Undergraduate / 'A visit to the park with my daughter' - Diversity John Hopkins Nursing [NEW]

1. Diversity is one of the core values of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Members of the School of Nursing community agree to "embrace our differences in experience, culture and other aspects as a way to enhance all our activities"1. One of the values in professional nursing practice is the "respect for the inherent worth, dignity, and human rights of all individuals"2. Your patients may not share the same ethnicity, culture or set of values as you. Describe a personal scenario you experienced that challenged your core values and explain how you responded.

Throughout our lives we come across different experiences that challenge us. These challenging situations are tools that stay with us and thus give us expertise and knowledge throughout our lives.

A situation that challenged my core value was the day a gay individual saved my daughter. On this unforgettable day, my life was changed within matter of minutes from an individual whom I have been trained to avoid due to choice of sexual orientation. Association with such people means death and this was a teaching I took very religiously and seriously.

On one sunny summer, my daughter and I decided to pay a visit to the park. As I walked ahead, my daughter roller skated behind. Within a split second, my daughter fast skated past me and was heading towards a lake. This was a disaster as both of us were no swimmer. She was screaming for help as she headed down the hill. I was also yelling for help as I run after her. There was nobody in close proximity other than the gay individual who had said hello to us when he was on his way down the hill and whom I had ignored completely and looked at scornfully. This individual put his life on the line by using his body as a shield in other to save my daughter from entering the lake. I was so relieved to see that my daughter was fine but the gentleman was badly scuffed and bruised. It was an awkward situation as l was lost for words and did not know how to address this person. After a few moments, I burst out crying. I apologized for my earlier behavior as I was ashamed of it. I was left for the rest of the day pondering over what had happened on this faithful day. I turned over a new leaf as I reject the teachings of the old.

Undergraduate / 'The birth of my son' - Nursing essay (does this essay satisfy the question?) [4]

Answer the question, why do you want to be a nurse? Include your academic, professional and life experiences and how they are relevant to the nursing profession. Include your professional goals in nursing?

My interest in nursing arose after the birth of my son. The birth of my son was a rather tedious and difficult one. The healthcare professional team that took care of me was very diligent in making sure the delivery process went smoothly as planned and at the end of the ordeal, I was blessed with a beautiful baby boy. This experience caused me to have a new level of respect for healthcare professionals and has motivated me to pursue nursing as a career.

As mother of four children, I obtained my undergraduate degree in my adulthood with outstanding GPA while also being a business owner. My business involves arranging candies into beautiful bouquets which allows me to serve many customers with varying degrees of background and expectations.

My life experiences which include my background in hospitality and as a business owner are all relevant to the nursing profession because they are all involved in taking care of people, anticipating their needs and exceeding their expectations. As a mother, wife, and daughter, I have the traditional and most essential role of being a nurturer, comforter, advocate, and provider which are important in the nursing profession as these are all attributes that nurses must possess in order to care for their patients.

My professional goals in nursing include graduating at the top of my class and passing the national board exam. I hope to work on a maternity floor and improve my skills as a nurse. I eventually want to be a delivery and labor nurse by completing my Master's degree in this field. I have chosen delivery and labor nurse because I enjoy working with women and babies. My long term goals include staying as an active member in the profession of nursing, joining the American Nurses Association, and attending seminars and lobbying for the advancement of nurses.

Graduate / 'the recipient liked the bouquet' - critical thinking skills challenge [3]

1. Critical thinking skills are an essential aspect of leadership in nursing. Give a specific example of a conflict or challenge you have experienced in which you utilized critical thinking skills to resolve the issue. Why do you see this as an effective use of critical thinking?

Everyone has a native ability to think logically and critically; but many people, including many small business owners, have never had the training or practice to develop this capacity. Fortunately, it is an ability which people can easily master, and the small business owner who has the capacity to see things from the points of view of his customers is way ahead of the pack.

As a business owner, dealing with difficult customers can be very challenging. In my experience, an example of a challenge in which I had to utilize critical thinking was dealing with customers who have made their choice and have purchase a bouquet they thought would be perfect for the recipient only to be remorseful about it. One particular customer came into my store and saw a bouquet that was perfect for a recipient, after the choice was made; she was not sure about the purchase anymore and felt that the price of the bouquet was too much. I could not let remorse set in, so I assured her that she made the right decision based on what she told me about the recipient. I assured her she will be pleased when she picks her bouquet up. After she left, I did not want anybody but me to handle this customer's bouquet so I personally made it for her by going above and beyond. The next day the customer showed to pick up her order. She was blown to see how beautiful the bouquet looked and truthful to tell that she was not expecting what she received. She thanked me and went on her way. About two days after, I called her to see if the recipient liked the bouquet, she was so ecstatic to tell me that not only the recipient loved it but everyone else too. They asked her where she purchased the product and she gladly referred my business.I see this as an effective use of critical thinking because a critical thinker must be rational and empathetic to a situation at hand. He/she must be able to make rational decision based on a sound analysis, assessment, and conclusion on an issue. I was empathetic to the customer's situation as she was having doubts and with my persuasion she had confidence in me and made the purchase.