Ambition: To be a Nurse

When I was just a little kid, I really wanted to be a doctor, someone who wears eyeglasses, genius-looking, who holds a stethoscope, putting it on the patient's back and chest, someone who administers medicine through a syringe with a needle, of course. I wanted to be someone who commands a nurse to do this, and do that. I always believed that it is an extraordinary profession, and truly it is.

But then, years have passed. Just like every other kid who wished and loved to be a doctor at first, I changed my mind. I was spending my whole summer with my dear family, my cousins who were younger than me. We played every day and night. We enjoyed writing on a small green board, and that was the time when I became a little teacher at the age of 9-10, someone who speaks in front with full confidence and enthusiasm. That was a fantastic role I played every day. I shared everything I learned in school, Shrubs, Molasses, Ferns, Animals with Vertebrae, Vocabulary words, everything about Mathematics, those were my elementary days. I created small books for them, we held a Recognition Day. The memories are all so clear to me. Though I hardly remember what I wrote in those books, 'til now, I know that I had fun doing it for them!

When I turned 11, preparing for my graduation that whole school year, I was a bit confused on what I would write on the yearbook. I planned to write "Ambition: To be a teacher." but then, I had a second thought, "Ambition: To be a doctor."

However, finally, when that day came, our teacher instructed us, then I wrote: "Ambition: To be an accountant."

Oh, no. I was thinking, what was the hell going on inside my head that time? Of course, I love Math, it was my favorite but. . .

I was always undecided. I never knew what I wanted. But who cares? That was just something written. Everyone has the right to change his mind, and so am I.

I was still eleven when I entered high school. I don't know how but during my first year, I thought of taking up nursing in college. I was so simple that I looked at it as simple as "just caring". I lost my guts to pursue Medicine course because everyone said it's difficult and I can't imagine myself getting skinnier and skinnier because of it.

I had a vision of being an engineer, like my father. . .or an architect because I love sketching and designing, or a policewoman maybe for no definite reason.

There came college, a period of my life which I consider as so serious. From then, I saw myself writing, "Ambition: To be a Nurse."

Nobody has convinced me to enter nursing. I just like it without a doubt. I don't care how much money I would earn through it, but I admit, I wanna go around the world so badly and be a polyglot. Nevertheless, it was never my primary reason. I just wanted my life to be as easy as possible. I thought being a nurse is being a "doctor's assistant". But I was very wrong, it was a misjudgment I uttered. I regret the day I had that misconception because being a nurse is so unique and amazing. It's not a joke to be like them.

As they always say, nobody could do the caring that nurses do. Nurses touch lives and hearts, uplift people's dignity, dead or alive. Nurses care with sincerity and with dedication to work, they don't mind if they haven't completed an 8-hour sleep, if they haven't yet eaten their meals. They just wanna care, unconditionally. They wanna make people healthy and happy. Although they can't even cheer up their own selves, they still smile.

I discovered nurses play so many roles, roles which I once dreamed of when I was younger. They collaborate with the doctors to cure and care for the patients. They are teachers because they educate people. They are accountants 'cause they would have to compute for dosage of medicine, intravenous fluid regulation anytime and use their analytical thinking skills. They are engineers and architects because they are good and creative designers. They seem like police(wo)men because they regulate themselves accordingly, setting a good example to everyone.

And I realize, this profession is a calling from The Lord. He just gave me everything I want so that I won't be confused anymore. I am now a full-pledge nurse and I am so proud of it.