[***] University Graduate and Professional Admissions
Interview Survey
1.What is your concept of nursing? Why do you want to become an advanced practice nurse?
To many,the field of nursing is one that opens many doors and has many benefits because of the availability of work, the high starting salary, and healthcare benefits. Any one of these would be good reason for anyone choosing a career in nursing. But as for me, nursing is not a job, it is a passion. One in which I have been graced with the unique power to make such great positive impacts on patient lives, offering healing that not only helps them,but at the same time helps me as the caregiver knowing that each day, I have the opportunity to make a selfless difference. I want to become an advanced practice nurse because I would love to take my knowledge, skills and experience to another level. Having been a floor nurse for over 15 years, I have had many great experiences that I believe have prepared me for the next phase in my career. Becoming an APRN would open new doors for me to touch lives, comfort and care for those in need,provide compassion, strength, and an understanding to patients and their families, and consequently do my part,in making a positive contribution to this unpredictable and often uncompassionate world. The increased autonomy and sense of independence I would have as an APRN would allow me expand my knowledge of this field, further familiarize myself with all of the scholarly advancements and to shape my practice in new ways and take my passion to new heights.
2. Describe talents, aptitudes, gifts and personal strengths you possess and how these could contribute to a career in nursing?
I believe that I possess many strengths that contribute to my career in nursing. I have the maturity, patience, understanding, compassion, knowledge, communication skills, learning capacity, life experience, ambition, and motivation to be successful in this field. I live by the philosophy that “one must leave this world in a better condition than he/she has found it” and throughout my life, I have aimed to be a person of character in many respects. Some of the strengths I believe I offer to is my joy of working as a team, honesty and integrity, compassion and friendly personality, desire for excellence, flexibility, strong organizational skills and a genuine delight in serving my community while providing excellent customer service to my patients. Of all of my personal strengths, one that I value dearly is my sense of humor. I firmly believe that laughter is in fact the greatest medicine, and my ability to make others laugh and lighten even the heaviest hearts is a gift that I am ever grateful to possess. Nursing in itself is can be a very trying and emotion laden field,both to patient and caregiver. Which is why I use humor as not only a source of healing for those in my care, but for myself as well to remain motivated and strong to pass on that same strength to others.
3.How will you apply your personal strengths to assure success in [***]University School of Nursing’s intense accelerated program?
One of thegreatest personal strengths I possess is my perseverance. In undertaking the challenge of being part of [***’s] accelerated program, perseverance is a strength that I will apply in facing any challenges-and I anticipate there may be many. In my anticipation I am overwhelmed by not fear, but excitement. Excitement to prove myself worthy to hold the [***] name, knowing that I will bring a unique energy, optimism, passion, and tireless creativity to your campus and classroom. My industriousness would reflect those of the model nursing student, likened to those that your program has so reputably bred for over 50 years. I have always sought out new opportunities for knowledge and growth. I believe it is that very same innate sense of worldly and scholastic curiosity that will ensure my success as part of this program. The intensity of the work and effort that I put into achieving my Bachelors in Nursing, would pale in comparison to the dedication, motivation, and passion that I would bring if given the opportunity to be part of such a renown academic institution to achieve my Masters. I believe that when one is part of an institution that is as just as passionate in giving a great education, as one is in receiving it, there is nothing that cannot be achieved. As an individual, I think positively in everything that I do, and work tenaciously to achieve every goal I set for myself. I am a very driven, focused and passionate in endeavor, this is why I am confident of my potential success in [*** ]University School of Nursing’s intense accelerated program.
4. What has influenced your decision on a specialty.Describe any life experiences that have contributed to your interest in your selected specialty.
What most strongly influenced my decision on the psychiatric nursing specialty, were events that took place in my life over the past 3 years. When my husband Tim passed in 2013, I did not realize at the time, just how deeply it had psychologically affected my 12 year old daughter. During the last year of his life, my husband was very ill. A week before his passing, I had forced him to finally go to the hospital. Before he had gone, he and my daughter had a disagreement and being upset, she did not want to speak to him. One week after we discovered that my husband had stage 3 — cancer, he passed. The loss was unbearable for our entire family. But it was not until six months later, that I would discover just how crushing the weight of it was to my daughter. I discovered through nights of inconsolable crying, that in addition to dealing with the loss, she carried guilt of being angry at him before his passing, and never having the chance to make amends. It caused a change in her that was insidious, then suddenly so apparent. I watched her fall deeper into an emotional and mental darkness that I could not pull her out. I felt helpless. After realizing that she needed help beyond any that could provide, I took her to Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. My 12 year old daughter, would later be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder with Psychotic features.
I can happily report that after 2 years of extensive therapy, medication and counseling, my daughter is doing much better. My daughter was pulled from a very dark place in her life and I owe her recovery to mental health to the professionals who make the psychiatric specialty their life’s work. This is why I consider this specialty my calling as well. Having first hand experience of the impact of psychological illness, I want to use my passion to help others through utilizing the many interventions of this field to change lives, just as they have changed my daughters’.
5.What is your understanding of the responsibility of an adult learner in graduate level education?
My understanding of the responsibilities of the adult learner at this higher level of education,is a higher level of expectation. I believe that the adult learner in pursuing this, should have a sense of self-directedness. Taking responsibility and ownership for his/her own individual learning, growth, and progression through the program. The adult learner should possess a professional identity, and reflect that professionalism in every aspect of their lives by honing skills, demonstrating competence, responsibility,social sensitivity and etiquette, and adhering to all ethical standards of practice and humanity. The adult learner should also devote deliberate effort into developing a professional network. In the pursuit of the goal of independent professional practice, this is the critical time and opportunity to create a network which will serve as a lifelong invaluable resource for coursework critique, professional development and personal support. I also believe that one of the most important responsibilities of the adult learner is to always uphold a high standard of academic integrity. It has been said, that intellectual integrity is the hallmark of educational institutions. It is the very foundation of any professional program. Knowing this, I believe that it is important for the adult learner to respect and uphold all relevant university policies regarding professional and academic conduct, to respect and uphold all rights of other fellow graduate students, and to conduct themselves in all mannerspositively reflective of an academic colleague.
6.How will your acceptance into the program impact your current living and working situations? What challenges do you anticipate if accepted and how will you manage these anticipated challenges?
The impacts that acceptance into the program would have on my current living and working situation are numerous. Acceptance into such a well-reputed program would mean that I would be able to expand my knowledge of psychiatric nursing and utilize that knowledge to initiate my own independent professional practice. Acceptance into this program and completion of it, would mean that I would no longer have to work 80 hours a week, to support my family. I would have more time to devote to my children, and a bit more time to finally devote to myself. I also acknowledge and plan to meet the unique demands of graduate level training. This would mean balancing work, school, and domestic responsibilities at once and meeting all expectations in all realms. I plan on managing all of those challenges, and doing so in the same manner I have handled all previous challenges in my life; with faith in God, and one day at a time. I will plan and implement systems to streamline all essential tasks and responsibilities, so as to have proper time, energy and focus to devote to my program coursework and additional requirements. Although the prospect of working and studying full-time may seem almost impossible to some, I am confident in my abilities and given the opportunity, I know that my ambition will carry me to success in this program.
