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 Maternal Child Health - specialty in wom.

I had no idea that I wanted to be a nurse, much less a Public Health Nurse, since I thought all they did was immunize children. The idea of spending my days making small children cry wasn't exactly a turn on. No, I wanted to be a Social Worker - that way I'd spend my days helping families improve their lives, working mostly with single mothers and caring for folks emotional needs - helping them along the way to whole health.

Then, an excellent college counselor arranged for me to spend a day with a Public Health Nurse. We visited an abandoned hotel to take Tb meds to a homeless man, visited two families with special needs children and provided mostly just emotional support and resources, and we visited two high-risk teenage pregnant clients, one whose BP was 180/110! We promptly notified her Md and within 30 minutes had her in the hospital.

Voila! I learned that day that what I wanted to be 'when I grew up" was a NURSE. Thank goodness for that counselor who truly went 'an extra kilometer' for me. I feel badly that I can't remember his name. I've never had a single regret regarding my career choice and have practiced nursing all over the world. NURSE RULE! And that's MY story that I'm going to stick to. What's yours? :nurse:

i really never thought of being a nurse nor even dream of it when i was younger!!..but then,i am here now!..

:yeah:

very strange coz i really thought of giving up because of the intellectual and emotional torture being in the course at first but i was just surprised that i'm immuned with everything about nursing..:D:d

at first i thought that this would be just a plain and simple career for me,and i never thought this could be as beautiful as i never thought of..it's not merely just a carrer now..it's an art!!..where you make everything, care, supports and decides artistically..:bow::bow:

i just tried it, then i loved it more and more each learnings everyday..:wink2:

nursing is wnat i really love even though i never thought of it at the start..now that i have started loving it, i'll be more proud of it tahn before..:nurse::nurse::nurse:

Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.

.. i forgot how to be a computer programmer as my knowledge on that field is swiftly drifting away.. (quote)

_________________________________________________

oh please, please keep some of your programming skills to create nurse-friendly software! especially for home health's oasis forms, 18 pages of which have to be completed every 2 months, for medicare patients. by hand, i've had to put the patients' names and the date of completion/assessment at the tops of all those pages, repeat the same history and treatment information many times.......

others have told me software exists, but is too costly! (like my time isn't valuable?) some government folks just don't have their priorities straight, budgetwise.......

with so many small accessories available, it would be great to have programs that supply nursing diagnoses, icd-9 codes, medication classifications, etc. pop up when the assessment info is input. errors could be brought to the attention of the user.....what do you think?

you could be a "nurse computer specialist" and rake in the money! hmmmmm maybe this should go into the thread about inventions, too.:typing

hey everyone. i start the adn program this coming august..i'm very excited, but anxious at the same time!! i was hoping some nurses could offer me some helpful tips on making it through the program. also what about the best shoes? stethoscope? sphygmomanometer? and are there any additional books i should purchase to help me be more successful? thanks!!:nuke:

Specializes in ICU, Telemetry, neuro,research.

why i became a nurse? i told that story before here answering another thread. i was in what should have been a fatal car accident and instead i just spent 6 months in a wheelchair, learned to walk and talk again and from someone who was supposed to go to a "rehabilitative institution" i have 2 bachelors and a masters degree and i have applied for the phd program in nursing here locally. talk about high functioning tbi.

i was a school teacher for a short time before being accepted to nursing school, i have been having to prove myself every since the day i woke up. i know that journey never ends. the real test is now i work because i have to work: sallie mae, car lease, rent, food, etc. but i would do this even if i did not have to work. if you can say that, and mean it, then you are in the right place.:heartbeat

my reviewer once said..taking up nursing is for public service..

i'm all for that..:)

Specializes in Cardiac.

I have wanted to be a nurse since I have been in elementary school. What cemented my choice, is my Mom went to nursing school in her 30's and I saw exactly what she did. I loved it.

I had been in a few rocky relationships so going to nursing school when I was younger was out of the question. However, I met my wonderful husband of 14 years and he pushed me to begin school. After all this time, I finally got my license in August of last year. I plan on continuing to get my Masters degree as I really want to teach new nurses.

I love caring for people and showing the compassion that our patients deserve. Although it is not all roses at times, I really love my job! I am still in the honeymoon phase. :nurse:

So, in short, I guess I have to thank my MOm for really getting me interested in nursing. :heartbeat

Specializes in Med/Surg, psych, 7 yrs EMT.

I have always wanted to beome a Nurse, ever since I can remember. At the age of 17 I had my daughter. At that point I dropped out of highschool and became a single mom. People around me had already decided my fate and told me over and over what I could have been. I heard from many people that as a teenage mother, I may as well put my dreams aside. I decided to prove them all wrong and went back to school. I refused to be a statistic! Now, 10 years later I not only graduated from high school but I worked hard and put myself through college and obtained my RN degree as well as an EMT certification. I managed to take care of my daughter and realize my dreams. Although it was difficult, it was well worth it and I would do it all over again in a heart beat. Now I am married with 2 more children and loving every minute of it. My job is very rewarding and knowing that I could have chosen a different, less desirable path in life makes it even more sweet for me. :)

Specializes in Cardiac.

To NursingstudentK:

When I started nursing school I invested in a LittmanII stethoscope. It is a little expensive but is a very nice stethoscope. Addtl books that I found helpful were Nursing care plan books and the "made incredibly easy" books, especially for the fluid and electrolytes portion of school. These books made it easy to understand. Best tip.... study hard and do not get behind. It is really hard to catch up of you fall behind. Pay close attention to meds when you are clinicals and ask for your clinical nurses advice when doing your clinicals. It helps build report with the experienced nurses.

Specializes in ICU, oncology, home health, hospice.

why did i become a nurse? i have always wanted to help others, especially those who cannot help themselves. i was the kid who would hang out with the kids no one else wanted to hang out with, like the "differently abled" kids. (who knew i would one day have a special needs kid of my own) i always felt i needed to be a voice for those who couldn't speak up for themselves. i think that is one of the reasons i wanted to become a nurse. i really enjoy being a patient advocate, even if i have to take an unpopular stand. in my current postition, ( i work in a clinic where we take all patients, regardless of ability to pay) i have the opportunity every day to help someone who otherwise would have no one else to help them, or no one else to care. i care about what happens to others. don't you think the world would be a better place if everyone did? (time to sit around the campfire and sing kumbaya while hand holding:d)

kim

I am not a nurse yet. But more than anything I want to become one and I'm starting the journey next month with CNA classes. If you were to tell me a couple of years ago that I would be persuing a career in nursing, I would have thought you were crazy. My dream was criminal justice. I am disgusted by what people are capable of doing to one another and I wanted to do something about it.

But then... well what changed my mind and my goals was my cousin's accident. She is a small fragile thing (weighs about 100lbs soaking wet) and was in pieces when her designated driver blew a stop sign. She was in ICU for 3 weeks. While she was a difficult patient... I noticed how attentive and nurturing the nurses were. They would smile and speak softly to her even when she'd swear at them or scream "you're hurting me! you're doing it wrong!" They knew she was in pain and was just taking it out on them simply because they were there. They didn't let it affect how they treated her. They still wore their warm smiles and spoke to her with gentle, soothing voices. They made her feel as at home as one could in such a miserable situation. They would be encouraging when she had to blow in the machine to test her lung strength "you can do it. take your time"

It got me thinking... bad things happen even when bad people aren't involved. Instead of hunting what's evil, I can nurture what's good. I was pleased to discover SANE and Forensic Nursing exist and now I have the opportunity to merge both dreams with what I think will be a more fulfilling and challenging journey.

I may not know what I'm in for, but I can't wait to find out. If I can do for anyone what those nurses did for my cousin... well I think I can see that as worth getting out of bed for.

me i choose nursing, first because my parents want it and also for practical reason second this can be my stepping stone in achieving my dream because i really wanted to be a doctor with specialization in neurology since nursing is closer to medicine i choose this course. also we don't have enough financial resources.

+ Join the Discussion