Why Nursing?

  Why did I become a nurse?

There are several reasons. One reason is nurses are always in demand. Just look in  the newspaper. There is almost always a need for nurses.  You will find  hundreds of different settings you can work in. I,  personally chose geriatrics. I work in a nursing home.  I love it. Elderly people need people to care for them and listen to them and just be there for them during a very scarey time in their lives. I have also worked in oncology (cancer)  and respiratory. Those are two difficult places to work, also.

There are other areas of nursing specialties besides elderly, such as;  children, maternity, cancer, respiratory, home care, hospice and there are many more.

Very few jobs out there that have lasting rewards, that you can go home feeling like you helped someone. Nursing has that reward.  Granted there are days when you don't feel that way and there are plenty of bad days just like any other job, but helping someone provides the greatest rewards.  When it gets hard and I don't feel like giving or doing for someone I try to picture our Lord on the cross when he said "I thirst." I imagine in my mind I am helping our Lord. It helps me to remember that what we do for someone else we do for the Lord.

The pay in nursing is good and there is  job security because there will always be sick people. I wish that weren't true but it is. Our world is filled with sickness and disease and nursing is a great way of giving of yourself to shed light into that darkness.

Many hospitals and medical centers today offer a variety of schedules so that you can set your own pace and hours. This is found especially, if you enter the field of  home nursing.  I did some home nursing but not very much. I have found that most places that I worked in allowed you to have a schedule suitable to your needs.

Nursing is hard work. You have to give of yourself all the time and it isn't always easy.  Touching other peoples lives is making a difference.


Watch thou dear Lord
with those who wake
or watch or weep tonight,
and give thine angels
charge over those who sleep,
Tend thy sick ones, O Lord Christ,
Rest thy weary  ones
Bless thy dying ones,
And all for thy loves sake.
Amen.

Prayer of Saint Augustine