While I was in junior high school, my mother underwent surgery to remove a large ovarian mass, and she received chemotherapy for a year. I am an only child, and my father was stationed on a Navy ship. My mom did her best to protect me from ‘cancer anxiety’ and did so to a heroic degree. Still, I was aware that she was ill, and, naturally, under the circumstances, she guided me on how to live without her, so I understood what was happening. Happily, she survived, and when I got older, I began to appreciate how fearful she had been and learned how she used to protect me from worry, such as running the water so that I could not hear her vomiting at night. It seemed natural to me to pursue a career in oncology nursing to care for and reassure patients as I would have done for my mother. It is a decision I have never regretted as I have found enormous satisfaction in nursing.
I have been an RN for 12 years. I started my career in Med-Surg specializing in oncology, caring for marrow transplant patients. As my own family grew, I decided to step away from bedside nursing and worked as a triage nurse in a call center close to home. This position had satisfying aspects, primarily when I could provide advice and reassurance to patients after hours. However, I sorely missed taking care of oncology patients. I missed the long-term relationships with patients and families, being able to make a difference rather than merely make a living, and the unique joy of sharing the celebrations of small but significant steps toward recovery. Consequently, I sought a role where I could practice ‘hands-on’ nursing while having sufficient time for my family. I have found this in my new role as a Nurse Coordinator in the Radiation Oncology Department at XXXX, attending to oncology patients four days a week in an outpatient setting.
I now hope to earn the MSN degree at XXXX University to maximize my utility in the profession, enhancing the practical skills and knowledge acquired to date, allowing me to exercise leadership and training roles in the future, and serve my patients more fully as my career progresses in Oncology Nursing. Caring for patients with cancer is my permanent focus and what I know best. I am also drawn by the Catholic and Jesuit ethos and the excellent ranking, facilities, and exceptionally well-qualified and experienced faculty. The program's flexibility and the opportunity to use my working day as practicum hours make the program the perfect fit for my purposes. I seek a challenging but supportive academic environment and am sure, from those I have met from UXX to date, that this will be provided.
I aim to advance current patient-care protocols with better data and best practices to increase patient satisfaction and care experience throughout treatment. I am confident that the program will enable and inspire me to do this. My chosen specialty often entails creating and maintaining long-term positive relationships with patients undergoing complex treatments. Creating and maintaining such relationships calls for personal characteristics I possess, high-level communication skills that enable me to explain complicated procedures in lay terms, the ability to engender confidence and trust quickly, and, most significantly, elevated levels of empathy and emotional intelligence, which can neither be measured nor taught. A squeezed hand, smile, and jokes are essential in nursing, and their beneficial effects should not be underestimated.
Now an experienced nurse with an excellent academic record, my most important recommendation is a genuine passion for nursing and the determination to maximize my utility and fulfill my potential. I assure the reader I shall apply exceptional diligence and enthusiasm to benefit my patients and colleagues.
Thank you for considering my application.