The reason for my decision to choose nursing was a journey; mine, as opposed to others, was not a career that I ever imagined myself pursuing. Despite my mother coming back from the hospital one night, and telling me a certain nurse reminded her of me, and that I should consider majoring in nursing. I enrolled in college as a Health Science major because I have always been interested in the pathology of the body, but I didn’t know where to narrow my studies. I originally chose nursing as my major because I wanted to use the holistic approach of nutrition to help keep older adults in good health. Now, I not only choose nursing because of my role in nutrition education, but also because it is my passion. My reasoning for this choice involved a lot of self-reflection and deciphering what my values consisted of. I found my identity in nursing—I am a caretaker. I am most myself when I am working on the floor of the hospital. My skills are keen as I approach every patient with a comforting heart. A competent nurse that is proficient in their skills is useless if they do not act out of a compassionate and sympathetic heart. My goal is to never become desensitized by the field of nursing. There is a population of nurses that lose their “why” for nursing as they are caring for their patients; perhaps, that is because they get caught up in the stress of the job. I will always treat my patients with a ‘servant’s heart’ because nursing is my passion. Taking care of people is where I find joy in life and I hope to transfer that joy to my patients. Without a doubt, stress is inevitable in this field; however, it is important to also treat yourself, as a nurse, with a compassionate heart. This can differ from nurse to nurse but taking time for yourself and allowing yourself to refocus can help avoid desensitization in the nursing field. I appreciate working with the geriatric population. I plan to embark on my career in a general Medical-Surgical unit that has a predominantly older population. Then, I would like to get my master’s degree in adult gerontology to take the role of a nurse practitioner. Nursing is important to me because dealing with vulnerable populations in the medical setting is an opportunity to make a difference. I enjoy working with the older adult population because they are grateful for the care that is provided to them and they have verbally shown their appreciation, which has made me gain respect and affinity for the elderly. Nursing is important to me because the geriatric population is important to me. At my core, I have a heart for service and my goal is to finish my education and provide the best care possible for this population.

The reason for my decision to choose nursing was a journey; mine, as opposed to others, was not a career that I ever imagined myself pursuing. Despite my mother coming back from the hospital one night, and telling me a certain nurse reminded her of me, and that I should consider majoring in nursing. I enrolled in college as a Health Science major because I have always been interested in the pathology of the body, but I didn’t know where to narrow my studies. I originally chose nursing as my major because I wanted to use the holistic approach of nutrition to help keep older adults in good health. Now, I not only choose nursing because of my role in nutrition education, but also because it is my passion. My reasoning for this choice involved a lot of self-reflection and deciphering what my values consisted of. I found my identity in nursing—I am a caretaker. I am most myself when I am working on the floor of the hospital. My skills are keen as I approach every patient with a comforting heart. A competent nurse that is proficient in their skills is useless if they do not act out of a compassionate and sympathetic heart. My goal is to never become desensitized by the field of nursing. There is a population of nurses that lose their “why” for nursing as they are caring for their patients; perhaps, that is because they get caught up in the stress of the job. I will always treat my patients with a ‘servant’s heart’ because nursing is my passion. Taking care of people is where I find joy in life and I hope to transfer that joy to my patients. Without a doubt, stress is inevitable in this field; however, it is important to also treat yourself, as a nurse, with a compassionate heart. This can differ from nurse to nurse but taking time for yourself and allowing yourself to refocus can help avoid desensitization in the nursing field. I appreciate working with the geriatric population. I plan to embark on my career in a general Medical-Surgical unit that has a predominantly older population. Then, I would like to get my master’s degree in adult gerontology to take the role of a nurse practitioner. Nursing is important to me because dealing with vulnerable populations in the medical setting is an opportunity to make a difference. I enjoy working with the older adult population because they are grateful for the care that is provided to them and they have verbally shown their appreciation, which has made me gain respect and affinity for the elderly. Nursing is important to me because the geriatric population is important to me. At my core, I have a heart for service and my goal is to finish my education and provide the best care possible for this population.