Seeing an injured soldier and lacking the training to help him, I knew I had to be a nurse. I joined the Army hoping it would satisfy an inherent need to feel useful -- the need to help and serve others -- but the void has never been completely filled. It was not until I was immersed in the helplessness of wounded soldiers during my service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and had to endure the inadequacy of my limited medical understanding, did I fully accept that I was meant to be a nurse professional.
My deployment to the Middle East was the second time I had considered being a nurse. The first time occurred as my brother was obtaining his nursing degree. Throughout my life my brother has been a source of inspiration; to say I look up to him would be a vast understatement. I witnessed his passion for nursing and I knew I wanted to have the same fervor and admiration for my career, and I wanted to make my brother proud by following in his footsteps. My only concern was that I was merely absorbing his passion for nursing and had not developed the same level of desire for myself. All of my doubts vanished after I was deployed and the sight of wounded soldiers turned my uncertainty into determination, and I discovered for myself the same passion my brother has to be a nursing professional. When I share with others my determination to work in the medical field, it is typical for them to ask why I want to be a nurse and not a doctor. Among the multiple reasons I could offer, I always give my brother credit for being my original source of motivation to pursue nursing.
Acceptance to the School of Nursing at Oakland University in the Second Degree BSN Program would be the next mile-marker on my path to nursing, putting both my passion, personal, and professional skills into motion toward my ultimate goal of serving others as a nurse. My personal traits include accountability, timeliness, focus, commitment, and follow-through, all of which have served me well in the Army and in my academic life. I earned my Master's degree from Ashford University while in Afghanistan, graduating with a 3.83 grade point average. I take education very seriously and have been waiting for an opportunity such as the second degree program to bridge my present to a future nursing career that has long been a dream of mine.
In addition to valuing common respect and honesty, I adapt well to change. As a veteran, I know that change is constant and cannot be controlled. What can be controlled, however, is how I choose to react to change. I am the type of person who will assess change and adapt to whatever the circumstance demands. Whether I provide nursing care in a hospital setting, long-term care facility, or other establishment where medical care is provided, I am confident I will be able to acclimate to the environment and provide attentive and accurate care to the best of my ability. My contributions to the profession of nursing will mimic my traits and values. My passion is in need of an outlet, and I will devote my knowledge, attentiveness, adaptability, and commitment to Oakland University, nurses, doctors, staff, fellow students, superiors, and most of all, the patients.
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