Graduate / University of San Francisco Graduate Nursing - Clinical Nurse Leader Personal Stateme [3]

"In cadence! 1, 2, 3-1! 1, 2, 3-2! I enlisted in the United States Army on November 30th, 2007 as a soldier and a respiratory therapist. The Army has taught me many important skill sets in boot camp. Teamwork was highly emphasized as I worked closely with my fellow soldiers completing a night infiltration course, rappelling down a 60-foot wall, daily physical training until muscle failure, land navigation with the use of night vision goggles, and so much more. Early on, trust was an important lesson learned as we succeeded and failed as a team. There was no longer the word "I", but the word "us". Ten intense weeks with a group of unique individuals coming from all socioeconomic backgrounds cultivated a sense of pure camaraderie.

I have worked in both civilian and government hospitals and nurses are the backbone and foundation of all hospitals. As an Army respiratory therapist I have worked closely with the healthcare team where trust and teamwork were highly emphasized. While working alongside ICU nurses, I gained a new appreciation for their ability to work in stressful situations, holding their composure, and their ability to look and understand the bigger picture when dealing with a patient. I understand the role of a nurse is not completely glamorous and there are times where nurses have to do the dirty work from pulling sheets, providing oral care, and so much more. There are many aspects of caring and healing a person and some of those duties are far from exciting.

A career in nursing has confirmed my desire as it is an innate extension of my ability to help people through difficult times in their lives. Nursing offers me the unique opportunity to integrate my respiratory therapy and clinical skills that will have a significant impact on the health of an individual. Taking Microbiology, Anatomy, and Physiology has solidified my interest in understanding how the human body works and has further motivated me to learn the process to heal it. Nurses are the bridge that directly links a patient's needs and the amount of time it takes for them to recover. I am eager to combine my skills I have acquired as a respiratory therapist and polysomnographer with those that I will learn in order to become an exceptional nurse.

The University of San Francisco's clinical nurse leader program complements my previous academic works. It allows me to utilize a combination of my business, computer, military, and respiratory skills to give me a different perspective and approach to the nursing program. The clinical nurse leader will offer me the opportunity to experience the role as a nurse generalist and expose me to different nursing roles. It is multi-faceted role, since a clinical nurse leader will provide direct patient care at a high level and managing parts of a healthcare team. The clinical nurse leader at the University of San Francisco builds a solid foundation for graduate nurses to pursue a post certificate degree in many specialty fields.

I feel I would make an excellent candidate for your clinical nurse leader program. My experience in the military, respiratory therapist, and business background will allow me to adapt well into the nursing role. It would certainly be an honor to initiate my graduate education at the University of San Francisco.

Undergraduate / "business, computer, military skills" Stanford School of Medicine Physician Assistant [2]

I enlisted in the United States Army on November 30th, 2007 as a soldier and a respiratory therapist. While working alongside physician assistants, I gained a new appreciation for their ability to work in stressful situations, holding their composure, and their ability to look and understand at the bigger picture when dealing with a patient. A career as a physician assistant has confirmed my desire as it is an innate extension of my ability to help people through difficult times in their lives. Becoming a physician assistant offers me the unique opportunity to integrate my respiratory therapy and clinical skills that will have a significant impact on the health of an individual. Taking Microbiology, Anatomy, and Physiology has solidified my interest in understanding how the human body works and has further motivated me to learn the process to heal it. Physician assistants are the link to addressing a patient's needs and the amount of time it takes for them to recover. I am eager to combine my skills I have acquired as a respiratory therapist and polysomnographer with those that I will learn in order to become an exceptional physician assistant.

My current role as a senior respiratory care practitioner with Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Health Systems has allowed me to work directly with medically underserved patients. There have been many times where I find obstacles and challenges due to language barriers. Technology has made it possible to bridge this gap through immediate communication and translation via telephone networks, phone applications, and websites that offer translation services. Also, through the county patients are almost never turned away due to income level. If patients do not qualify for Medi-Cal, or Healthy Way LA, then Outpatient Reduced-Cost Simplified Application (ORSA) is available to medically underserved individuals. Obstacles and challenges are recognized and there are always solutions.

The Stanford University Primary Care Associate Program will provide me the opportunity to work with the socioeconomic underprivileged community. My goal is to develop a solid foundation through the PCAP's training program in diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services. Furthermore, working as part of a healthcare team I wish to augment my skills through taking medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and x rays, and make diagnoses. I feel with the training provided I will be able to provide the finest care to all of my patients.

The PCAP complements my previous academic and clinical experiences. It allows me to utilize a combination of my business, computer, military, and respiratory skills to give me a different perspective and approach to the physician assistant program. Being a physician assistant will present me the opportunity to experience a multi-faceted role, from rotating through emergency medicine, inpatient care, surgical settings, and long term care facilities. It would be an honor and privilege to initiate my physician assistant training and education at Stanford University.