I'm writing the entrance essay for Nursing and here are the requirements:
How to answer the essay question
The essay question or personal response, needs to address the following topics:
* Why have you chosen to pursue nursing as a career?
* Why do you want to pursue baccalaureate preparation in nursing?
* What qualities do you believe you possess that will enable you to perform effectively as a student and later as a practicing nurse?
* How can nursing address and improve global healthcare needs?
Here's what I have so far, any tips would help!! I'm looking more for content analysis and not so much grammar as I will review this again multiple times.
"I have chosen to pursue a career as a nurse because I want to make more of an impact in people's lives. I have always had an interest in health and it wasn't until I graduated college and worked in the environmental industry that I realized I wanted to make a career out of nursing. Fresh out of college, I was excited to be in the environmental field and had visions of "greening the Earth" and cleaning up the environment to improve the quality of life for people. My previous career was a desk job that mainly consisted of researching and writing about urban development and it's impact to the environment. However, after nearly four years, I found myself unhappy in that career. I realized the missing component from that profession was that I didn't feel satisfied with the work I was doing. I am a results driven person and in that profession, it is very hard to see any results or feel a sense of accomplishment. Nursing is a profession where I can still improve the quality of life for people, which is an important aspect of the profession I pursue, yet I will be able to see results and feel a better sense of triumph.
An experience that really helped me solidify the fact that I wanted to be a nurse happened in April of this year. My nephew, who was nine months old at the time, had to have surgery for craniosynostosis. His surgery involved major cuts and reformations of his skull. I was at the hospital during his surgery and all throughout his recovery over the next few days. I paid particular attention to the nurses who treated him and I realized I wanted to do what they were doing. I have always loved children and I have eight nieces and nephews already. The experience of watching my nephew go through his surgery and recovery made me realize I want to combine my interest in nursing with my love of children. I would love to be a pediatric nurse. Children have such sincerity and innocence about them and as a nurse, I would do everything that I can to help children recover from any pain or ailments to the greatest extent feasible.
While becoming a pediatric nurse would be a dream come true, overall, I want to help people to be healthy and to achieve self-care so that they can fully live their lives. It is important for me to be in a position where I do my absolute best to provide the patient with the necessary care to achieve the desired outcome. Nurses interact with patients everyday and even the smallest gestures of kindness can brighten a patient's day. I look forward to having a job where I can educate people, advocate for those who can't advocate for themselves, and provide health care to the best of my ability.
The reason I have chosen to pursue a baccalaureate degree in nursing because I believe graduates of this level are more fully prepared to begin a career as a nurse. In 1965, the American Nurses Association (ANA) wrote a position paper on the minimum level of education that should be required for professional nurses. Specifically, the ANA states that the "...minimum preparation for beginning professional nursing practice at the present time should be baccalaureate degree education in nursing" (ANA, 1965). Furthermore, it seems as though more and more hospitals prefer to hire nurses with at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The BSN degree provides a stepping stone for furthering my profession should I decide to pursue a Master's degree. Also, through my previous work experience, I have realized the value of a Bachelor's degree. Without that level of education, I would not have been able to enter my previous profession. I believe a BSN will open doors for me in my career as a nurse that may not be available to me if I were to become an RN with an Associate's degree. Personally, I believe I will be better prepared as an entry-level nurse and will be more desirable as a potential employee if I pursue a BSN.
I believe the qualities that will enable me to perform effectively as a student include determination, responsibility, and enthusiasm for learning. I believe my educational past speaks for my ability to persevere and the motivation that I have to excel in everything I undertake. In order to achieve the success in both work and school, I had to be very focused and possess a great attention to detail. I believe my educational success and my life experiences have built a great foundation for me to build upon and continue learning. In addition to my educational and work experience, I have gained leadership experience through my extracurricular involvement with Pasadena Toastmasters as well as the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP), where I held positions of Secretary and Newsletter Editor, respectively. Through these positions, I have been able to improve my organizational and communication skills, which are essential for nursing. Successful communication is required for nurses as they need to advocate for their patients. Communication skills are not limited to speaking, but the ability to listen to people is vital to understand what someone is trying to communicate.
In addition to the aforementioned qualities, the following personal traits will help me to be a successful nurse: patience, compassion, and acceptance. One of my best qualities is patience. I have a very easy demeanor and a peaceful disposition. I think this is essential for nurses to have because one of the duties of a nurse is to teach others, and teaching requires patience. I'm also a very compassionate person. I am able to empathize with people and when people around me are feeling down or are in pain, I try to help them come up with solutions so that they can feel better. In addition to patience and empathy, I accept people for who they are, regardless of race, economic level, educational level, sexual preference, etc. My Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences helped me to gain a better perspective on where people come from and that it's not right to judge people because not everyone has the same experiences or opportunities in life. These qualities and the desire to improve the lives of others will help me to be an excellent nurse.
While nurses are an important asset of the healthcare industry in the United States, within a global context, the potential for nurses to address and improve global health care is tremendous. Nurses wear many hats, but one of the most important is that of an educator. In developing countries where healthcare is inadequate to serve the population, nurses can serve to educate and provide services to those that may not have access to healthcare. In underserved and especially rural areas, nurses can educate communities on topics such as hygiene, proper sanitation, the spread of infectious disease. Also, with the necessary supplies, nurses can provide immunizations to populations that otherwise would not receive these simple solutions. Through education and the provision of immunizations, nursing can control the spread of preventable diseases. This would greatly advance the quality of life for those lacking access to basic healthcare needs."
How to answer the essay question
The essay question or personal response, needs to address the following topics:
* Why have you chosen to pursue nursing as a career?
* Why do you want to pursue baccalaureate preparation in nursing?
* What qualities do you believe you possess that will enable you to perform effectively as a student and later as a practicing nurse?
* How can nursing address and improve global healthcare needs?
Here's what I have so far, any tips would help!! I'm looking more for content analysis and not so much grammar as I will review this again multiple times.
"I have chosen to pursue a career as a nurse because I want to make more of an impact in people's lives. I have always had an interest in health and it wasn't until I graduated college and worked in the environmental industry that I realized I wanted to make a career out of nursing. Fresh out of college, I was excited to be in the environmental field and had visions of "greening the Earth" and cleaning up the environment to improve the quality of life for people. My previous career was a desk job that mainly consisted of researching and writing about urban development and it's impact to the environment. However, after nearly four years, I found myself unhappy in that career. I realized the missing component from that profession was that I didn't feel satisfied with the work I was doing. I am a results driven person and in that profession, it is very hard to see any results or feel a sense of accomplishment. Nursing is a profession where I can still improve the quality of life for people, which is an important aspect of the profession I pursue, yet I will be able to see results and feel a better sense of triumph.
An experience that really helped me solidify the fact that I wanted to be a nurse happened in April of this year. My nephew, who was nine months old at the time, had to have surgery for craniosynostosis. His surgery involved major cuts and reformations of his skull. I was at the hospital during his surgery and all throughout his recovery over the next few days. I paid particular attention to the nurses who treated him and I realized I wanted to do what they were doing. I have always loved children and I have eight nieces and nephews already. The experience of watching my nephew go through his surgery and recovery made me realize I want to combine my interest in nursing with my love of children. I would love to be a pediatric nurse. Children have such sincerity and innocence about them and as a nurse, I would do everything that I can to help children recover from any pain or ailments to the greatest extent feasible.
While becoming a pediatric nurse would be a dream come true, overall, I want to help people to be healthy and to achieve self-care so that they can fully live their lives. It is important for me to be in a position where I do my absolute best to provide the patient with the necessary care to achieve the desired outcome. Nurses interact with patients everyday and even the smallest gestures of kindness can brighten a patient's day. I look forward to having a job where I can educate people, advocate for those who can't advocate for themselves, and provide health care to the best of my ability.
The reason I have chosen to pursue a baccalaureate degree in nursing because I believe graduates of this level are more fully prepared to begin a career as a nurse. In 1965, the American Nurses Association (ANA) wrote a position paper on the minimum level of education that should be required for professional nurses. Specifically, the ANA states that the "...minimum preparation for beginning professional nursing practice at the present time should be baccalaureate degree education in nursing" (ANA, 1965). Furthermore, it seems as though more and more hospitals prefer to hire nurses with at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The BSN degree provides a stepping stone for furthering my profession should I decide to pursue a Master's degree. Also, through my previous work experience, I have realized the value of a Bachelor's degree. Without that level of education, I would not have been able to enter my previous profession. I believe a BSN will open doors for me in my career as a nurse that may not be available to me if I were to become an RN with an Associate's degree. Personally, I believe I will be better prepared as an entry-level nurse and will be more desirable as a potential employee if I pursue a BSN.
I believe the qualities that will enable me to perform effectively as a student include determination, responsibility, and enthusiasm for learning. I believe my educational past speaks for my ability to persevere and the motivation that I have to excel in everything I undertake. In order to achieve the success in both work and school, I had to be very focused and possess a great attention to detail. I believe my educational success and my life experiences have built a great foundation for me to build upon and continue learning. In addition to my educational and work experience, I have gained leadership experience through my extracurricular involvement with Pasadena Toastmasters as well as the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP), where I held positions of Secretary and Newsletter Editor, respectively. Through these positions, I have been able to improve my organizational and communication skills, which are essential for nursing. Successful communication is required for nurses as they need to advocate for their patients. Communication skills are not limited to speaking, but the ability to listen to people is vital to understand what someone is trying to communicate.
In addition to the aforementioned qualities, the following personal traits will help me to be a successful nurse: patience, compassion, and acceptance. One of my best qualities is patience. I have a very easy demeanor and a peaceful disposition. I think this is essential for nurses to have because one of the duties of a nurse is to teach others, and teaching requires patience. I'm also a very compassionate person. I am able to empathize with people and when people around me are feeling down or are in pain, I try to help them come up with solutions so that they can feel better. In addition to patience and empathy, I accept people for who they are, regardless of race, economic level, educational level, sexual preference, etc. My Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences helped me to gain a better perspective on where people come from and that it's not right to judge people because not everyone has the same experiences or opportunities in life. These qualities and the desire to improve the lives of others will help me to be an excellent nurse.
While nurses are an important asset of the healthcare industry in the United States, within a global context, the potential for nurses to address and improve global health care is tremendous. Nurses wear many hats, but one of the most important is that of an educator. In developing countries where healthcare is inadequate to serve the population, nurses can serve to educate and provide services to those that may not have access to healthcare. In underserved and especially rural areas, nurses can educate communities on topics such as hygiene, proper sanitation, the spread of infectious disease. Also, with the necessary supplies, nurses can provide immunizations to populations that otherwise would not receive these simple solutions. Through education and the provision of immunizations, nursing can control the spread of preventable diseases. This would greatly advance the quality of life for those lacking access to basic healthcare needs."