After a six year long absence from school following my relocation to the United States and a nerve wracking career changing decision, a life altering experience molded me towards my nursing career pathway.
I had a baby girl 21 months ago, She was born at 25 weeks gestation and weighed just over 1 lb 12 ounces; the experience would have been devastating if not for the role of the nurses at the emergency room who helped stabilize me and my baby as I went through a precipitous, spontaneous premature labor. Their skill, dexterity and critical thinking knowledge saved my life and that of my baby before we could get to the labor and delivery unit .Their dedication to each patient that comes in to that fast- paced unit put me in awe of the profession and made me decide firmly to pursue a career in
nursing.
One year down the line and now in my senior year pursing a baccalaureate in nursing, I have built up a wealth of experience that has impacted my life in more ways than I thought possible. I have developed personal traits and built on existing ones which have proved valuable to achieving my goals to becoming a nurse. Volunteering as a Red Cross disaster team member is one activity that has given me both the skills of emergency and critical care nursing as well as the traits of empathy ,selfless caring and team work that is required to succeed in the nursing profession. I have also participated as a member of Texas Student Nurses Association (TNSA) in various student nurses’ roles such as health screening fairs, blood drives and fundraising for various charities.
Recently, in my spring semester, I had the privilege to experience first hand in a five month long clinical rotation as a student nurse the exhilarating practice of nursing in obstetrics, pediatrics and mental health and wellness settings. Each day had its own different experience from the previous day with something new to add to one’s knowledge base. At the end of each day, the reward of knowing I was part of a team that made a difference in someone’s life brought me joy and immense satisfaction. At the end of the clinical experience, I found that I had actually confirmed my true calling to be a nurse.