In some ways, Mother’s Day and the nursing profession make a great team. Many specialties (L&D nurse, NICU, Mother/Baby, Peds nurse) focus on mothers and children, so working with moms is a big part of the job. But let’s not forget that many RN’s  — in addition to having their own kids –  may also have mothers who were very influential in their choice of a nursing career.

Deb in Nursing School

Deborah Bacurin, Clinical Coordinator and Corporate Resource Manager at American Traveler — and also a RN who worked in the ER for many years — shares how her mother helped shape her career and life:

“I hadn’t always planned to be a nurse. When I graduated from high school, my mom was just graduating from nursing school. At 18, the last thing I wanted was to be “just like my mother.â€� Guess some of the medical profession did rub off on me though;  I got a job as a secretary in a local emergency room.  One day I saw one of the doctors come out and tell family members that their loved one had died.  I decided I could do better than that, and after talking to my mom again about it – I enrolled in nursing school.

After graduating and working for a year, I planned on becoming a travel nurse. In fact, I had my first assignment just about booked when my father was in a work accident and hospitalized. As a result of his injury he became a partial paraplegic, and during his recovery period my mom and I shared much of the care-taking. After he had been stable and in a rehab for about a month, my mom looked at me and said, “One of us is traveling – he certainly doesn’t need both of us here!” I was on the road within two weeks. I’ll always be grateful to her for allowing me that freedom — and for introducing me to a profession that has been so central in my life.”

Here’s to your Mom, Deb, and to all the mothers out there, for being caregivers, cheerleaders and inspirations … Happy Mother’s Day!

Find more information on Deborah Bacurin’s travel nursing career here »