Personal statement: purpose, structure, and composition

¶ … grandmother had a stroke and my sister and I helped take care of her in our house. We fed her, helped her bathe, and read to her. She had a registered nurse visit once a week but it was my sister and I who provided her with the daily care she needed to be comfortable and recover. Within several months of her stroke my grandmother's speech was more than partially restored without requiring the assistance of a speech therapist and I believe firmly that were it not for my sister and I reading to her every day she might not have recovered so gracefully or completely. This experience was the first of my nursing career. Although I was not paid for my services, I felt fully like a nurse who cares selflessly for those in her care. It is because of this seminal experience that I embarked on a nursing career early in my education when I started to pursue coursework in related fields. When in high school I regularly volunteered at local hospitals and assisted living facilities, because I had remained heavily interested in geriatric care.

My personality makes me well-suited to the nursing profession too. Extremely patient, I do not view health as a switch to be turned off and on. Patience is the primary trait I will rely upon continuously throughout my career. Having worked with patients in great pain, I know how a nurse can be as soothing as a medicine or balm because we can assuage emotions as well as physical pain. I also respect the medical profession enormously: knowing that new developments in treatment and technology will transform the way I work regularly. Moreover, I follow procedures out of respect and know that I have the social skills required for this challenging profession. A combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors motivate me to become a registered nurse. Direct experience with caring for people in need and suitable skills, attributes, and personality traits make me well-suited for nursing.

B) I have researched nursing programs throughout the world, narrowing down my selections to programs that offered a combination of hands-on clinical experience, experienced faculty and staff, and a strong program in my intended area of specialization. For personal reasons I have also opted to study in this region. The nursing program at your university meets my needs for several reasons. First, the faculty is well-trained and with solid educational backgrounds. Second, the program offers students the opportunity to perform clinical work as part of the educational experience. Third, the program allows me the opportunity to study about geriatric care in great detail. I also appreciate the opportunity for research and scholastic inquiry within the nursing profession.

I believe you will find that I am a suitable candidate for your nursing program and will contribute to the program too. As a member of your student body I will participate fully in student organizations that will help me and my fellow students enhance our educational experiences. Because social experiences are as important as in-class experiences, I make a point of networking with my fellow students and forming lasting personal or professional relationships. I also enjoy participating in class discussions and will appreciate some of the smaller-sized classes your school offers. Your faculty will be pleased with my enthusiasm, punctuality, and genuine love of learning. I intend to take advantage of opportunities like lectures and conferences throughout my career and thus will be an active member of the program now in order to increase my knowledge and awareness of the nursing profession. My positive attitude and strong ethics make me an ideal candidate for the nursing program and in the future I will represent your school with aplomb.

Question

Reading the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down was a pivotal moment in my life, completely shifting my perspective about health care and the duties of doctors and nurses. As a minority student I am familiar with different types of discrimination. I also know the importance of compassion and understanding to all human interactions. However, working with diverse patient populations is about more than ending stereotyping or discrimination. Nursing in a diverse community requires the willingness to change approaches to health care, even entailing policy changes. As Fadiman points out in the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, diversity requires a whole new approach to human communication.

Having volunteered at several health care centers and assisted living facilities I have worked with a population that is diverse in terms of gender, age, and ethnicity. Patients often have trouble letting go and trusting their nurses and doctors for fear of being misunderstood. Holding back valuable information can be a significant barrier to care, and therefore I have learned to encourage patients to trust their health care professionals. I believe trust is the primary obstacle nurses must overcome when treating al patients but especially patients from diverse backgrounds.

Next, I believe that diversity requires adaptation. Not only do I feel that the entire health care system must adapt itself to the needs of diverse populations: I also feel strongly at individual nurses and doctors must do the same. The system has a long way to go before encompassing the needs of individuals and families who are economically disadvantaged or who are new immigrants requiring translation services, or whose concepts of health and healing differ from those of the mainstream. As one nurse I cannot change the system but I can alter my approach to treating patients. One of the main ways I have learned to adapt my approach is to be aware of language and cultural barriers and to try to learn as much as I can about the patient's background and ask whether or not they would want translation services. I have also interacted as much as possible with friends and family members of the patients to make sure that I understand where they are coming from in terms of goals of treatment. Perhaps the most difficult lesson I have learned is that not all people share my values in terms of health care. Some do not value longevity over immediate well-being; and for others the opposite is true.