Why do I want pursue a career in nursing ?
"Isn't this the same Yasmin who would come to her checkups wearing her dresses
looking like a little Princess?" A nurse once said with a radiant and warm smile at one of my
appointments when I was about seven years old. After my check up that day I looked up at my
dad and told him that I decided I was going to be a nurse "They are always nice to everyone and
give me lollipops and, they take care of babies and children like me I'm going to do that." He
laughed and told me there was a lot more to a nurse than that. I had my heart set on being a nurse
from that day on and still to this day I believe that becoming a nurse can be the most fulfilling
and most rewarding experience. Pursuing a degree in nursing is the first step I plan to take to
become all that I hope to be one day.
Growing up I always had a desire to help people in their times of need. At a young age I
started caring for my Grandmother as her health started to slowly deteriorate. She was unable to
do simple tasks such as walk to the bathroom on her own so I would help her with what she
needed me to do. During that moment I knew that I could not see myself pursuing a career in
anything else other than nursing. During the summer of my sophomore year I decided to
volunteer at Preakness Healthcare Center that is where my passion for nursing grew stronger.
Every day I saw a nurse being there for a resident whether it be just listening to their stories,
giving them their Medicine, or changing them. Seeing the nurses care for the residents when they
were most vulnerable made me see how essential nurses are in our society and, how much of a
difference I can make one day.
This year I am volunteering at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center and I am inspired
immensely by the amount of care nurses have for their patients. They put their patients above all
even if it means working long shifts and giving up time with their own family to provide a
patient the care that they need. Nursing gives me purpose and, there is nothing else I would
rather do than to be able to positively influence someone's life. I have witnessed firsthand the
huge impact that nurses have on patients and, that is what I see myself doing years from now. I
know that pursuing a degree in nursing will not be an easy task but, I am determined knowing
that I will be a major asset in the lives of many patients.
Yasmin, I think we need to consider a different direction for your essay. At this point, the factors that you mention as being your inspiration for being a nurse, specifically your experience with caring for your grandmother and the changing of diapers that you witnessed at the place where you volunteer, those are not inspirations for nursing. I say that because the actions that you speak of are more in line with someone who ambitions to be a caregiver instead.
Caregiving does carry some similarities with the duties of a nurse so we need to clarify or redirect the reasons you want to be a nurse. Make sure there is no confusion between the two professions as there is a difference between the two. The nurse works directly with the doctors and administers medication.A nurse keeps track of vital medical information of a patient and adjusts the medical care in cooperation with the doctor whenever necessary. They do not change diapers. Caregivers assist the nurses, change diapers, help administer medication, and listen to the stories that the elderly have to tell. I can understand why you might have confused the two during your stint at the hospital because the caregivers also assist the nurses. However, they are more in tune with the spiritual and social needs of the patient, as your interests also show.
Don't interchange the job descriptions of the two. That often happens because of some similarities in the job. description, most of which are reflected in your essay. The biggest difference is that the nurse works hand in hand with the doctor in the treatment of a patient. From the recording of patient vital signs, observations of patient progress, reporting of vital information to the doctor, talking to patient's relatives, and putting the doctors orders into action, all of these fall under the duties of a nurse. A caregiver, does everything else that you describe above.
That said, I believe you should conduct more research regarding the actual duties and responsibilities of a nurse and adjust the content and direction of your current essay accordingly.
