A Calling Born from Compassion: Why I Chose to Become a NICU Nurse by Zyon

A Calling Born from Compassion: Why I Chose to Become a NICU Nurse by Zyon - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

When I shut my eyes and envision my future, I don't envision a desk or a business suit. I envision a newborn, small enough to be held in my hand, struggling for life with each breath. I envision parents hovering by their child's bedside, holding on to hope, and I envision myself—steady, calm, and compassionate—standing with them. This is why I am choosing to study nursing, with a focus on Neonatal Intensive Care. I want to become a NICU nurse—not as a job, but as a vocation which has been cultivated through the experiences that have shaped me and those I love.

The very first seed of this dream was planted before I was even born. My older brother arrived slightly earlier than anticipated. Despite being just 1.5 years older than me, the tale of his birth has resonated in my life since the beginning. While still in the womb, physicians detected he wasn't developing at a healthy pace. My parents were advised that upon birth, he would probably require some time in the NICU—and they prepared themselves for the uncertain. The night he was born was a night of questions, fear, and silent prayers. Although he only spent four hours in the NICU, such a period of hours was filled with fear, uncertainty, and love. My parents never forgot what it was like to nearly lose what they had hardly had the chance to hold.

But it wasn't until I experienced the journey of my cousin that I completely understood the life-changing work of NICU nurses.

My cousin was born after just 24 weeks in the womb—barely four months in utero—and weighed only 1 pound and 2 ounces. He was the length of a soda can, his skin translucent, his body struggling to survive outside the safety of his mother's womb. He stayed in the NICU for 385 days. That's more than a year of constant monitoring, surgeries, tubes, ventilators, and care that extends beyond what most of us could comprehend.

During that time, he was diagnosed with a severe heart defect, which made breathing on his own nearly impossible. For the first two years of his life, he needed oxygen around the clock. His journey was filled with uncertainty, but it was also filled with fierce dedication—from his family and from a team of nurses who were there every single day. They didn’t just tend to his physical needs; they celebrated milestones, comforted his mother, and carried the emotional weight of his survival right alongside our family.

That experience changed me. It made me understand that NICU nurses don't just care for babies—they care for entire families. They're the ones who are steady in the storm. They're the reason my cousin is alive today. And one day, I hope to be that reason for someone else.

To me, the selection of nursing and, more specifically, neonatal nursing is more than a professional decision—it's a way of giving back. It's a method of serving my community with empathy and being alongside families during some of the most challenging times of their lives. Nursing enables me to incorporate social responsibility into my daily practice, providing care and dignity to each child and parent who enters hospital doors, no matter the background or situation.

In a world where healthcare is not always fair, I want to be an advocate for the most vulnerable. I want to be the nurse who not only provides excellent clinical care but who is a voice for patients who have no voice. I want to teach, empower, and journey with families through their NICU stay and beyond.

This profession also matches my conviction in advancing health and wellness as the cornerstone of robust, prosperous communities. Each infant who receives the care they need during the first moments of life stands a greater possibility of a healthy, successful future. That domino effect reaches families, communities, and future generations. I can imagine no finer way to give back.

As an honor student, I've learned the value of hard work, discipline, and perseverance—attributes that I will carry on to my college career and professional life ahead. But it is not just about grades or achievements. It is about taking what has been given to me and making a difference. I've seen firsthand the lives that nurses change. I've seen them turn fear into peace and helplessness into healing. And I want to be a part of that.

Mine began with a brother who was almost too small to live, and a cousin who defied every odd. It unfolds today, with a heart full of intention and a mind set on serving others. I'm choosing to become a nurse so that one day, I'll be present for the next baby born too soon—and the family holding their breath, waiting to hear the words: "They're going to be okay."