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.

well, i am not a nurse YET...but I am on my way to be... and here's my story

I don't remember ever NOT wanting to be a nurse, if that makes any sense. No sudden changes in my life that made me think of this occupation that I can remember. BUT I will tell you the reason I am pursuing it now.

I am terrified of needles and vomit, so no one thinks i can, which is why i am going to. I am not going to NOT live my dream because of a fear. I am going to confront my fears and overcome my fears...and be a wonderful nurse.

Specializes in Intensive Care.
Everyone has his or her own story about how or why they became a nurse. What's your story?

I have great interests in Human Anatomy and Physiology..Eventhough I was pushed by significant people in my life to be a nurse,I started loving my course as I proceed to more complicated nursing topics and oppotunities.Sometimes, I doubt my skills because I dont find myself skillful in clinical ares but talking about Curriculum and studying I am at the top of the list..It was my father who challenged me to be be a good nurse not just in theory but also in practice.When my father passed away,I was the one who did his post mortem care in ICU,and said to myself,"I am gonna be a Good Nurse".Fortunately,it's a heaven's grace that I passed the Local Board of Nursing in our country and became a Nurse.But I don't want to stop being a Good Nurse, I want to be a Proficient,Skillful and Knowledgeable Nurse.

Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
Everyone has his or her own story about how or why they became a nurse. What's your story?

I have great interests in Human Anatomy and Physiology..Eventhough I was pushed by significant people in my life to be a nurse,I started loving my course as I proceed to more complicated nursing topics and oppotunities.Sometimes, I doubt my skills because I dont find myself skillful in clinical ares but talking about Curriculum and studying I am at the top of the list..It was my father who challenged me to be be a good nurse not just in theory but also in practice.When my father passed away,I was the one who did his post mortem care in ICU,and said to myself,"I am gonna be a Good Nurse".Fortunately,it's a heaven's grace that I passed the Local Board of Nursing in our country and became a Nurse.But I don't want to stop being a Good Nurse, I want to be a Proficient,Skillful and Knowledgeable Nurse.

Sounds like you are on your way with a good attitude. It takes perserverance and lots of determination, but the gratification of a job well done is so worth it.

Good Luck!:balloons:

Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.

I had been a CNA and needed a break; was working at a grocery store for a manager who treated me like a brainless twit. Went home and grumbled that I was tired of being treated as such. Wise man that he is my husband told me that I had 2 choices in life...take what I had and learn to like it OR get off my butt and make the changes. So...off to nursing school I went. No glorified girlhood dreams of nursing; just the oldest of 8 kids so it was just seemed the natural progression of things. Started out thinking I could fix the world. Quickly I learned the world has to fix itself; I can just help it at times. No regrets.

Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

Where to begin.

I would say nursing was like...walking past someone and catching a whiff of their perfume, realize it is familiar, but when you turn to see who it was they are lost in the crowd behind you.

I remember being around 18 or 19 and needing to work on a paper for my heredity class (I always have been a big science geek). I was wandering into the hospital my mom was working at at the time, (as a program coordinator for health programs) looking for the medical library and I remembered feeling this odd sense of elation. I didn't really know what it was, but something about being in that hospital just made me feel...right.

As college progressed and a long term relationship appeared I was pretty much spinning my wheels. I had looked into teaching (too repetitive for me), marine biology (I don't like jelly fish lol) and just settling down and being a mom (which trust me, from that relationship would have garnered me nothing but drama and no respect from either my bf at the time or his family). This bf had mentioned once me becoming a nurse, however I only knew of 4 year programs and I just didn't feel that I could handle that. (I have never been a slouch in the intelligence department, however after years of spinning my wheels on college I was just burnt out)

So after dumping the loser I moved to a new big city. I had never moved anywhere without family so this was a big step. I got a job waitressing and after about 6 months I was bored out of my gourd. I knew this couldn't go on much longer.

So one warm spring day I trucked it over to the area technical college to check out their massage therapy program. Here a sunny, friendly counselor said "well, what else do you think you would like to do?"

"Well I have been told maybe I should be a nurse, but I don't know if I am cut out for the schooling."

Well after a little chatting and a lot of optimism I applied for the program. I was wait-listed as everyone else was, however I saw this as an opportunity to work and take prereqs at my own pace. That semester I garnered my first 99% in a class in years in chemistry. I was so stoked I just kept on going until graduation day!

I have been nursing for just over a year now, and even though there are a lot of days I am scared out of my mind at the lives I hold, I go in every work day and come home feeling accomplished. Every. Single. Day.

Nothing better for me.

Soon I will start my ADN-MSN program and become a health educator which, I believe, is the epitome of what nursing can offer to me. :)

Tait

How difficult was it to be a mother and to finish Nursing school? I am young and just got married, but I am trying hard to hold off on having kids until I complete my degree. I hear lots of people on here that have done it just fine. I love to see people following their dreams! :dancgrp:

I have never ever wanted to be anything other than a nurse. My great aunt told me that when I was 3 , I told her I was going to be a nurse. I started nursing school when i was 18, met a guy, dropped a guy, ruined my life or so it seemed. I continued working as a cna since age of 18. At the age of 27 it was time to become a nurse, I was getting sick and tired of telling some nurses things were wrong with their patients and them not doing anything about it. I wanted to be able to do something.I graduated with my RN when I was 30, after starting school with a son in a spica cast, working full time in the hospital, going to school every day, and my husband working out of state. I still don't know how I did it, but I wouldn't change a thing. I ahve been an RN for 4 years and its been awesome!All that I went through in my life, made me a better nurse. I love it!!! Being there for a patient is more than just drawing blood, take someone to the bathroom, it is about listening, being compassionate, and following through with what you hear.!!!! Nursing is an art, and don't leave your canvas blank!

I was married and a young stay at home mom at 18, then there came 2 more children and life was all abouth them(I wanted to go to NS when they were young, but we lived to far away from the nearest school for it to be feasable). I divorced in my early 30's and went to work, bought a home of my own(me and my kids) and fell into a career in accounting. I worked for the same company for 11 years. At about 8 years I began to feel as though I was being overlooked for promotion because I did not have a degree. So, I got fed up and marched into my CC and said help me figure out what I want to be now that I am grown up.(At this point my kids were pretty much grown) I looked over everything and remembered my dream of being a nurse, but thought that I was too old. Our CC offered a 2Yr Assoc. program, and I thought, I can do that!! So I registered myself on the spot and within the next few months I was a 39 year old first time college student. It took me 2 1/2 years to finish my pre-reqs at night after work. And in about 1 week (at 42 years old) I will be starting NURSING SCHOOL!!! My oldest son is 24 and getting married in April, my daughter is 21 and in College for Business- ugh!! I am supportive but, ugh!!!! and my baby is now 18 and a senior in High School and will graduate in May. I am so grateful for all that life has given me and all that it continues to provide. I am finally living my dream, and though the road was long it was worth it!!!

Specializes in Agency/HomeCare.

Wow you had me cracking up. You need to be a writer or submit your comical works to AJN mag. or something....very creative...yet probably true! lol....

Specializes in Urology, Gyn, Family Practice, HBO.

When I was younger (up to 6 y/o) I spent a lot of time in hospitals. I am an epileptic. I started having Grand Mal seizures when I was 5 months old. I would have them 4-5 times a week, even with medication. I have had almost every test, known to man, run on me and no cause was ever found. My parents were told that with the amount and severity of my seizures I would most likely be brain damaged, and yet here I am a college student going to be a LPN. I don't remember a lot about the doctors that I saw. I do remember a lot about the nurses. They would read to me and play with me. They would make all of my tests seem more like a game.

When I had my youngest (June '05) my life completly changed. At 6 days old he started having seizures. Needless to say, it scared the crap out of me. He was having them almost one on top of the other. He was having them every 4-5 minutes and they were lasting 45-60 seconds. He was diagnosed elipeptic, just like me. I stayed by his side every minute. My breaking point came just after his EEG. After his strobe test he had a 3 minute Grand Mal.

The doctors would come in and do their thing and leave again. I started to feel like my poor baby was just a lab project to them. It was the nurses that made a huge difference to me. They were so wonderful, patient, and helpful. They really helped me to hold it together. That was when I made up my mind. I started asking them all kinds of questions about how they liked it, where they went to school, Etc...

I want to be able to make a difference. Even if it is to only one person. I want to be able to touch someone's life, just like they touched mine. I want to be a nurse. :redpinkhe

I was married and a young stay at home mom at 18, then there came 2 more children and life was all abouth them(I wanted to go to NS when they were young, but we lived to far away from the nearest school for it to be feasable). I divorced in my early 30's and went to work, bought a home of my own(me and my kids) and fell into a career in accounting. I worked for the same company for 11 years. At about 8 years I began to feel as though I was being overlooked for promotion because I did not have a degree. So, I got fed up and marched into my CC and said help me figure out what I want to be now that I am grown up.(At this point my kids were pretty much grown) I looked over everything and remembered my dream of being a nurse, but thought that I was too old. Our CC offered a 2Yr Assoc. program, and I thought, I can do that!! So I registered myself on the spot and within the next few months I was a 39 year old first time college student. It took me 2 1/2 years to finish my pre-reqs at night after work. And in about 1 week (at 42 years old) I will be starting NURSING SCHOOL!!! My oldest son is 24 and getting married in April, my daughter is 21 and in College for Business- ugh!! I am supportive but, ugh!!!! and my baby is now 18 and a senior in High School and will graduate in May. I am so grateful for all that life has given me and all that it continues to provide. I am finally living my dream, and though the road was long it was worth it!!!

Thanks for sharing. I like your story. I am from Louisian too. What part are you from?

Specializes in CNA/ ALF & Hospital.
Where to begin.

I would say nursing was like...walking past someone and catching a whiff of their perfume, realize it is familiar, but when you turn to see who it was they are lost in the crowd behind you.

I remember being around 18 or 19 and needing to work on a paper for my heredity class (I always have been a big science geek). I was wandering into the hospital my mom was working at at the time, (as a program coordinator for health programs) looking for the medical library and I remembered feeling this odd sense of elation. I didn't really know what it was, but something about being in that hospital just made me feel...right.

As college progressed and a long term relationship appeared I was pretty much spinning my wheels. I had looked into teaching (too repetitive for me), marine biology (I don't like jelly fish lol) and just settling down and being a mom (which trust me, from that relationship would have garnered me nothing but drama and no respect from either my bf at the time or his family). This bf had mentioned once me becoming a nurse, however I only knew of 4 year programs and I just didn't feel that I could handle that. (I have never been a slouch in the intelligence department, however after years of spinning my wheels on college I was just burnt out)

So after dumping the loser I moved to a new big city. I had never moved anywhere without family so this was a big step. I got a job waitressing and after about 6 months I was bored out of my gourd. I knew this couldn't go on much longer.

So one warm spring day I trucked it over to the area technical college to check out their massage therapy program. Here a sunny, friendly counselor said "well, what else do you think you would like to do?"

"Well I have been told maybe I should be a nurse, but I don't know if I am cut out for the schooling."

Well after a little chatting and a lot of optimism I applied for the program. I was wait-listed as everyone else was, however I saw this as an opportunity to work and take prereqs at my own pace. That semester I garnered my first 99% in a class in years in chemistry. I was so stoked I just kept on going until graduation day!

I have been nursing for just over a year now, and even though there are a lot of days I am scared out of my mind at the lives I hold, I go in every work day and come home feeling accomplished. Every. Single. Day.

Nothing better for me.

Soon I will start my ADN-MSN program and become a health educator which, I believe, is the epitome of what nursing can offer to me. :)

Tait

I know whatya mean.

My influence to become a CNA was when I was 11 and in the hospital for correctional surgery on my eye. I was paying attention to how the volunteers loved to spoil me. I always loved babies even as a small chilkd and just being a 'Mother hen" about them. I wass inticed to become a hospital volunteer and I was on for 11 yrs. While living with my grandmother for 4 Very Gloroius years and taking care of her and being her guardian angel, I married and moved to Chattanooga,TN. and became a Volunteer there as well. I married again in 1999 to my second husbang and when we moved to Florida I decided to become a CNA whwn my grandmother died and even got into Ancestry.com ect. for the sake of my son so that I can hand this information records of his history down to him. He is getting more interested in it everytime he sees me working on it. I want to find a hospital here in Macon, GA. that offers further educating training for their employees and take get certified as EKG tech as well for better pay. I have been offered a PRN position with an ALF. and I can work there as I continue my job search.:up::specs::redpinkhe

+ Join the Discussion