My name is Hector, but I go by Alex. I am a Nursing major, I started Nursing School in August of 2022 and so far have been able to achieve a 4.0 GPA! I have been a Healthcare Worker for just about 6 years and have loved every second of it. I am extremely passionate about Medicine, Nursing and Astronomy. Growing up I was always told that I was a very smart kid and that I had a big heart. I was always the kid that had a book cracked open or a web page in the New England Journal of Medicine, reading up on whatever big discovery or advancement in medicine that had just been published. After getting my license to practice as a Registered Nurse I'd like to work for Doctor's without Borders and the Peace Corps. I have always been passionate about helping those in need. I never knew how to do it though. I don't have a lot of money to donate and be a philanthropist. I don't have connections in high places that can affect change. All I have is me and my skills. Luckily that's enough to make a difference. I will work tirelessly to help those in need, those that don't have access to quality healthcare and medicine. If I can help ONE person, in my opinion, I changed the world. At least for that person. Thank you for your consideration!

I became inspired to pursue my degree because I wanted to help people. I know that sounds very cliche and it seems like that's what everyone says. I spent 6 years as a CNA and a paramedic, I have been in almost every facet of healthcare. When you're an unlicensed healthcare worker, you come across many hardships. Main one for me being the inability to provide higher level care to my patients due to a lack of education. My other issue that I was tired of facing is the disrespect and lack of consideration from other licensed healthcare personnel. I distinctly remember a time where I reported a possible UTI (as evidenced by discharge in the perineal area) to a nurse and I was blamed for not providing quality perineal care. Days later I noticed the patient had been started on antibiotics. When I asked the patients nurse, she told me the patient had an active UTI and was being treated for it. Left untreated a UTI could develop into Sepsis and be deadly. I was incredibly angry and felt guilty that my poor patient had to suffer for longer than she needed to before finally starting treatment. I would like to eventually become an RN and work in the Emergency Department or in the Intensive Care Unit. I would like to develop my skills well in these specialties and then further my education to become a Nurse Practitioner. As a Nurse Practitioner, I'd like to do the most I can in the Emergency Department and spend a few years working as a provider in trauma. After NP, I plan on attending Medical School to acquire my degree in Medicine. As a Physician, I'd like to specialize in Space Medicine and possibly work for NASA conducting research on things like Martian bacteria's and how they could make us ill. Study the effects that a Martian atmosphere and gravity could have on the human body and even cures and treatments for these "interplanetary" illnesses. Having experience in Emergency Medicine and the Intensive Care Unit would make me a prime candidate to be a Flight Surgeon with NASA and fulfill my dream of studying medicine in Space! Currently, I am in my first semester of Nursing School at Carrington College of Nursing and have so far managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA. I am in love with the Nursing profession. I am so excited to continue my education so I can continue to help those in need.

In my time as a CNA, I encountered a lot of different situations that made me want to pursue higher education and receive my license as a Registered Nurse. The main reason being that I wanted the ability to further help my patients. As a CNA there is only so much you can do for your patients. I became a Paramedic and a Phlebotomist before I finally decided that the only way I was going to be able to make the difference I wanted to make in my patients lives, is if I became an RN. Once I made this decision, I began to try and find ways to make it there. Being a CNA, I've always struggled with money and making enough money to get by. I really didn't think I could do it, but a few months later here I am. Financial hardships have always been the main thing standing between me and my degree. I started my journey in nursing in August of this year and so far have managed to get a 4.0 GPA by getting an A in my Math and Psychology classes and am currently working on getting an A in Sociology, Chemistry and Anatomy/Physiology. I plan on becoming an ER Nurse and working in Trauma, eventually continuing my education to become either a Nurse Practitioner or a Medical Doctor. I have a deep passion for helping others. Spending so much time as a CNA, I've formed relationships with people that I know will last a lifetime. I've provided care to strangers I'll never see again. Most importantly, I've made vulnerable sick people feel safe and healthier. These are not things I take lightly. I always remember a specific situation where I had a patient who was alone on mothers day. I walked into her room because I was rounding on all my patients and when I walked into her hospital room I saw she was crying. When I asked her why she was crying she mentioned it was because she felt incredibly uncomfortable in bed, she had been sweating and was feeling dirty and sticky. I had her sit on the edge of her bed and gave her a quick bed bath. I grabbed a wash cloth, soaked in warm soapy water, and began scrubbing her back. While I did this, she admitted to me that the reason she was crying was because it was mothers day and her son had passed away 3 months prior due to complications with COVID. She admitted to me that she felt alone and couldn't remember the last time someone had touched her back and comforted her. She apologized to me. For feeling the way she was feeling in front of me, she apologized. Understandably, I was heartbroken that this mother who lost her baby only 3 months prior was apologizing to ME for crying. I ended up changing her linens completely and finishing the bed bath. After that, I went to the kitchen, fetched us some popsicles and other snacks, and I ended up sitting with her for over 30 minutes, talking and snacking. I would've stayed longer but my other patients needed me as well. As I walked out of the room she looked at me and thanked me from the bottom of her heart. She said that this was the best she had felt in the last 3 months. In the last 6 years, I've compiled many of these stories. Stories like these, that's why I want to be a Nurse.