I’ve been told it’s hard to get into nursing school these days. There are waiting lists just to ‘hope’ you qualify for an interview. And then the interview doesn’t guarantee your acceptance. I’ve heard these waiting lists are years long.
The process from start to finish can be challenging to say the least.
I remember my interview (way back then). The interview began with answering a question given to you on a piece of paper. The question asked, “Who do you look up to? / Who was/is your hero?” (Sorry I don’t remember the exact wording).
I had a rush of so many thoughts. What the heck kind of interview is this? I thought this was about nursing??
I calmly answered with what I felt was my motivation.
Michael Jordan.
I can’t say I know the true story (who does). But we all know the tale about how the ‘greatest’ player ever to walk on to the basketball court was cut from his high school basketball team. Yes. He was told he wasn’t good enough to be a part of the team.
A heavy blow to many-a-teenage ego. The story goes that he went home, locked himself into his room and cried.
Of course that isn’t the end of the story (otherwise we’d have no idea who Michael Jordan is??). After the ‘cut’ and the crying. He began a journey that we all still talk about to this day. He is still the measuring tool of how ‘good’ someone plays basketball.
So. I chose Mr. Jordan because he never quit. He failed, but he never quit.
That is the key to success. That is the key to getting what you want (out of life) and for your career. While you may very well fail, that does not mean you are a failure. It simply means you have to regroup, re-evaluate, and try harder.
If you want to be a nurse, then make the commitment. If you don’t get into the school of your choice, try again. Try other schools. Try distance education. Talk to local nurses and find out what you have to do. What ever you do, keep trying. Don’t quit.
As a nurse, I’ll take one dedicated, hard working, passionate individual over a thousand spoon-fed lackey’s any day.
You will fail along your journey. I guarantee it. The only difference between those current nursing students and you – is they didn’t let failure stop them.
