Friday, June 03, 2005

Endings, Beginnings, and Giant Leaps of Faith

Twenty-five working days and twelve and a half weeks until I take a big leap of faith into my nursing life. At the end of August, I will quit my job and become a full-time nursing student. It will be the formal end to a twenty year career working in information technology. I will say goodbye to colleagues I have grown to respect and love. I’ve loved this career, and sometimes hated it. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity of an interesting and challenging job for so many years.

While it is an ending of a chapter of my life, it is a new beginning as well. I am excited to dedicate myself fully to the process of becoming a nurse. I look forward to clinicals, to begin finding out what it really means to be a nurse. I hope that that I have the right stuff. I worry that I don’t. The only way to find out, though, is to jump in with both feet. Step outside the comfort zone. Take the leap of Faith. Sometimes, I envy people who are getting in “clean”, straight out of school… no comfortable habits, no beloved colleagues, no established career or reputation, no baggage that must be abandoned. But then again, I wouldn’t give up the last twenty years for anything, so that’s foolish thinking. Keep the faith.

“Man can learn nothing except by going from the known to the unknown.” – Claude Bernard

Indeed.

4 Comments:

Blogger Melaina RN, PHN, MS, CNS, ACHPN said...

I entered nursing as a second career. Well, sort of. I was in health education for years beforehand, but let me tell you, that was nothing like nursing. I worked on a computer most of the time. I actually work with many second-career nurses. And one of my co-workers father applied to nursing school this year and he is 66! I think it's invaluable what people bring to nursing when they come from a prior career. It really adds depth. And you never know when those skills from your prior career will come in handy in nursing! And they inevitably will! Good luck!

9:13 PM  
Blogger Nurse2B said...

Thanks for the encouraging words, Mia. There are several other folks in my nursing program that are changing careers. It's great to hear from someone in the field, who's "been there and done that".... and did not hate it.

11:50 PM  
Blogger Nurse2B said...

Thanks, Student Nurse, I really appreciate the kind words!

10:02 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I also entered nursing from a prior career! I think that there are two types of nurses, ones that are born knowing, and ones that were and didn't listen to their hearts the first time. Good luck with your nursing schooling!! We need caring, great nurses how here!!!!!

7:59 PM  

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