What Does Abbie Duggar Actually Do For A Living?
John David Duggar's relationship with Abbie Burnett was atypical from the very beginning in comparison to many others in the Duggar family. For one thing, at 28, he was older than all of his other siblings when he started his courtship. Ultimately, that was just one of many differences in John David's relationship versus his brothers and sisters — another big one was the fact she had a career when they met.
In the episode "Love Is in the Air," John David explained he met Abbie on a Sunday at church when his parents were there for a speaking engagement. "Within the first week, it was almost like we'd already known each other forever," he detailed, as she called it "a match made in Heaven." Not long after that initial meeting, in June 2018, the couple's courtship was announced on the Duggar Family blog. In a reveal video for the TLC network, John David noted they'd known of one another for several years. However, they didn't meet in person until he had flown to Oklahoma, where Abbie lived, for that church event. Just one month after announcing their courtship, he whisked her away for a surprise trip. TLC caught it all on camera for "Counting On," naturally, as he proposed and she accepted. The wedding was held that November, and the couple enthusiastically noted, "This is going to be an amazing journey!" (per the Duggar Family blog). The pair later announced the arrival of their daughter Grace Annette on Instagram in January 2020.
A career inspired by her grandparents
When John David Duggar and Abbie Burnett first met, she was a nurse, noted their TLC bio. She attended Pontotoc Technology Center and was a member of the Health Occupations Students of America group, shared The Ada News. Abbie graduated from the PTC practical nursing program in July 2017, The Ada News noted, and was working in the field when she met her future husband. As fans saw during the "Counting On" episode "To Grandmother's House We Go," she joined John David on a mission trip to the Philippines that took place just a few weeks before their wedding. She had an opportunity to utilize her nursing experience there, and she opened up during filming about her passion for the profession.
"Growing up, I never even considered the idea of becoming a nurse," Abbie detailed, per Romper. "But once my grandparents got terminally sick, I got to interact with nurses at the hospital, hospice, and home health nurses, and that's really what sparked the idea of becoming a nurse," she explained, adding, "I just love taking care of people." Abbie worked in the field for about a year, but she then quit to focus on planning her wedding to John David and plan her move to Arkansas. She noted she hoped to perhaps return to nursing one day, and wanted to ensure she kept her license and skills up to par.
Abbie Duggar is focused on family for now
During the "To Grandmother's House We Go" episode of "Counting On" on TLC, Abbie Burnett admitted the decision to leave nursing was difficult. At the same time, "I just knew it was what I was supposed to do," she detailed. Abbie explained she and then-fiance John David Duggar had talked about her working again at some point, and she said he was "definitely for that idea." Throughout their time in the Philippines, he acknowledged he "really enjoyed seeing Abbie in her element as a nurse." He added, "She just loved on those people and it's really neat to see that side of her heart."
Abbie told Us Weekly she "got my license transferred over to Arkansas so that I have that availability if I want it." She seemingly wasn't in any rush to go back to nursing though, noting, "We've just really been enjoying being married and traveling a lot this year." Abbie mentioned perhaps waiting until their daughter was grown before returning to work, and John David added, "I think wait until the baby's born before we make any big decisions for us." He mentioned perhaps Abbie could work part-time. Of course, if Abbie does return to nursing at some point, it'll be a very unique situation within the Duggar family, where the women typically do not work outside the home.