Ladder Up by Emily

Ladder Up by Emily - March 2020 Scholarship Essay

Hello, my name is Emily Bieh-Mintah and in the fall 2020 I will begin an accelerated BSN program at Moravian College. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in applied health 3.5 years ago and I currently work two jobs. I have 3 years of experience working as an optical technician and 2 years working as a clinical information manager (CIM ™), also known as a medical scribe. My position as a part-time optical technician at Wal Mart Vision Center allows me direct patient care as I perform the pretests for the telemedicine eye examination offered at my location. After the examination, I assist the patient with placing an order for a new pair of glasses or contact lenses as I have been cross-trained as an optician as well. My full-time job as a medical scribe consists of working alongside providers at Newton Medical Center in the Emergency Department to complete documentation in the EMR for each patient’s encounter. The presence of a medical scribe allows providers the availability to create a personal connection with their patients and through this position, I have gained a lot of knowledge in a very short timespan. I accompany the provider in the patient’s room where I observe and write down notes as the patient report’s their history of present illness, past medical history, review of systems and physical examination. Next, I document my notes into the EMR and I return to the patient’s note throughout the patient’s entire emergency department visit updating their course of treatment until the patient’s disposition is place. I complete about 40-45 provider notes each shift (12 hours) which is above the average of my fellow co-workers who complete about 28-32 a shift. I am very grateful for being exposed to several different medical professions furthermore, I determined which role in the medical field would best suit me. Once I observed the interaction between providers and patients I decided to seek a career as a Nurse Practitioner. I have learned in detail the role of both an RN and Nurse practitioner in a clinical setting. More importantly, I have learned that this occupation was built for someone like me.
As a medical scribe in the Emergency Department, I witness first hand as registered nurses assist the mid-level providers and physicians in our department obtain medical histories, perform physical examinations, order and interpret diagnostic test results, perform complex procedures, prescribed medications, and arrange inpatient and outpatient follow up for their patients. This is inspiring to me because I have always known that I wanted to be a medical professional, however, this exposure has reassured this hands-on clinical work is for me. At this point in my life, I am more prepared than ever, currently working two different jobs in the health field, re-taking science prerequisites and saving my money to attend a BSN program.
I am eager to attribute all the knowledge and experiences I hope to obtain from Moravian College’s accelerated nursing program into the medical field! I am very excited to venture onto this new career path where I will incorporate the education with the learned nursing skills set to provide exceptional patient care. I am confident Moravian’s School of Nursing will provide me with the competence to reach my goal of one day becoming a nurse practitioner. The first step to achieving my goal is becoming a registered nurse. Then I will continue my education upon completing my second bachelor’s degree in nursing and pursue a master’s degree as a nurse practitioner. My long-term goal is to become a nurse practitioner and participate in missionary work. I have always found a great deal of gratification through caring for people and being a source of comfort during their worst times. It is precisely that distinguishing trait which leads me to the career of a Nurse Practitioner. The medical field has always and will always be in my future career path.