Of the many cries for help in the world today, I find the opioid epidemic to be the most tragic and one I hope to help alleviate with a degree in nursing from a reputable college. One night, during freshman year of high school, I went downstairs to say goodnight to my parents and saw them watching the show Dopesick. The show examined the start of the opioid crisis with the introduction of the drug OxyContin to the medical community. The drug, produced by the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, was intended to safely and effectively alleviate pain. I was intrigued. After a glimpse of the show, I asked my dad what was wrong with OxyContin. He explained to me that the drug maker made false claims about its addictive nature and that pharmaceutical sales representatives got paid a lot of money to sell it to doctors, emphasizing its non-addictive quality, without a clear understanding of what OxyContin could do and the implications it could have. The topic continued to fascinate me and at our next family gathering, I asked my uncle, a pharmaceutical sales rep, about his experience with the opioid epidemic. While he did not work in pain management, he witnessed first-hand the perks reps could get with that big sale. He recalled the days of “wining and dining” doctors just to make the sale, regardless of the drug's efficacy. This year, in my AP Gov class, I had to take a stance on a government policy in the United States. The opioid crisis continued to fascinate me, so I chose that as my topic. Through my research, I learned just how much damage opioids could do to society and how opioids kill 69,000 people each year. This research led me to pursue a degree in nursing. I learned of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who deal with patient overdoses. These professionals are on the frontline of this epidemic and can make a difference. While I have never experienced someone close to me struggle with opioids or other addictive prescription medicines, I hope to help people with addiction on a personal level. I plan to use my college education to help patients overcome addiction while reducing the number of fatal deaths each year. I am confident a degree in nursing can provide me with skills that will help save lives in the future. Through empathy, compassion, humility, and dedication I feel like I would be a great candidate to carry on the legacy of Lynn P. Brewer in the healthcare field.

My grandma is 84 years old and this past year her health has declined a great deal. My mom is one of 5 children but is the only one who stepped up to try to be there for my grandma. One morning, my grandma’s legs gave out from underneath her and my mom arrived at her home to find her on the floor. She had been there for over two hours. It was a quick realization that she would need more help. As things progressed, my grandma’s memory started to go and my mom struggled with finding her care and came to the quick realization that much of society overlooks the needs of the elderly. She had reached out to colleagues and someone had heard great things about a local woman who extends her arms wide to embrace the elderly with grace and dignity in her own home-based adult day care. We called and set up an appointment to meet with her. What we encountered was unlike anything we could have imagined. She and her 14-year-old dog, “Bliss” greeted us with open arms and welcomed her into her beautiful old farmhouse. Her warm eyes and smile immediately put my grandma’s mind at ease, it was like she felt home. She took my grandma’s hand and led us into the living/music room. A warm rustic room filled with overstuffed chairs, pillows, games, puzzles, and a baby grand piano. As we walked, she talked warmly about the 6 elderly individuals she currently welcomes into her home. She took us through a day, from everyone gathering in the morning to make breakfast together, to sitting in the sunroom, watching the varieties of birds that come every morning to collect the food she left for them early that day. Her home was bright and warm and her spirit even more so. She engaged with my grandma in such a way that made my grandma smile, like truly smile, which in turn, made my mom and I tear up. She talked about how the guests she welcomes, become the best of friends, without judgment. She listened to my grandma’s stories with interest and attention, cherishing the wisdom gleaned from decades of lived experience. She spoke directly to my grandma assuring her that within the safety and warmth of her home: forgetting words is ok, repeating things is ok, and that everyone accepts one another. She talked of a method of validation she has been trained in and had a way of creating a calm, safe haven for my grandma, and I’m sure her other guests in her home. Her home was truly a sanctuary filled with warmth, understanding, and unwavering support. The compassion this woman showed my grandma was fueled by kindness and empathy and was truly inspiring for my mom and me. She gave us hope that there would be a place where my grandma could enjoy the last stages of her life. She gave us hope that there were people truly committed to upholding the dignity and worth of every human being, regardless of age or circumstance. In conclusion, the compassion and actions of this caretaker struck a cord, in terms of the power of empathy and kindness. In a world often characterized by indifference and apathy, her unwavering dedication to the well-being of the elderly spoke to the capacity of the human heart, and my family is forever grateful that there are people like her out there.

Of the many cries for help in the world today, I find the opioid epidemic to be the most tragic and one I hope to help alleviate with a degree in nursing from a reputable college. One night, during freshman year of high school, I went downstairs to say goodnight to my parents and saw them watching the show Dopesick. The show examined the start of the opioid crisis with the introduction of the drug OxyContin to the medical community. The drug, produced by the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, was intended to safely and effectively alleviate pain. I was intrigued. After a glimpse of the show, I asked my dad what was wrong with OxyContin. He explained to me that the drug maker made false claims about its addictive nature and that pharmaceutical sales representatives got paid a lot of money to sell it to doctors, emphasizing its non-addictive quality, without a clear understanding of what OxyContin could do and the implications it could have. The topic continued to fascinate me and at our next family gathering, I asked my uncle, a pharmaceutical sales rep, about his experience with the opioid epidemic. While he did not work in pain management, he witnessed first-hand the perks reps could get with that big sale. He recalled the days of “wining and dining” doctors just to make the sale, regardless of the drug's efficacy. This year, in AP Gov, I had to take a stance on a government policy in the United States. The opioid crisis continued to fascinate me, so I chose that as my topic. Through my research, I learned just how much damage opioids could do to society and how opioids kill 69,000 people each year. This research led me to pursue a degree in nursing. I learned of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who deal with patient overdoses. These professionals are on the frontline of this epidemic and can make a difference. While I have never experienced someone close to me struggle with opioids or other addictive prescription medicines, I hope to help people with addiction on a personal level. I plan to use my college education to help patients overcome addiction while reducing the number of fatal deaths each year. I am confident a degree in nursing can provide me with skills that will help save lives in the future. I feel the core values I possess of empathy, compassion, respect, and humility will all support my dreams of making a difference. I am a natural-born lead and am hopeful I can make some changes.

Of the many cries for help in the world today, I find the opioid epidemic to be the most tragic and one I hope to help alleviate with a degree in nursing from a reputable college. One night, during freshman year of high school, I went downstairs to say goodnight to my parents and saw them watching the show Dopesick. The show examined the start of the opioid crisis with the introduction of the drug OxyContin to the medical community. The drug, produced by the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, was intended to safely and effectively alleviate pain. I was intrigued. After a glimpse of the show, I asked my dad what was wrong with OxyContin. He explained to me that the drug maker made false claims about its addictive nature and that pharmaceutical sales representatives got paid a lot of money to sell it to doctors, emphasizing its non-addictive quality, without a clear understanding of what OxyContin could do and the implications it could have. The topic continued to fascinate me and at our next family gathering, I asked my uncle, a pharmaceutical sales rep, about his experience with the opioid epidemic. While he did not work in pain management, he witnessed first-hand the perks reps could get with that big sale. He recalled the days of “wining and dining” doctors just to make the sale, regardless of the drug's efficacy. This year, in AP Gov, I had to take a stance on a government policy in the United States. The opioid crisis continued to fascinate me, so I chose that as my topic. Through my research, I learned just how much damage opioids could do to society and how opioids kill 69,000 people each year. This research led me to pursue a degree in nursing. I learned of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who deal with patient overdoses. These professionals are on the frontline of this epidemic and can make a difference. While, thankfully, I have never experienced someone close to me struggle with opioids or other addictive prescription medicines, I hope to help people with addiction on a personal level. I plan to use my college education to help patients overcome addiction while reducing the number of fatal deaths each year. I am confident a degree in nursing can provide me with skills that will help save lives in the future. I think I possess the qualities of empathy, compassion, respect, and humility which will help me get there. I am a born leader and believe I can make a difference.

There are so many things about nursing that led me to pursue this career in college. Growing up, my grandma was always going in and out of the hospital. In 1988 she was diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and was immediately placed on an organ donor list to receive a liver. It was going to be the only thing that would save her. In 1990 she received a liver transplant and regained her livelihood. While she did not experience health issues with the transplant itself, the toll the medications have taken on her body over the years resulted in many hospital stays during my lifetime. Her saving grace during these stays was the nurses who cared for her. I would watch the compassion and respect they gave to my grandma, even in some of the most embarrassing situations. I admired their dedication and saw something in them that I wanted to aspire to be. Doctors on her transplant team did a tremendous job in saving her life, but it was the nurses who made it all bearable for her over the years. My grandma is now 84 years old, still in and out of the hospital, but very with it, and very thankful for the nurses who have cared for her along the way. It would make her so proud to see me follow that career path. COVID only reinforced my respect for the field and desire to want to be a part of it. Nurses worked tirelessly on the front lines, sacrificing time with their own families to ensure communities stayed safe while they walked through those unknown battlefields. I have always been compassionate and empathetic to others and felt this career path would be something I could really be committed to. As a school leader, one of my goals was to bring positive change to my school community and I feel like a career in nursing allows for those same opportunities. Working as a patient advocate can bring about so much positive change for families in need. Nurses are the ones who get to know the patients best and can help fight for what is best for them, when they may not be capable of doing so themselves. Having a good understanding of a patient as a person first, in a manner different than a doctor, allows a nurse to be a voice that can make a difference. My desire to help and lead with compassion has drawn me to a career in nursing.

There are so many things about nursing that led me to pursue this career in college. Growing up, my grandma was always going in and out of the hospital. In 1988 she was diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and was immediately placed on an organ donor list to receive a liver. It was going to be the only thing that would save her. In 1990 she received a liver transplant and regained her livelihood. While she did not experience health issues with the transplant itself, the toll the medications have taken on her body over the years resulted in many hospital stays during my lifetime. Her saving grace during these stays was the nurses who cared for her. I would watch the compassion and respect they gave to my grandma, even in some of the most embarrassing situations. I admired their dedication and saw something in them that I wanted to aspire to be. Doctors on her transplant team did a tremendous job in saving her life, but it was the nurses who made it all bearable for her over the years. My grandma is now 84 years old, still in and out of the hospital, but very with it, and very thankful for the nurses who have cared for her along the way. It would make her so proud to see me follow that career path. COVID only reinforced my respect for the field and desire to want to be a part of it. Nurses worked tirelessly on the front lines, sacrificing time with their own families to ensure communities stayed safe while they walked through those unknown battlefields. I have always been compassionate and empathetic to others and felt this career path would be something I could really be committed to. As a school leader, one of my goals was to bring positive change to my school community and I feel like a career in nursing allows for those same opportunities. Working as a patient advocate can bring about so much positive change for families in need. Nurses are the ones who get to know the patients best and can help fight for what is best for them, when they may not be capable of doing so themselves. Having a good understanding of a patient as a person first, in a manner different than a doctor, allows a nurse to be a voice that can make a difference. My desire to help and lead with compassion has drawn me to a career in nursing.