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 Managemnt, Utilization Review.

I was sent to school to be a nurse because my dad said, "if you make a bad choice and marry a loser, at least you can support yourself." At the time, I did not think that was incredible wisdom. But our elders are wiser than we want to admit sometimes. I haven't always loved my jobs, but I am always a good nurse and proud of it. We Nurses, make a difference in the lives we touch, every day.

In my gradeschool and highschool years.. I'm in a theatre group.. I love to act on stage, sing and dance with my fellow students.. so I decided to go for a performing arts in college but my parents disagreed.. they want me to choose either nurse, dentistry, physical therapist.. anyone of those.. then i choose nursing career.. Knowing that they know what's best for me.. it will make them happy.. and most specially, I can help other people too. Now I'm a nursing graduate and continue loving my chosen career

My grandmother's wish was to be a nurse..She passed it on to my mom and my mom passed it on to me. I really didn’t like to become a nurse but when I saw my grandmother not being treated as she was supposed to be. I told my self when I grow up I want to be a nurse so that I can take care of my parents.:saint:

Specializes in Peds, Psych.

I got my first degree in Psychology and ended working at a psych hospital as a mental health worker/patient care provider/mental health tech, whatever you want to call it.

I really enjoyed what I did, but wanted more. I really enjoy people, especially the ones in psych :). My fiance(boyfriend at the time) told me I should look into nursing. I was a little scared, I knew many girls in college that went that route and all their classes seemed way to tough for me. I talked with some of the nurses I worked with and did some research. I finally applied, all over mind you, and started to take the pre-reqs. I finally got in, and then finally graduated (August 06)!

Now I am in the new nurse phase. I am in a new area, peds, and I am sort of missing psych. I am a nervous wreck most days just b/c i don't want to make a mistake. I know that I am going to be the slowest nurse on the planet.. :) I am hoping my comfort level increases as I begin on my own (2 weeks).

I hope you enjoyed reading.. :)

I am not yet a nurse, but I am finishing my prereqs so I can enter nursing school. I have always been a caretaker. I took care of my mom when she found out my father was cheating on her; I took care of my sister and moved in with her after she tried to commit suicide. After volunteering at an AIDS Hospice, the idea of nursing was really cemented in my mind. Caring for people who are sometimes otherwise shunned is why I'm here. I will hopefully be entering the AE MSN program in June (tomorrow is my interview)!

PS This is a great thread. Reading all of these stories has made me feel great about entering this profession.

When I was a little girl, I would visit my great-grandparents in the "nursing home." It was such a scary and depressing place to me. The residents would all be lined up in the hallways in their wheel chairs and as we walked past them, they would be reaching out for me. My Gram would always explain that they were lonely and didn't get to see little kids much and while I was trying to hide behind her she would make me say hello and take their hands for a moment.

It always made me sad when I went there...because I thought the people deserved so much more and they were so lonely. I remember laying in bed at night (I had to be 5-6 yrs old) always thinking "when I grow up I am going to own a nursing home so I can take care of all the "old people.""

Well, I wised up a bit as I grew older and realized I would never actually want to own one. Nursing was the only logical choice.

Specializes in geriatrics, pediatrics.

I've always been interested in how the body works, but most of all I love people and helping them in any way I can. I hated school when I was growing up and pretty much decided that 4 yrs of college was out of the question so I joined the Navy. After a career ending injury I found a vocational school to become an LPN.

Hello, I am new to the forum, I worked for 12 years as a Certified Activity Director in LTC. I loved my job but felt I was capable of so much more to offer. I would sit in Care Plan meetings and say to myself "why am I still here doing this when I really want to be doing the nursing part." So I spoke with husband, considered my children ages 2 and 4 at the time. And decided to go part time, then one month before graduating I was diagnosed with MS....UPSET but determined, I graduated but missed the ceremony because I was in the hospital. I am lucky to only have optic nerve damage. I have no symptoms that would prevent me from being a nurse.......So I decided to keep going, I have had some trouble finding an LPN job.there is little demand where I live...however I was hired aa a LPN at the same assisted living that I worked as Activity Director. I am already considering RN School.

I decided to be a Nurse after working dead end Customer Service jobs, and not really having any direction in life. I am 29 years old and I have been going to school and working full time since I graduated high school. I've only been able to attend school off and on so it's had taken me forever to just finish a few classes. I stated school majoring in Business, but had no clue what I wanted to do with it. I a really nervous though because I am totally changing my major and doing something new. I get a great deal of encouragement from others like me who may not have grown up wanting to be a nurse. I'm a late bloomer. I have always had a soft heart and I really enjoy doing for others. Currently I work full time in a call center..which I hate! I know I can be doing so such more and giving back to others and my community. I am taking some prereq courses so that I can apply for the ADN program at the local community college. The income and job security is really good. I know that the personal reward will be far more than the money...and I can't wait to be a Nurse.

Specializes in ER/Nuero/PHN/LTC/Skilled/Alzheimer's.

My mother and my grandmother both wanted to be in the medical field but due to the times (50's and 70's) and money neither were able to go. Mom wanted to be a resp. therapist and Mamaw wanted to be a nurse. So growing up I ran between the ideas of a doctor, a nurse, a dental hygenist, or a vet. When I graduated high school, I worked at a humane society and started to take classes for vet tech, but I found out that taking care of animals was too hard. I loved the animal part, hated dealing with the humans who would want to put their animals down or take them to the pound for selfish reasons ("Oh I can't afford to treat my animal" as they drive up in a brand new jetta or "my dog doesn't match my new interior to my house", no kidding some one actually said that). So, got married to a military man, moved around some, went to school part time and finally got a two year liberal arts degree. What to do now?

My husband and I discussed it and decided I needed a degree in something that would have job security and availability no matter where we went with the military and paid good money. After talking to a career advisor I went to nursing school. Plenty of jobs and paid well from what I could see (have a few nurse cousins). SOOOO, two weeks into the program as I'm giving a bed bath to an old man who apparently grew cheese between his toes, I thought to myself what the hell am I doing here?!?

But I stuck with it and found more than a job and a paycheck, I found a way of life for me anyway. Good thing too, because 6 months after I graduated, my husband was discharged from the USCG with a seizure disorder due to chemical exposure during his military tours. Now I am the main bread winner for our family and he is kicking around the idea of getting his LPN since his school is paid for by the GI bill and he can't reenlist.

So I started out looking for job security and good money, but I've ended up with a major accomplishment for myself, found out exactly how tough I am, realized that everyone at sometime is a scared sick pt who needs me and I need them, and fulfilled two other people's dreams too. I don't think I would be anything else even if I could be;) :nurse: .

Specializes in Med/Surge, ER.

it must be hereditary. my mother was an er nurse, and the thought of it excited me growing up, so here i am....a very proud and happy nurse!!!

Specializes in Diabetes ED, (CDE), CCU, Pulmonary/HIV.

Nursing was a complete career change for me. When I entered college after high school, my aim was to become a high school Spanish teacher. I finished college with a degree in English & secondary education, and minors in Spanish and French. I married and moved to Chicago right out of college. Chicago schools were in a mess & teachers were striking for hazardous duty pay. I was also slightly afraid--at the time I was 5'1, weighed 105 lbs, and looked 15 years old. Needless to say, I didn't start teaching there. I worked for an insurance company in Chicago for the year we were there. I worked for the same company in Houston next, but in employee benefits and pension plans. I stayed in employee benefits for over 20 years. By that time I was working for a smaller pension planning co. I lost my job to downsizing at age 41. It was the perfect time for me to stay home though--my son was 2 months old and I was perfectly happy to stay home, breastfeed on demand (and not have to pump as when I was working), and collect unemployment.

My husband (2nd) was one of the fired PATCO airtraffic ontrollers. So on August 3, 1991, we were in Washington, DC attending the PATCO 10 year reunion. In the hotel room, my husband collapsed in pain & thought he was having a heart attack. He took antacids figuring that it probably wasn't a heart attack after all. He felt better, we stayed 2 more days until the reunion was over. We flew home to Miami, my husband went back to work (Post Office)for one day, and then went to his PCP who pronounced him healthy. As he was about to leave, the doctor decided to take a chest xray. One lung was down. The intense pain he had felt in DC was the pain of a spontaneous pneumothorax.

Dale went straight to the ER where a chest tube was inserted and he was admitted. He was there for several days including our son's first birthday on August 10.

Remember that by this time I have been unemployed for 10 months. I looked around and watched the nurses as they worked. I thought to myself, "I can do this." I have always loved science (2nd only to languages). I was a good student, and I enjoyed school.

I investigated right away and found that I needed an A&P course, microbiology, and human growth & development. So I started part time at the medical campus of MDCC. I applied to the 2 year RN program, the 1 year accelerated program (both at MDCC), and the 2 year Accelerated BSN program at Barry University. I was accepted by all three. The 2 year AS program started first, and I wasn't sure I could get the money together to go to Barry, so I decided to start at MDCC.

In the meantime, Hurricane Andrew blew into town. Our house was demolished, and school start date was postponed until Sept 14.

Living conditions made the first 9 months of nursing school a challenge. But I did finish on time and as the top student in our class. (In my opinion, the NCLEX was a piece of cake compared to the exams we had in nursing school) 75 questions in 45 minutes--we were the first class to take the test on computer. I knew one student who failed after 75 questions, and another who passed after 225!

I went to work on a Cardiac telemetry floor--a horrible place for new nurses, but they always seem to have openings.

Because I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant, I becaame very interested in the disease. After 9 years at the hospital I started at, I took a perdiem job at another hospital for extra money (by this time I was working 12 hr shifts in CCU.) At the new hospital I saw an opening for a part time diabetes educator. Eureka! I applied and got the job. I eventually increased my hours as a diabetes educator and left CCU.

FINALLY--I'm using my teaching skills, work days instead of nights. Oh, and about half of the classes I teach are in Spanish. This is Miami, after all!

I went into nursing because I needed a job. I have stayed in nursing because I love helping my patients. And that was true even before I got my perfect job!

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