Donna&Neil

Only ever wanted to be a Policewoman, however was not tall enough ( back in the day...) Fell into nursing until I decided what I really wanted to do. 29 years later.... still there.

sme

I became a nurse as I knew that I had failed miserably in my A levels and had to get a job quickly so my mum couldn't moan at me too much for "wasting all my brains and education". I started work as an N/Assistant the Monday after my final exam - started RMN training 6 months later. Still working as a psych nurse 21 years down the track - enjoying it still (most of the time!).

geordie mandy

Thank you every one for your responses, some great reason and some unexpected reasons. Once ive completed my assignment i will be able to put the answers the work book felt was correct, some how i think their answers may be totally different to what ive got here, which is great.
Mandy

tiredwithtwins

my mum once told me that from being able to walk and talk all i ever did was bandage toys/teddies, and 'nurse' things ... snails, dead birds
when the tv series 'angels' was on, i used to watch it religiously, as i wanted to be a nurse more than ever!
now, 21 years later, i wish i was the nurse i trained to be ... was told a couple of years ago that if i wanted the hands on nursing that rgn's did 20 years ago i should get a job as a healthcare assistant and that my one weakness, albeit an excellent one, was that i 'talked to my patients for too long' ... in reality id go home at the end of the shift wondering who on earth id actually had time to speak to !!!!!!

sunflower7

My mom was a nursing assistant, and I began looking after the multi handicapped blind when I was 16. Went on to care for mentally handicapped/ill, then retired teachers prior to starting my nurse training. Guess I always enjoyed looking after others esp within a team enviroment.

annewilko

hello mandy, I was a 6th form wanna be, and couldn't bear the thought of 3 yrs being broke at university, like my brother was, also not academically gifted, graduated with 5 O levels, thought Nursing would be for me, as I could learn a trade and earn money at same time. I got into SEN training, this was 1977, with a view to doing RN. After graduating SEN I got on a post grad course, courtesy of an O level from night school, to do SRN. I was never in love with the job, but knew it would be a good qualification to have, as I wanted to travel. It grew on me, helping ppl and being useful etc., despite the many "battle axes " sisters and staff nurses I had to deal with,who had me in tears many a time. Not being one to give up, I graduated as an SRN in 1983, then some crappy temp position due to Maggie Thatchers rule and the recession. In 1986 I moved to the usa as a nanny, and after 5 happy yrs doing that, I pursued nursing in usa, and here I am living in california, working as an icu nurse, with loads of good experience, do I love it? No, but it's a living, and you do make a difference in peoples lives, and help people when they're at their most vulnerable, and I think thats why I am still proud to be, a Nurse.

kicking_k

I always had a social conscience and wanted to help others, i also have an ambition to travel (planning to go to aus next year) so thought nursing would be a good option

asher

I wanted my life to be useful, to have a purpose and meaning and I have always liked helping people.
I wanted to do some good and ease suffering where I could

as a disabled person(deaf) it was a challenge as well

ibbye13

Hi

I came from abroad in 1989 and I was told by friends in the UK that the only way to stay here to either become a nurse or a doctor. It was easier to become a nurse and that job will give you a work permit so then you can stay in the country. I can speak for many foreign student nurses and it is the only opportunity for them to stay in the UK.

For myself I never thought a thousand years that I would become a nurse. My speciality is Accounting. in !989 I came from Saudi Arabia and I landed in England not knowing what to do in my life. One friend of mine came to the UK a few months before my arrival and joined a school of nursing. So he suggested that idea to me. I can assure you that this practice still continues today. Thats the way people can come to the UK.

I never regretted it and I put all my efforts more that 100% into my training in London in 1989 because I did not want to return to my home country and today I am still a nurse (refused to apply for the post of ward manager many times) I want to be on the ward with the patients. I dont want to sit in an office.

I still work with many foreign student nurses in my hospital and you can see many of them are not here for nursing unfortunately. The good thing is that there are less and less foreign nurses as it is very difficult to get a work permit now.

That the truth in my case and i am sure it is the same for many other foreign student nurses who came to do their training in the UK many years ago.

Regards

Ibby

Kapri

I hope that's not the case!

I had never considered being a nurse

When I was 22 i moved to London and got an admin job in a nursing agency (through a friend). I absolutely hated it. Office work is not for me
I was going to leave and do bar work again but my friend suggested he book me out as a nursing assistant instead.

I loved it from day one and within a year had applied to do my training

Margaret3

this is gonna sound awful, but one of the main reasons was to get outta home and i could stay in the nurses home, home life was hell due to my mother being a really bad manic depressive,

On the whole i have loved my nursing career and it is only within the last 5 years that i am sick of it, i have had some great times throughout it. (i trained 1982-1985), i think i have just been doing it too long and everything just seems like repetition

LisaandSteve

Hey....I wanted to be a nurse from when I got my nurses kit from giving up my dummy at 3 yrs old! Went into hospital on a childrens ward then an adult ward, Left school didn't think I was cleaver enough, got some life experience and thought it was time for a change....chose peadiatrics due to the eperience I had with the nurses while I was in and started training at 24 and now work in PICU and starting to love it! ha
My mom also informs me I was named after the nurse who helped deliver me! (thank god or I was being called JAmima! argh)
Hope this helps x x

melibeam

Like Margaret I decided to become a nurse to get away from home. In 1989 it was difficult to get into nursing in Ireland so I came to London to do it and loved it. There were loads of irish nurses training with me and we had a fantastic training and great social life too I did my midwifery training a few years later. Now 20 years on I am disillusioned with nursing and midwifery and only do a few agency shifts a week as need the money. Its been a good career for me though as has enabled me to work in lots of different areas, meet great people and get to travel and work in different countries.

Mel

magicsprout

sounds sad but mass unemployment in the 80s i was desperate

asher

OMG now feel old!! I qualified in 82 started training in 79