Another difficult situation arose while I was in college that gave me further insights into my interests. My younger sister, 16-years-old, was living in Florida when I was studying in Baltimore. She became addicted to ecstasy and had to go into rehab. Rather than go back home when she left this care, everyone in the family thought it would be best if she was away for a while from this environment that caused the addiction in the first place. She came to live with me for three months while she worked on becoming stronger. Although she had a small relapse when returning home, she recovered and is doing much better today. This was a very close-to-home experience that showed me the value of healthcare intervention with individuals of all backgrounds and medical needs.

In making my future career choice, I have decided that I want to work in the field of nursing, in a hospital or medical center, and with children. There are reasons for each of these three factors. First, I want to become a nurse practitioner, because these individuals are the patients' first contact. They set the stage, so to speak, for the healthcare that the physicians, other healthcare providers and medical center as a whole will provide. Becoming ill, and especially having to go to the hospital, can be a very fearful time for children. In my role as nurse practitioner, I can help these young patients better adapt to their situation, be it through warmth and understanding of the younger ones or education and personal support of the older individuals. This is an additional role to my ongoing healthcare practices. There is nothing better than a kind and patient person when going through a very difficult experience.

With a Master's Degree as a Nurse Practitioner, I have the opportunity to make a major impact on the lives of...

This is also a very stable career with a growing demand and many job openings. The nurse practitioner position will also allow me to work closely with the parents and the physician(s) in charge. In my communication classes, I have found the importance of having cross-functional teams that acquire input from a variety of different individuals in order to come up with the right end product or service.
Being employed in a larger health center vs. An office setting will allow me to work closely with more children and a greater of number of cases overall. There will also be more support services to help the patients as quickly and effectively as possible. I understand that in most cases positive results cannot occur overnight, if at all, but the more quickly care is provided, the greater the opportunity for a positive outcome.

Lastly, as I noted above, I want to work with children and youths of all ages. Especially young children are like sponges. It is a great time to teach them how to best care for themselves in the years to come. Many of the things they learn today may not be readily applied, but remembered as needed. It is similar to the pediatric dentist who could show kids a better way to brush and prevent tooth decay. Even though many of the children I will see as a nurse practitioner will have serious problems, we can discuss the importance of eating healthy and exercise.

A pediatric nurse practitioner needs to be a problem solver and decision maker with critical thinking skills and able to work well under pressure. I am pleased to submit my application for this educational and training opportunity and to sit down with you and tell you more about my self in a face-to-face setting.