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 OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.
i barely passed high school. i was top 4 from the bottom. anyways, friends of mine told me that i wasnt gonna get anywhere so i had to prove myself to them. also, my girlfriend at that time wanted to move out of her parents house and get a place together asap. i figured that i like to fix things and she wanted to be a nurse and my mom is also a nurse. so we found a private nursing school that was 12 months long and enrolled. anyways, half way into the nursing program my girlfriend got involved with illegal drugs from my old friends from highschool. i was totally against illegal drug use. well we ended up breaking up and she ended up dropping out of the program. i ended up finishing the program and she ended up pregnant with the guy she gets her drugs from. when i look back on it i wish i couldve helped her more. anyways, even though my first career choice was automobiles, i fell inlove with nursing due to the fact that i help people in any stage of life that they may be in. -jon lvn

You may know this, but there is nothing you could have done, to help your friend. The first step in a 12 step program like alanon (for families and friends of substance abusers), is that you admit that you are powerless to stop them. Anything else enables them in their addiction. I hated learning that about my alcoholic husband and drug addicted daughter, but in the long run, it saved me and them.....

How wonderful that you found a vocation you love, through her. That was a gift you deserved.

I also was an underachiever in High School, but the wonderful Director of Education at my Nursing School told me I was "bright", and I worked very hard to hear that again and again (after running my typical games of not opening a book). After the licensing exams, coming home in the bus, my classmates did a "postmortum" on each question, and none of my answers corresponded with theirs. I was sure I'd failed!

Instead, I achieved the highest grade in the country!

My mother was diagnosed with kidney failure when I was only 15. I was a wild child and watching her in and out of the hospital changed my life. Here I am 11 years later after on again and off again semesters, I am pressing towards my mark of my calling. I am finishing up what I have started and I would love to apply in the Spring of 2009.

I hope you become a Wild Child, RN! Some things need shaking up.

Diahni

I guess I'll use this post to introduce myself to this gigantic community.

I had been going to a good private school studying computer science when I came to the realization that while the profession was challenging, it wasn't particularly interesting. I drifted around a bit, unsure of how I wanted to spend the rest of my life. I moved in with my girlfriend and started working with her doing registration at the ER she worked at.

I found myself consistently amazed and inspired by the nurses I worked with. The nurses there showed me that there's a depth to nursing that people outside of the profession could never understand. Nursing combines the problem-solving and critical thinking activities that I enjoyed in computer science with a deep interpersonal dynamic that just doesn't exist anywhere else.

Three years later, I'm married to that girl and scheduled to earn my BSN this spring. Nursing school has been accompanied by trials and tribulations, of course, but I now couldn't imagine myself being anything other than a nurse. I love what we do, how we approach our problems, and our shared values as a profession. I can't wait to get out there and practice on my own.

I am beginning my clinicals in January....so I am not a nurse but I had to reply to this! I vividly remember my Kindergarten graduation....and I have pics to prove it. We had to dress up as what we wanted to be when we grew up. Yes, way back then I said I wanted to be a nurse, I wore a white nurses dress, and the white little hat. I wish I had went to school for nursing straight after high school but I did things a little bit backwards I had my kids first and now I have struggled trying to juggle school & family life. Those pictures, and I remember some of the little speech I gave about how I wanted to help take care of people has always been on the back of my mind. I knew eventually I would do it, but it wasn't until I had my youngest daughter who is now 4. I had her at 29 weeks and she weighed only 2 pounds. I watched how the nurses took care of her, and I admired how knowledgable they were. That was the real wake up call so after a few rough years with my daughter and her medical problems due to her prematurity I finally decided to go for it. After two years of taking part time classes, and not being accepted into clinicals the first time I applied. I will finally begin clinicals in January! I can't wait, I am nervous, but yet so excited!

Because I didn't like how my grandmother was being treated and I know I could care for her better (trust me I did run to the hospital when she called me at midnight because she was in so much pain and no pain meds were being administered - and this was even before I was an RN!). Because I looked into my dying mother's eyes and knew I could care for her better than the hospice nurses. Because I have worked with 15 year olds that are pregnant (after only one sexual encounter) they have contracted HIV and a pregnancy to boot and I knew I could do better than the nurse they encountered treating them as if they were outcasts of the community. I have sat with them, cried with them, helped them to the best of my ability... that is what nursing is about.

Most importantly - my mom died of MS - she could not pursue her dream of being an RN - but she cared for people - I have her picture on my mantle of her in a nursing uniform- while she was in school - this was a dream that she never fulfilled. Guess what? I did it!! I got my RN. I know that my mom is looking down on me every day - and she would be proud. Grandma is still here and I can't even begin to tell you how she cried at my graduation - P.S. grandma was a nurse in Puerto Rico. I guess nursing is in my blood.

Dee

Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Flight.

no time to read all these.... but i will tell my story~

i became a nurse because i got arrested w/ a fake ID when i was 17..

had to do community service... did it @ a nursing home.. set up a thing for halloween..

needed a job... got hired in that nursing home as a NA... became a cna soon after... worked there for 6 months while i was in EMT school.... became an emt...did a lot of other stuff after that... you know... paramedic school... blah.. blah...

navy hospital corps... now imma RN...

next step... med school...

which... gladly to say...

i have been accepted ...

:cool:

Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
no time to read all these.... but i will tell my story~

i became a nurse because i got arrested w/ a fake ID when i was 17..

had to do community service... did it @ a nursing home.. set up a thing for halloween..

needed a job... got hired in that nursing home as a NA... became a cna soon after... worked there for 6 months while i was in EMT school.... became an emt...did a lot of other stuff after that... you know... paramedic school... blah.. blah...

navy hospital corps... now imma RN...

next step... med school...

which... gladly to say...

i have been accepted ...

:cool:

You've been blessed my dear, and I wish you much succcess!:balloons:

:wink2:well mine is dramatic... im an engineering graduate and work for 5 years in a manufacturing company, my husband's siblings encouraged me to pursue nursing since it is a promising career abroad. for the sake of my 2 y/o daughter's future i resigned from my job and ended up enrolling in BSN in 2001 finished the course in 2004, work in a local hospital for a year and now (with 2 more daughters) enroll in a masters degree in nursing...(while waiting for a job abroad). but i love this career, i have no regrets!

Specializes in Med/surg, cardiology, ER, geriatrics.

I was born with a cleft lip and palate. Through the years I had minor surgeries. Finally when I was 18 I had a major repair. It was then that I thought nursing might be for me. My mom was a nurse too, so she kinda encouraged me. :bow:

Specializes in med/surg, pedia, maternity,geriatrics.

hello everybody! this will be my first post. the reason why i took nursing is about the girls hehe, i was already in architecture class for a couple of days and there are only 6 girls in the class and they look like men, i need some inspiration you know hehe, while the next building holds nursing and there are so many gorgeous girls in there and only few men so i decided to switch course. i never had regrets being a nurse, now i'm married she's also a nurse, i meet her on my first job in the hospital.

Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
hello everybody! this will be my first post. the reason why i took nursing is about the girls hehe, i was already in architecture class for a couple of days and there are only 6 girls in the class and they look like men, i need some inspiration you know hehe, while the next building holds nursing and there are so many gorgeous girls in there and only few men so i decided to switch course. i never had regrets being a nurse, now i'm married she's also a nurse, i meet her on my first job in the hospital.

Welcome to allnurses you little stinker, you!:welcome:

Hi Everybody,

I am talkative by nature and want to know about people who is in my field.

I read all stries, Everyone have some strong reason for becoming a Nurse but i don't have any serious reason for that.

:welcome:

I came from INDIA 24th Des 2006 so this country is new for me. I want to become proude to my parents and my law's family. I had completed my Bachelor in Micribiology major [3 years] from India + 1 year MLT [ Medical laboratory technician course ] from India in 2006. I came here last 24th Dec and now I will start my new career from Jan 3rd 2008. I never do job. I choose nursing for many reasons............... 1st of all I would like to help needed people, secondly I want to fullfill my parents dream to become something in my life,

Thirdly I love my husband and want to help him financially, Moreover;) I love to know about the greatest creature of GOD ''Human body system''+ I love to meet new peaple and talk with them + I am on H4 visa so I want it to tranfer to H1B visa + This field is quite similar with my study and dreams + It's easy to get job in nursing and last but not least the salary range.

:uhoh3:

I am so excited to start my careere that I open my collage catalog twice a day. The most bouring thing about nursing is the pre-requisite courses. I gave Math placement test and got high marks so I transfer to MA206 Elementary statistics. Now I try to get high marks in ESL placement test so that I can save my husbands money.

I have many reasons to become a nurse. This is my boured story.

Bythe way thank you for your time:lol2:

Movie is not finished yet,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,where are you going?:nono:

I need a help to find a chesp book for all these courses so please if you have any site in your mind............help me.

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