My Monday Memory....I want to be a nurse.
Monday, June 12, 2006

I think I've always wanted to be nurse.

One year for Christmas I received a nurse's uniform as a Christmas gift along with a child's medical kit. From then on, all my dolls and stuffed animals were constantly patients at "my hospital". They were bandaged, operated on, and unfortunately not all of them survived.

One new doll had eyes that opened and shut. I was intriqued to find out how they worked....consequently I punched out her eyes. I must have felt bad about blinding her as "Winky" became my favorite doll.

My Aunt Aggie was a registered nurse. She was a public health nurse in rural North Carolina and every summer would let me ride around with her to visit homes, and give lectures at the schools. I adored her and always felt important that she let me "help" her.

One day we went to a clinic where she "lectured" many black mothers about the importance of getting their children "shots" for school. I was 5, lilly white, blonde hair and blue eyes so naturally "stood out in the crowd of black faces".

I remember asking her after the meeting, if she saw me waving at her. She laughed and said, "Child, you looked like a moth ball in a sea of prunes!"

I went to Old Dominion University and got my degree in nursing. My Aunt Aggie was at my college graduation. The ironic part of this story is that when I went to take my state boards to be licensed as an RN "Hurricane Agnes" came through Richmond and we had to evacuate before finishing the two days of testing.

I went into nursing through the influence of an "Agnes" and almost was done in by another Agnes? Coincidence? Who influenced you in your career?

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Posted by Lazy Daisy at 11:00 AM |

21 Comments:
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At 11:17 PM, Blogger YellowRose said........
What a sweet memory! Agnes seemed like quite a gal!

That's too funny that Hurricane Agnes was hitting during your tests!! Talk about twilight zone moment! hee hee

My MM is up!
 


At 1:42 AM, Anonymous Mysterious Lady said........
I didn't operate on my dolls. I operated on fly's. Yup, this red antispetic my mother had in a first aid kit on fly's that were dying. Amazingly enough, they lived through it. I even built a little fly hospital out of cardboard.
My mother was convinced I was a child gone mental.
I love nursing. Glad I chose it as a career.
Lovely memory, thank you for sharing!

(Mines up)
 


At 4:25 AM, Blogger Libragirl said........
I didn't have an influence in my career. I didn't even know you could have a career doing what I do. I know I never would have chosen it but I fell in to it and I am good at it and I get paid, so oh well.

I am glad your Aunt influenced you. Nurses are important. My sister is a doctor and couldn't survive without her nurses.

My mm is up.
 


At 5:49 AM, Blogger It's a FLIP-FLOP World said........
Glad you are back and hope that you had a great time. My MM is not up yet unfortunately!! I am slow today! I loved the telling of how you became a nurse though and the way the two Agnes's came into your life. Nurses are so important today (although the two in my life sometimes wonder about why they chose that career)!!
 


At 6:05 AM, Blogger Viamarie said........
I am a registered nurse but have been out of bedside nursing for 30 years. Have been in hospital administration since then but there are times I really miss being just a plain nurse.

Since I was a sickly child, I spent many of my childhood days in the hospital and that was where I think I got the influence. The nuns that run the hospital where very encouraging and caring and that attracted me to their profession.

Btw, how do I join Monday Memories? What are the rules?
 


At 6:41 AM, Blogger FRIDAY'S CHILD said........
That was a nice dream that at least came true. I admire nurses for their patience.
 


At 8:09 AM, Blogger Katherine said........
That is such a great story! And how wonderful you knew what you wanted to do at such an early age. I didn't at all - my mom was a pharmacist and my dad was in insurance. I went into insurance only because I hated science so I knew I couldn't be a pharmacist. Of course I regret it now since they're in such demand!
 


At 11:57 AM, Blogger The Shrone said........
I'm currently studying marriage and family therapy, but originally I wanted to be a physician and I was even in medical school, only I realized that it wasn't what I wanted to do. The friend I made in med school have me a book by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, called Kitchen Table Wisdom, which was part of their required reading for a class. Dr. Remen was a pediatrician turned therapist for those facing illness. She also has Crohn's disease and an ileostomy. I've had ulcerative colitis and recently became an ostomate. She's inspired me a great deal to continue forth in realizing my desire to help people.
 


At 12:23 PM, Blogger mar said........
Loved your story! those are wonderful memories from your aunt, the nurse. If something was clear to me upon finishing highschool, it was that the medical profession was not for me! I am an economics major (duh, not exciting, huh?) but have been out of the businees world since we moved to Spain. And I have enjoyed having the time with my son and time for other important things in life. Thanks for your wishes and nice comment, my son likes that picture that's why I posted it. But you are very right ,what are moms for if not to embarrass our children, lol, loved it!
 


At 12:23 PM, Anonymous Froggie said........
Intersting memory... just out of curiousity... Have you run into anymore influencial 'Agnes' in your life? One of my best friends in university was named Agnes. :)
 


At 12:56 PM, Blogger Melli said........
*sigh* I still haven't decided WHAT I want to be when I grow up... and nobody is doing much to influence me! Hubby just wishes I would get a "real job"... LOL! Let HIM try substitute teaching!

Your memory is a sweet one ... I DID used to like to play hospital with my dolls... but then they always ended up having to go to the REAL Doll Hospital when I was done with them. My favorite doll was "Dear-boy" and he went to the doll hospital for a new HEAD one time! Usually it was body repair though, as he had a cloth body.
WOW! I haven't thought about him in ages! You really DID bring up some memories!
 


At 2:02 PM, Blogger srp said........
I always liked doing the dissections in Biology class. Then when we found a baby chick with gnarled toes, I put toothpick splints on them and two weeks later he was better.

Hmm. Perhaps I should have been a vet instead of a Pathologist.
 


At 2:24 PM, Blogger Jennifer said........
I didn't know you were a nurse!! Another thing we have in common...that is my dream!
I loved the "moth ball in a sea of prunes" comment...lol! My brother just got back from Nigeria on a mission trip and he looks about like that in most of his pictures! :)
 


At 3:41 PM, Blogger Chi said........
I enjoyed your Monday Memory very much but poor Winky! *s*

Seriously, I am happy that your dream to become a nurse came true. I have never had a career.
 


At 4:23 PM, Blogger craziequeen said........
Who influenced my career? The bank manager, that's who....

without him I would still be in childcare - and poor... :-)
Now, I'm a civil servant - and still poor!

My MM is up!

cq
 


At 5:34 PM, Blogger LadyBugCrossing said........
So that explains your sense of humor!! My mom is a nurse - need I say more!

I was originally going to become a physician... chemistry and physics did me in. I switched to business. Did well. Got a job in finance.
Went to grad school. Got a MEd and 28 credits towards an MBA. Liked the teaching thing much better. I enjoy high school kids the most. They are fun and you can talk to them.

Now I teach middle school music. 2 hours a week. I LOVE it!

LBC
 


At 6:09 PM, Anonymous Carolyn said........
Doesn't surprise me that you are a nurse. I'll bet you brightened up every room you went it. Just your demeanor and "way with words" ... some nurses I've been around, have a very poor bedside manor and attitude! Thats definately not you!

Hey -- by the way, I don't think you ever told me WHERE in Kansas you had family. Care to share?
 


At 6:21 PM, Blogger Norma said........
Nurses are really special. One of my sisters had polio and really loved her nurses, and as an adult became a nurse.
 


At 8:53 PM, Blogger PixiePincessMom said........
I think it's great that you were so inspired by your Aunt! What a sweet memory! :-)
 


At 10:57 PM, Blogger Barbara said........
How nice Daisy, I bet you are a great nurse!
 


At 4:48 PM, Anonymous Lifecruiser said........
I wish I had someone to influence me too, instead I ended up working with IT - not very humane. I'm sure you were a wonderful and well liked nurse, you really make a difference in peoples life :-)