Why I Chose Being a Nurse As A Dream Career

September 26, 2003 was the hardest and most impactful day of my life. I was in the second grade when a close family friend suddenly pulled me out of class. I can remember being confused, partly because my mother would never let me skip a day of school, but mostly wondering why my parents had not called me out from class themselves. After a ten-minute drive to the hospital across town it all became clear – my father had passed away while at work. I can still distinctly recall my mother’s facial expression as she broke the horrific news, as well as the overwhelming feeling of dread creep over my whole body.

The beautiful thing about death is that it brings with it new life. September 26, 2003 was a dreadful day, but looking back, it was the day I decided to become a nurse. Working in the medical field, life and death are in a constant battle. Nursing fuses care giving and compassion in a way that utilizes my natural strengths while benefiting others. The intrinsic value of caring for another individual and my aspirations to comfort others at the worst and best times of their lives provide me with undismayed motivation. My core values incorporate the need for empathy and ethical conduct while still providing effective treatment for healing.

Unfortunately, the current state of many healthcare institutions does not allow maximum nurturing to individual patients in emergency room settings. Attaining a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree allows me to consult, collaborate, and coordinate healthcare policy on an administrative level that will positively impact convalescents healing processes. It is at the administrative level where the tough decisions are made regarding patient-to-staff ratios and conditions that affect the overall supervision of patients. Armed with a Concordia University BSN, I will position myself as a leader in the medical system and improve the care of patients from within the system.

I am confident, however, that my desire for a better healthcare system may someday replace hands-on patient care and administrative duties. The increasing rate of bankruptcy from medical expenses sweeping the nation perpetuates the economic inequality between the poor and the rich. America is a mecca for personal rights, but currently there is no freedom to health or health care. Without a change in medical insurance policies, the well being of many Americans will suffer. With the love of nursing as my greatest tool, I hope to change the healthcare policies that dictate how many individuals must live.

Advancing within the field of nursing will not only be a professional success, but will also allow me to fulfill a childhood dream. Author Lily Graham once said, “Death is not something you get over. It’s the rip that exposes life in a before and after chasm, and all you can do is try to exist as best you can in the after.” Before my father’s death, I was completely unaware of the hardships that many people must face day in and day out. After his death is when I decided to make the conscious choice that nursing was my purpose in life. Pursuing a nursing career was cultivated in my past, has persisted to the present, and will guide me to my future.