I had a perfect time in nursing school, but nothing else excited me as much as my course in women’s health. This is why I have my sights set on becoming a distinguished WHNP, and I hope to perform all of my clinical work in this area. I have complete confidence in the distinguished faculty of the University of XXXX to guide me in designing a study plan geared toward making me a highly effective WHNP. My labor and delivery rotations were the high point of my life, coaching my patient and working with her on her breathing. Words cannot describe how I felt when her first baby made his appearance. The exhilaration was total, and I was hooked on women’s health. I want to give my life to this area of nursing, and I feel strongly that the sheer joy I find in this area is my greatest asset, my motivation.
A Filipina woman, 29 years old, I was born and raised in California. Since I am Asian and a minority, this helps me relate well to members of all minority groups, and I take immense pride in my ethnicity. Some Filipinos in America are much more comfortable speaking Tagalog rather than English. I look forward to being on call for many decades for anyone in need of health care in this language, my native language. I see my ethnic background as an asset that will help me serve uninsured women in underserved communities as effectively as possible. My long-term dream is to give my all to providing free health awareness education, health screenings, and primary care, especially for pregnant women.
As an RN intern, I shadowed and assisted a home health nurse at XXXX County Health Services, a local women’s health family clinic. We made follow-up visits to women discharged from the hospital after giving birth to their bundle of joy. I educated women on breastfeeding techniques, how to care for their newborns, coping strategies, and assessment for postpartum depression. When volunteering at a local WIC office in an underserved community, I educated women on nutrition and diet during pregnancy. I was surprised by how these women appreciated our efforts, which made me want to do still more, everything that I could.
In my current role as a Nurse Case Manager, it is expected that I will encounter patients without medical insurance and very minimal income. As a discharge planner, it is my responsibility that patients have good follow up with a primary care physician. However, this is most difficult when the woman is uninsured, and many eventually get readmitted to the hospital because they failed to have adequate follow-up attention. A close cousin of mine was laid off by her employer and lost her medical benefits while three months pregnant. I provided her with resources for local community health clinics. They told her she had to take a pregnancy test and then get on a waiting list. It would be a long time before a healthcare provider could examine her and her baby. While we were able to get her insurance reinstated in her case, this experience left me wanting to help uninsured pregnant women in need of routine examinations for themselves and their babies without waiting weeks, if not months.
My passion for women’s health progressed further due to my pregnancy and childbirth, helping me better appreciate the anatomy and physiology of a woman and how new life comes to fruition. As a result of my prenatal visits at the clinic and my delivery at the hospital, I established a close bond with my healthcare providers, reinforcing my desire to specialize in women’s and reproductive health. With one of my best friends fighting for her life against breast cancer, I am very fired up about breast and cervical cancer awareness and education. I want to be an advocate for uninsured women with cancer.
Thank you for considering my application to your distinguished program at the U of XXXX.
