My father was a nurse for 35 years - in fact both my parents
were (no prizes for guessing how they met! 
). Anyway, he did
like his job and eventually retired as a HNO, if I recall the ranks
correctly.
He did tell me that when he first signed up for the job in the
early 1960's, they didn't actually say what it was in the newspaper
advertisement. Once they announced it in the briefing session, the
room cleared out and my dad found himself and one other guy
remaining. Both my parents enjoyed their careers and if you're so
inclined, I'd recommend that you give it your best shot!
The other good thing is that now that he's got Parkinson's disease,
he got plenty of former colleagues and subordinates falling over
themselves to help him in any way they can!
