I
had always dreaming of becoming a nurse and can remember the first time I sat
in the auditorium with my fellow classmates and listened to the Dean of the
school give her address. I was beaming inside and out! I knew the next few
years would be difficult but I was so excited about becoming a nurse that it
didn’t matter.
And
then I got the first of many negative comments by the dream busters – the
nurses who for whatever reason were hell bent on talking my classmates and me out
of becoming a nurse.
Dream
buster examples:
“Get
out while you can! Nursing sucks!”
“I
would never let my daughter become a nurse. What’s wrong with your mother?”
“Did anyone warn you that being a nurse has
nothing to do with taking care of patients? If I were you, I’d quit now.”
Really?
Was it really that bad? At first, I felt like I got punched in the gut. I
questioned my career choice and myself. Was I making a mistake? SHOULD I
consider quitting? Why was nursing that bad – bad enough for these nurses to
warn me against it?
Well,
20+ years later, I’m glad to say that I’m still a nurse. And although there
have been tough times, I can honestly say that I still LOVE being a nurse. As
for those dream busters, I can’t help them other than to think, if you’re
miserable with your career choice – stop whining and get out! We don’t want you
here.
What can you do
when a nurse (and he/she will) approaches you with the token, “You’re crazy for
becoming a nurse….”
Say this:
“It
makes me sad that you feel that way.”
Or you can say:
“I’m
sorry you feel that way.”
And
walk away. After all, you shouldn’t have to defend your decision to become a
nurse. Defending your choice will only give the dream busters ammunition to
continue his/her attack! Instead, find the nurses who still love being nurses!
Seek guidance from them. Seek reassurance from your classmates. Don’t ever give
up your dream.
Thanks
for choosing to become a nurse! I’m cheering for your success.
Take
care and stay connected
Renee
For more great tips, make sure you "like" me on Facebook,"follow" me on Twitter and YouTube and subscribe to my blog. Also, check out my new book on nurse-to-nurse bullying!
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