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 ICU.

My mother was the one who give me such influence to become a Nurse. She said I am very patient in everything that i do and i love taking care of anything or anyone around me. Since then,I never think of any profession to have but Nursing. I guess mother's knows best.:up::up::up:

I realized, one day on the floor, that patients would not survive without nurses. I told myself I just had to get in with these people who truly care about patients rather than diseases. So I quit my third year of Med. school and signed up for Nursing. One of the best decisions I ever made! Every day I feel honored to work with some of the finest and caring people on this earth. I hope you all realize how incredibly important you all are in the care of patients.

WELL GUYS AND GALS,THERE IS NO BETTER JOB ON EARTH THAN BEING A NURSE!!!!!;) WE CARE,HELP,LOVE AND BRING JOY BY DOING SOMETHING THAT WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT.NURSING HAS BEEN MY PASSION SINCE CHILDHOOD!!!!SO I GUESS WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE . . .LIFE IS FULFILLING NEH??

MWAH MWAH.. POWER TO DA NURSES:balloons:

Nursing is a second career for me also. I was a stock broker for 20 years. I was burnt out on trying to get people to invest properly. In many cases they failed to see the urgency in financial planning. I am sure there are those who fail to see urgency in maintaining their health as well. Maybe I will do emergency room work, where urgency isn't so much of a problem!;)

Specializes in Correctional RN.
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.

I had entertained entering the sometimes difficult career field of massage therapy, however my counselor encouraged me to capitalize on more than sixteen years of military health care experience and enrolled me in an RN program. I am grateful for my counselor’s guidance and efforts on my behalf. With higher education in my sights, the possibilities are limitless.

Best wishes to all,

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."

Helen Keller

http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/keller01.html Those people whose only experience of her is "The Miracle Worker" will be surprised to discover her many dimensions. "My work for the blind," she wrote, "has never occupied a center in my personality. My sympathies are with all who struggle for justice." She was a tireless activist for racial and sexual equality. She once said, "I think God made woman foolish so that she might be a suitable companion to man." She had such left-leaning opinions that the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover kept a file on her. And who were her choices for the most important people of the century? Thomas Edison, Charlie Chaplin and Lenin. Furthermore, she did not think appearing on the vaudeville circuit, showing off her skills, was beneath her, even as her friends were shocked that she would venture onto the vulgar stage. She was complex. Her main message was and is, "We're like everybody else. We're here to be able to live a life as full as any sighted person's. And it's O.K. to be ourselves."

Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.

Love that quote and desciption. Alot can be learned with an open mind and someone phenomanil(sp) to fill it.

When I was about 13 years old, I went to my,then unemployed single parent of 4, mother and asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She looked at me with a smile and said she always wanted to be a nurse, had started nursing school, but could not take care of me and go to school (my mother had me at the age of 17). Since that moment, I never thought of being anything but a nurse. I always wanted to be like my mother. My mother and I ended up being a lot alike. I, too, became a single parent at the age of 17 as a senior in high school. But, I continued on to go to college. Which I believe motivated my mother, because she too went back to school. I graduated from nursing school in 2004, she graduated in 2006. It took me seven years to earn an associates degree, but two children and a fiance' later, I did it. I do not always know if nursing was the best career choice for me, but I know it is for my mother.

Specializes in long term care.

You have a guardian angel that will always be by your side!

Specializes in school nursing, Dr. office.

I always wanted to become a school teacher, I loved school, and could think of nothing better. Until I went to middle school, I had a lot of dental problems, and ended up having a lot of dental/facial surgery because some of my bones had not formed lilke they were supposed to. I was in ICU for several days after one of my surgeries amd there was this wonderful nurse that took wonderful care of me, she treated me like I was one oher children and was soooooooo good to me. That is when I decided that i wanted to become a nurse and have the impact on childrens lives like she had on mine. Now I have the best of both worlds, I get to work with children as a school nurse. I still get the school schedule and get to help kids.

Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.
When I was about 13 years old, I went to my,then unemployed single parent of 4, mother and asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She looked at me with a smile and said she always wanted to be a nurse, had started nursing school, but could not take care of me and go to school (my mother had me at the age of 17). Since that moment, I never thought of being anything but a nurse. I always wanted to be like my mother. My mother and I ended up being a lot alike. I, too, became a single parent at the age of 17 as a senior in high school. But, I continued on to go to college. Which I believe motivated my mother, because she too went back to school. I graduated from nursing school in 2004, she graduated in 2006. It took me seven years to earn an associates degree, but two children and a fiance' later, I did it. I do not always know if nursing was the best career choice for me, but I know it is for my mother.

If that's not a beautiful beautiful heart warming tale, I don't know of any better! School nurses rock by the way!

Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

My mother, now retired, was a school nurse. During the nineteen eighties I would not have dared go into nursing; just did not register with me. I knew no male nurses (not the biblical sense mind you!)...Anyway, I lived a life of the unprofessional what seemed forever. Hopes for retail to give me security and an income evaporated over time. I quit retail and went back to school. I studied math and philosophy...thought I would become a nice math teacher, to shed good vibes in a math class; since, if you see math as a creative art could work wonders with students, at least that was my plan. Well, it just didn't pan out. Precalculas after Trig sunk my battle ship. So, I thought...huh? What about nursing? I thought and thought and thought and thought...Nursing makes good sense. Since I passed Trig...Chemistry didn't appear so daunting after all. And besides I could share heroic bedside tales with my mom the RN...cool.....So here I am a nurse after 5 heroic years of nursing school...and that does'nt include the gen ed and prereqs..LOL!

PS. And I can tell my mom virtually every gory detail that my wife would gague at. Wife starts to turn pale at the edited version of a hint of work related to blood, pain, insertion and more!

It is a long story but i will make it short, iam from india after graduating from college i worked as a teacher and secreatory did not like it, then i went to nursing school, I was very happy to find the best job i like, the job wash your hand, start your work, wash your hand, go home, no home work,i donot take any tension home. i work in critical care areas. now my daughter is a nurse, she loves it too.

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