I spoke with the Program Director of Nursing at XXXX University on the telephone a few days ago, which sealed my decision to apply to your particularly creative and distinguished program. I especially appreciate the way that XXXX places a priority on creativity and diversity in the teaching of clinical knowledge in a variety of practice settings with exposure to an equally wide array of anesthetists, resulting in some of the best-prepared students in the world who find themselves in their dream job after graduation. XXXX also stands above other programs through your helpful generosity, allowing students to begin taking classes before officially entering the program, leaving what I consider to be the correct impression that XXXX is more interested in helping students to succeed than they are in grabbing their cash, at least when compared to many other programs.
I have been in love with this area of nursing for some time now and have routinely closely observed the CRNAs in our hospital. By the time my children are college students, I hope to be traveling, giving my all to medical missions supporting surgical teams going to the Developing World, disaster zones, etc. During and after graduate school, I will read about opportunities for CRNAs to go on medical missions. Contributing to global health care is my greatest aspiration for the rest of my professional life.
I look forward to contributing to discussions in your program as someone with a Ph.D. in Physical Therapy who has extensive experience in this area, serving as Director of Rehabilitation in 2009 at Hospice and Home Care of XXXX County. I worked alongside not only a highly skilled, supportive, and professional team of rehab staff but also an exceptional Program Director who became an important mentor and role model. Darla will never cease to inspire me, consistently achieving that perfect balance between the needs of her staff on the one hand and the requirements of her superiors on the other – steering a steady course even during times of financial austerity. She helped me learn how to advocate for my patients, become a team player, and inspire my co-workers to excellence by being alert to the needs of the nurses around me most effectively. Thanks to Darla, I can understand managers' needs and concerns from an insider perspective.
Physical Therapy has helped me become a better nurse. Every day throughout the last year that I have served as part of our ICU team, I have made at least some contribution to patient comfort and recovery based on or flowing from my experience in PT. I have served on the spectrum of health care services: from admission to the emergency room to critical care, step-down, skilled nursing, home health, and outpatient therapy. I understand how patient perceptions are formed throughout this process and what is most valuable to them - especially being treated with dignity and respect and having things clearly and consistently explained.
I have grown most comfortable in the presence of people who are stressed, scared, angry, sad, and tired; a skilled communicator with a steady personality, and I do not get ruffled when situations get ugly. Teamwork is my forte. Mainly when serious problems arise - skin breakdown falls, UTI, central line infections, I attempt to learn something new, especially concerning ways to prevent such issues in the first place. As an analytical thinker, in the face of each new challenge, I scan for service recovery tools and perform a root cause analysis (RCA) in my mind, looking at incidents as problems that are often systemic rather than individual. I observe closely what was done well to imitate it while constantly searching for ways that it could be better still.
With each passing year attending to my patients, I have become increasingly ready to assume the best and less likely to let the ego escape. I am a thoroughgoing professional with a big heart. In addition to patient care, I have also learned a great deal concerning how healthcare is paid for throughout the continuum: diagnostic-related groups, parts A and B of Medicare, prospective payment systems, etc. I understand how money is made and lost within the system, and I enjoy searching for ways to maximize care and minimize costs.
Because I have been around for so many years, I am comfortable in the presence of stressed, scared, angry, sad, and tired people. I am confident in my communication skills and have a steady personality that doesn't get ruffled when situations get ugly. I have spent a lot of time closely observing other professionals and helping with something when allowed, from open heart surgeons to orthopedics and, most recently, CRNAs. After returning to school to earn my BSN, I found myself in even more operating rooms where the CRNAs embraced me and encouraged my course of study. I deeply admire the skill, compassion, competence, and critical thinking skills of the observed CRNAs. I have long studied this most intellectually challenging career and am ready to challenge myself fully.
I fell in love fast and hard during my first observation of open-heart surgery. A resident Anesthesiologist talked me through the entire process, showing me what he was doing and watching for, and explained the rationale behind each of his actions. "Lung down," and he flipped a lever, with the lung deflating like a balloon as the patient was transitioned to the heart-lung machine. Anesthesia was co-regulated with the perfusionist. Next, I was shocked that the resident decided to go on break when the CRNA walked in. She finished that case while teaching me what she was looking for, what she was doing, and its rationale. This is what I want to do: science, patient care, high-tech, teamwork, thinking, and working hard. How could I want to do anything else?