HIPAA in 1997 for the grouphealth division of New York Life (we laid some of the technical groundwork for parts of what is now the WebMD.com site); I was a regional IT manager for a huge home health company; In house IT support at a Bayer plant where they extracted proteins from blood plasma; as a small biz owner I helped a number of clinics become HIPAA compliant.

Then, as my second wife was nearing completion of school, an old buddy from school showed up as an RN at the homehealth agency, and I read in an AJN about a mental health triage nurse. When they listed the traits you look for in someone to have this job I realized they where describing me! ie older, comfortable around people of all socio economic backgrounds, excellent communication skills, varied background etc.

I realized then and there that was my calling. I have dealt on a personal level most of my life with peoples psych issues, and I am so greatfull to be learning more and to soon be able to help people (I will complete my LPN next year, and will start working right away and go on to get my BSN) At 15 I held my moms hands apart while she tried to cut her wrists with broken glass. My brother has been a drug addict since he was 14, I have had a few close friends commit suicide over the years. My mom drove special education busses and we always volunteered at the special olympics.

A few months ago a close friend killed himself. We spent alot of time together over the last two years (both of our marriages broke up at the same time and we lived in the same neighboorhood) I knew he was depressed and reached out to him on several occasions over the last months. I even aksed him bluntly if he had guns in the house and he said "I know better than to have guns around when I feel like this". I believed him, but I know better now. After that I almost changed my plans for my specialty. It was hard, we had been friends since about 14. And after all, if I couldnt help someone I was that close too, how will I help people I barely even know? After several weeks of thinking hard though, I am only more dedicated to learn from this and learn more in clinical settings, and from those more experienced than I am, so I can go out and help some more people who need it, cause I know they are out there.

It looks like I have my first job lined up too. At a lockdown civil commitment DETOX center, and I cant wait!

Wow long winded, but it's good to talk about things, dont you think?

Specializes in psych, med/surg.

HMMM WHY DID I BECOME A NURSE????

When I was a little girl, I got severly burnt by gasoline. There was a lady by the name of Edna who had to put me in the showers to bathe me and remove the dead skin from my body... Ill never forget the screaming I did when that happened......nor will I forget the compassion this woman had for me.

When I did start working on the same floor she did as a RN, I told her how I admired her compassion and tenderness with me and why I chose this profession of kind and caring individuals.....well majority are lol

Cathy

My Essay when I applied to nursing school...

Many life experiences have guided me on my path back to CSC for a degree in Nursing. After obtaining my BA in Sociology from CSC in 1998, I went on to work for almost 6 years in varying capacities as a Residential Counselor for the Park Street Program in Rutland, Vermont. In my time as a Counselor I have gained valuable experience working with juveniles in treatment for sexually offending issues. I obtained knowledge of the sex offender treatment and hold certifications in medication administration , First Aid/CPR and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (de-escalation and physical intervention techniques). I had the opportunity to work to some degree with families and in the role of someone who leads by example. As intense as the residential environment is, it lacks the opportunity for the intensity of hands-on care I wish to provide others.

While I have always been a "people person," I have gained a heightened understanding of the unbroken circle of life. I feel that both the positive and negative experiences I have had have created an opportunity to become an outstanding support for those in need. While I was enrolled at CSC I thought numerous times about apply to the Nursing Program and just did not possess the confidence or maturity necessary to pursue that dream. Looking back, I feel at eighteen years old, most people do not make their career choices based on life experiences and the profound internal motivation we gain as we mature. As a parent I have gained a deeper sense of love and empathy for others. As the daughter of someone who was elderly for most of my life, I have gained the experience of losing a parent. Both becoming and losing a parent have had a great effect on who I am as a person. I realize now that every person in this world in someone's "baby." Everyone deserves compassion and respect, someone there to help them to feel comfort when they are feeling pain or fear.

Over the past several years, I made the decision to begin pursuit of my MA in Psychology to fulfill an academic goal. As I returned to school for the first time in almost a decade, I realized I had changed as a student while maturing and gaining professional experience. In addition, I realized that deep down, I want to work more closely with people than being a therapist will ever allow. I do not want to spend my life sitting across the desk from someone for an hour a week, I want to be touching people's lives in a more direct way. I have been reflecting on the time I spent working at Mountain View Genesis Elder Care when I was attending CSC. Even though my work was primarily centered around being a dietary aide, I felt satisfied whenever I was given the opportunity to work closely with the residents there. I came away from those experiences with a warmth in my heart I never found in another job.

My mother-in-law has been an inspiration to me. She, too, entered the Nursing Program at CSC as a non-traditional student and has grown into an outstanding R.N. As I have grown more confident in myself, I know I too would be an outstanding Nurse. I realize that my inherent attention to detail and my level of organization would only benefit me as a Nursing Student and later, as a Nurse. I now strive for perfection in my academics, a focus I did not have in my late-teens. While I did well in college, I did not have the inner-drive I have today. I also did not have the career motivation and goals I have now. As an R.N. I would work with the confidence of someone who has not only earned a Nursing Degree but who has excelled and has gained every possible bit of knowledge available. As someone who has experienced being a mother and wife, daughter and friend. As someone who understands the uneasiness of going to the hospital or to the doctor's office for care or to learn test results; I know I would be dedicated and consistent in my focus and performance as an R.N.

If given the opportunity to join the Nursing Department at CSC, I would thrive in many ways. Emotionally, I would be fulfilling the dream I never had the courage to chase a decade ago. Personally, I feel my sense of humor and the inter-personal skills I have gained in my time as a Counselor will be an asset. In addition, my patience and ability to express myself will prove to be an asset as an R.N. Professionally, I would be proving that I deserve the privilege of being trusted by those who need my help. I believe that I would fully encompass what it means to be both a Nursing Student and later, a Nurse. My level of organization and drive for academic perfection will result in a wealth of knowledge and my drive to fulfill this dream will continue to keep me on track during an intense period of study. Ultimately, I will fully embody what it means to be a Nurse and will give everything I have to doing the type of work that will inspire others to follow this path themselves.

I never thought I wanted to become a nurse. I loved writing, so I graduated from college with a degree in journalism. I worked for a few years as a TV promotions producer, but the pay was terrible and did not equal the work put into it, not to mention the bad hours. I kept thinking, is THIS what I earned a bachelor's degree for? Then I got into public relations, but the pay was still bad and I did not fill fulfilled at the end of each day. Something was just missing. Well, I met my husband, and after our first son was born, I worked in advertising (which I hated and the pay was still not good). I then bounced over to a secretarial job which left me extremely unfulfilled and just feeling lost. I started to worry about not only money and future finances, but also about my purpose in the working world. Well, we had our second son and I was fortunated enough to be able to stay home with him for over a year now. During that time, I have talked quite a bit to my sisters (who are both RNs) about nursing. They both think I should go to nursing school. Also, my brother-in-law (also an RN) thinks it would be a fit for me. My sister-in-law also just graduated from nursing school. I have made up my mind to go back to nursing school next year (when my oldest son starts school -- so we'll only have to pay childcare costs for our youngest son). I plan on going to school full-time. I will be 30 years old this year, so I am excited about starting this new chapter in my life. I am glad to say good-bye to my communications career (and just write as a hobby instead). I am happy to embrace nursing, and looking forward to making a difference in the lives of others and feeling good at the end of the day ... knowing what I do actually matters. I don't think I would have this drive if I had not been in journalism for all those years and seen what an unfulfilling job and low pay can do to a person. I also look forward to actually making a decent salary so that DH and I can move out of this tiny townhouse and get a yard and more square footage for our sons. And, as much as I've loved being a stay-at-home mom, I realize that the day is coming when my sons will be in school during the day and eventually leave home for college ... And THEN what will I do? I figured, it is good to get started on my nursing career NOW ... so that I can look into the future with the comfort of knowing that, although my sons are #1 in my life, I also have a respectable, rewarding career for myself, too. It is interesting how God directs our paths ... I always thought journalism was the only way for me ... But now I can clearly see how that path led to my desire to be a nurse ... And hopefully it will enrich my experience having lived the life of a journalist, too.

Quick reply: VietNam. I was a medic in RVN and after I got out of the service, I became a RN.

started nursing at 16 years of age(this was in 1969 when we had cadet nurses)to support my mother who was separated from my father.Had 2 younger siblings.Wanted to be an archeologist.Here I am all these yeas later.Reared 6 kids alone and still helping them out when necessary.Shall probably work till Im 70.Still have a passion for ancient history that is satisfied by documentaries and books.Oh well.Next life maybe I'll get to do what I want to do.

Specializes in NICU, Psych, Education.

I grew up as a little bit of a problem child - for the first few years, in and out of the hospital with problems stemming from spina bifida. I've grown up listening to my parents' stories about doctors, nurses, and the hospital. Luckily, I got really top-notch care and I'm doing well today (some people would even say I'm close to normal :) ).

I've always been influenced and inspired toward a healthcare career. I had a great neurosurgeon, so that's what I wanted to do initially. As school wore on, it became more and more evident that medicine wasn't my thing. After messing around in various areas of healthcare for several years, I'm finally an RN in a Level II/III NICU. I love what I do. It helps that I can see some personal connection between myself and my patients/families. Although I don't really think it's appropriate to share my story with them, I hope that what I've learned as a patient influences the care I provide.

+ Join the Discussion