For all of my life, I have had two main passions: science and service. These two passions led me to a career in nursing, and they fuel my desire to advance to a top position within the field. In the future, I hope to earn a BSN, gain experience working in an intensive care unit, and eventually become a nurse anesthetist.
My interest in science began when I was in grade school in Ghana, the country where I grew up. As a student at St. Augustine’s, I was particularly drawn to biology, at both the cellular and organismal levels. I was fascinated by the way that chemical reactions inside cells could have direct, measurable effects on the natural world. It was for this reason that I decided to pursue my Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology, with an emphasis in Parasitology, at the University of Ghana. There, I had the chance to further explore the discipline, and I learned more about how the concepts of parasitology could be applied to human health.
At the same time, I always knew I wanted a job where I would have the chance to dedicate my career to the service of others. When I was young, I loved being around other people and being there for them when they needed me, even in the smallest of ways, whether it was helping my mother with the laundry, comforting a friend on a bad day, or making younger kids at my school laugh on the playground. I wanted to be able to use my love of service in my career, so in both high school and at university, my motivation for academic excellence was the idea that I would one day be able to use my knowledge to improve the lives of others.
During my schooling, I was particularly drawn to the medical field because I was interested in both science and service. I realized that I could use my knowledge of parasitology to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of disease. This led me to get a job at Smartway Lancet Laboratory in Takoradi, Ghana in 2003, where I worked for almost nine years as a clinical laboratory technologist. In this position, I prepared tissue culture samples and conducted microscopic analyses of bodily substances in order to identify toxic components. I also worked on cross-matching blood for transfusions. I enjoyed this job, because I knew my results would help doctors diagnose and treat the diseases of their patients. Yet, at the same time, I wished I had the opportunity for more direct involvement in patient care.
For this reason, I began my education for a career in nursing in 2014. I enrolled in Ace Healthcare Institute in Dover, New Jersey, and over the course of four months, I got the training I needed to prepare for three licensure exams: Certified Home Health Aide, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), and Certified Medication Aide (CMA). With these designations, I got my first job at Bentley Commons at Paragon Village, a senior living facility in Hackettstown, New Jersey. After working in this position for six months, I was sure that a career in nursing was right for me. I loved having the chance to interact with the seniors who lived at the center while I was helping them with activities, taking vital signs, and administering medications.
My current job, at the Special Homes of New Jersey in Budd Lake, New Jersey, has been even more rewarding. This facility provides services for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. Every day, I get to help patients with a wide range of conditions to complete their daily activities, and I provide basic medical care like taking vital signs and administering medications. I am also a direct support professional at the Mentor Network, where I provide similar services to disabled individuals in order to optimize their health, safety, and quality of life.
Because these experiences have been so meaningful for me, I believe that it is time to take my nursing career to the next level. While I have so far enjoyed working with seniors and patients with disabilities, I am interested in becoming a nurse anesthetist, so I need to earn a BSN, gain experience working in an intensive care unit, and then pursue post-graduate education. Working in an intensive care unit, I would use my scientific and medical knowledge to help patients with acute ailments who are in immediate, desperate need of medical services. Ideally, I would spend about two years gaining experience in this position.
After that, I would seek post-graduate education to become a nurse anesthetist. I was drawn to this position because, as mentioned before, I have long been fascinated by the chemical interactions within the body that affect health. As a nurse anesthetist, I would work directly with patients to administer pharmaceuticals for effective pain management during surgical procedures and emergency situations. This would be the ideal career for me, because it requires extensive knowledge of scientific concepts, but it would also allow me to interact with patients on a daily basis, as I would be responsible for monitoring their condition before, during and after a procedure.
Overall, I aspire earn a BSN and eventually become a nurse anesthetist because this track would give me the chance to expand on the nursing career that has been so meaningful in my life so far, since it has allowed me to combine my passions for science and service. The accelerated BSN program at Moravian College would provide the opportunity to pursue intensive academic studies that would prepare me to achieve my career goals in the nursing field. Moravian College’s commitment to preparing students for fulfilling careers, like the one I am pursuing, makes it the ideal place for me to earn my degree.
