When I was a senior in high school, I would always get bombarded with the usual question: "What do you plan on majoring in?" I would always tell them in a very enthusiastic way that I would be majoring in nursing. Some would smile and tell me what a fulfilling career that it is, while others would just look at me with a puzzled expression. They would come up with the stereotypical questions like: "Don't you know that you will have to work on holidays?" and "You really want to work third shift and wipe someone's butt for a living?" This always angered me, because they don't see the passion that nurses have for their work and the passion that I have grown to love about the nursing career.
A major reason why I chose nursing was because it's a job that will never become boring. There will always be a new patient with some different illness that will always keep you on your toes. I also love to think critically and find myself doing my best work under pressure, and since this a main skill that nurses learn to perfect, I fell in love with this career from the start.
I also fell in love with nursing because my main goal in life is to put others first instead of myself. To be a nurse, you really have to be someone who has a deep passion for caring for each other. Many of the women in my life who are nurses often tell me how they build such a strong bond with their patients that they will laugh together, cry together, and share stories of their lives with one another.
It takes a special person to be a nurse. A nurse must be a soft-hearted, reliable, and caring person. What many don't realize is that nurses are the backbone of the medical field. Nurses care for their patients like no one else can, they are the biggest source of support for their patients, and they always have a shoulder to cry on whether it be for a patient or their family. Being able to make someone comfortable and loved in an uncomfortable and often tense environment is a gift that only a nurse has and will lovingly share with the people that he or she comes into contact with in the hospital. By building a bond with your patients, or even just sharing a smile and simple small talk, can take their mind off of the struggles that they are going through at that time.
I didn't choose to major in nursing because of the job security, and I didn't choose to become a nurse because of the salary. I chose to major in nursing because of my passion for helping others in their time of need and to put their own needs before my own. I know that I was destined to be something bigger than myself and I know that to accomplish this goal I must fulfill my dream of becoming a nurse.
So, to answer those people's questions: Yes, I do realize that I will have to work on holidays and multiple other important days of the year, and even though I might work third shift and wipe people's butts for a living, I will love every minute of it. If you are truly passionate about nursing, doing these things will not bother you in the least.
If you are thinking about being a nursing major, please do not only do it with the intention of benefiting yourself, but also with the intention of helping others as well.
I wouldn't want to do anything else in my life, because I love nursing and all of the quirks, happiness, and fulfillment that comes with the career. I cannot wait to become a nurse in the future and be something bigger than myself.
