Summary: I Want To Pursue A Career In Nursing

In the near future, I will graduate with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree from East Carolina University. Guiding my ultimate nursing goals is my love for children. As a mother already, I have learned and immensely enjoyed my journey with my six-year-old child thus far. However, I would love to expand my knowledge on the unique needs of the pediatric patient population. The pediatric patient population is very diverse, due to the various stages of life within this populace. In the near future, I hope to expand my understanding and experience with pediatric patients through becoming a registered nurse on a pediatric nursing unit within a hospital. However within ten years, my goal is to become a school nurse. This being said, there is an extensive field of knowledge and training I will need to gain in order to achieve my ultimate nursing goal of serving all children in their medical and developmental needs.

Deciding to go back to school is one of the best decisions I have ever made; however, with four children and full time employment, I initially wondered how I was going to accomplish it. It has not been easy, but I have enjoyed the ride. What I have learnt doing the RN-BSN program has enabled me to be a better nurse than I was (though I have always considered myself excellent in assessing, diagnosing, intervening and evaluating my patients). I am ready and excited for the next stage in my career, being an Advanced Practice Nurse.

I decided to further my nursing career by going back to school to obtain a graduate degree in Family Nurse Practitioner. For me, it was a logical choice, as I love to help my patients to the most of my ability but at the same time I felt limited by my current scope of practice. A degree in FNP will enable and equip me with the knowledge and skills to care for a wide range of patient population. It will also place me in a position of leadership to bring about much needed changes and advocacy in patient care and also for nursing as a profession.

Completing my bachelor’s degree in Nursing has been a personal goal of mine since I graduated with my associate’s degree in nursing. Having my BSN degree is essential for my career and personal development. Initially after graduating with my ASN, I enrolled in a BSN program and started my first class, when life happened. I was a single mother raising my 5 year old daughter, working the night shifts at Miami Children’s Hospital. I was dating my now husband and became pregnant with my second child. I ended up having to quit my job as a pediatric nurse which was my goal, to be a pediatric nurse, get my BSN and climb the ladder there. After the birth of my daughter my personal goals changed, and my academic and career goals were put on hold.

As I started by Bachelors of Science Nursing (BSN) program, I was very apprehensive about things that I was going to learn. I felt that I was already a very good nurse, and that obtaining my BSN was just paperwork. Little did I know how much I would learn in the first class, Nursing Transitions, at Viterbo University. I have learned that obtaining my BSN will enhance not only my educational experience, but will make me more holistic, enhance my communication styles, and strengthen my ability to do research more readily.

On August 2015, I started the RN-BSN program with the Transition to Professional Nursing as my first course. I took one class at the time because I was working as a full time nurse at the same time. I did not take a break and started a new class each start date because I wanted to complete this program as soon as possible. The journey has been a long, hard road and the stress was constant and many times I felt that I could not complete it; it has been a difficult but very satisfying journey.

I cannot attribute my desire of becoming a nurse to following the footsteps of a family member, nor caring for a sick family member as I was growing up. I am a first generation high school student, furthermore, a college graduate. I became a mother at the very young age of sixteen. Being so young and growing up without the care of my parents, it was always said I, too, would end up in a rough situation and not be able to care for my child being so young myself. I continued out my days and nights being a high school teen mom. I graduated from high school in three years by attending night school while I was pregnant; allowing me to finish school sooner and obtain a better job that would allow me to take care of my son.

Because of these changes, my interests in nursing have been influenced by circumstance. From the very beginning of my journey, I had a strong interest in becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), but because of the need to relocate for my husband’s job, becoming a CRNA was no longer an option due to location. After reevaluating my options, I have established a new interest in becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner, but because of my academic marathon and because of my age, I have also considered foregoing the additional education past a BSN. Other areas of interest include the Emergency Room, Cardiology, Critical Care, and Neurology. All of my career options interest me because they provide challenge and constant change. Hopefully the remainder of my academic journey will help solidify my ultimate career goal in the nursing profession.

After going through a lot of trial and error in my career, I have decided that I want to pursue being a Registered Nurse. Many things have led me to this career choice, including personal and financial gain. I have tried many other occupations and educational programs and none of them have fulfilled me like I believe nursing will. It has taken me a long time to get to this point and I often joke that I finally know what I want to be when I grow up. I will tell you about my journey and what I hope to gain in my future.

I initially wanted to obtain my bachelor’s degree in nursing, but I realized that I would be able to actually practice as a nurse sooner if I obtained by associates degree in nursing (ADN). I was always very vocal to my family and friends, that my associate’s degree was just to get my foot in the door and start practicing, but ultimately, I wanted to obtain my nurse practitioner’s license. So, when I decided to re-enroll in the RN to BSN program, it did not come as a surprise to any of my family or friends.

I recognize that it provided critical thinking in diagnosis and intervention beyond that of the nursing role, provided the flexibility to work in many healthcare specialties and provides the support of a supervising physician to consult. Being such an academically competitive field, I worked hard completing prerequisites, while working full-time and maintaining a social life. Gaining prioritization as well as academic skills, I successfully transferred these traits into graduate school, where I completed a rigorous masters degree in biomedical science with a high grade point average. It is through dedication and hard work, along a rewarding path, that I have demonstrated a strong upward trend in academic capability and drive to become a PA, proving my aptitude for excelling at Pacific University and in a career as a physician

Where I work the hospital is encouraging the RN’s to get their BSN. We have been told by the year 2020 they will not hire a new RN without them having a BSN. I am hoping to get into the clinical education educator position before I retire. Going back to school has been a little nerve-racking. I am feeling very nervous because I have been out of school for a very long time. I am learning to navigate the Walden student portal with the help from my 21-year-old daughter who is currently attending Northern Michigan University. She is studying to be a social worker in child protective services. She is going to have a long hard career!!! When I was in college everything was done in a classroom or clinical setting at a hospital and all our test

Before the age of eighteen, I had lived in three countries. My father’s career as a doctor and scientist of Military, Disaster & Extreme Medicine took my family throughout Kazakhstan, Russia, and the Ukraine. Although it was a challenge for me to continually adapt to new places and learn three languages, I am grateful for the cultural exposure that traveling provided me. In every new environment I was raised to treat others with equal respect and kindness regardless of any differences or similarities we may have had. This exposure has taught me that successful acclimation lies in the ability to interact well with people from diverse backgrounds. Here, in a country of immigrants, I have met people from countries all around the world. The Nursing field provides me the opportunity to help all people regardless of age, sex or ethnicity. I seek a Nursing degree here in the United States in order to increase my knowledge and to be able to practice in the field of professional nursing. My goal of becoming a Registered Nurse has long been encouraged by my personal interest in the profession and by my experience, previous education and achievements. These factors continue to motivate and inspire my desire to seek this degree and become a healthcare professional.

After working as an Enrolled Nurse for the past three years, to embark on a Bachelor of Nursing degree seems like a natural progression. In my particular workplace, I don’t feel that being just an Enrolled Nurse has particularly limited what I am able to do thus far- My role at work is entirely similar and comparable to my RN colleagues, I enjoy my work and believe I am capable, experienced and good at what I do. However, the truth remains that the opportunity for career advancement for an EN is limited, and that to eventually achieve my goal of working with overseas aid projects in the future, it is necessary to begin working towards becoming a Registered Nurse. This is not to say though, that the decision to begin studying again hasn’t been

A career is more than a choice. It is more than a decision about the best suitable job for an individual. I define a career as a processed, determined belief in one’s ability to commit to a lifestyle they are passionate about. Nursing is a commitment I have made upon my life to serve and enhance the needs of those around me. From my freshmen year at college to completing my first degree in Public Health at Rutgers, I knew I would continue my education to eventually obtain my DNP because my passion has always been to share my heart and skills in the act of serving as a nurse because it is a selfless, humbling career.