why i chose nursing essay

why i chose nursing essay

Exploring the Reasons Behind Choosing a Career in Nursing

1. Introduction

With these stereotypes and mistaken notions in mind, I inquired and researched many nurses and nursing students in the hopes of discovering the “real” reasons they had chosen nursing as a career. The answers I found were a virtual goldmine of information that piqued my understanding and gratitude for nursing and nurses to new levels of comprehension and respect. The aim of this project is to increase awareness of the myriad of reasons people have come to choose – or are in the process of choosing – nursing as a career. I hope readers of this paper will be enlightened and inspired, or will remain steadfastly honored if they are already knowledgeable about the many reasons people do become or have become nurses.

I moonlight as a teacher while pursuing my second career in nursing, and I have been asked several times this year why I chose to leave teaching to enter what is widely acclaimed to be a career filled with back-breaking hard work and long hours with little or no gratitude to be gained or earned. While this perception may be the case in many instances, it certainly was not the case for me, and I am sure for most others who choose nursing as a career.

2. Personal Motivations for Choosing Nursing

The value of having worked as either a paid or unpaid healthcare assistant and of the experiential knowledge gained through extensive internship has been noted as influential in undergraduate researchers’ career decisions. In our students, regardless of previous experience, positive work experience before or during the course continues to act as a crucial motivation in the participants’ decisions to seek employment in the trust where they successfully trained. Further exploration of this phenomenon has revealed that meeting managers from the caring environment and making a favorable impression may lead to a customer-focused ‘selling’ of a department, which in turn increases the candidate’s desire to apply, thus establishing both the employer’s expectations of them and the candidates’ expectations of the employer.

There is good evidence to suggest that young people’s career choices are influenced by their own experiences, both of being a patient and of observing the care of relatives. Although a dearth of literature exists in this area regarding the care of relatives, there is anecdotal evidence that having a relative as the recipient of lengthy, committed care by nursing candidates can motivate these potential students to choose a career in nursing. Hence, the experience of the student may be as important, if not more so, than that of the patient. We can reasonably hypothesize, therefore, that first-degree applicants who have had relatives in hospitals for prolonged periods and who have gained a positive impression of the care given are likely to have set mechanisms in place which deliberately, and with foresight, work towards nursing as a career.

3. Professional Opportunities and Growth in the Nursing Field

Wendel expressed that the “majority of allowed occupations were considered to have excellent or good growth potential. This opinion was also found among the personnel in allowed occupations” (p.47). Therefore, when career decisions are influenced by job opportunities, individuals are given society’s approval and economic incentives. With little or no pressure to meet the consequences of career-related choices, they are less likely to question economic or social repercussions. Amongst three groups of students from the Upper-Northwest area of the United States, three-quarters of females between the ages of 18 and 21 years were “very confident” or “quite confident” that they would find a job after graduation. Among the males, about half were highly confident that they would find a nursing position in their geographical desire. The rapid growth of the health sector and the competitive offers may have had some influence on these statistics. In the aggregate, 21% of the students were very confident, and approximately 44% were quite confident. According to Guillebeaux, professionals enter nursing for various reasons.

Those interviewed had chosen a career in nursing because of professional opportunities and the growth in the field. This factor was a strong motivator for the students to pursue a nursing degree. Therefore, it was very important to have a job when they finished school. Many who choose a nursing career believe that they will be able to find a job. Since 1996, the health sector has shown the rapid and diverse growth of multiple professions. Currently in the country, the healthcare sector is responsible for a large part of the employment of workers, with half of the 10 occupations that generate the most employment being in the health area. The growth of employment in healthcare is mainly due to the aging of the Brazilian population. Based on a national survey with the adult population of Brazil, sex differences, morbidity, and use of services found differences between men and women regarding the use of health services.

4. Impact of Nursing on Healthcare and Society

Nurses are the first line of defense in preventing infections and are often the first and last individuals patients see, especially if they do not have many family visits. A participant reported, “It takes the whole team to get through; it’s all about being available to provide assistance. Participating in an important medical care role is what makes nurses useful.” One participant in particular appreciated acting as an assistant just as much as they did their emergency room nurse—that is, practicing as a “go-between” caregiver. “You’re the connection in many ways.” Another reported, “I try to unlock the door so that a person is not stuck in a room. You have to give the most personal attention that you can.” Because nurses strive to provide “emotional support,” “reassurance,” peace, and a sense of ease and comfort, they are often required when someone is negatively affected by certain treatments. A nurse even experienced, “I remember standing in the corner when the Code of Silence was over.” Nurses have to wear many hats—most importantly, at all times—to care about others. Furthermore, these individuals often provide essential care support services to ensure that primary health care systems function effectively. These types of unique encounters form long-term professional connections.

As a research participant indicated, “Someone’s got to do it.” Society needs nurses, and although many individuals repeatedly refer to nursing as simply a “job,” the overall patient care role is paramount. “Nothing can stop them.” Participants indicated that the scope of patient care at local, state, and national levels “ties the society together in so many ways.” In describing the variety of roles that nurses perform and some of the patient care they provide, “You may cover areas to do with promoting health in meetings with people in the community; this person is always seeing imagery x-rays.” The variety of patient care experiences makes nursing a unique career. As several research participants described, “due to their scope, not only in hours of care but also in ways in which care is delivered.” Others described their appreciation for nurses as a provider of patient care help inside and outside of the hospital; “you can be there on your own. Depending on the inquiry;” “I also appreciate them for their knowledge of the healthcare system,” because they are an “independent point of contact.”

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, the study findings have helped to illuminate some of the reasons why individuals become nurses. The participants in this study could have chosen other careers but were drawn to nursing for specific, personal reasons, which helped to explain their application and preparation for the role. It was obvious that nursing was considered a secure and portable career. However, the major factors related to inner drives to help and to heal by meeting the patient’s emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. After working in a clinical setting as a student, participants often found that they had made a good career choice and reported an urge to get their degrees, pass the examinations, and begin the lifelong journey as a competent leader and caregiver. The participants anticipated the teamwork with colleagues, their role in making a difference, and, most importantly, career security and autonomy, and portable job placements. The positive, self-aware nurses will be good models for the future nurses and can be instrumental in helping to keep them in the nursing field during these turbulent times.