Growing up a first-generation Nigerian American with two healthy and happy parents, I was raised with a robust belief system emphasizing discipline, education, strong moral values, and the responsibility to devote myself to the needs of my community. My mother has been an ICU nurse since the 1990s and adores what she does. I am much like her, with the same caring disposition or nature.
My passion for nursing was aroused when my grandfather was diagnosed with advanced-stage prostate cancer. I was in my senior year of high school. Still, I assumed the role of one of his principal caregivers, aiding him with his medications and transportation to appointments for radiation therapy. My grandfather often praised me as his caretaker, and I looked forward to stories he would share about a long time ago. I continue to feel his presence and guidance as I care for each critical-care patient on my shift.
Earning my undergraduate degree in Biological Systems Engineering presented me with many challenges and valuable lessons, especially with respect to software programming, advanced and applied science/mathematics, etc. I found my calling in Nursing due to my volunteer experience at ____ Clinic, a student-run clinic associated with the UC ___ School of Medicine. The patients treated were from nearby underserved communities of primarily African Americans and Latinos. Volunteering at this clinic every Saturday morning was extremely rewarding. I developed leadership skills by speaking to the public at outreach events and healthcare venues on the UC -___ campus. ____ Clinic gave me the opportunity to educate the community on preventative measures for various conditions including prostate cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and sickle cell anemia. I also took pride in teaching youth basic mathematics and reading comprehension during Imani Clinic’s tutoring time program.
As a proud member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, I’ve had the privilege to positively impact youth and my peers and provide resources to them. With the aid of my fraternity, I helped start a free tutoring service for various math and sciences college courses. To this day, the tutoring service is affording students from disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to thrive in their classes and excel in their cohorts. I transitioned to Nursing because I realized that is where my heart is, particularly as a volunteer at Citrus Valley Health Partners via the Clinical Care Extender program on the telemetry and intensive care units, assisting nurses. My mentors often praised me for doing more than expected in caring for the patients and seeing to it that they were comfortable as possible. This gave me a keen sense of purpose, and I saw myself as one of these superheroes without capes. This comes from my mother, something that I inherited early on, and coupled with my critical thinking skills, nursing is the right profession for me to give back to my society and make a positive difference in the lives of those who are most in need of my care.
My instructors were passionate and disciplined and encouraged me to pursue advanced practice nursing. Now having spent the last 3.5 of 7 years as an ICU nurse, I am excelling on a critical care team, and this has made me eager to transition to become a CRNA. As a MICU nurse, I manage various patients with debilitating conditions, requiring the titration of multiple vasoactive drips, monitoring sedation and paralytic parameters using bisectorlaity index and train of four monitoring, mechanical ventilation, and airway support. My ability to recognize life-threatening arrhythmias, and changes in hemodynamics, working collaboratively with the medical team to provide holistic and evidence-based critical care has prepared me for the next level. Most recently, I have been caring for COVID-19 patients whose management requires advanced, critical-thinking skills like those needed to distinguish oneself as a CRNA.
I could not have been more enthralled with all my shadowing experiences, beginning with a fantastic Nurse Anesthetist in Boston, MA, and another CRNA in central California over several days each. I was deeply impressed by their commitment, attention to detail, calm demeanor, and autonomy. I was also fortunate to have witnessed a CRNA intervention on a more personal level during an emergency procedure for my father, resulting from an accident.
I have spent my life investing in my career, earning my ACLS, PALS, and CCRN certifications, and serving as the Sepsis Champion on my critical care unit at Kaiser Permanente, Ontario. I have gained valuable leadership skills, guiding my colleagues through our aggressive sepsis protocols to improve mortality rates in our sepsis population. I could not be happier or have a keener sense of fulfillment than in the fast-paced environment of the ICU, calm, confident, and always learning.
____ University´s Nurse Anesthesia DNAP program is well known for producing qualified and high-powered CRNAs, which I became especially aware of when I attended the Diversity CRNA Conference in Augusta, Georgia the weekend of April 26, 2019. At this conference, I was humbled and privileged to network with CRNAs, SRNAs, and Nurse Anesthetist educators. Guest speakers included the past president of the AANA, Paul Santoro, addressing the business and economics of the anesthesia profession. I was able to participate and acquire skills in the simulation lab, including arterial and central line placements, intubations, epidurals, etc. I also had the privilege of shadowing two CRNAs at various hospitals which further fueled my excitement and passion for Nurse Anesthesia.
I have prepared myself holistically for ____’s Nurse Anesthesia DNAP program, and I have the full support of my entire family who has pledged to support me in my journey. I have demonstrated the requisite commitment, continuing to study, and taking several relevant science courses while working full-time. I feel strongly that your intensive full-time study schedule will propel me to excel in your CRNA program at ____. I am most appreciative of the opportunities and professional learning experiences that I have thus far enjoyed. I look forward to the next phase in my nursing career.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Nursing Personal Statement Samples