So You Want to Become a Nurse?

Students come into our program every year seeking a nursing degree. These students come for so many different reasons. Early on in the program I like to do an activity with the new students to get to know them and to get an idea if they have a passion for nursing. One of the questions I like to ask them is, “When did you decide to become a nurse?”

Now before I give you some of their answers, let me share mine. I actually always wanted to be a teacher, always, as long as I can remember. In high school the idea of nursing was brought up to me, and I really can’t say that I had ever considered that before. I liked to help people and blood didn’t bother me, but I only knew one nurse growing up and that was my friend Amanda’s mom. I knew she worked at a hospital but that was my only exposure to nursing (she has since become my role model and mentor). After graduation I went to Lake Land College where I took some general courses for education but actually had decided that I wanted to pursue hospital administration. Then one of my best friend’s sister was in a life-threatening accident and I spent time with my friend visiting her in the ICU, I was hooked. One evening while watching a nurse empty the catheter I knew I needed to be a nurse. Urine thrilled me! I then transferred into a nursing program where I knew that nursing education was in my future. Hmmm, it is funny how things come full circle.

Anyway, do you know what one of the most popular answers are? “I know I can get a good job if I am a nurse.” And the second most popular answer?, “My Mom, Dad, Grandma (fill in the blank) wants me to become a nurse.” Let me tell you from experience, these students usually aren’t successful, and if they are, they are miserable. I also often hear “Well I only want to be an OB nurse because no one dies, or I can’t be a Psychiatric nurse because I can’t deal with those people.” Guess what? People die in OB, sometimes babies, and Psychiatric patients are in every kind of nursing possible. Let me be the first to say that Nursing isn’t for everyone!  Please do some serious sole searching about this one before you waste time and money. Find your passion, whatever that may be and do it for yourself, not someone else.

Last week I was reminded of the passion nurses can have for this amazing profession. I went to a visitation of a nurse that had been in the profession 30ish years and do you know what was at the table next to the guestbook? Her nursing school uniform and pin, cap, graduation picture, and her hospital badge adorned with several pins that held meaning to her like her school pin, her certifications and other nursing symbols. What an example to our profession.

She was so proud of her chosen field and passionate about nursing. Are you? Is it just a “job” or is it your “love.” Thoughts? Please share.

H. Farley