Now that I’m getting older, why do I keep hearing about so many nurses treating patients unfairly all over the media? Why does this seem to be getting worse, or has it always been this way and I’m only noticing it now? I have so many questions, but what I do know is that I want to be the one to help change this by becoming the best nurse I can be. I want my patients to feel safe, heard, and respected when they are in my care. I never want a patient to feel uncomfortable, ignored, or like they are being treated differently. I know I cannot change the entire nursing profession by myself, but I know I can control the type of nurse I choose to be. I want to lead by example and show that nurses can provide excellent care while still being kind, patient, and compassionate. Besides the stories from the media, my mom has also told me what it is like being an RN in New York hospitals. She told me that while some nurses are kind, others are mean, gossip about their coworkers, and don’t show compassion for their patients. Every time I hear these stories, it makes me even more determined to be different and treat both my patients and my fellow nurses with kindness and respect. In addition, as someone who has been diagnosed with alopecia areata, my experiences with this condition have given me the ability to connect with patients and care for them in a way that addresses both their physical and emotional needs. I know how it feels to struggle with something that changes the way you look and affects your confidence. I also know how hurtful it can be when people make insensitive comments or do not understand what you are going through. Therefore, I want my patients to feel safe and understood when they receive bad news or are going through difficult health issues. The reason I am so devoted to patient advocacy comes from my experience when my dad had surgery. After his procedure, he kept telling his doctor that his nasogastric tube felt too far down and that he was having trouble breathing. I was so scared for him because he looked like he was struggling to breathe. His doctor didn’t take his concerns seriously, but one of his nurses listened, stayed patient, and recognized that something was wrong. A few days later, it was confirmed that the tube had been placed incorrectly. This experience showed me how important nurses are in advocating for their patients and truly listening to them. It made me want to become a nurse who not only understands clinical care but also speaks up, listens carefully, and makes sure patients are treated with respect. This fall, I will begin the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing with a 3.92 GPA. My dream is to follow the RN-to-MD path. I want to first become a registered nurse because I believe there is no better way to understand patient care than by working directly with patients and learning from experienced healthcare professionals. After gaining that experience, I plan to attend medical school and become a doctor. I believe that having both nursing and medical experience will allow me to provide compassionate, well-rounded care and better advocate for my patients while making a positive impact in my community.

Now that I’m getting older, why do I keep hearing about so many nurses treating patients unfairly all over the media? Why does this seem to be getting worse, or has it always been this way and I’m only noticing it now? I have so many questions, but what I do know is that I want to be the one to help change this by becoming the best nurse I can be. Besides the stories from the media, my mom has also told me what it is like being an RN in New York hospitals. She told me that while some nurses are kind, others are mean, gossip about their coworkers, and don’t show compassion for their patients. Every time I hear these stories, it makes me even more determined to be different and treat both my patients and my fellow nurses with kindness and respect. In addition, as someone who has been diagnosed with alopecia areata, my experiences with this condition have given me the ability to connect with patients and care for them in a way that addresses both their physical and emotional needs. The reason I am so devoted to patient advocacy comes from my experience when my dad had surgery. After his procedure, he kept telling his doctor that his nasogastric tube felt too far down and that he was having trouble breathing. I was so scared for him because he looked like he was struggling to breathe. His doctor didn’t take his concerns seriously, but one of his nurses listened, stayed patient, and recognized that something was wrong. A few days later, it was confirmed that the tube had been placed incorrectly. This experience showed me how important nurses are in advocating for their patients and truly listening to them. It made me want to become a nurse who not only understands clinical care but also speaks up, listens carefully, and makes sure patients are treated with respect. This fall, I will begin the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing with a 3.92 GPA. My dream is to follow the RN-to-MD path. I want to first become a registered nurse because I believe there is no better way to understand patient care than by working directly with patients and learning from experienced healthcare professionals. After gaining that experience, I plan to attend medical school and become a doctor. I believe that having both nursing and medical experience will allow me to provide compassionate, well-rounded care and better advocate for my patients while making a positive impact in my community.

Now that I’m getting older, why do I keep hearing about so many nurses treating patients unfairly all over the media? Why does this seem to be getting worse, or has it always been this way and I’m only noticing it now? I have so many questions, but what I do know is that I want to be the one to help change this by becoming the best nurse I can be. Besides the stories from the media, my mom has also told me what it is like being an RN in New York hospitals. She told me that while some nurses are kind, others are mean, gossip about their coworkers, and don’t show compassion for their patients. Every time I hear these stories, it makes me even more determined to be different and treat both my patients and my fellow nurses with kindness and respect. In addition, as someone who has been diagnosed with alopecia areata, my experiences with this condition have given me the ability to connect with patients and care for them in a way that addresses both their physical and emotional needs. The reason I am so devoted to patient advocacy comes from my experience when my dad had surgery. After his procedure, he kept telling his doctor that his nasogastric tube felt too far down and that he was having trouble breathing. I was so scared for him because he looked like he was struggling to breathe. His doctor didn’t take his concerns seriously, but one of his nurses listened, stayed patient, and recognized that something was wrong. A few days later, it was confirmed that the tube had been placed incorrectly. This experience showed me how important nurses are in advocating for their patients and truly listening to them. It made me want to become a nurse who not only understands clinical care but also speaks up, listens carefully, and makes sure patients are treated with respect. This fall, I will begin the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing with a 3.92 GPA. My dream is to follow the RN-to-MD path. I want to first become a registered nurse because I believe there is no better way to understand patient care than by working directly with patients and learning from experienced healthcare professionals. After gaining that experience, I plan to attend medical school and become a doctor. I believe that having both nursing and medical experience will allow me to provide compassionate, well-rounded care and better advocate for my patients while making a positive impact in my community.

At first, all I saw were beautiful elderly people sitting quietly around the nursing home, but it did not take long for me to realize that many of them were suffering in silence. On my first day of CNA training, I expected to see careful care of the elderly in the nursing home, but instead, I saw CNAs ignoring their patients and not treating them with the care and respect they deserved. It honestly shocked me because these are people who depend on us for their basic needs and deserve to be treated with dignity. Therefore, one problem in healthcare that I refuse to accept as inevitable is the mistreatment of elderly patients. During my Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training, I worked alongside experienced CNAs in a nursing home. While some of them treated residents with kindness and respect, others did not. When some of the residents asked CNAs for help, I saw them being ignored and talked over as if their voices did not matter. I even heard CNAs tell residents that they talked too much. The situation that affected me the most was seeing residents left sitting in their own pee because the CNAs did not want to take the time to help them to the bathroom. When I saw this, I refused to believe that this was simply part of healthcare. Instead of accepting this behavior, I decided to make sure my residents received the care and attention they deserved. I sat and listened to them because I knew that communication was important for their mental health. One conversation with a person can make their day 10 times better. I helped residents to the bathroom when they asked me, even when the CNAs told me to leave them. While working there, I noticed that the residents began to recognize me as someone they could trust. They would have bright smiles on their faces when they saw me, and they told me that nursing homes needed more people like me. They even cried when I had to leave on my last day of training. This showed me that they saw me as someone who genuinely cared about them and made them feel seen, heard, and valued. My experience taught me that healthcare is not just about completing tasks or taking care of someone's physical needs. It is also about showing compassion, listening, and making sure every patient feels respected and cared for. My commitment to patient advocacy became even stronger after my father had surgery. After the procedure, he repeatedly told his doctor that his nasogastric tube felt too far down and that he was having trouble breathing. His concerns were dismissed at first, but one nurse listened carefully and recognized that something was wrong. A few days later, the tube was found to have been placed incorrectly. This experience showed me how important it is for healthcare professionals to listen to their patients instead of assuming they are mistaken. It also showed me that sometimes, being the person who simply takes the time to listen can make a major difference in a patient's care. To sum it all up, experiences have shaped the kind of healthcare professional I want to become. I plan to become a registered nurse and eventually a physician because I want to combine compassionate nursing care with medical knowledge. I refuse to accept a healthcare system where patients feel ignored, disrespected, or invisible. Instead, I want to help build one where every patient is treated with dignity, their concerns are taken seriously, and compassion is never considered optional.

My educational journey has taught me that success is not only about intelligence or hard work, but also about perseverance, sacrifice, and moving forward even when it feels like everything is working against you. All my life, from elementary school to college, I've worked hard. I've done my notes, reread my lectures, helped my classmates, and stayed up late nights, but what do I get in return? No matter how much I achieve, I always feel tired and unrewarded, especially when I see people getting things without putting in any hard work at all. I have had teachers who made me feel like no matter how excellent my work was, I had to work twice as hard just to earn the grade I deserved. I learned that sometimes succeeding means staying respectful to those who aren't to you, choosing your battles, and remaining professional even when people do not treat you fairly. It is frustrating, but it taught me resilience and self-control. There were also days when circumstances completely outside of my control tested me. I take public transportation to get to school. However, one day, the train got stuck on the day of my chemistry exam. I remember standing there, crying on the train in front of everyone, because all the hours I spent studying was wasted. Moments like that reminded me that life will always present unexpected obstacles and that I should never give up. Outside of school, I am the oldest of five children in a Black, lower-middle-class household. Every day after classes, I help watch for my younger siblings because my parents cannot afford a babysitter. Many nights, I finish homework while making sure they are fed, safe, and taken care of. Being the oldest has taught me responsibility, patience, and sacrifice. It has also shown me that my education is not just for me, it is for my family. Financially, college has become much more difficult. During my first two years, I received full financial aid. After my parents got married, I lost most of that aid, even though our financial struggles did not disappear. My family lives in an old house with a roof that leaks whenever it rains, sometimes dripping water onto my bed. My parents work hard every day, but after paying bills and supporting five children, there is little left for college tuition. On paper, it may appear that we can afford school, but our daily reality tells a different story. Despite these challenges, I have maintained a 3.92 GPA, and this fall I will begin the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing. My dream is to become a registered nurse and eventually attend medical school to become a physician. I want to combine the compassion and patient-centered care of nursing with the knowledge and responsibility of a doctor so I can provide the best care. Why motivation is knowing that every obstacle I overcome brings me one step closer to the future I have worked for my entire life.

I know some people don't count this as a job, but before and after school I babysit my younger siblings until my parents come home late at night. My parents struggle with paying bills and cant afford a babysitter, so they make me watch them. Every day, I watch a two-year-old, a nine-month-old, and an eleven-year-old who never seems to sleep. While other students are able to go home and immediately start studying or relax, I have to watch my siblings. I make sure they are safe, fed, entertained, and taken care of before I can even think about my own schoolwork. However, these kids are always getting into something every second, so watching them is definitely not for the weak. It is hard to stay motivated and focused on my schoolwork while trying to keep up with three energetic kids who can never seem to just sit down. Balancing toddlers pulling my hair, slapping my laptop while I'm trying to do homework, crying, and changing diapers every few minutes while also earning good grades in college has not been easy. Many nights, I don't start my homework until everyone else is asleep. There have been times when I was exhausted after studying late into the night, only to wake up early the next morning and do it all over again. Even though babysitting my siblings is unpaid, it requires the same responsibility, patience, and commitment as any other job. One of the most challenging times balancing work and school was during weeks when I had multiple exams and assignments due at the same time. While my classmates could spend hours studying after class, I had to take care of my siblings first. Do you know how hard it is to read lecture notes while feeding a baby, help my eleven-year-old with homework while I'm struggling with my own, and at the same time stop my youngest sibling from literally trying to eat my papers? There were many moments when I felt overwhelmed, but I knew giving up wasn't an option. I overcame those challenges by becoming organized and making the most of every minute I had. I created study schedules, reviewed notes whenever I found free time, and stayed up late after my siblings were asleep to finish assignments and prepare for exams. It wasn't easy, but I stayed committed to my education because I knew my future depended on the sacrifices I was making. Although balancing school and caring for my siblings has been difficult, it has taught me responsibility, patience, time management, and perseverance. These experiences have prepared me for the demands of a career in healthcare, where caring for others and staying calm under pressure are essential. Most importantly, they have shown me that even when life is demanding, hard work and determination can help me reach my goals.

Now that I’m getting older, why do I keep hearing about so many nurses treating patients unfairly all over the media? Why does this seem to be getting worse, or has it always been this way and I’m only noticing it now? I have so many questions, but what I do know is that I want to be the one to help change this by becoming the best nurse I can be. Besides the stories from the media, my mom has also told me what it is like being an RN in New York hospitals. She told me that while some nurses are kind, others are mean, gossip about their coworkers, and don’t show compassion for their patients. Every time I hear these stories, it makes me even more determined to be different and treat both my patients and my fellow nurses with kindness and respect. In addition, as someone who has been diagnosed with alopecia areata, my experiences with this condition have given me the ability to connect with patients and care for them in a way that addresses both their physical and emotional needs. The reason I am so devoted to patient advocacy comes from my experience when my dad had surgery. After his procedure, he kept telling his doctor that his nasogastric tube felt too far down and that he was having trouble breathing. I was so scared for him because he looked like he was struggling to breathe. His doctor didn’t take his concerns seriously, but one of his nurses listened, stayed patient, and recognized that something was wrong. A few days later, it was confirmed that the tube had been placed incorrectly. This experience showed me how important nurses are in advocating for their patients and truly listening to them. It made me want to become a nurse who not only understands clinical care but also speaks up, listens carefully, and makes sure patients are treated with respect. This fall, I will begin the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing with a 3.92 GPA. My dream is to follow the RN-to-MD path. I want to first become a registered nurse because I believe there is no better way to understand patient care than by working directly with patients and learning from experienced healthcare professionals. After gaining that experience, I plan to attend medical school and become a doctor. I believe that having both nursing and medical experience will allow me to provide compassionate, well-rounded care and better advocate for my patients while making a positive impact in my community.