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 am not an RN yet. Still in Nursing school and graduating in May 2007 (crosses fingers):roll . Before graduating high school I was thinking of going into either Art or joining the Navy with my best friend as long as I didn't give in to what my parent's suggestion of joining nursing school.

I ended up going to nursing school for BSN after one year of having a major that's undecided. My best friend joins the Navy and comes back after a year to go to an associate degree nursing school. He even graduated before me. But at first all I thought was "I'm going to give medicine to sick people"....but it has changed my whole perspective of nursing. I have to say I am growing to love it.

i just started the nursing program, i am 34 always wanted to be a nurse but life got in the way!!! :nuke: so my husband finally told me if you are going to do this now is the time. so i took all of my pre-regs and applied. i am very excited.

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.

Hi there

Not sure if this will go through as it's my first posting so I'll be brief. I am almost 49 years old and just starting my second year training to be a mental health nurse here in the U.K. I'm married with 2 children aged 10 and 8. My wife has also yesterday embarked on a 3 year diploma course to become an adult nurse - she is the same age. Our pipedream I suppose is to get qualified and work in Canada. I'd be really interested to hear from any Canadian nurses who may be able to help us as this idea is really just in it's embryonic stage. We'd love to hear what it's like to work/live in Canada as a nurse. If this posting is successful I'll write a more comprehensive email next time.

All the best

Alex

helo

4 me i like 2 help ppl and it is kind of was my only choise

Specializes in Gerontology/Home Health CM, OB, ICU, MS.

Reading these replies, I am proud to be a nurse, and feel a strong solidarity and admiration/fondness who are truly called to it.

I did it all backwards, or so it seems to me. I never consciously wanted to be a nurse; in fact it didn't fit the "image" I had of myself (I saw myself as nontraditional and nonsubservient). BUT, I have always loved helping people, especially old people. It would make me happy to help an old lady with her groceries, and have her smile at me & thank me.

When I was divorced, and I became a single parent, I studied Botany, but that wasn't practical. All my life-science classes in college were applicable to pre-nursing, and I too love Human Physiology, and so I was confident about the academics, and I just didn't think much about whether the work fit my temperament - I just had to choose something where I could make enough money to support us, right out of the gate.

I have lots of patience & stamina, so I hung in there, but nursing has always been stressful for me. I had a back injury, which kept getting aggravated, then while drawing blood from an AIDS patient, I had a blood splash in my face. After this I was sort of traumatized, and didn't know what to do about it, since I had become used to a certain standard of living - a nice house in a nice neighborhood, excellent credit, etc.

When my daughter became independent, I tried to stop being a nurse, and support myself with my art. During that period, I was diagnosed with major depression, for which I am now being treated.

After 10 years out of nursing (at least at a professional level), I am trying to get back in for financial reasons. Also, having my depression treated has allowed me to face that prospect without the fear I used to have.

So far, I have not gotten back in. I have excellent nursing refs & background, but having been out 10 years, I think people don't want to take a chance with me.

Anyway, I am happy and peaceful and am able to handle what comes.

i grew up living in a trailor with my mom and whatever guy she chose to have in her life at the time. when i was 5, my grandfather (my mom's dad) got leukemia. while he was sick, we were in and out of the hospital and i would try to help the nurses take care of him. my mother had to give him injections in his hip every day and i would watch her. i loved watching it. i would always put a bandaid on it for him! then one night we came home and i remember my granny saying that we had to take him to the hospital and she thought this was going to be it. he died the next day. i was in the room with him when he died. he couldn't talk or move but he litterally sat up in the bed and looked at me and said he loved me. he told my mom to make sure she takes care of me. then he layed down and died in front of me. my mom started screaming and made them take me out of the room. i was at my mom's husbands (at the time) mom's house. my aunt came to get me that day and i remember asking her if my grandpa was ok and she said yes. i asked if all the tubes were gone and she said yes. then i remember her telling me that he was gone. april 4, 2007 will be 15 years and i still cry all the time about him. he was like my dad. he meant more to me than any man in this world. then everything fell apart. my mother and her previous husband got divorced. then she started dating this one guy which would become husband number 3 and things were good for a while. they would start to fight and it seemed normal. well, one night he came home drunk and broke my mom's arm. we ended up at the er all night. he kept coming home drunk night after night and beating her to a pulp. i remember one night, i woke up and he had her on the kitchen floor choking her. he tried to drown her in a mud puddle outside. they had my little brother and when he was 4 months old, the husband shoved her while she was holding the baby and she fell on top of the baby. i can't count how many times i had to call 911. she stayed with him for 8 years until i was 16. she finally divorced him. my mom always depended on a guy. she never finished high school and can't keep a job. she has bounced back and forth from friends to family and to the last guy she married. she is so dependant on others. she was fine until my grandfather died. i met my husband when i was 16 and when i was 18 i was forced to move out of my mothers house because she had gotten evicted from her trailor and i had no where to go. my husband (boyfriend at the time) helped me to find my on place and a roommate. i have been on my own for almost 5 years. i want to be a nurse because i want to help people like my grandfather and my mom. i don't want to have to be dependent on anyone else for the rest of my life like my mom is. she is capable of working she just doesn't. the last idiot she married that tried to kill her has her so messed up that she just can't take care of her self that well. she isn't handicapped or anything. he just never let her do anything so she has trouble keeping jobs now. i don't want to end up like her.

sorry this is so long......

My oldest son was born with cleft lip/palate. At the time, I didn't have a clue about it, and the nurses really helped me through it all. To them, I owe my life and sanity! I now (4 years later) am in nursing school because in my mind, if I can help one person like they helped me, It will be worth it all!!!!

Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.
I was in my back yard one evening with a nice fat possum on the grill. I heard a noise and looked up to see a spacecraft directly above me. In an instant, I was transported into a dimly lit area equipped with strange equipment. Then a 3 ft tall being with a single eye in the center of his neck...or what I though was a neck, kicked me in the shins. As I jerked my leg up out of the way, several of the little critters pushed me back on an exam table. The next few hours were a blur as I went in and out of consciousness. Before I knew what was happening I was graduating from nursing school. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Youre silly.

Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.

Its really weird.I really dont know the exact reason.I very vividly remember when I was in kindergarden class, helping a fellow classmate who had a knee injury.the teacher stated I would be a good little nurse.I used to volenteer SP?when I was a kid,my older friend was a N/A,I used to help feed and talk with the elderly patients,When I was old enough to work,something kept pressing me to go to the local nursing home for a job.I was hired as a n/a{ dint need to be a CNA at the time was trained on the job}Went to nursing school cause I felt it was my religious duty to do.I still feel Im doing what God wants me to do.

I love this thread! It's taken me some time to get through them all, but I did it, and I thought I would add my 2 cents.

I am a pre nursing student. Hopefully, I will begin nursing school in the fall or in January of 2008. Like many of you, I did not grow up wanting to be a nurse. I don't even know when I discovered the nursing profession. I grew up wanting to be a doctor - a neurologist. Ben Carson was an idol of mine for years. I went to college in the late '90's to pursue a biology degree. Then the music bug bit me! Luckily, the school I attended was famous for it's musical history, and the vocal teacher took an interest in me and made my throat do things I never thought possible. I traveled and sang everywhere. I loved it. While in college, I got involved with a young man. We got engaged my senior year, and when he left school, so did I. How could I have been so stupid? Eventually we broke up, and I continued pursuing music. Late last year I just grew tired of the politics, and I am my worst critic when it comes to my voice, which makes singing a chore. I couldn't take it anymore. I became a fitness fanatic, and earned my personal training and group fitness certificates. One night in December, I did a search on the internet for jobs that were in demand. Nursing was the last listing I saw...that was it for me! I knew that was what I wanted to do. I feel myself coming full circle, from wanting to be a doc, to personal training and fitness, and now to nursing. I can't wait to start school, and I look forward to uplifting people, making a difference, and being content with who I am and what I have to offer the world.

:Melody: opradiva

I watched way too much ER growing and thought how great is it to have people around you dying and you saving their lives. Then I thought hey being a Dr takes way too long. I have finally realized that the real ER is nothing like the televison show and I am greatful for that, could you imagine every Thursday night for one hour you have the worst pts of an enitre week. Just last night I worked a code for 45 minutes and it took me a good hour plus to catch up with my other 5 pts, my zone partner was a borrowed ICU nurse who took the one on one vent pt we inherited from day shift. God I love the ER. It would be boring without the emergency belly pains :barf02: , nursing home dump pts, and the always interesting psychs, and it's way better than the show could ever be.

I Always Thought I Wanted To Be A Teacher, But For Some Reason Or Another Couldn't Finish School. I Got Married Had Children Stayed At Home With Them And Then 3 Years Ago I Got Breast Cancer. My Husband Was On Oncology Nurse( How Lucky For Me) He Was In The Process Of Grad School To Be A Np. I Went Through 6 Months Of Chemo/ 6 Weeks Of Radiation And Started To Feel Good Again. I Decided I Needed To Figureout What To W/ My Life My Kids Were Now Going To School All Day And I Decided Nursing Was It. I Read So Much About Cancer And I Realized How Interested I Was In All The Medical Info. I Picked Lpn Beacuse It Was Faster And I Truly Did Not Believe I Would Be Alive To Finish. But I Did With 4.0 I Might Add! I Am 36 And Just Starting A Nursing Carreer And Doing Very Well Healthwise. Life Is Short I Want To Make A Difference!

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