Personal Statement on Why I Chose Nursing
I wish I could sit here and tell you that nursing has been my dream ever since I can remember or that a certain memory has made me want to be a nurse, but I can’t. I have traveled down countless paths that have eventually led me to this current place in my life. I may not have the best grades or scores, but I do have experience in this wonderful life and that is what I will ahte in why I chose nursing essay.
When I was younger, my single mother of three worked tirelessly to support my sisters and I. My older sister was never around and that left me to take care of the household, so school was sort of put on the backburner. I got mediocre grades all throughout middle and high school. Starting college, I had no idea what I wanted to study; I just knew that college was something people had to do. When I turned 18, I started work at a local bar which eventually caused me to start skipping my morning classes, leading to my many failures and withdraws. I was almost 24 when I realized I needed to do something; I was heavily in student debt and I had nothing to show for myself.
The best day of my life was, April, 6 2011, when I enlisted into the United States Navy. I had a rude awakening when my bus pulled into that Navy boot camp parking lot. I learned many things while I was in boot camp, but it wasn’t until I was assigned to my first duty station that the real change started to happen. I was on the other side of the world in a place where I didn’t understand the language and knew no one; I was terrified. I was the most junior person in my shop and had zero responsibilities. Daily, I would be tasked with doing things that I didn’t want to do and I despised it; I channeled that hatred into motivation. In a short amount of time, I was fully qualified in my work center and on the ship and was sought out by fellow sailors to mentor their junior sailors. Eventually, I moved up in rank and gained a leadership role. I had never managed anyone in my life and I had to learn quickly. I failed at my job, I let my sailors down, but I did not let that ruin me; I learned from my mistakes and grew as a leader. After learning how to put my sailor’s needs ahead of my own, I decided to work on me. I started retaking all the courses I had failed and found that I thoroughly enjoyed learning.
In my nine years of service, I have learned how to be an effective leader. I’ve learned the importance of communication as well as the importance of attention to detail. I am reliable, I care about people and I’m honest. Occasionally, I try to do more things than I can handle and forget to delegate and sometimes I get too involved because I care. I chose nursing because I want to continue helping those around me. I want to work in an ethical environment where I can give my patients the best care possible. There is always room for growth and one day I hope to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
Honor, Courage, and Commitment are the Navy Core Values. These values build the foundation for everything that I believe in. Honor: I will conduct myself in the highest ethical manner and I will take responsibility for my actions. Courage: I have the courage to do my job even when it is difficult or demanding. I will speak out if I see something wrong, even if it is against someone who out ranks me. Commitment: I will treat everyone with respect and I will always do the right thing especially when nobody is around. I believe that a good nurse upholds these same values.
Given the chance to study nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch will be the second best day of my life. I will put forth every effort I have to succeed and I will become the best nurse I can be. I hope that my ability to persevere will outweigh my freckled past.
