So I need to write a essay on volunteering at the hospital and basically why it made me want to become a nurse. It is for the Common App applying to private universities for their nursing program. I just want opinions on how my essay sounds:
The dreary hospital walls, the pungent smell of hospital food, the lingering diseases from hall to hall are not the ideal place for any young adult. However, this is where I will be found every Wednesday afternoon, thoroughly enjoying my time spent with the patients being held victims by their doctors and nurses. No one enjoys being a patient in the hospital, however, with the help of great volunteers and staff it is possible to bring happiness to these sick patients who would rather be elsewhere. Volunteering in different units of the hospital has shown me the many different aspects of working in the medical field. I have met a variety of patients, each with their own purpose and life story. This has been the most rewarding experience because I was able to connect with and comfort these indisposed individuals. While working on the central floor, I was able to help the nurses with the terminally ill, bedridden, or handicap patients. Even though these patients were predominantly elderly, I had the most memorable and interesting conversations with them. Hearing their life stories, I was able to take their mind off of their misfortunes and help them reminisce of their youth and most unforgettable memories. Being able to help these individuals and seeing the positive difference I was making in their life, assured me that nursing was the best career path for me. As I observed the nurses interact with their patients, I admired them for their hard work and true compassion that they showed to every patient. Nursing is not an easy task, and one must be very strong willed in order to deal with the burden of death and disease. However not all units of the hospital have such burdens, as I moved to the Labor and Delivery unit I observed the positive aspects of the medical world. The nurses in this unit continued to care for their patients with the same kindness and compassion as the other floors; however these patients were not dealing with a life threatening disease but were excited for bringing a new life into the world. Instead of reminiscing on past memories, these patients were boasting about their new future and what was in store for them. Even though they were excited, these new moms still had to endure the pain and complications of labor. As a volunteer, one of my duties is to comfort these new moms and help them walk off their early contractions. Once again I was able to make a positive difference in these new moms' lives by talking with them in order to distract them from the pain they were enduring. The nurses in this unit not only have to care for the new moms, but also the newborn babies as well. Being able to experience a newborns first cry into the world is one of the greatest pleasures of volunteering in this department. I admire the nurses in this unit because they not only have their duties as a caring nurse, but must also be prepared to step in when the doctor does not arrive on time to deliver the baby. Nurses throughout the entire hospital have a very challenging job to care for every individual with the same compassion and have the strength to encourage their patients to remain positive no matter their situation. For the past year and a half I have been able to help these nurses, and experience their duties first hand. Every day I leave the hospital certain that I want to one day follow in their footsteps. I want to be able to make a difference in someone's life and care for them during their time in need. The patients are my motivation to continue to pursue the career in nursing, as long as I am able to help save one life the hours spent in school and volunteer will have all been worthwhile.
If I remember correctly, the "describe an extra curricular activity" part is a short answer in the Common App, with a character limit of 1000? The character limit includes spaces, btw.
And just a word of advice for any of your other essays. Space your paragraphs. I can't see ANY paragraphs just from glancing, all I see is a gigantic wall of text.
