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Nursing is a journey of sacrifice.
By Unwritten — Written on May 28, 2022
By Jean Thomas
Nursing can change your life. When you are a nurse, you know that you will touch a life, or a life will touch yours, every single day.
As nurses, we give parts of our hearts to each and every single patient we come across. We are the first to witness the beginning and end of life.
But why become a nurse when you can become a doctor?
Doctors might be revered like gods, but nurses are superheroes, too. Nurses go above and beyond the call of duty, putting others’ lives before theirs.
They sacrifice their own physical and mental wellbeing just to save the lives of total strangers.
Even after hearing all the images people have about nurses, I was happy with my decision to enter the profession. Though the income was meager, it ignited a flame of burning desire to help people and set aside my life to benefit the human race.
My journey to love nursing was a slow process. I had to let go of my egotistical ways and keep my emotions under control.
From a very young age, I wanted to help people out. However, I thought nursing was my only chance to help others because everyone around me believed that was the only kind of social service that would keep a roof over my head and food in my tummy. They were not entirely wrong.
Now, after traveling to two different countries and still feeling that desire to serve others burning in me, I have discovered my strength and my faith in humanity. And nursing certainly does fill more than your tummy!
At a snail’s pace, I have come to love my profession. It was not an easy journey for me, but the people I met and the experiences I had made me rethink my initial resentment towards the nursing profession.
I often wondered whether I had all the necessary qualities to become a nurse: empathy, compassion, care, and respect. We can hardly sum up nursing with just these few words.
Nursing is a journey of sacrifice.
Through the years I have come to realize it’s not a rosy life; it’s a battlefield, hardly appreciated or rewarded, filled with weary eyes, bursting bladder, hungry stomach, aching back and legs, unending shifts, and a burnt-out mind.
Yet every day, something pulls me right back to it.
This registered nurse career guide shows the steps required to become a nurse, a job that ultimately requires lots of hard work.
When I have run myself to the ground, I look around at other nurses who work alongside me, see their kind smile and silent reassurance, and get back on my feet.
With my head held high with confidence and strength, I bravely face every difficult situation in front of me.
As a nurse, I am on a journey full of hope, dreams, and gratitude. I have sacrificed many times and felt the satisfaction of achievement.
Nursing is not just a profession; it’s a lifestyle. Nurses constantly live to help others, and in doing so, we find our happiness.
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Jean Thomas is a nurse and writer for Unwritten. Visit their author profile for more.
This article was originally published at Unwritten. Reprinted with permission from the author.