Educational and Professional Background of My Nursing Career - Paper Example

I believe planning and setting goals is one of the most vital steps in achieving academic goals. My passion and desire in nursing career come from a genuine aspiration to make a difference in the lives of my patients. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, I have passionately worked as a nurse for the past 21 years and have risen through the ranks to become a team leader in a 31-bed level one trauma center. I have gained vital skills and knowledge in nursing having worked in long-term care, the prison system, and nursing homes. With the numerous years of experience in nursing, the emergency department has been the only area that has given me extreme satisfaction and has kept me strong. Seeing the changes in the status of the patient has been my fulfillment and has instilled in me the desire to further my studies. As a father of two beautiful girls, the juggling of work and family has not given me enough time to attend a traditional night school, but Walden University has given me an opportunity to pursue my Master of Science in Nursing and support my family as well.

Professional Goals

Through my experiences practicing as a nurse in the emergency department, I feel that I am well prepared to progress to the next step in my career. My goal is to be the best masters prepared family nurse practitioner (FNP) in my community which will help me impact on the lives of the patients through effective assessment, diagnosis, and provision of a personalized holistic care. To achieve this, I desire an opportunity to expand my experience in leadership and a firm foundation of clinical knowledge. I believe that education is an excellent proactive measure that I can use to prevent acute illnesses and arm the patients with the power to positive changes in their lives and the community as well. Despite being a team leader in the emergency department, I did not have autonomy to control of the care received by my patients. This was frustrating to me. This has prompted me to pursue a masters degree as an FNP at Walden University which produces scholarly trained professional family nurse practitioners. This is in hand with Walden University mission statement which is to provide a diverse community of care professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves into scholar-practitioners who can effect positive social change (Walden University, 2011).

Course Outcome

The challenges that await me in the program are exciting, but with my numerous years of experience and dedication, I believe I will acquire substantial skills that offer a holistic and an understanding perspective that is unique to family nurse practitioners. As an aspiring FNP, Walden University nursing program will offer a comprehensive and challenging curriculum that will give me an outstanding exposure to nursing practice, prepare and educate me to not only become a skilled FNP but compassionate and ethical as well because it provides an opportunity to be trained in a faculty that embraces multicultural learning. Moreover, I appreciate the support services that Walden University provides for their students such as Walden University library, a 24-hour students support, writing center, and webinar. The support I received from the writing center, the practice, constant review, and resources on APA format were instrumental in gaining confidence in writing.

Practicum

I have a solid foundation in nursing practice to build a promising career in doing what I love. Through an established record of excellence in my nursing career, I want to challenge myself further at Walden University to make a significant contribution to patient care, community, and the nursing profession. The practicums will be an essential step in my preparation for family nurse practitioner specialty because it will allow my application of academic knowledge with hands-on training in patient care. With insights from Walden FNP program graduates, I have acknowledged the importance of setting up clinical rotations as soon as possible. The medical director of family medicine in my hospital has been an excellent resource for me as I start my search for a clinical site.

I believe I am an excellent candidate for FNP program because of the motivation and the several years of experience and dedication. As a result of the contact with critically ill patients in the emergency department and observation with the help of other nurses, I have gained self-confidence in nursing and would like to further advance this knowledge by enrolling in Walden University. My interest in this field is to serve humanity and have a long service as a certified FNP who will strive to make significant contributions in nursing while taking full benefits of the opportunities presented by the program. I would relish a chance to bring with me the nursing knowledge that stems from the extensive experience that will help me in succeeding in your program and be a distinguished FNP who will impart skills to the new generation of nurses and provide excellent care to the patients.

Summary

I am eager to take this journey of academic achievement in FNP. My strong work principle, attention to the point, excellent critical thinking skills, and the fundamental interest in nursing makes me suitable for Walden University FNP program. I believe Walden University training will prepare me to be a skilled clinician offering top-notch patient care. My background in nursing gives me the necessary practical skills on how to work excellently as part of a medical team and communicate effectively with families and the patients. I desire the qualities of FNP such as responsibility, expertise, and the knowledge they possess. Walden University curriculum will provide me with the training in all of the areas of family medicine so that I can focus on primary prevention of diseases and educate my patients in the community in all spectrum of family care.

Reference

Walden University (2011). Vision, Mission, and Goals. Retrieved from http://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=65&navoid=10668