This paper offers a personal assessment of nursing as a career choice, exploring the character traits, educational milestones, and professional goals that define a fulfilling path in the field. The author draws on personal experiences — including caring for a dying grandmother — to explain her motivation for entering nursing. The paper outlines a step-by-step career plan progressing from a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and the NCLEX-RN licensure exam through internship, mentorship, supervisory training, and ultimately a Master's degree in nursing. It also addresses anticipated challenges such as time management, medication safety, and the emotional weight of patient loss, while emphasizing the intrinsic rewards of caregiving.
In order to enter the field of nursing, one must have a compassionate heart and truly care for the welfare and wellbeing of others (Gastmans, 1999). I possess these traits and qualities; therefore, caregiving is simply a part of who I am. I have always had a heart for those who were hurting or in need. I can remember helping to care for my dying grandmother when I was younger. I knew she was very ill, and something about the time growing short made me want to stay by her side. Looking back, I realize that experience set me on the path toward choosing a career in the medical field. After helping to care for my grandmother before her death, my mother told me I would make a great nurse. I did not think much about it at the time, but now I understand that that particular moment was when I was called to become a part of the nursing field.
Becoming a registered nurse will give me an opportunity to help others while also providing for myself and my family. I want to go as far as I possibly can in my nursing career — setting goals and passing essential examinations in order to become certified — so that I may help and serve others for as long as my own health allows.
My primary goals and interests center on helping to heal and comfort people who battle any type of disease, disorder, or disability. It will be essential that I monitor vital signs, administer medications, and follow physicians' orders carefully. I must treat my patients professionally and with respect, always leaving them and their families with a sense of peace about their current health situations. It will also be crucial that I remain aware of each patient's physical, mental, and psychological limitations and special needs in order to help ensure the safety of patients, myself, and my colleagues. I am committed to doing my job to the best of my ability — not only for professional reasons, but for the greater good of humanity as a whole.
I look forward to both the rewards and the regular challenges that come with the territory of being a nurse. Helping other people on their journey to healing, or comforting them as they are dying, will leave me with emotional rewards that no other career could provide. According to nursing ethics frameworks, a genuine moral attitude of care is foundational to the profession — a value I fully embrace as I enter this field.
In order to perform my job effectively, I will need to pursue continuous learning. Continuing education in nursing will be a key factor in my job performance and my ability to provide the best possible care to my patients. I first plan to earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). I then plan to complete a nursing internship to gain hands-on experience, find a nursing mentor who can share career experiences, and begin training as a nursing supervisor to build leadership knowledge. Finally, I hope to earn a Master's degree in nursing and become a respected leader in the field.
With a BSN, I hope to earn between $30 and $40 per hour. With a Master's degree in nursing, I hope to earn over $100,000 per year, potentially as a critical care nurse practitioner (Nurse Practitioner Salary, 2010). Although money is not the reason I chose nursing as my profession, it is a meaningful incentive. Caregiving requires a significant amount of time, integrity, and perseverance, and the profession should be compensated accordingly.
"Time management, medication safety, emotional demands"
I am very excited to step into the field of nursing, and I have such high hopes and aspirations for my new career. Being welcomed into the medical field is an honor in itself. Turning my interpersonal strengths and compassion for others into a thriving career will be a dream come true. Once I graduate with my BSN and pass the NCLEX-RN, I believe many doors will open that will provide me with the experience I need to become a skilled nurse. I plan to ask questions of every mentor I encounter, because I am eager for the personal knowledge that comes from others' experience in the field. Advice from mentors can be invaluable — it can even save lives.
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