Nursing School Personal Statement 5

“He’s that one right there.” The neonatal ward nurse pointed to a crib on the left, where my new baby brother lay swaddled in a bright blue blanket, a white cap keeping his tiny head warm. I pressed my nose to the glass, peering in at my new sibling, completely fascinated. Inside the room, two nurses were checking on a dozen other infants, smiling down at them. To my six-year-old senses, the room had no entrance or exit. It was a protective bubble for the newborns, complete with everything they could possibly need, including two sweet and kind nurses to watch over them. I tried to find a way into the room so I could help watch over the babies and my new brother, but of course, I wasn’t allowed in.

When my parents welcomed my brother to our home a few days later, his nursery became his new bubble of existence, and I was the nurse watching over him day and night until my mom pried me off his crib and made me get some rest. As both my brother and I grew, so did my interest in childcare. I watched my mother care for my brother every day after school and often wanted to help in whatever way I could. When I was 12 and deemed old enough, I began babysitting neighbors’ kids on the weekend, using my experience with young babies and growing children to my advantage. My parents enrolled me in babysitting and first aid courses to help me become a more qualified child carer. When I entered high school, I found a volunteering position at a local daycare, wanting to add some more professional experience to my resume. Volunteering meant longer hours and minding upwards of 20 kids at a time instead of 2 to 4, but the experience was rewarding.

Inspired by my time with volunteering, I decided to join a mission trip to Honduras with the Red Cross in my second year of university. During my time in Central America, I helped provide first aid care to many children and infants, helped distribute resources, educate and comfort parents, and contributed to the building of a new hospital in a remote community. Learning about the culture of Honduras, bridging the language barrier with the villagers and getting to know the community and its children was incredibly fulfilling. It taught me not just cultural competence and compassion, but it showed me how even basic first aid care can have an impact on the health of a community that previously had limited access to any care at all. Most of all, passing on the first aid skills I learned meant that even if access became limited again, the villagers now had the skills and tools to continue caring for their children. Our impact in the village was not short-term or short-lasting. Education and the exchange of information allowed us to create a long-term and profound effect on the village’s healthcare.

When I returned home, my desire to keep working in remote areas led me to shadow a rural midwife, Angela. Angela helped care for new mothers and babies in rural communities where hospital access was either limited or not the first choice for local mothers. Working with Angela, I shadowed her on many consulting appointments, listening to and understanding the many questions and struggles of breastfeeding and caring for a newborn. The most impactful experience was when Angela was performing a delivery with her assistant, and the newborn was unresponsive. Thanks to Angela and her assistant, they were able to perform CPR and revive the baby girl after many intense minutes. Angela’s calm, assured presence during a literal life or death moment was mind-blowing. Up until then, I had experienced the joys of working with children and infants, and only some of the emotional weight that naturally comes with it. I’d never experienced a moment of harrowing fear as I did watching Angela try to revive a newborn baby.

It hit home for me in that moment how important the work is for any health care professionals who work with children and infants. Seeing the example Angela set, remembering the devotion of my coworkers during the Honduras mission or at the daycare, it affirmed for me why I want to be a pediatric nurse and why the work is so important. The impact on the lives of children can last their lifetime. I know, because the nurses in my brother’s neonatal ward continue to have an impact on me. Their devoted watching of their young charges fascinated me as a child, but now I see how vitally important their work was to the health and safety of those infants. Those nurses were a tether for those babies, ready to be their safety net in any circumstance.

I have cared for children all my life, and I know it is a serious and humbling job. I am ready and excited to take the next step in my journey to becoming a pediatric nurse. I know furthering my education and knowledge will have long-term impact, not just on me as a health care professional but on the health and well-being of my future patients. (866 words)

Nursing School Personal Statement 5