This personal statement outlines the academic credentials, professional healthcare experience, and personal motivations that support one candidate's goal of becoming a practical nurse. The paper traces a career path spanning hospital administration, respiratory therapy, certified nursing assistant work, and business — arguing that this diverse background provides a strong foundation for practical nursing. The statement also draws on Florence Nightingale's philosophy of meaningful life experience as a framework for understanding how personal growth and health are interconnected, concluding that the author is well prepared and eager to enter a practical nursing program.
I believe that my education and my professional experience — in management, in healthcare (including working as a nursing assistant and in home-care environments), and in business — have prepared me well for a career in nursing. After reviewing my qualifications and skill set, which reflect a history of competent, dependable involvement in worthy vocations, I believe it will be clear that I am well positioned for a career as a practical nurse.
First of all, I am very familiar with a number of pivotal aspects of medicine and healthcare and have worked extensively in the industry. I hold an Associate Degree in Respiratory Therapy (1992) from a university in Minot, North Dakota. As a respiratory therapist at the Specialty Critical Care Institute in Fargo, North Dakota (2002–2003), I was responsible for evaluating, treating, and providing care for patients with breathing and other cardiopulmonary disorders.
I worked under the supervision of a physician, and in that capacity I performed limited physical examinations, conducted diagnostic tests of patients' breathing capacities, and performed tests to measure patients' pH levels and lung capacities. I was also accountable for measuring the volume and flow of oxygen during a patient's exhalation and inhalation.
In 1994, I completed the necessary courses to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, earning that certificate at the same institution in Minot, North Dakota.
Earlier in my career, I had my first introduction to the field of medicine and healthcare while working in the surgical department office at Trinity Hospital in Minot, ND, from 1985 to 1990. From that position, I moved on to train as an office manager for a physician whose specialty was Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, and Diabetes. I learned a great deal from that experience and am forever grateful for the encouragement I received to carry through with my interest in healthcare.
I also helped develop the Respiratory Therapy Program at the Tioga Medical Center in Tioga, North Dakota. Through that work, I was fortunate to learn many procedures, policies, and values related to the respiratory needs of patients and the ways in which healthcare professionals provide therapy and assistance.
"Insurance and mortgage experience broadens perspective"
"Nightingale's philosophy connects life experience and health"
Nightingale's view certainly applies to me. Having gained so much from my diverse life experiences, I am very healthy and ready to become immersed in the educational process that will prepare me for my career as a practical nurse. My clinical background, administrative experience, and personal values all point in the same direction, and I am committed to pursuing this path with the same dedication I have brought to every stage of my career.
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