Duke University’s magazine wrote a story in 2013 that is as true now as it was then. It focused on nursing as a second career. Many of us have dreamed of becoming a nurse only to find ourselves in different careers or on different paths. With the ongoing shortage of nurses, we’d like to reiterate the call to nursing set forth in the Duke article. It is never too late to embrace the profession of nursing.
Nursing as a second career is a growing trend in the United States, proven in part by the explosive growth of nursing schools offering accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (ABSN) degree programs, which require students to already have earned bachelor’s degrees, the majority of which are in non-health care disciplines.

Here two of the stories that were published in the original piece that exemplify this truth.

A few years ago in a top New York City fashion design firm, Ellen Urbanowicz sat across the table from Generation Y pop stars Jessica and Ashley Simpson, whose “Tween” clothing line was all the rage. Urbanowicz—then age 24—and fellow designers were charged with keeping the label fresh and edgy.
Urbanowicz had been in New York just a couple of years and had steadily risen up the ranks at The Jones Group. The New Jersey native was living in Manhattan and reveling in the excitement that the city and her demanding job provided. She was on her way to fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming a famous fashion designer—going from making clothes for her dolls to designing them for the stars.
One Friday night about a year later, while working on a line of clothes for Macy’s, a moral realization struck her. “We were at the office until 11 p.m. and people were freaking out about hem lengths and zippers. It made me think: This is just clothing. It’s not a life and death situation. I really felt I had lost touch with who I was and did not want to live the rest of my life like that.”

For many recent college graduates and established professionals, nursing is attractive since it allows them the opportunity to obtain both personal and professional satisfaction—something frequently cited as missing in other jobs and professions.

Near Venice, Italy, 23-year old San Diego native Anna Gonzales was making a good living as a professional water polo player. She traveled to new and interesting places and enjoyed free time with friends on sunny beaches. “It was a pretty good life,” she says. “I got to see a part of the world I never thought I’d get to see, and get paid to do what I loved.”
One problem, though: Gonzales knew that her time as a professional athlete was limited. Age and a recurring shoulder injury would eventually force her to quit, she reasoned. Gonzales sought a more substantive, rewarding future.
When an offer came to join a different professional water polo team—this one in Greece—she said no. “It was time to actually start my life,” she says

For Urbanowicz and Gonzales, the choice for new careers was clear: Nursing.
If you feel the call to nursing, we at Barco’s Nightingales Foundation urge you to act now. It’s never too late to do what you love.
~Michael and Frida Donner