IntroductionIf someone asked me why I want to be a nurse, the answer is simple: service. I believe wholeheartedly in the act of service and in the grace of extending one’s life to others in order for them to benefit. Of course, there are numerous ways to provide service to others and to the planet, such as working in a soup kitchen, or helping to rescue animals or giving companionship to the elderly. All of these things are worthwhile, deeply meaningful ways to provide benefit to others. To me, becoming a nurse is at the pinnacle of meaning because one is able to provide comfort and help to those in some of the scariest most uncertain moments of one’s life. Physical health is ground zero for happiness and stability of the individual. Without it, people are in limbo. The nursing profession has the privilege of being able to offer enormous comfort to those who find themselves in the precarious situation of ill health. 



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Nurses are on the front lines of patient care and this is one of the main, if not the most compelling reason why I want to be a nurse. “Public opinion polls consistently rank nurses as the most trusted profession—usually ranking well above physicians. And it’s for good reason. Patients in hospital may forget who their doctor is, but they will rarely forget their nurse” (Hand, 2015). This is in part because the doctor will be just make a quick visit here and there, but the nurse is the constant presence by the side of the patient throughout the healing process (Hand, 2015). Some people would probably assume the opposite, since doctors are given so much esteem in our societies. The reality is that nurses are constantly working for the good of the patient, advocating for them, multitasking, engaging with patients and relatives. It’s common for doctors to not acknowledge the work that nurses do and to not give them enough credit, but so many doctors have a story about how a nurse has saved the life of a patient. While nurses are undervalued in the profession to a certain extent, they are definitely not undervalued by patients, and those are the most important people, as they are the ones nurses provide service to. 

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Another major reason I want to be a nurse is because of meaningful life events. As a nurse, you have the honor of sharing meaningful life events with other people and helping them through the hurdles involved. For example, the birth of a child is a very fantastic and exciting experience, one that parents treasure. However, it is also incredibly nerve-wracking because there literally are so many things that can go wrong. Nurses can help...

It is via the proactive efforts of the nurse that can actually prevent any complications from occurring. Through the proactive work of a nurse, patients bringing life into the world or going through a complicated surgery are more likely to have stronger outcomes as a result of the nurse keeping watch. Meaningful life events can also include palliative care, perhaps one of the most daunting thresholds for a patient to cross. Different people react to the notion of their own mortality in different ways: some are at peace with the inevitable. Others are terrified or riddled with sadness. Nurses can be a priceless source of comfort during this time. Nurses can advocate for the patient, ensuring they have as many family or friends in their room during this time (Matzo &Sherman, 2018). 
 

The final reason that being a nurse is so important to me is a result of the fact that at its core, life is beautiful, but hard. Life is riddled with challenges in order to ensure the growth of the individual as much as possible. However, some people on earth have been affronted with some of the most difficult challenges one can imagine. They have suffered unthinkable losses, such as the loss of a child, or are afflicted with chronic diseases that impede them from properly living their lives and meeting the goals they have set. Some of them have witnessed the death of family members in terrible car accidents, and others have lost limbs or suffered awful, disfiguring diseases. Life can hurl unexpected challenges, tragedies, hardships, and loss at an individual at any time. Sometimes the pressure and pain can feel like it is too much to bear. Nurses can be a light in this darkness, and offer priceless support, comfort and illumination (nurse.com, 2009). For patients who have just lost a child, or just lost their ability to walk, it can feel as though life has dealt them the cruelest blow. It can rip away their desire to live, driving them to thoughts of suicide, removing all joy from their lives. Nurses can offer support, guidance and the gentle reminder that tragedies are unfortunately a part of life, and that the individual can overcome anything. 

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Conclusion

In summary, why I want to be a nurse revolves around the meaningful challenges inherent within the profession. We all are compelled to make the world a better, more gentler place for others and a career as a nurse makes such a thing truly possible.  Nurses enjoy the pleasure of having substantial time with patients and can benefit from understanding the specifics of their health conditions and their mental/emotional…