When you apply for a nursing program, you go through an interview. In that interview, they typically ask you the famous question “Why do you want to be a nurse?”. Anyone you talk to will tell you that this is the most important question asked in the interview, and they will also tell you not to say “I want to help people” because that is the most generic answer you could ever give. They will scare the shit out of you, telling you to think long and hard about this question, even though your interview is 2 years away! Many people wonder; “What am i supposed to say?” and it is not an easy answer to come up with. You don’t want to over extend your response, but you also want to leave your mark. So, I thought I would share why I want to become a nurse. I thought about this when I was still in high school, and it came right to me. I think that is when you know that this is the career you were made for.

When I was 14, my dad was in a serious car accident that almost cost him his life. He spent about a month in the ICU, and many months in an assisted living home and of course, we spent just as much time there as he did. There were many different doctors and nurses who were taking care of my father. They all worked extremely hard to make sure he was comfortable and healthy. They genuinely cared about him and strived to make sure that he got better. And they cared about us just as much; always making sure we had everything we needed and that we were holding up okay. This was a very remarkable attribute to me at the time. Even after my dad was stronger and we were home, we still went back up there to give the staff progress reports. They were always so thrilled to see him and so proud of the progress he had made. What is even more astounding is that I know that my father was not the only patient that these nurses had. They had dozens more, and I am more than confident that they treated them in the same manner that they did my father, and cared about them just as much. That was astonishing to me, and from that point on, I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

On the flip side, I have seen nurses who do not care as much about their patients. My great uncle was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about two years ago. As his disease progressed, he was placed in a nursing home, then another nursing home, then a hospital, then a different hospital, and finally to the hospital I want to speak of. The hospital in which he took his last breath. These nurses did not care for my uncle’s well being. They did not even act like they did. They did the very bare minimum to keep him alive. They did not like to take the time to talk him down when they were performing tests, feed him properly, bathe him properly, or care for him in general. I will not blame them for his death, because that part is up in the air. However, these nurses did not treat my uncle with the respect and consideration that he deserved. They showed me what I did not want to be. They showed me that I wanted to strive to go above and beyond for my future patients, to make sure they were comfortable and satisfied, give them what they deserve in what may be one of the toughest time of their lives.

Of course my answer in my interview would not be this lengthy, but these are the real reasons I want to be a nurse. I have seen both sides of the spectrum, and it has proven to me not only what career path I desire, but how hard I want to work to become the most extraordinary nurse I can be, so that maybe I can make a difference in someones life.

​That is why I want to become a nurse.

​TNG