Nursing: Promising Pathways

I once heard it said that vocation should be the place where your greatest talents meet the world’s greatest needs.  For me the intersection between those two things lies in nursing.  Without question nursing has become one of our country’s greatest needs, as the deficit for certified nurses rises and more and more people in our nation’s hospitals are cared for by unqualified nurses.   Likewise, I believe that my greatest talents lie in this field and that my skill set will help me to provide the highest standard of care at a time when patients need it the most.

Nursing is not the glamorized profession that one often sees on popular television shows.  It is not about looking pretty in a white uniform.  From my experience, being a nurse is actually the opposite of all that.  It entails working long hours and doing a lot of hard work. These are all part of why I chose to be a nurse. All the hard work and the fatigue pay off in the end when one has been able to save lives and make patients feel more comfortable during their times of need.

In addition to the need that I will be fulfilling in my nursing career, I believe that it will be a rewarding job, as I will have the opportunity to help and to care for many people.  I have a passion for working closely with patients, regardless of their background or beliefs, and I believe that nursing is not merely a way to make a living, but a means of giving back to society.

Not only will nursing be a rewarding and meaningful career for me, but my specific skill set gives me a great deal to offer my patients and my colleagues.  I am competent in Professional Health Care Management with the ability to provide and promote the highest standards in the rapidly changing and ever demanding Healthcare sector, driven by a vast global economy and vibrant technological innovation. I am attentive to detail, highly organized with strong analytical and decision-making skills.

I have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, allowing me to provide care, compassion, and emotional support for irritable, stressed and ill patients.  I am highly knowledgeable in current and pertinent issues within and without the Healthcare sector.  I am able to work under pressure for long hours and to do a considerable amount of lifting such as moving patients, assisting with toileting needs and responding to emergencies.  I have a polished professional demeanor, which enables me to develop and maintain relationships with professionals in the healthcare sector. Furthermore, I have excellent conversational skills in three international languages; English, Spanish and Italian.

I believe that my prior experience and my education will also help me to contribute significantly to this field.  I received a Pre-Med and Trustee scholarship to attend Suffolk University in Boston, where I major in Radiation Biology.  I have also become certified as a Phlebotomy technician, EKG technician and a Medical Clinic assistant.  Furthermore, I am pursuing a nursing assistant course as a State Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at the American Red Cross in Peabody, MA where I am learning procedures such as psychosocial care, restorative care, resident personal care, resident rights, communication, general safety procedure and infection control.

In addition to my training, I have also held several positions in the medical field that have both increased my knowledge and proved to me that nursing is indeed the field that I want to dedicate myself to.  Since 2006 I have worked as a Radiation Therapist Intern at the Massachusetts General Hospital/ Brigham and Women Hospital / DFCI Boston. My responsibilities include accurate positioning of patients for treatment, operation of advanced medical equipment, quality assurance and providing competent patient care.

I am also in charge of assisting the oncologist and the physician with treatment plans during delicate procedures.  From 2005 to 2006, I worked as a Medical Assistant at Alexyenko Medical Associates Lynn, MA. My duty was to assist in phlebotomy and EKG procedures. These are delicate procedures that demand the maintenance of high standards, both of which I believe I showed great aptitude for.

I aim to work for an organization where personal growth is encouraged, human values are nurtured and talents are utilized in the attainment of organizational goals. I would like to be able to apply what I have been learning so far by taking a hands-on and direct approach.  I would like to attain a Masters Degree in order to gain the knowledge and experience to better prepare myself for medical school.  By earning my degree, I am being both practical and responsive to the needs of the time.  It is practical because I have chosen a career that will allow me to utilize my talents and experience, and responsive because there is an overwhelming need for qualified nurses.

I believe that I have had an abundance of valuable experiences and talents to offer the healthcare field.  My prior positions have taught me both technical and soft skills. Technical competence is a core requisite of being successful in any profession. And yet more than this, my exposure in these institutions has taught me fortitude, patience, love of authentic service, and a strong spirit of volunteerism. My desire to be of real service to others has compelled me to move ahead and take advanced studies in this field.  It is with great joy and excitement that I join the place where my talents meet one of our country’s critical needs.