I plan to pursue a career in nursing because I have a passion to help those in need. I picture my future career as not just a way to make a living, but a chance to carry out my skills and gifts and truly make a difference in the world. I believe nursing will allow me to do this. I grew up on the South Side of Chicago taking care of my grandmother, who had several medical conditions. From a young age, I was in and out of the hospital with her, helped give her medications, fed her, dressed her, helped her walk, and most importantly gave her love and companionship. My grandmother would always tell me I was meant to be a nurse. It felt so rewarding to help care for her and we had a very special bond. After she passed away, I knew I must continue to care for others to fulfill my passion and make additional memorable relationships with others. Throughout my nursing school clinical rotations as well as my nursing intern job, I was able to continue providing kindness, compassion, and understanding to several patients. I know how small gestures of kindness make a huge difference in a patient's healthcare experience. I also am aware that it is easy to become distracted and overwhelmed as a nurse which can lead to neglect and maltreatment of patients. I have seen this many times throughout my time at the hospital, and also with my grandmother's healthcare experience. It was very disheartening to see patients' needs be overlooked due to overworked nurses. I will always remember how it felt to have someone you deeply care about and love be mistreated when they are sick. Although I understood my grandmother's nurses were short-staffed and had many responsibilities during their shifts, I knew they were neglecting an essential part of nursing - taking the time to truly listen to their patient's needs. I believe with my grandmother's memory, I will be able to overcome the hardships of nursing, and always treat patients with the compassion and kindness they deserve. In each patient I encounter, I see my grandmother. Throughout my nursing career, I plan on treating every patient as if they were her. In addition to my passion of caring for others, I exemplify the qualities of a good nurse. I am a hard worker, a quick learner, a strong leader, and I work well under pressure. I also believe I have many similar qualities to Cindy. I share her passion to care for others, as well as a similar love of nature, hiking, reading, and spending time with family. I also value the relationships I have within my community on the south side of Chicago and within my church. I am touched by Cindy's story and I look up to her perseverance throughout her life. Her strength reminds me greatly of my grandmother. I plan to carry out her values of empathy, love, and perseverance in my future career in nursing.

I plan to pursue a career in nursing because I have a passion to help those in need. I picture my future career as not just a way to make a living, but a chance to carry out my skills and gifts and truly make a difference in the world. I believe nursing will allow me to do this. I grew up taking care of my grandmother, who had several medical conditions. From a young age, I was in and out of the hospital with her, helped give her medications, fed her, dressed her, helped her walk, and most importantly gave her love and companionship. My grandmother would always tell me I was meant to be a nurse. It felt so rewarding to help care for her and we had a very special bond. After she passed away, I knew I must continue to care for others to fulfill my passion and make additional memorable relationships with others. Throughout my nursing school clinical rotations as well as my nursing intern job, I was able to continue providing kindness, compassion, and understanding to several patients. I know how small gestures of kindness make a huge difference in a patient's healthcare experience. I also am aware that it is easy to become distracted and overwhelmed as a nurse which can lead to neglect and maltreatment of patients. I have seen this many times throughout my time at the hospital, and also with my grandmother's healthcare experience. It was very disheartening to see patients' needs be overlooked due to overworked nurses. I will always remember how it felt to have someone you deeply care about and love be mistreated when they are sick. Although I understood my grandmother's nurses were short-staffed and had many responsibilities during their shifts, I knew they were neglecting an essential part of nursing - taking the time to truly listen to their patient's needs. I believe with my grandmother's memory, I will be able to overcome the hardships of nursing, and always treat patients with the compassion and kindness they deserve. In each patient I encounter, I see my grandmother. Throughout my nursing career, I plan on treating every patient as if they were her. In addition to my passion of caring for others, I exemplify the qualities of a good nurse. I am a hard worker, a quick learner, a strong leader, and I work well under pressure. These skills will help me overcome the challenges of nursing and allow me to fit well within a healthcare environment. In my nursing career, I plan to use these skills as well as the memory of my grandmother to fulfill my desire to make a difference in patients' lives.