I see my degree in Sociology as most beneficial to someone who has chosen nursing as their career, enabling me to see the big picture with greater clarity from the beginning, understanding the complexities of diversity and social justice issues as they play out in nursing. Serving as a Student Research Assistant at XXXX’s Center for Health Services and Society and compiling databases for advanced mobile care apps for patients with severe mental illness, gave me incredible joy in working and creating innovative health care. I also have hands-on experience working as a Nursing Assistant, changing, feeding, monitoring, and visiting residents at a nursing home. This will help me hit the ground running in your master's program in Nursing at the University of XXXX School of Nursing. I look forward to learning as much as possible about geriatrics and public health policy related to community health nursing. The two hundred hours I spent as a Nursing Volunteer at XXXX Hospital and 150 hours at XXXX will also help me excel in your rigorous MECN Program.
You will undoubtedly have applicants with a higher GPA than mine, but I ask for special consideration in this regard because I only earned grades of ‘C’ during my first two years at XXXX, and my grades improved over the next two years. At first, I felt helpless and depressed during the early part of my college days because I also had to work to support myself, and I was the first member of my family to attend college; I could not turn to my family for guidance since neither of my parents had even completed high school. It wasn't until I sought help through counseling that I learned I had a learning disability, and my grades turned around. Thus, I feel strongly that my cumulative GPA (3.1) does not accurately reflect my ability to perform in your program. Fortunately for me, XXXX MECN does not judge a student so much by their entire cumulative GPA; but instead focuses on the last ninety quarter units (I have a 3.4 for the last ninety units). For my prerequisites in nursing, I have earned 5 A's, 3 B's, and 1 B- (from my first year at XXXX).
The most vital aspect of my application is that I am fully bilingual (Spanish/English) and bicultural, Mexican American. I was raised by my elderly Mexican grandparents – who I looked after as much as they looked after me – and I have worked at a nursing home and volunteered at the hospital. Thus, I have been exposed to various health, psychological, and social issues involving the elderly and their nursing care, especially concerning the most vulnerable patients. Many patients I helped care for had cognitive impairments, particularly dementia and Alzheimer’s. It is with these patients that I have the most experience.
The forgetfulness of dementia patients even interferes with their eating behavior, and, as a result, they consume inadequate amounts of food. To combat this problem, I supervise them during their mealtimes, encouraging them to eat, and making eating fun. I learned that it is critical to establish a rapport with the resident to address their clinical issues adequately. My grandfather, a Mexican immigrant, joined the bracero program to try and provide a better living for his family and escape the repression of the Mexican government. It is for this reason that he fled north to California. He did not speak English or have an education beyond the second grade, which left him vulnerable to exploitation. As a child, I witnessed how my family did extremely hard, dangerous work and could not receive health care attention even for work-related injuries. My grandfather fell off the ladder many times while picking lemons. These accumulated injuries have left him in a wheelchair until today. I take my grandpa to his doctor’s visits to bridge communication gaps involving his medical care, explaining things to him to fully understand, and voicing his concerns or fears that may otherwise be overlooked. The more I learn about nursing care, the happier I am that I can provide it in both languages. I monitor and manage my grandfather’s medications and diet to lower his high blood pressure (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, DASH); I am his caregiver and advocate. The most significant contribution to society I can imagine is improving healthcare delivery, especially for the Spanish-speaking underserved, both documented and undocumented.
My ideal job would be to serve as a lead nurse in geriatric nursing, eventually serving on institutional and policy-making boards to have a direct share in critical decision-making that significantly impacts patients. I want to be of service to our growing aging population, improving the later stages of life, and helping our older citizens to stay healthy. As a future expert in Gerontology, I want to put my expertise to work as an advocate for older adults in nursing homes.
As a sociology student, I worked on research projects geared toward improving the community's mental health, forming research partnerships with organizations such as Healthy African American Families, and looking for ways to improve how psychological services are delivered through innovative technologies. I constantly translate for Spanish-speaking patients at the hospital or nursing home. Since high school, I have participated in programs to tutor second-language learners. At XXXX, I mentored kids from underserved areas in Los Angeles and engaged in creative activities that fostered their personal and academic growth while at the same time developing the leadership skills that will serve me well as a nursing professional constantly engaged with community issues designed to improve the lives of our most vulnerable members.
Thank you for considering my application.