Nursing school Intro letter

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Hello all! I am applying for nursing for this fall and am beyond enthusiastic. I have written my introduction letter, and am pasting it as follows. I was hoping for some feedback from some real life nurses!

Thanks!

According to the Webster dictionary, nursing is defined as "caring for the sick or the infirm". I believe that nursing is so much more than that. My father was a paramedic/fire fighter for 25 years; 18 of which I was a part of his life. Some of my first memories are climbing into the ambulances in the bay to explore. I used to ask questions about every piece of equipment in there, never being satisfied with the answers. I always strived to learn more, hear the stories, and experiences of helping those people in need. He taught me that those "sick and infirm" are your family, colleagues, neighbours, and friends. He told me that "even if we don't know them, they are someone's family, colleague, neighbour or friend, and need to be treated as your own." He showed me at a young age that everyone should be treated as equals, because every life is loved.

When I was 10, I eagerly signed up for the St. John ambulance cadets, which provides first aid training for ages 10-17. I strived to learn about first aid, and emergency response. We would often have nurses come in to speak with us and show us basic first aid. I was always fascinated with their experiences and ease towards a stressful situation. I looked up to them as I did my father. I found them to be brave, strong, smart, and some of the kindest people I had come across. I remained in the St. John Cadets for 2 years. The basic training I received has stuck with me through the years, often resurfacing in times of need. It taught me to be calm and collected in times of emergencies. It helped show me that even though we can't always predict what is going to happen, we can do our best to for a peaceful outcome.

When I was 16, these teachings were put to practice stronger than I could have imagined. My grandmother, whom had lived with me my entire life, was admitted to the hospital with some problems. It was determined within the week that she was terminally ill with cancer, and that she only had a few weeks left. I was at the hospital with her every day after school for the week that she was there. I often saw nurses coming in and out of her room. It wasn't until we were taking my grandma home that I saw how much of an impact those nurses had. My grandma was a stern and very strong individual. When we were leaving the hospital, she said goodbye to the nurses that had been helping her. The look in her eyes and the sincerity in her voice took me aback. She looked at them as if they had changed her life. She spoke to them as if they had put every ounce of their time, effort, and love into caring for her, even though they knew the inevitable outcome. I had never seen my grandma look and speak so sincerely in her life. Those nurses had tears in their eyes and hugged my grandma goodbye. They didn't just say a quick goodbye and go about their normal duties, but they took a good 20 minutes to speak with my family and her, say goodbye, and reassure us that it would be okay. This made me realize that a nurse was so much more than just someone caring for the sick.

My view on nursing has expanded so much over the years. A nurse is a caregiver, a support group, a friend, and a loved one. A nurse must be strong, loving, and selfless. I feel as though I fit these characteristics. I want to be that person to change someone's life in their time of need. I want to be able to be there for their family throughout the worst of times. I want to be able to be that strong person to treat each and every patient with the best care to the best of my ability. Nursing is by far not an easy profession, but those who are able to be selfless enough to put others before themselves belong in this profession.

In September of 2011, I began volunteering with the Special Olympics swim team. It has been one of the most rewarding and eye opening experiences of my life. I had never spent much time around people with special needs before this. Working with the Special Olympics is amazing. Every time I see one of my swimmers light up because they have mastered a new skill, I feel completely elated. Water therapy is amazing for them, and they have a blast doing it. It has really opened my mind to the struggles of everyday life that some people have. Working with the Special Olympics has helped me learn to adapt quickly to new situations. The swimmers I work with have various disabilities that I have not dealt with before if my life. I am quick to find solutions if one of my swimmers is having troubles due to their disability. I must find ways to make sure that every single person gets the most out of their lesson. Everyone has their own special needs, and showing them the way is difficult, but one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

I am a very quick learner, a problem solver, a caregiver and a friend. I believe I have the ability to work on my toes and adapt to new situations as they arise. If I think about where I would like to be in 10 years, I picture myself working in a hospital environment. I enjoy working in a fast paced setting, and experiencing new things every day. I look forward to going home after a long day feeling as though I have accomplished something great that day.

Nursing is an amazing profession that I would be honoured to be a part of. I firmly believe that I am a strong caring person. I have the ability to keep a cool head in an emergency situation, and act accordingly. I look forward to learning more about the profession of nursing and all of the schooling that comes with it. Thank you for your consideration, and I look very forward to hearing back from you.