Growing up, I always admired my mom for what she did -- all the people she was helping and just the huge difference she was making in the world. Her daily uniform of scrubs was surpassed by the beautiful smile she had on her face while going to work. I could always see the passion in her eyes, as she would tell me about the patients’ she treated during that day. Seeing someone so loving and caring about their job made me realize that I needed to find one where I felt the same way. Here are a few incidents that I have faced specifically having a mom who is also a nurse.

1. You've always had perfect attendance.

I was never able to “fake sick” or even miss school because of a sickness (unless it was really really serious). “I don’t feel good” was never a good enough excuse, especially when she could tell I was faking. Looking back on those days, I’m very thankful she sent me to school no matter what because I have learned how important attendance actually is in order to succeed.

2. Who needs the hospital when you already have a nurse?

Most of us don’t always want to believe it, but moms are usually right. No matter the intensity of the injury or sickness, they know just what to do and exactly how to treat that cut or cold. Depending on the severity, she’ll know whether or not to even try to help or whether she should take you straight to the hospital. Either way, having someone around who always knows what to do is an honest blessing.

3. You’ve become the “motherly” friend.

You definitely learn a lot when you have a nurse for a mom. Whenever something happens with one of your friends, you are there, ready to save their life. Cuts, colds, needles, headaches, hangovers -- anything they have to go through, you are right there next to them reassuring them that they’ll be fine.

4. You always have medicine for anything and everything.

Every type of medicine known to man was located in the medicine cabinet. Whenever something was wrong, she would show you what you needed to take for it. Headache? Advil or Motrin. Sore or in pain? Aleve. Have a cold? NyQuil and DayQuil should do the trick. Taking those shots of cough medicine definitely helped prepare you for college (thank you, Mom). Basically, anything you needed, it was there, and you’re mom always helped you out with anything you wanted to know.

5. She is the go-to person for medical advice.

I don’t know how many times I’ve been my mom her, and she’s gotten calls asking for her advice on something. Whether it’s family, friends or even neighbors, she always knows what to do. Being away at college is tough when you don’t have your personal nurse right there by your side anymore, but she’s always a phone call away prepared to answer whatever weird question you are going to throw her way.

Although I was never really allowed to skip school or play hooky for the day, I’m still so blessed and grateful that my mom is a nurse. Not only has she saved my life, she's positively affected so many other people too. Not only is she my hero, she’s a medical professional that knows everything about anything. I've learned so many different and interesting things that nurses do that I never would have imagined. I am so happy that I was raised by a nurse, even with her large medical terms that I still don't understand. Thank you to all those nurses in the world who are anything like my mom, you make this world a better place to be.