Nursing - A Profession Revolved Around Helping Others

Did you know what you wanted to do from a young age? I didn't, but I always admired my friends who would declare from elementary school on that they would be a (fill in the blank) one day. It would be several years after I graduated high school when I finally figured out what my calling was in life.

When I was 26 I fell ill; I could not move my legs or properly speak. I spent months in the hospital only to find out that I had a very rare disorder that affected one in a million people. I spent nights in the hospital listening to the nurses make their rounds, and they would always stop on my floor because they knew I would be awake and able to chat for a bit.

I went a while with no diagnosis, thinking the worst. I thought I may never be able to walk again. There were nodules on my spine causing pressure and blocking the nerves from communicating. I spent my days lying in bed watching TV. My daily visitors were my husband, mother, and sister. Besides them, I got to know the nurses who worked in the hospital very well. As I lay in my hospital bed week after week, they would show so much compassion. One nurse would come in and wash my hair in a bowl for me. It's amazing the comforts we take for granted daily.

In my darkest hours, I was surrounded by friends and family. My new friends and family included the nursing staff at the hospital. I knew from that point on that if I was to recover I would move on to be a nurse. Before I fell ill, I was working as an office clerk in a local accountant's office. Although I was happy and liked those who I worked with, I had no college degree or chance of moving forward.

I soon began to walk with the help of physical therapists and in-home care nurses. When I returned from months in the hospital, I was just glad to sit on my own couch again. There were no immediate plans to return to work at my office. I left my position out of necessity and began to recover from home. I began to entertain the idea of enrolling in an online college degree program.

Although I could walk, I could not yet drive. I spent many hours watching TV and surfing the internet. I decided that when I did return to work, I wanted to join a network of professionals who had a reason to go to work in the morning. I thought about all of the nurses in the hospital who helped me through my stay. I later enrolled in an online Bachelor's degree program to earn my nursing degree and become a registered nurse.

After graduating, I felt so positive about life and my career. I began working at my daughter's school as a nurse and was able to show children the same kind of compassion that the nurses in the hospital showed me when I was ill.

You don't have to know what you want to be in life at a young age, or even when you graduate from high school. In fact, some people never figure it out. I was lucky enough to find a calling out of a devastating situation, and for that, I am grateful for the college degree in nursing I earned that helped me realize my goal.

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