Nursing Evaluation Issues - Personal Statement Example

And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it” (Jobs, 2011).

The above quote by Steve Jobs can be referenced as reflecting my pursuit of returning to the realm of higher education as a means of obtaining a Nursing Degree. In 2008, I graduated from Long Island University with a Bachelors's and Masters's Degree in Athletic Training and Sports Science. As a result of these degrees, I was able to utilize my talents to obtain a job at East Coast Orthotic and Prosthetic Corporation as an Orthotic Fitter. As an Orthotic Fitter, I was able to provide a certain level of care to individuals with orthopedic issues in the out and in-patient settings at Beth Israel Hospital. Being in this role, I realized that I get a true sense of satisfaction and joy in helping and caring for the patients I encountered daily.

Yet, it became clear to me that I wanted to care for patients in a different capacity; something that my previous work did not allow with my level of training and education. Accordingly, I decided to volunteer on the cardiac floor of the hospital as a means of gaining more direct interaction with the patients and the opportunity to work closely with the different healthcare professionals; as well as evaluate their role in providing care for patients. It was then that I got my “ah ha” moment and knew that I wanted to become a nurse.

In August 2013, I gave birth to my first child via caesarian section and was hospitalized for 4 days. It was the first time I was on the other side of medicine; living life as a patient instead of a caregiver and/or volunteer. This difficult experience was formative as well as provided me with an excellent example of how a well-trained, caring, and professional staff of healthcare providers could impact the emotional and physical health of the patient.  In this way, it was this experience that even further solidified my pursuit of nursing. By going beyond my expectations in helping me with my quest for breastfeeding and helping me to prevent my newborn son from being hospitalized further, a realized the direct and personal level of impact that such a level of care can provide. Through such an epiphany, my desire to engage further within the field of healthcare and utilize my skill sets to address the needs of my future patients has been a defining goal that I have shared over the past several years.