Scholarship / 'desire for making a difference' - your commitment to pursue a career in nursing [3]

Essay 3: Please discuss your commitment to pursue a career in nursing.

There are several motivations that initiated my pursuit of nursing but they all stem from the adoration of making a difference. My passion to make a difference in the world around me has been pounding inside my mind since my life began. My belief is that what we want to be in life is something inherent, something that we carry inside us. With help of the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program I can fulfill my everlasting lust for improving the lives, and the care of patients in underserved communities.

All my life I have made actions that will support my educational and career goals of becoming a registered nurse. In high school I took dual education courses that allowed me to earn college credit while I was in high school. Classes such as medical terminology, and a nursing course that allowed me to obtain my nursing assistant certification. I passed with flying colors and earned my certificate my junior year of high school in 2008. Not only did I take health classes that earned advanced credit but was an active member of Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA). As a member of HOSA I was able to participate in numerous volunteering opportunities. These volunteering experiences allowed me to dip my feet in the world of healthcare, and I loved every ounce of it. As well as volunteering, through HOSA I was able to compete in the Illinois statewide competition against thousands of other members. Through this competition I won first place for writing an essay on the mission of HOSA. I also made it in the top ten with my partner for forensic nursing.

I continued as an active member of HOSA until I graduated high school. During my graduation I was awarded for completing over fifty hours of community service and was honored with a white medical cord to wear during my graduation walk. After my high school graduation I enrolled at a university to pursue nursing and applied for my first nursing assistant job.

I began working at a nursing home while additionally studying for my nursing career. I worked full time and loved my nursing responsibilities but the joy was cut short when my bosses couldn't work with my school schedule. Later on in my studies I applied at a local hospital to continue gaining experience. When I was offered the job, I was thrilled because it meant more opportunities to explore and learn the world of the healthcare field. Being an independent, working student is a hard act to balance. However, my commitment to future nursing goals has always been on the frontline of importance. My dedication has shined through and proven my commitment. I have been working as a certified nursing assistant at this hospital for three years and have gained so much knowledge that it is already benefiting my education. I feel so prepared where I am today and I know that my commitment to pursue nursing will never fade. It has been inside my heart since I was young girl and it will be present until my last breath.

From the recap I have given you of the actions I have made to lead myself in the direction of my educational and career goals, you should observe that I am a very dedicated individual. I will not stop in my endeavors until my dream of becoming a nurse is real. Inspiration, passion and perseverance have lead me halfway, and the knowledge I have gained through education, volunteer work, and my job will stick with me to be my guide during the rest of my journey.

I hope that you will give me the opportunity to make my personal contribution to the mission of the Nurse Corps. I want to be a part of the team that contributes to improving the health equity we struggle with. As a resident of an underserved community myself, I have familiarity of the lives and the conditions that need improvement. I desire to build a healthy community by providing superior nursing services. The possibility of even enriching my own community excites my passion and lights the onward road to success. Alongside the help of this scholarship or not, I will contribute to the mission of the Nurse Corps because the mission outlines principal responsibilities of any nursing leader, and without support from all health professionals our mission cannot succeed.

Scholarship / "underserved community" - Scholarship Essay, read and make suggestions [3]

Essay Question: What defines an underserved community? What experiences have you had that have prepared you to work with underserved populations?

The mission of the Nurse Corps states the goals to be health equity, quality services, and improved health workplace. In an underserved community you can expect to see these qualities neglected. To be more specific, underserved communities are occupied with families earning incomes at the poverty level. Often times, patients in these vulnerable areas are victim to chronic illness or disabilities. What we are finding in these areas is that the healthcare standards are often not up to par. Reasons vary for healthcare disparities but the highest factor is due to maldistribution of professionals. As a result, often times quality of care plummets in these areas. An alternative situation includes scarcity of access to primary care services. This could result from populations living in more rural areas that are limited in healthcare options. By committing to work as a nurse in an underserved community, I can personally contribute to the mission of the nurse corps. Through my work as a nurse, and the support of teamwork of professionals whom surround me, we can improve the health of the patients by providing quality care in order to build a healthy community.

As an active member of society, I have been fortunate enough to work with people from numerous cultural backgrounds. As a participant of Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) I was able to volunteer with the elderly, the needy, and the sick in various instances. Through participation, I was able to gain experience that will prepare me for my commitment in the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program, and ultimately as a registered nurse. For illustration, members of HOSA and I volunteered in an underprivileged community to assist in building a park for their community. In addition, we provided hot meals for the needy, and the most memorable event of my volunteer work was cooking for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald house; a company that relieves the stress of child illness by providing housing for family that is near the hospitalized child. In addition to preparation that I have acquired through community involvement, I have gained extensive experience through my employment as a nursing assistant in a hospital.

By working as a tech in a hospital I have been fortunate to gain knowledge on working with patients from underserved communities. Either through hands-on care by being a tech or by observing associated patient care professionals such as case managers. My actions in life thus far have all been in training for my dream job of nursing. From my actions I have gained hands-on knowledge with working with patients, communication skills, understanding and respect of cultural backgrounds. I feel as if I will be skilled in managing any emotional issue that my client demonstrations, and with continued education, any medical issue as well.

Although I already feel confident in my abilities, I will continue to fully prepare for my career. Early preparation brings more experiences, and experiences bring knowledge. Through these actions we can pave the way to a rise in quality of care. By excelling in educational goals, hospital encounters, and service learning, I can advocate what's best for my patient's and with support encourage our community to be a healthy one. My dreams have surfaced from my own actions, and my passions have resided the home inside my heart.

I have realized that through broad tourism I have uncovered the greatest motivation that has guide my heart in caring for underserved communities. Shortly after one of the natural disasters that struck Haiti in early 2000, I was able to travel to the country with family and provide small acts of relief. This experience is the biggest memory of all my travels, and the sights have impacted my life by encouraging my nursing passions to flourish in the future. I desire to give full-hearted support and nurturing care to the lives that I encounter in my nursing career simply because everyone deserves it.

I hope that I will be selected to contribute to the mission of the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program because I have so much knowledge, and passion to offer to the lives of my patients. My deeply rooted passion goes far beyond my own material needs and into the needs of the individuals that I am lucky enough to serve.

Scholarship / Contribution to mission of Nurse corps in providing care. [2]

Essay Topic: How will you contribute to the mission of the NURSE Corps Scholarship Program in providing care to underserved communities?

There are several factors that may contribute to why certain communities lack a proper healthcare workforce. Issues like salary potential, lifestyle preferences, and cultural atmospheres may push professionals towards other communities. Concerns such as civic populations at poverty level may explain inadequate healthcare services in these underserved areas. Though the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program we can provide underserved populations with a more equitable form of service. Commitment of health professionals to care for individuals in disadvantaged areas can fill some of the cracks in this vital issue.

As my contribution to the mission of the Nurse Corps Program, I would pledge to work as a nurse in one of the many critically short healthcare facilities following graduation. It is essential that we meet nursing and patient care standards on a universal ground. Together we can rectify the workplace imbalance and enrich the care that patients in these communities receive.

By committing to work as a nurse in a critical shortage facility, I would be giving back to the community that I am blessed to be a part of. Personally, I believe that it is our moral duty to give back to the community so that together we can encourage constructive progress for the success of our future. By accepting this responsibility as a citizen we can build a strong community. In connection, we would likely observe a rise in patient's quality of care due to proper staffing.

Studies show that appropriate nurse staffing directly correlates with high-quality patient care. My biggest role in contributing to the mission of the Nurse Corps will be to increase patient satisfaction scores in these vulnerable areas. By accepting my role at a critical shortage facility I would be easing the workplace gap instantaneously. Through continued dedication, and teamwork, the healthcare workforce as a whole can improve the quality of care that individuals receive in these vulnerable areas. Living in an underserved community shouldn't mean sacrificing quality of care.

I hope that you will consider me for the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program. I have so much knowledge, and passion to give to these patients. I know that my contributions to the healthcare workforce in these underserved communities will reflect the ideal mission of the Nurse Corps.