Irene Ejianreh

My intent on becoming a nurse began in my childhood as I admired the professionalism, dress code, etiquette and integrity which are part of the nursing career. I remembered telling my dad, who was in the medical field until his death in a motor accident, that one day I would join him in the medical profession. Even if one is quick to assume that it was the illusion of a little girl, having masters’ degrees in Sociology and Public Administration respectively, I have come to reconcile with my destiny that nursing is my divine calling.

I have been strongly inspired by three important people in my life— my mother, who believes that I have been gifted with caring and healing hands; my brother, who is a part of the American success story as a result of the opportunity he got becoming a Doctor of Osteopathy; giving his heart every day, serving and making a difference in people’s lives, he encouraged me to join the team of caring hands; and my father, who told me, I will make an excellent nurse but never lived to see it.

In addition, at the time of my birth, my mother’s life and mine were at the world’s edge because she was sick with jaundice. Nurses and doctors did their best to save us making it a reality that we survived. In the spirit of reciprocity, I am inspired to be a compassionate expert nurse who will care for a needy mother, child, father, as well as the entire family.

As a current student of Quinnipiac University and a volunteer at St. Raphael’s hospital, my hunger and drive to succeed have been characterized by diverse responses and outcomes. By the nature of the fast paced program, I was initially consumed by anxiety, fear and tears that evolved into challenges that posed as stumbling blocks. I overcame with the help of my family, lecturers, mentors and most importantly, God. Progressively, I am calmer and confident with a faith that one day it will be a testimony. 

I am using this privilege to immensely thank the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the scholarship which I received with tears of joy because of the financial relief, hope and a feeling of not being forgotten. I intend to build a foundation in honor of my father to help the needy.                                                                                                                       

Finally, caring is the deepest source of meaning to me. The physical, the emotional, the spiritual all intertwined in holism and bound together as one. By helping, I participate in the bond of love, caring, which ultimately unites all human beings.  Nursing will improve my skills in the art of listening, caring, communicating, advocating and understanding, thereby enhancing my empathic qualities.