Paul Gould

I have always been interested in the medical field, especially since I would hear stories from my firefighter father. After two years in college, I served as a Navy Corpsman for five years and that had started my career path in the healthcare field. While in Camp Lejuene, serving as a field medic for the Marine Corps, my primary responsibilities were to assist the doctor with procedures and to run a “sick call” clinic. Marines would be triaged and treated within a set of protocols that we could work under, and then reviewed by the doctor before the treatment was completed.  By the end of my service, I was ordering tests, performing minor surgeries, and prescribing OTC medications primarily with the direct oversight of a physician that reviewed the treatment plan.

When I was deployed however, it was a different role I had to take on. I was the only field medic for a platoon of 20 Marines, and often I was the only medical professional within hours of further advanced treatment.  I had to rely on the education I received and the experience I learned from in order to provide the care for my marines, often under extreme stress. I take great pride in my service as a corpsman, and when I was honorably discharged, my goal was to advance back into this role. An advanced nurse practioner, in my belief, fills these same roles in a more skilled manner. As a paramedic, I have learned a lot and I am constantly trying to learn new ways of providing the best care for my patients.

My goal is to become a nurse practioner in order to do everything I can for my patients. I believe very strongly in the prevention of the illness, as well as the actual treatment. I am always striving to gain as much knowledge as I can for the treatment of my patients in the pre-hospital setting. I hope to achieve my FNP and my doctorate as well and provide the best healthcare that my patients deserve. I am choosing to pursue an FNP to have a wide range of knowledge in the healthcare field instead of choosing a more specialized field. I will continue to learn new treatment protocols, and continue to gain more education as an FNP in order to provide the care for my patients to the best of my ability.

The Robert Wood Johnson has given me not only the financial assistance to pursue this goal, but the mentors provided have been a great help. I have well educated mentors that are very willing to help answer questions, without having to go directly to the teaching staff. I have asked the mentors numerous questions, and gotten the advice needed. The Robert Wood Johnson foundation has given me an advantage in achieving my goals.