In this forum for discussing the “hot button” issues facing the nursing profession today, we welcome your thoughts and opinions. Check this space in each issue to see how readers answer the provocative questions we pose.
Our question this issue:
Why did you choose nursing?
The results:
(A) To help and care for others (41.1%)
(B) An interest in the health sciences (15.5%)
(C) Salary potential and job security due to nursing shortage (13.2%)
(D) Flexible schedule (1.1%)
(E) Wide range of career options (18.0%)
(F) A family member was a nurse (2.6%)
(G) Positive experiences with nurses, including during personal or family member illness (8.6%)
Total Votes: 240
I chose nursing because my mother was a nurse and I loved the idea of working closely with people. —Maya Shaha, Post-doc student
I chose nursing because of the great variety of jobs and work settings as an RN, the excellent pay, and the opportunity for advancement in the profession.
—Elizabeth R. McCarthy, Accelerated Class of 2006
Our Readers Write
I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed reading the summer 2006 “Nursing Research with an Impact” issue. I generally stop whatever I’m doing when a School of Nursing publication arrives and read it immediately. Then I make repeated visits over time to interesting articles.
JHUSON publications give this reader a comprehensive focus on what makes your school unique. It all comes together when you include news about the students’ lives, their hopes, their needs, and their future plans with that of the school’s mission. I especially enjoy reading human interest stories like the articles written about Dean Hill and Gayle Page and the relationship they share with their mentees (“Sharing the Air”). From reading about what you are doing at the School of Nursing, my feeling is that you are more than just a school. It is about the holistic service that you provide, serving the needs of your students as well as serving the needs of the entire world wherever your compassionate alumni are located. JHUSON does it all so well. Many thanks.
T Lance Jackson