My intended major is Nursing Pre-Licensure, which I chose because I’ve always enjoyed the medical field due to the rewarding nature of its work. My dad is a Registered Nurse and Unit Manager of a Trauma Ventilation and Tracheostomy floor, from whom I heard many stories about how he’s helped them and showed up for his patients in ways good nurses should. I’ve been surrounded by such good examples of medical personnel in my life, therefore I know the hardships that come with this field, but also the feeling of fulfillment that comes with helping ease a patient’s pain and discomfort. Being a part of the acute care a person receives in their journey of rehabilitation and recovery is simply a way I want to live my life because I want to help others in a way not everyone can. I am an extremely organized people-person. I love human interaction and being around other people, as well as having a good work ethic and passion for maintaining good relationships and building new ones (in this instance, as a team with the other nurses, CNAs, doctors, etc. on my floor), so I believe I would excel in a hospital setting.
Last summer, I volunteered at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital (SNGH) for 8-hour shifts once a week for my whole 3-month break, banking over 50 hours. I worked side by side with the nurses and CNAs upstairs on the trauma floor helping patients who were victims of motor accidents, gun fights, and more. In doing so, I answered nurse call bells and stocked each room as well as discharged patients. This experience helped give me the feel of how it was to work on a hospital floor that both featured a Med-Surg and intensive care unit which opened my eyes to the nature of this field and confirmed my desire to pursue a career medically. In 5 years, I plan to be in graduate school to obtain my Nurse Practitioner license, specifically FNP so I can eventually specialize in Labor and Delivery or Women’s Health. In 10 years, maybe I’ll pursue obtaining my autonomy license to open up my own clinic as an FNP and build a private practice, providing access to healthcare to a variety of people.