How I Decided On Nursing by Kathleen

How I Decided On Nursing by Kathleen - February 2019 Scholarship Essay

As a young girl, I often observed my mom and aunt helping my aging grandmother with everything. My grandmother, or Bubba as my sister and I affectionately call her, has chronic progressive multiple sclerosis; which means that she has no use of her legs and is allowed limited mobility in her left arm. She was diagnosed with this when she was in her twenties and has been in a wheelchair since shortly after her diagnosis.
With this came even more health problems related to her lack of movement. Trips to the hospital because of bed sore scares became commonplace. Also, due to her inability to use the restroom, she had a catheter and a colostomy bag put in, both which need to be changed regularly. My aunt, who is a nurse, stuck with my grandmother through thick and thin and never without a smile on her face. My aunt was a constant presence when my grandmother was in the hospital over and over again; always keeping an eye on her medication and always sparking my curiosity by explaining all the complicated and foreign machines to me.
Seeing her care for my Bubba that way, and the absolute thankfulness of my grandmother, created a deep seated need for me to care for someone like that. That driving need has stayed with me through my childhood and my teenage years, which has influenced my decision in choosing my major. For me, nursing would allow me to care for people and to show kindness to people that might not have had any. With an ultimate goal of being a traveling nurse with at least a Master's degree, I would be able to frequently travel the country in order to help patients and their families; and to make the world a better place one little action at a time.