Nakia Yadinn

Winner: 
February 2010
Class of 2011

Essay

I believe this about nursing… “Nursing incorporates firm and steadfast principles of dedication to patients, respect for a profession, and love of intellectual curiosity.”

I have chosen to become a nurse because of the unselfish dedication and support that I personally witnessed while in hospital recovering from renal surgery. I became aware of the art and science of nursing, which was applied with great skill throughout my entire hospital stay. My observations revealed that nursing incorporates firm and steadfast principles of dedication to patients, respect for a profession, and love of intellectual curiosity. The science of nursing uses evidence based methodology grounded in established scientific principles that have saved countless lives. The profession of nursing attracts men and women from diverse backgrounds who have dedicated their lives to serving the ill, the aged, and those who fall victim to disease and injury. These men and women give unbiased care through full recovery.

It is the nurse who at the bedside with a febrile patient, administering medications and watching for clinical changes that will indicate a therapeutic success or disaster. It is the nurse who is responsible for keeping a patient alive after a complicated surgery, aided only by his training and clinical judgment, staying one-step ahead of death. It is the nurse who is the most unsung yet the most critical health care professional, battling death and disease on a daily basis. However, nurses continue to be left in the shadow of professional accolades.

I have personally witnessed all that I have written.

Now, I am attending nursing school at Azusa Pacific University where I continue to witness nursing’s dedication on a daily basis. Dr. Linda Hansen-Kyle has shown me that enthusiasm in nursing happens not only in the clinical environment, but also within the university setting as well. Because of Dr. Linda Hansen-Kyle’s guidance, I have committed myself to strive for excellence in my nursing education at Azusa Pacific University. I am thankful for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Careers In Nursing Scholarship Program which has enabled me to realize my dream of becoming a future nurse practitioner.