Just a Nurse

And yet another blog that has nothing to do with Peru, but as travels wind down I'm being brought back to a bit of a routine that I'm completely okay with. As many of you have already seen, Friday I found out that I have been accepted into UNMC's Traditional Nursing Program on Omaha's campus. I immediately FaceTimed my parents, new roommates (shout out to Jory, Shayna and Trae!) and texted my otha brotha Loran who couldn't FaceTime because he is living la vida nightshift. 

Within this excitement was a pinch of sadness, as I realized I now HAVE to come back to the states and basically back to the real world. But more important than the sadness, I realized how much support I have behind me in making this dream become a reality. I'd like to share with you guys my personal statement I wrote on why exactly I want to become a nurse:

Throughout my life I was confident that I was going to go to medical school, until I had a change of heart. After taking some time to think it over, I decided to switch and pursue a career in nursing. When deciding to make the switch, I realized that a career in nursing would provide flexibility and diversity in the workplace. Many close friends and relatives of mine are nurses, and through them I have seen what a wonderful field I’m going into. I saw so much potential and excellence in choosing this career, but time and time again people would question me, “What happened to wanting to be a doctor? Now you’re JUST going to be a nurse?”

I am motivated to become more than just a nurse. The natural human tendency is to be selfish, and I want to be the person who steps outside of this tendency and helps people when they are suffering and in pain. I want to be the nurse that studied Spanish so that I can reach out to a vulnerable population who may be scared or intimidated because of a language barrier.  I want to be there with my patients and their families in times of happiness and grief. I want to be the physician’s eyes and ears. I strive to be not just a nurse, rather I strive to be the nurse that goes above and beyond the expectations for my patients and coworkers.

I want to leave a mark on healthcare that is significant to my patients and their families during their times of need. I may not even think of it as anything more than doing my job but I want to do it in a way that is profound to those who I come into contact with. Knowing I can come into work and make a difference in someone’s life really pushes me to become a nurse.  

Nursing will also provide a learning environment in the field, even after schooling is done. Whether it’s a disease I have yet to deal with, or a piece of history a patient tells me, I want to continue learning after nursing school. Ultimately, I envision myself furthering my career by going to graduate school to become a certified nurse anesthetist, maybe after I take some time to do some travel nursing. 

I also envision myself speaking fluent Spanish. Since the first day of Spanish class my freshman year of high school, I have made it a goal to become fluent. Studying Spanish has taught me that communication skills are vital to having good relationships with others. Going abroad this spring will really improve my ability to communicate with the Spanish speaking population, which will translate well to my nursing career. (I wrote this before I came to Peru, I am *almost* speaking fluent Spanish, yeeee!)

A goal without a plan is just a wish. I’m not wishing to become a nurse. This is my goal, and being accepted into nursing school is the first step to reaching my goal.