When I was in primary school, whenever my mom goes to the hospital for her monthly visit to the OB-gyne doctor and for some laboratory tests, I often walked past many nurses in white uniforms, bringing charts and carrying medicine trays. It was then that I told myself, I will become a nurse.
The desire formed in me almost instantly as fast as a millisecond of a heartbeat. It was as if my brain had a sudden jerk in all it's commands, telling me to take up nursing someday. It was indeed too sudden and illogical, I could say it's a Calling.
My mother, also a Nurse, might have been also an influence since I spent most of the time listening to her medical speeches and reading her thick and complicated nursing books. But I could say, almost a big part of that desire formed up out of my independent verdict.
As typical as what parents always do, I was asked one day about what I wanted to be when I grow up. Without any hesitation, I immediately answered: "to be a Nurse". It was like an automatic response, like it was already formed in my tongue before they even asked me. I felt so fulfilled and excited when my parents both affirmed and also considered it a good choice.
When I was already in the nursing school at a University, I have never felt so pressured and challenged by all the chores and mental obstacles. But I always kept the flame burning in me, knowing it is what I really like and it is truly the desire of my heart. Years passed, after dueling with the tension and stress brought about by daily 50 item quizzes, nerve racking examinations, and toxic related learning exposures in the hospitals and health centers, I finally got my much wanted diploma and stepped in to the first level of the ladder, which was the Board exam. I fortunately got my license afterwards.
I started my career with a Primary level Hospital as an Emergency Room Nurse. Only there did I realize what I was really up to. I had to overcome a lot of trials, such as how to manage a sudden influx of patient, how to calm an anxious toddler who is about to be inserted with an IV line, also, and the most difficult one, how to apologize to the family members for not saving their loved one's life after giving 10 cycles of CPR. These all will take someone to be intently dedicated to survive.
I realized therefore that nursing is not just a profession as others would say. It is indeed a calling, needing dedication and tons of sacrifices. Being a nurse means being faced with different walks of life. Whether a person has HIV, or totally healthy, the level of respect is equally distributed. Whether he is the owner of a famous resort or he is a lowly farmer, the quality of care given should be of the same degree. In nursing, you will learn that having a kind heart is more essential than having a sharp mind. Truly, nursing is a task not intended for the faint-hearted and only intended for those who have pure intentions and total submission.
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