I am applying to the University of XXXX because I am convinced that your DNP program is the best fit for my specific focus, on Africa. My greatest weakness in my application is my age; I am fifty-two. Nevertheless, I pray that you will look favorably at my application because of my profound dedication to health care and nursing in Africa. I am from Africa, raised in Africa; I know my homeland very well, especially my native Cameroon. I am in good health and an extremely hard worker who lives for nursing. Upon my retirement in the USA, I look forward to dedicating the balance of my life to the development of nursing care in Africa. I fully intend to give my all to this area until I can no longer do so.
As a wife and a mother, I came to America 25 years ago; I initially put my education on the back burner to support my husband, who earned his master's and then his Ph.D. When my marriage ended, I raised my four children all alone while I went to nursing school. All my children are in college except the youngest one, who is ten years old. I now have 14 years of experience in nursing, and I finished my BSN this May 2013. I am currently working in two positions as a nurse, 64 hours per week, and I enjoy every minute I spend in uniform.
My long-term goals for my professional career are to continue to build on my extensive nursing experience and become a leader in my field, especially concerning nursing in Africa. I now have extensive nursing experience in NICU and Med-Surg, and I am presently working in Psychiatry and substance abuse. My current position has helped me better understand the needs of people at the homeless shelter where I have spent a lot of what little free time I have. I also have a passion for diabetes education, HIV, and nutrition.
I plan to continue to work here in the USA for the next 13 years or so until I retire; at the same time, I will build bridges with nurses in Africa so that I am highly knowledgeable about nursing leadership in Africa. I see retirement at 65 not as the end of my career, however, but as the beginning of my crowning effort as a nurse, my return to Africa to work as a nursing leader in my native Cameroon, educating our nurses so that they will be more effective in educating our communities about infectious diseases and health maintenance. The communities in Cameroon (West Africa), where I originally come from, are impoverished, and most people lack access to health care. This is why disease prevention is so critically important for my people. At 65, I hope to launch a new career in Africa for another 15 to 20 years, teaching health maintenance and prevention of disease to nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Your program is my first choice for graduate school because of my profound respect and admiration for your emphasis on the importance of innovation, learning, and discovery. However, I appreciate your recognition and focus on the importance of preparing ‘culturally proficient’ nurses for service to our global society. I see this as Africa’s best and only hope for radical improvement in our healthcare systems and solidarity with the worldwide healthcare community.
My central goal and professional vision entail helping design and implement health education campaigns and disease prevention strategies, such as immunization and screenings, HIV education, and consciousness-raising about other infectious diseases. I look forward to serving as an advocate for those with the greatest need, the most vulnerable members of our communities, and the underserved. I plan to work closely with Cameroon's local, state, and federal authorities to improve access to health services for our poorest communities, mostly in rural areas with few health care services.
At the same time that I want to give my all to my land of origin, Cameroon, I wish to do so in a way that contributes to our understanding of the tremendous healthcare challenges faced by the entire continent of Africa and to share experiences and strategies with other nursing professionals and educators continent-wide, and in this way build solidarity between our nations in our efforts to improve health care systems and structures. I see myself working for a non-profit organization in Africa focusing on improving access to health care, especially concerning HIV prevention, and addressing the stigmas attached to the disease.
Thank you for considering my application to your distinguished program.