The picture above touches on many reasons why I absolutely love my profession. From mentors to educators, clinical experts to advocates, nursing blends science with caring and technical knowledge with humanity. Nursing is all the things I love in a single profession but it took me a long time to figure out that Nursing was for me.
When I first entered the University scene, I had no clue what my passion was. I loved a lot of things and couldn't understand how I needed to decide at such a young age what I intended to do with my life. I took a few random courses here and there and really enjoyed the area of Criminology. I went on to graduate with a B.A. in Criminology and thought about pursuing law but my head and heart were at odds with each other and it didn't really seem like a good fit for me. You're probably wondering where I'm going with this, but just be patient, it will all make sense. I decided to take some time off and re-evaluate what I wanted to do with my life and volunteered at a women's shelter. It was during that time, that I met a young woman who had three small children under the age of five. She was trying to restart her life after leaving an abusive partner and was determined to ensure that her children were brought up in a safe environment. She was witty, charismatic, strong-minded and driven to make a change in her life just as I was soul-searching and hoping to find something I was truly passionate about. To be honest, I’m really not sure at what point Nursing entered the realm of possible professions for me, but it encompassed the promotion and optimization of health with families, communities and every population possible and seemed to jive well with my personality and interests. I spent the next several months cross examining the profession, I knew very little about and then decided to apply to Nursing School! I had no science background whatsoever, and Biology and Chemistry in high school were a complete nightmare so I had lots of obstacle creators in my path, all in good faith telling me, I should pursue something else. I graduated with a B.S.N two years later and have loved my career choice since.
In my earlier post, I had mentioned that I was reading a book titled, "30. Things to do when you turn 30." and the second chapter of this book talks about Passion and Purpose. I can definitely say that I have found my passion however, it is only in the realization of dreams that your purpose can ring true. I often hear parents telling their children to dream big and dream deeply but that concept is for children and adults alike. Thirty is a time for transition, for self discipline, for new roles but more importantly, thirty is also a time to dream passionately about the life you want to lead. For me, the most important tip I have to move forward in this new decade is to live for today, not put time restraints or attach numbers to milestones (i.e. having a baby, buying a house and so forth). For me, it’s about taking pride in what I have accomplished and continuing to feed my passion daily.
If I compare my profession to a puzzle, it is still missing a few pieces, and my ultimate career destination is by no means near, but I can tell you that I’m going to enjoy every bit of my nursing adventure along the way.
