My Goals To Become A Nurse (Essay Example)

I’ve had the pleasure of working as a Medical Assistant Care Coordinator at a community health center for more than eight years. Throughout these years I have learned invaluable lessons along the way. These lessons have come from working in healthcare and my own personal experiences. They have allowed me to continue to pursue my education and have ensured I am heading in the right direction in becoming a nurse.

I came from humble beginnings, my parents immigrated to America from Mexico to give me a better life. I grew up in a low-income community and my parents could not afford health insurance. So, we went to a community clinic that catered to low-income families. I was inspired by the Hispanic doctors and nurses. It was the first time I saw someone who looked like me in a medical role.  I observed them and became fascinated by their knowledge, verbiage and interactions. After every visit, I felt a sense of courage to continue my education and become a nurse. It was the first time I had role models other than my parents. Growing up, I was not considered “smart”, I struggled in my education. At times I doubted myself and how far I can go with my education. Once I graduated, I became a medical assistant. And when obstacles arose, I learned to be resilient.  I would remind myself of my goals. And how I could make a difference just like the nurses who inspired me. The ambition I have in becoming a nurse is to not only care for people, but also impact them. There is a need for more Hispanic representation in healthcare. By providing cultural and linguistic services we can better serve those within the healthcare system.

Being resourceful is a lesson I had to learn while working in a clinic. I had a new patient who came for an evaluation on his foot, who at the time had elevated blood pressure. I was called in to counsel patient about dietary and exercise benefits to lower blood pressure while he waited for his lab results. The patient notified me that he was homeless and unemployed and was living near the river. The patient mentioned that the recommendations given to him where of no help to him given his situation and just needed help with his foot. Once the lab results were resulted, the provider determined he had type 2 diabetes. The wound was in terrible condition, it needed the correct treatment and service. However, the patient declined to go to wound care due to cost and transportation. It became clear I needed to find resources to overcome such barriers impeding his health. I continued to educate him on the dangers of ulcers as a diabetic and presented all his resource option. He was stunned to see how dedicated I was to help him and agreed with the care plan. Time was not on our side, he needed to take care of the wound immediately. I could see the optimization problems unfolding in front of me: maximizing health under the constraints of chronic co-morbidities, cost and socioeconomic factors. I seeked the help of wound care nurses, to provide guidance. I was able to provide the supplies along with instructions to take care of his wound and diabetes while his insurance become active. I followed up every couple of days to see how it was progressing since he could not get transportation to come in. Within those 3 weeks he finally came in and the wound was almost gone.  He was so excited and thankful for the attention his wound was give. This man not only cleaned his wound in the river but also lowered his glucose in times of hardship. I informed him that I was very proud of him and he replied, “if it wasn’t for you and the doctor, I would have lost my foot”. This case proved that I was not only resourceful but have a real determination to care for others and to try to make a difference in people’s lives.

My personal and professional goal is to aid the socioeconomic disadvantaged communities that suffer from health concerns at disproportionate rates. Becoming a nurse would allow me to empower patients, to make educated autonomous health decisions, especially those from marginalized communities. I have shown that I am resilient and resourceful, and I will continue to peruse my education until I become a nurse.