Reasons
The desire and aspiration to become a psychiatric nurse started when I was a little child. During my childhood, I had a cousin of mine was mentally ill. The pain he suffered fueled my desire to pursue nursing. At Penn University, I seek to learn what may enhance my ability to help individuals like my cousin. The knowledge I learn can enhance my ability to open my own psychiatric practice.
I consider Penn University as one university that offers some of the best nursing programs in the country. A graduate program at Penn University in any nursing specialty is vital for all nurses seeking to attain increased competency in their fields. Importantly, nurses have the opportunity to provide quality care for patients especially those that suffer mental health problems. As a nurse, I have come to appreciate that mental health patients normally suffer a lot and may even suffer mistreatment from nurses that do not have sufficient knowledge regarding the patient’s conditions and even understand what such a patient may be going through.
Additionally, the passion I have for caring for mental health patients has encouraged me to seek further education in the field to provide and equip me with the necessary knowledge and skills that will allow me to offer mentorship in mental health nursing. There is low interest in nurses wanting to pursue a specialty in mental health nursing.
A graduate program will be beneficial to my career and aspirations. The graduate program can offer additional skills and knowledge that will equip me with the ability to excel in my future nursing career. I will be in a better position to have more opportunities for advancing my career after attaining the graduate degree in psychiatric nursing. I do understand improvement in a career does not necessary mean an increase in salary but may lead to me being provided more responsibility, which I will be ready and prepared to undertake.
Motivation
Mental health problems are a rising concern in the United States. The mental health problems are increasing affecting college students as well and older Americans. Aspects such as suicide among young Americans are some of the aspects that necessitate the need to put more focus on mental health. Psychiatry nursing is significant in this aspect as it can provide the needed support that young people and even older people suffering from mild mental disorders can use to improve their mental health. Additionally, with the increasing technology and social media, the risks of developing mental health problems such as depression among kids and even adults are increasing.
I aspire to use my skills in ensuring that mental health improves in the country upon completing the graduate program at Penn University. In my career path, I have worked in various capacities that have exposed me to various issues of mental health. I have dealt with special groups of children, counseled drugs abuse patients and individuals and have worked for a child’s behavioral and psychiatry treatment facility for 6 years.
A graduate degree in nursing provides one with the ability to become more innovative in terms of developing new evidenced-based practices ways in the nursing profession that may be oriented specifically to the mental health profession. As such as a nurse, one becomes more focused on learning the specific needs of the mental health patients. Furthermore, the graduate program will be a foundation as I plan to become a lecturer in an institution of higher learning as I seek to promote and impact knowledge regarding mental health. Having a platform to promote nursing through leadership is an important aspect in the nursing field.
Graduate programs are important as they help one develop more critical goals and objectives. The normal ideas that one has can be enhanced through additional advanced training in a graduate program, and this can be essential in developing solutions that can be implemented in the psychiatric nursing profession.
Part 2: Essay
I do believe that a person’s background has a lot to with how one handles life. An individual’s background can be a foundation or the reason why someone does not aspire to contribute to the society. I do come from a poor family background and the education track record in our family is not that great. Initially, as a young child, I thought I would not make it to college. The fact is that I was in special education, and my parents were told that I would not be able to make to college. However, I did not let this aspect deter me to aspire to do great and even increase my education. Against all odds I have managed to go to college and worked hard. I did manage to become the first person in my immediate family to be able to go to college. My dedication to education has inspired my siblings to put more effort in their education. I have managed to become a registered psychiatric nurse.
My passion in nursing began at a very young age when I would go to the local hospital to visit my mother. To keep busy, I would engage myself in organizing things in the children section where I would interact with patients. As I grew up, I became involved in social work and community improvement programs that provided assistance to my community. The exposure I had in community service allowed me together with a local community organization to organize hospital visits on the weekends to various hospitals in our town to visit the sick children. My interest in mental health grew when I noticed how some of the mental health children would be mistreated by some of the staff. It was apparent that the nursing staff was inexperienced and unequipped to handle patients with psychiatric issues
One important aspect I have come to realize is that even though one’s life may not follow the normal path of an average American in terms of getting an education or even a normal childhood education, as long as you have the passion one can take a longer route all one needs are personal goals and objectives that are clear to achieve them. I do understand what it means to be categorized as a child with special needs. There is stigmatization that comes with this association that may well be a hindrance in improving the mental health of the special children. As such, as I seek to do this graduate psychiatric nursing program at your institution I do believe that I understand what the impact such an accomplishment can have on the lives of children in special education and the lives of the mentally ill.
