I have often been asked on why I dropped my MBA studies and took up nursing instead. My standard response was "I am spending the same amount of money but would end up earning more as a nurse" (I was totally wrong though because nursing school is so E-X-P-E-N-s-I-V-E!).

I will lie if I say I was not "financially motivated" when I decided to take up nursing, because I was.

After I enrollend in nursing school. I would often have second thoughts. I think of what I have gotten myself into. In between reading nursing books or reviewing for exams, I dream of going to the mall, meet-up with friends, watch a movie or TV instead of studying on weeknights and weekends.

In the past year, I have missed a lot of work growth oppurtunities. They will be forever be missed because I will never have the time to give work my full attention.

But at the end of the day, I know that where I am right now was my choice. This is what I choose and for the next year or so, I would have to sacrifice.

To be a nurse is easy. To be a good one is not. We have skills to know by heart. We have to have the heart to take care of patients--naligo man sila o hindi, rich or poor, nice or rude, deal or no deal (duh!teehee). In the nursing profession, you can't say you are having a bad day bec your patient depends on you for their immediate care. You can't come up with excuses. A wrong decision is a wrong decision. A wrong assessment could cause you your license and worse your patient's life. It is one of those professions where dedication is very important. To be a nurse is a commitment to serve others.

I just pray and hope that nurses get the recognition and the respect they deserve. I hope people realize that we nurses are not maids.

I hope and pray that nurses realize that every time they step inside the hospital, they are not just in the hospital because it is their job. But they are to provide care and comfort to the patient.

I will be a hypocrite if I say that I am no longer "financially motivated" because I still am. It's just that now I know that the nursing profession is not all about the money. Nurses earn more because they work hard for every centavo they get.

I still have second thoughts. And sometimes, I doubt myself if I am capable of being a nurse. But now more than ever, I know in my heart that I want to do this. I want to be a nurse. Not just a nurse but a good nurse. A nurse with a heart to care and a commitment to serve. I will work hard to achieve my goals. I may have missed a lot of oppurtunities now, but more are waiting for me--lot more than I can even imagine.