[HDMotorcop]

I'm noticing an interesting trend here, though admittedly I am new here.

How many men (or women for that matter) are second career nurses and have come from law enforcement and why?

I'll start:

I became an LPN in high school through a vo-tec program. Always wanted to become a cop, but being I was involved in EMS, felt nursing was a good avenue to seek.........plus, like your typical high school male..I disliked being in general topics classes and nursing got me into something more specialized and out of the high school building.

I worked in both EMS as an EMT and in nursing after graduation. I was a staff LPN at a psych hospital and also worked for an agency which placed me in a hospital....on nights. The nursing supervisor had to hire me for med surg because I was an LPN (policy requirement) but she'd often float me to the ER or ICU because of my backround with the paramedic ambulance service when she needed an extra nurse in those units.

I then moved onto my law enforcement career. Have been doing that for, come January, 20 years. 18.5+ with the department I'm with now. Being close to retirement, though in no rush to bail out, I am looking back into nursing. To that end, I have started working in a local Docs office. We do family practice, immediate care and occupational care. Ultimately, I plan on getting my RN (possible through a distance learning program) and upon retirement doing nursing in a full time capacity.

Why nursing?
I've always been a people oriented person. Even after 25 or so years doing somekind of "people service" I still do enjoy it. Though many assignments are the mundain.......those where you actually make a difference in someone's life are rewarding. Nursing will allow that same kind of experience, especially in a speciality such as ER or ICU. Lots of critical thinking, immediate response and decision making etc. ER would be my preference.

OK..............your turn!