Why I Chose Nursing as a Career

Although there is a myriad of reasons as to why I decided that to be a nurse was my calling in life, they mostly relate to the importance of people and the relationships between them. I believe that I hold a unique position in the world that has allowed me to truly appreciate the value and necessity of caregiving, and have learned that I will ultimately be happy as long as I am able to care for others in need. I have come to this realization because of a number of specifics concerning my background.

I come from a Spanish speaking family, which has given me a unique view of what it really means to care for someone and provide them with a better standard of living because of your actions. I have learned to adapt to the language and culture of the United States.

My only parent not only does not speak English but is HIV-positive, making daily life a challenge. I have been a sole caregiver to him, translating for him and making sure to take him to all of his appointments on time. It is incredibly important to me that he receives the best care possible. This very personal experience of caregiving has nourished in me a desire to be a nurse to care for people on a larger and more significant scale. Though this experience does not directly correspond to the career choice of a nurse, the experience has helped me develop a passion for the detailed physical care of others.

I currently work at a hospital, which has somewhat familiarized me with the medical world and the way it operates. I am fascinated by it and have developed a desire to become more of an integral part of the process. Because of this, I also volunteer to translate for Spanish only speaking patients. I believe my unique talent of being bilingual is a gift that should be shared to benefit others, and I am happy that I have been able to do so in my volunteer work. This experience has aroused a longing to study nursing and become a nurse so that I can be even more successful in my goal of helping those in need, especially Spanish only speakers.

The reason I chose to become a neonatal nurse is that at my job I work very closely with patients from the maternity ward. I am captivated by the newborns and there are many aspects about working around them that have contributed to my desire to care for them as a career. They are the most vulnerable of humans and the most in need of care, attention, and love. In working both with them and new mothers I have been incredibly humbled and inspired by the amount of love that goes into the care of an early newborn.

I have had many experience in working in the maternity ward of the hospital and I was amazed at the amount of personal care given to the mothers and newborns by the doctors and nurses of the ward, and it gave me a strong desire to join in that personalized care. I want to learn as much as possible about these stages because I am fascinated by the process of natal growth and early newborn care.

Though it is hard to pinpoint only a few reasons why I have chosen nursing as a career path, it definitely stems from the inspiration I draw from the power of family connections. Not only have I been incredibly inspired towards caregiving and the nursing profession in my personal life, I have been inspired towards neonatal nursing and the care of infants in my professional life. I believe that my intellectual curiosity as well as passion for using my talents for the benefit of others has led me to the correct choice in deciding to study and pursue nursing.