My career goals as a nurse are to further my education and acquire my master's degree in order to achieve my dream of being a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Prior to entering the nursing program, I thought my options were limited to becoming a nurse, but now I realize how this career path has opened doors to other opportunities. I've learned how little interest there is in this field or how unfavorable its reputation is because of its nature after taking a mental health course in the nursing school. In my current role as a security officer, I've personally dealt with a variety of situations where I've had to deal with people who have mental health issues and have been combative with me. However, after taking this specific course, applying what I learned, and observing a change in their behavior, I've implemented new tactics in my place of work. The decision I made to become a nurse was motivated by my desire to help those who aspire to become nurses by sharing my evolving amount of knowledge, easing their transition, and better preparing them for the realities of the nursing profession. The most challenging thing about nursing, in my opinion, is attempting to remember all of the information you might come across in a hospital, community health, hospice, intensive care unit, and so on. The most significant takeaway I took away from my clinical work with nurses employed by the healthcare system was how little knowledge is retained. I developed my own mnemonics to help me remember specific tasks, abilities, medications, and other information. Students in my program have taken on and implemented my study strategies, which have improved their memory recall and retention of information compared to peers in prior cohorts that I’ve observed. Seeing how well the students performed on the tests before using my study techniques, I believe I've witnessed significant improvements in students' performance, which has motivated me to keep helping more aspiring nurses. The biggest hardship I'm trying to overcome at the moment is the possibility of losing my home and the negative effects on my health. My wife's been laid off and unemployed almost eight months. No matter how hard my wife has looked for a new job, She's had no luck finding employment. I had to take on extra shifts and put in extra overtime because of my wife's unemployed status in order to make ends meet. While, working full-time and going to school, has taken a big toll on my health. I haven't gotten a sufficient amount of sleep in the past two years, and I've gained weight, become sick frequently, and had emotional turmoil about the prospect of losing our house. Even after my wife and I have faced numerous challenges, she continues to encourage and support me to continue with the program and finish it, even after I have felt like giving up on it in order for us to save our house.

In 2011, at the height of my high school wrestling career, I stumbled across a moment at a regionals tournament where I felt my athletic abilities would reveal my strength and determination but was negatively impacted by my coach's judgment. He decided to have me placed as a non-scorer in the 189-pound class, deliberately being the underdog, all with my coaches only the goal of gaining team points for our school to place first at the regional wrestling tournament. My wrestling career began in my sophomore year and went on until my final year, lasting from 2009 to 2011. I was originally 215 and or heavy weight up to 285 lbs. I struggled through my sophomore and junior years, having difficulty with the huge weight range and tall opponents. As I began my senior year, a strong desire to maximize my potential drove me to make a critical decision. With a focus on the weight class that would best suit me, I began on a three-month journey of sweat and sacrifice during the summer, losing 80 pounds from 260 down to 181 lbs. The triumph of dropping that weight was more than just a personal accomplishment; it set the stage for what would be the height of my wrestling career. During my amazing senior year, my record shined with 28 wins out of 36, a huge jump from the previous years' low 12 or 14 victories. The sweet taste of achievement, combined with the awareness of my untapped talent, sparked a burning desire to contribute significantly to the team's victories. Nonetheless, despite the happiness of my accomplishments, a bitter truth struck during the regional meets. The news from my coach, that I was going to be a non-scorer hit me hard. I was convinced that I earned the 1st spot in my class,  and I believed although my teammate in the same weight class couldn't compare to my wrestling skills was a shock. In my defense, I mentioned previous matches in which I had outperformed my teammate. Unfortunately, the coach's decision was based on my teammate's a bit higher victories record. Despite aggravation and a sense of failure, I slowly realized the wisdom of abiding by the coach's strategy for the good of the team. This point in my wrestling career wasn't just about overcoming obstacles on the physical level; it was also a test of my ability to accept the harsh reality of unfair decisions. It demonstrated the finer points of teamwork, the complexity of sportsmanship, and the unrelenting love of competition that every athlete possesses, marking a sweet chapter in my life that I may share with my team once. It's amusing how events unfold in ways you wouldn't anticipate. Surprisingly, my teammate and I qualified to wrestle at the state level. and my coach's goal was for us to compete at the state finals. I learned a valuable lesson about respecting leadership decisions, even when I didn't agree with them, by accepting the role of the underdog as a non-scorer. I was able to appreciate the wisdom of leaders' judgments when I realized that they occupy their positions for certain reasons. This lesson will be extremely helpful to me when I enter the healthcare industry as a nurse. Sometimes a charge nurse's instructions in a medical context don't match my views. It struck me that in complex situations, it's imperative to follow the direction of our leaders which is why they were placed in leadership to begin with. This insight emphasizes how important it is to follow their guidance when there are no reasons to do otherwise.

My brother had to have surgery after his appendix ruptured and he was taken to the emergency room. Seeing him in the hospital bed, looking as though he wouldn't survive the night, was intolerable. After his surgery, he was placed post-surgical unit under the care of nurses, at the time, who appeared to have lost their empathy and compassion. It was difficult to disregard my brother in the state he was in as I visited the hospital where I decided to commit to being at the bedside until he improved. It appears that the nurse assigned to him had no sense of care or the importance of being attentive and compassionate. That incident stayed with me and left me feeling very disappointed. I initially attempted to brush it off as the nurse was having a bad day or a one-off event, but during the clinical visits during our nursing program, I saw an unexpected trend. As it turned out, a significant proportion of the nursing staff with whom we assisted shared some of the same undesirable characteristics in their approach to patient care. When the nurses are confronted with difficult patients, they talk negativity and sometimes making fun of them. I have observed incidents where nurses, plainly upset, approached management and requested a different patient or a transfer to another unit. It's becoming a widespread issue in the healthcare industry. My main worry is that nurses frequently prioritize their pay over the well-being of the people they are supposed to be caring for. It seems they don't appear to know what our priorities are as a nurse. This disconnect raises significant questions about the values that direct our professionals in the healthcare industry and begs for a reevaluation of our practices within. I want to be a part of the change and push us back to a position where patients are at the center, where compassion, empathy, and a true dedication to people's well-being come first, just to remind everyone of the reasons we chose this road in the first place. Just because I had a poor experience as a bedside visitor or as a patient does not necessarily reveal the whole story, and we must sometimes consider things from the perspective of the nurses as well. My resolve to change things is now reinforced by realizing the difficulties nurses encounter whether it's due to staffing shortages or burnout. According to some nurses, the patient-to-nurse ratio places too much pressure on nurses to execute their responsibilities, leaving space for error and perhaps injuring the patient. In some circumstances, nurses have mentioned how difficult it is to get through hospital programs, comparing it to navigating a maze. Another major complaint I've heard from nurses is that they are understaffed, have a high turnover rate at each hospital we visited as students, and are not provided with the tools they need to do their tasks. Lastly, they feel that their overall health and well-being have been negatively impacted by work-related stress. I find it upsetting how nurses, priceless contributions are not being acknowledged. I suggest rethinking staffing tactics, improving schedules, and utilizing technology to create more efficient workflows to combat burnout. Technological developments strive for both productivity and a more welcoming work environment for nurses. Furthermore, emphasizing continuing education guarantees that nurses are competent and confident in their ability to manage the changing healthcare environment. Last but not least, building an atmosphere where nurses feel appreciated, encouraged, and can thrive both personally and professionally is crucial to preventing burnout. This includes developing comprehensive resources that cover everything from physical health to counseling.

Growing up in a household that struggled with mental health problems deeply influenced my path into the area of nursing. With two brothers who have special needs, a father who struggles with alcoholism, and a sister who suffers from depression and anxiety, my upbringing was filled with difficulties. It felt like an infinite puzzle of issues at times, and an instinctual desire to aid my family grew within me. Nonetheless, I felt powerless lacking the tools and foundation needed to make a difference. A turning point moment came when I began my nursing education, primarily focused on the specifics of mental health. This educational journey functioned as a landmark, shedding light on the underlying challenges that my family members experienced. With my newly acquired knowledge, I've become an advocate for my loved ones, providing the support and understanding I previously longed for. My personal experiences have served as a foundation for my professional goals. Working as a security officer has given me the ability to apply my skill set to any circumstance, no matter how critical. I am motivated by a strong desire to give this assistance not only to my family but also to other families who have had similar difficult circumstances. I see myself as a symbol of empathy and knowledge, assisting people dealing with mental health issues to find comfort and understanding. This journey is about more than just healing my family; it's about bringing back compassion and awareness in the field of mental health care. It is disappointing to see so few healthcare professionals, especially nurses, who show sincerity, compassion, empathy, and integrity in the context of healthcare settings. It is a disturbing sight to witness firsthand the lack of empathy, as nurses engage in derogatory comments about patients and exhibit a disturbing indifference to their overall health. Unfortunately, it appears that some healthcare professionals frequently let their financial concerns take priority over their sincere concern for their patients. This insight strengthens my resolve to restore the originality of nursing practice. My main objective is to restore the core values of nursing, which are deep empathy, concern, and commitment that ought to be present in every encounter. Seeing these fundamental principles being eroded in the healthcare industry, where patient recovery must be the main priority, is disturbing. When I look to the future of nursing, I picture a profession where committed professionals put patients before themselves, where discussions concerning patients are based on respect and care, and where healing is ultimately achieved. By my solid dedication, I hope to encourage a change in the healthcare system so that all patients get the respect and care they deserve.

Growing up in a household that struggled and with mental health problems it deeply influenced my path into the area of nursing. With two brothers who have special needs, a father who struggles with alcoholism, and a sister who suffers from depression and anxiety, my upbringing was filled with difficulties. It felt like an infinite puzzle of issues at times, and an instinctual desire to aid my family grew within me. Nonetheless, I felt powerless lacking the tools and foundation needed to really make a difference. A turning point moment came when I began my nursing education, primarily focused on the specifics of mental health. This educational journey functioned as an a landmark, shedding light on the underlying challenges that my family members experienced. With my newly acquired knowledge, I've become an advocate for my loved ones, providing the support and understanding I previously longed for. My personal experiences have served as a foundation for my professional goals. Working as a security officer has given me the ability to apply my skill set to any circumstance, no matter how critical. I am motivated by a strong desire to give this assistance not only to my family, but also to other families who have went similar difficult circumstances. I see myself as an a symbol of empathy and knowledge, assisting people dealing with mental health issues to find comfort and understanding. This journey is about more than just healing my family; it's about being back the compassion and awareness in the field of mental health care. It is disappointing to see so few healthcare professionals, especially nurses, who show sincerity, compassion, empathy, and integrity in the context of healthcare settings. It is a disturbing sight to witness firsthand the lack of empathy, as nurses engage in derogatory comments about patients and exhibit a disturbing indifference to their overall health. Unfortunately, it appears that some healthcare professionals frequently let their financial concerns take priority over their sincere concern for their patients. This insight strengthens my resolve to restore the originality of nursing practice. My main objective is to restore the core values of nursing, which are deep empathy, concern, and commitment that ought to be present in every encounter. Seeing these fundamental principles being eroded in the healthcare industry, where patient recovery must to be the main priority, is disturbing. When I look to the future of nursing, I picture a profession where committed professionals put patients before themselves, where discussions concerning patients are based on respect and care, and where healing is ultimately achieved. By my solid dedication, I hope to encourage a change in the healthcare system so that all patients get the respect and caring they so well deserve.