Graduate / I was only 17, when I gave birth to my first child - entrance into a graduate nursing program [4]

Im applying to a graduate nursing program, They want you to highlight your unique abilities, experience and knowledge. feedback is greatly appreciated.

PERSONAL STATEMENT

At 17 years old, I gave birth to my first child. I remembered being in the worst pain in my life, when a nurse hops on the bed, straddles me and put all her weight on my belly. There was no explanation from the nurse before or after about what was happening, no reassurance, from anyone as to why I had not heard the baby cry. Even after my delivery there were instances that my nurse ignored my complaints of pain while flushing my IV. No apology or empathy when my arm above the IV site finally began to turn purple and black before the catheter was removed. It was this experience that drove my commitment to provide empathetic care to every human being I encountered.

Subsequently, I enrolled into a nursing program to obtain a BSN. While it was not easy, I managed to successfully juggle working 30 hours a week in a Pediatric ER, single motherhood, and being enrolled fulltime in a BSN program. Although, not appreciated at the time, my complicated life circumstances taught me the importance of hard work and perseverance in pursuit of my goal.

Once I accomplished my goal to become a Registered Professional Nurse, I would spent the next 11 years working in neonatal and the pediatric critical care setting. I would fine tune my skills in the technologically advanced critical care setting, and with a very diverse patient population, I would learn how imperative it is to provide culturally sensitive care. My current employment at Texas Children's Hospital has allowed me realize, the significant role that Nurse Practitioners have on the multidisciplinary team and their ability to increase the quality of patient care. It is this positive impact that has influenced me to decide to pursue an advanced degree.

My pledge to life-long learning led me towards my BSN degree, but my ambition to maximize my potential is what guides me pursue a MSN at University of Texas to become Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. By pursuing an advanced degree in nursing, I will be able to grow professionally, without losing the basic nursing principle of patient advocacy. I believe my attributes of extensive pediatric nursing experience, patient advocate, and the flexibility to work independently as well as collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team makes me great candidate for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program. My capabilities as a strong analytical problem solver, and ability to listen to the unique needs of individuals are all characteristics of an excellent advance care provider.

My education, work and life experience has instilled in me, the importance of providing culturally sensitive care, the necessity of evidence based practice, accountability and the ability to overcome adversity. I am confident that UTEP will prepare me thoroughly for pursuing a career working in the pediatric acute care setting and ultimately my goal of obtaining my Doctorate of Nursing. Although I expect the program to be a challenging, I pledge my full enthusiasm and dedication to excelling.