Reflection

Crucial elements to the formation of my dreams and my goals include my various experiences throughout the course of my life and my personal values and beliefs. The experiences that have struck my inspiration to become a nurse are my experience with childhood cancer, and the passing of my father due to cancer. At the age of six years old, I was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma and was treated with multiple rounds of intense chemotherapy, many surgeries, and various other procedures. During my time in the hospital, I received exceptional care from each healthcare professional on my medical team and formed relationships with my nurses and doctors that I still value today. This experience has influenced me to want to work as a pediatric nurse at the same hospital I was treated as and has inspired me to work hard to be able to provide the same level of care that I received.

In 2020, my dad was diagnosed with Lymphoma; prior to his diagnosis he had also been through open heart surgery for an aortic aneurysm. Following treatment for his first diagnosis, my dad was in remission and his health was good according to his doctors. However, after a few months had passed, his cancer came back and this time his doctor’s approached it with surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation, which was very hard on his body. The treatment seemed to be working for a few months until his doctor’s observed that there needed to be a change in his treatment plan as the cancer was not going away as they had hoped. This is when he began trying different combinations of chemotherapy and had started immunotherapy. During these extensive treatments, I witnessed my dad’s health and well-being deteriorate, which was very difficult especially due to the close relationship we had; I felt like I was losing a vital part of my family and support system. Due to the minimal effectiveness of the treatments and the development of congenital heart failure due to the intense chemotherapy, he decided palliative care was his best option, a decision that was very hard for me to accept. This heavily weighed on my mental health, and I navigated very strong feelings of sadness, stress, and depression. In February 2023, my dad passed away after a long and hard battle with cancer. I look up to my dad for his bravery and his commitment to always being there for my brothers and I, despite what he was going through. This experience has deepened my desire to help people and become a nurse.

I feel inspired by the work of mine and my dad’s healthcare teams as I witnessed how hard they worked to provide exceptional care and compassion. I am dedicated to doing my very best and working hard so that I too can provide a level of care that my patients will think of even years after being treated. I hope that I can form relationships with each patient I treat, like the nurses that treated me, and I strive to be as dedicated to the healing a patient just like my father’s nurses and doctors were, despite his passing. Many people’s life experiences influence them when making a career choice, mine inspired me to become a nurse. This can be seen in Nationwide Children’s study where they give examples of individuals who had experiences in healthcare that influenced their own career decision (Nationwide Children’s, 2017.)

Moreover, I believe that my values of compassion, perseverance, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence will aid me in succeeding as a nurse. Compassion will guide me to provide empathetic, patient-centered care that not only addresses physical needs but also respects the emotional and psychological well-being of each individual. I have been able to demonstrate this quality in many aspects of my life, especially during my three and a half years of being a server in a retirement home. Perseverance will drive me to overcome challenges and remain committed to lifelong learning in a demanding and ever-evolving field, like I have done in my various experiences. Critical thinking will help me analyze complex situations, make sound clinical decisions, and prioritize patient safety. Lastly, emotional intelligence will allow me to manage stress, build strong relationships with patients and colleagues, and respond effectively to the emotional needs of those in my care. According to Medely.com “Emotional intelligence can enable a nurse to build a better rapport with patients, which will improve their hospital experience and help them feel well cared for” (Medely, 2019). Together, these values will form the foundation of my nursing practice and contribute to my success in becoming a nurse and my career as a nurse.