Me, a nurse?

When I was 6 or 7, I asked my mother, “What should I be when I grow up?” My mother thought a little and then replied, “Maybe you could be a nurse!”

Me, a nurse? Didn’t that mean carrying around lots of bottles and changing sheets all day? The idea seemed silly to me, so I didn’t seriously revisit it until two years ago, during my junior year of high school. By then, I understood more about nursing and my own interests, and the two seemed to mesh perfectly.

For practical reasons, a nursing career seems to fit my goals. Like most people, I would like a steady job that’s in high demand and provides decent pay, all of which nursing supposedly offers. Since a BSN usually requires four years of schooling, I hope to start my career without needing postgraduate education, thereby avoiding unnecessary debt. These mercenary reasons, however, are not my only incentive for going into nursing.

Nursing will be a good job for me because I love interacting with people. Also, I am a high-energy person who doesn’t mind busy schedules or standing all day. I have also noticed that I enjoy dealing with crises. As odd as it may sound, tackling a critical, surprising situation leaves me calm and focused. I hope that, as a nurse, I will respond the same way in an emergency situation!

Finally, nursing will give me the tools to do the overseas missions in which I hope, ultimately, to be involved. Based on how my parents and teachers perceive me, as well as my own perceptions, I think nursing—eventually midwifery—will be an ideal career.

A year ago, I was working wildly on academic applications, trying (sometimes unsuccessfully) to remember deadlines, comparing curricula, and visiting schools. The school I chose, Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, was not my first choice initially, because I had practically grown up on its campus and thought that, by living at home, I would get less of a “college experience.” As I began to research ODU’s nursing program, however, I learned that the school has a phenomenal pass rate for the NCLEX and, when given a tour of the educational facilities, I was amazed by the mock exam rooms, complex learning aids, and very friendly staff. Therefore, when ODU accepted me and offered financial aid, I was firmly convinced it was the right school and accepted the offer.

So today, I find myself a freshman at Old Dominion University, enrolled in the nursing program and eagerly awaiting a sophomore year of clinicals, microbiology, and more.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.