I hope to earn the MSN Degree at the University of XXXX with an NP focus on Gerontology and Primary Care to become a nursing leader and contribute my maximum to the improvement of healthcare access and quality not only to my community here in the USA but also in the Developing World where I plan to spend increasing amounts of time serving as a nurse on medical missions. In July 2014, I had the opportunity to travel to Burundi, Africa, on my first and only mission so far. Still, I have fallen in love with what I did in Africa. I crave increasing engagement in this area, returning to Africa after completing my MSN at UXX and gaining further experience as a nurse practitioner.
I now have 17 years of experience serving as a registered nurse – 13 in ER - and I increasingly find myself particularly enamored with my elderly patients and engaged with their unique challenges. Thus, in terms of my professional nursing career here in the USA, I want to develop a focus on geriatric nursing and the issues that most affect older adults. However, in my mission and outreach activity to the underserved, I look forward to providing nursing care to patients of all ages. I also look forward to developing an increasing engagement with preventive care and healthcare education. Serving in ER introduced me to various clinical conditions and unique challenges, providing me with a solid clinical foundation to build on as a graduate student in the AG-PCNP track. My volunteer work has also helped me grow professionally and better appreciate the importance of caring for the whole person, not just a disease.
I grew up in a blue-collar home to parents who dropped out of high school and never encouraged me to excel in school, where my peers marked me as a recipient of free lunches. Nevertheless, my mother did instill in me the importance of being strong and determined, but not selfish, always compassionate, and ready to lend a helping hand. Self-sufficient at 18, I became accustomed to demanding work early on and studying simultaneously, paying my way through nursing school. I have now taken on multiple nursing roles, always providing compassionate care focusing on prevention and empowerment.
Work/Volunteer Experience: My years of experience as an ER nurse have provided me with a wide variety of clinical experiences with patients from all socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. In ER, I became keenly aware of and concerned about the considerable number of patients without primary care, even for chronic disease management. This concern caused me to begin volunteering at the XXXX Clinic, which is free. I hope to be selected for your distinguished AG-PCNP Program at the University of XXXX based not only on my academic performance and professional experience but also on my great passion for volunteer work and nursing missionary activity to the underserved, including those in the Developing World. I am developing a particular fondness for Africa, where I have already been once. This is an avenue of research and practice I will seek to cultivate further as a graduate student in your program at UX.
I especially enjoy volunteering to collect coats or supplies for homeless/battered women’s shelters and schools and serving at our free clinic. I also coach my daughter’s middle school cross country and swim teams. I educate them on healthy habits and nutrition and identify psychological needs or social issues. I teach them about compassion and the importance of giving back to the community and providing a hearing ear. My trip to Burundi, Africa, in 2014 was a special watershed moment in my life. I went there as a Women’s Ambassador for the organization Samaritans Feet. I educated women and girls on feminine hygiene, contraception, and a healthy lifestyle. Burundi is the second poorest country globally, and many people do not have access to clean water, proper nutrition, and feminine hygiene supplies - health care is extremely limited to non-existent. I sewed over two hundred reusable feminine hygiene kits and delivered them to remote villages. I hosted two young people from Burundi in our home as part of the family. Their mother, a doctor, and one of my closest friends work for an NGO in Burundi providing care for poor people with HIV/AIDS.
As an adult learner with a great deal of practical life experience, I am
confident that I possess the necessary skills to succeed in your MSN Program at XXXX. This is my immediate goal. I see your program as the optimal springboard for the balance of my career in nursing, particularly concerning the development of my focus on the underserved or marginalized members of my communities and my passion for participating in missions to the Developing World.
After graduating from the XXXX MSN program, I hope to work in a primary care setting for several years, gaining additional experience as an AG-PCNP and continuing to serve in free clinics. I look forward to an in-depth study of healthcare disparities and very much appreciate the mission of Nursing at UXX to improve society by reducing those disparities and enhancing the quality of life for all. Hard-working, highly motivated, and determined with a keen sense of community, I am driven to make a difference in the lives of others: as an educator, patient advocate, and caregiver, treating each patient holistically. I thrive in high-stress situations and have practiced patience, allowing me to listen and hear what my patients want to convey.
I began to pursue my nursing career in my early twenties. During this time, I worked full-time and went through a divorce. I was self-sufficient, paying my way through school. For this reason, my undergraduate GPA is not an accurate reflection of my capacity for excellence in UX. Since returning to school this past summer to complete the required prerequisites for the MSN Program at UXX, I have earned all 'As' through hard work and determination. I attend online classes through CPCC, work part-time, maintain my volunteer commitments, and think I am a good wife and mother. To accomplish this, I have developed finely honed time management skills.
Nursing has allowed me to serve my community in numerous ways: coaching young people, educational initiatives, prevention, safety, and 17+ years as a nurse, 13 in the Emergency Room. For the last four years, I have served as a head nurse in an oral surgeon's office and as a PRN in an outpatient setting, continuing to volunteer and care for my girls. I have been a camp nurse at Camp XXXX in XXXX, NC.
I am a doer and need to learn to delegate more. I sometimes take over doing something because I want to get it done right first. First, I set lofty expectations of myself and others, sometimes setting me up for disappointment.
XXXX School of Nursing is my first choice because it is one of the premier nursing schools in the country with a tri-fold mission of excellence in nursing education, research, and practice. I appreciate the fact that the first year is online. I completed three online pre-requisite courses this past summer - Religion, Ethics, and American History – at XXXX Community College. I have maintained all A's while working full-time as a PRN, coaching, family, etc. Completing the AG-PCNP program at XXXX will provide me with the advanced practice knowledge and skill to care for our patients, especially those of underserved populations. My goal later in my career is to serve abroad full-time with an established healthcare organization.
I have served as a Lead/Head RN at an Oral Surgeon’s office and as Relief Charge Nurse in the Emergency Department. I also served in a leadership role as Women’s Ambassador for Samaritans Feet and still serve as a volunteer coordinator for Pinky Swear, organizing coats for school children and the homeless, cookie decorations at the shelter, NYC marathon disaster aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy, Girls on the Run Coach, Middle School Swim Team Coach, Middle School Cross Country Coach, Lead Nurse for our Church summer camp, etc. I am fond of John Bunyan’s suggestion that one has not lived “until one has done something for someone who can never repay you."
I thank you for your consideration of my application to Nursing at XXXX.