Why I Became a Nurse: Deneka’s Story

Deneka is an ABSN student at the University of St. Thomas Houston who, like many others, chose this program to make a career change to nursing. Here, she answers the question, “why I became a nurse?”
Deneka comes from a line of great nurses, she says, noting that her grandmother was a labor and delivery nurse and a congressional gold medal recipient for her service during World War II.
Her grandmother held strong influence over her decision to become a nurse, but it didn’t start that way. She initially chose to pursue a bachelor’s degree in accounting. However, she now is working to become a labor and delivery nurse like her grandmother.
“I can feel her spirit pushing me towards being a successful nurse and helping other people,” Deneka says.
When Deneka first chose what career to enter, she said to herself, “I’m going to do the opposite of that and pursued an accounting degree first.” When she chose to make this shift to nursing, she was apprehensive as she had never taken the necessary science courses before.
However, this certainly did not mean that a nursing degree was out of reach.
“Once I was able to see the results and see that I could keep up with the pace of the science part of the prerequisites, it gave me more confidence as I transitioned to ABSN,” she says.
Part of this confidence came from the support of her cohort. This encouraging culture is important as individuals from all educational backgrounds gather with one united purpose: to become nurses.
“When someone doesn’t understand something, they’re very helpful and willing to explain things to each other, so we help each other because we’re all in this together and we want to see each other succeed,” Deneka says.
After watching Deneka’s answer to “why I became a nurse,” are you ready to jump in? Contact an admissions advisor today who will be able to help you take the first steps in your nursing journey: absn.stthom.ed....