Why nursing?

1 Why did you become a nurse?
When you became a nurse, were your reasons still valid?
Why did you stay a nurse? what made it all worth it?

I am currently facing a nursing essay, and I have to explain how the role of nursing is a fit for me.
I understand why I want to become a nurse, and it is slightly more skewed than the normal student. Yes, I do want to help people (the cliche answer), but more so I want have an impact on society.
I need to work in a position where I know I have made a difference. Sure I could have chosen to become an md, but nursing allows me to interact not only with the patient, but with their families. I like the idea that when I am treating a patient, I am not only treating them but helping their families at the same time. I like to think of the entire family as a patient rather than the one needing my immediate attention. Throughout my experiences in the hospital, I have often found that the families were more concerned with the situation than the patient. Sometimes they can have an effect on the stress levels of my immediate patient. So in short, I feel it is important to 'treat' both the patient and their family.
To me answering the question is more complicated than one answer. I thrive on stress and chaos (as in I work better under the pressure, but may not like stress) and find the more I have the better I perform. I have always been fond of working with chaos, and having to critically think on my feet. These few reasons I feel, nursing is for me. I get excited when C. difficile outbreaks, or MRSA outbreaks. Sure they suck for the patient, but the skills needed and the clear mind needed to control these outbreaks is exhilarating.
I know pre-nurses have idealistic expectations, and I hope nursing is not all pretty as we pre-nurses like to think. I have been bitten, spat on, defecated on, and pinched so far, and even though they sucked then, they sure make great stories now. So this is my mini idealistic expectations of nursing, and I feel the changing situations make it idealistic for me.
How about you? (then and now?)
Sorry for the babble, I like to babble
I know that this assignment may be considered 'busy work', but its really a valuable exercise - intended to make you reflect on your underlying motivation. It may be fun to hang on to the finished essay and read it once a year after you get your license. I wonder how much you will change over the years?Nursing was/is a great choice for me because I am a natural-born control freak. It's great to be in a position to tell people what to do -- and they actually want to listen. I am a critical care nurse/educator, so it's a natural fit. I like taking control of situations, bringing order to chaos, and making things turn out better than they would have if I had not been around. And, like all successful nurses - I'm really good at keeping a straight face - "excuse me for a moment, I need to brief the physician on this new development". I'm not special - certainly no one's angel of mercy; don't need any external acknowledgement other than a fair salary for my work. I'm very fortunate to have a career that has always felt like 'home'.

Why not? I like it warts and all.