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Question: Please include a personal statement that explains your interest in the nursing profession and health care, and include how acceptance to the Decker School of Nursing will assist you in reaching your professional goals. You may also wish to write about 1) a person who, or an event that, has vitally affected your thinking, or 2) specific benefits, beyond those related toe employment that you expect to gain from your higher education.At a time when many people are struggling to find work or are uncertain about their future in the workforce, I decided to take a risk and leave my job as the Director of Special Projects for City Year Greater Philadelphia to pursue my dream of being a nurse. I took out a loan and have forgone health insurance so that I could enroll in school full-time to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. I am currently in-school full time completing pre-requisites at my local community college. I took the risk because I am highly motivated and passionate about what I will offer society as a trained health care professional and activist. I am at a point in my life where I don't have many financial responsibilities and have the freedom to make the sacrifice in income and enroll in school full time. What inspired me to pursue a career in nursing are my experiences working with underserved communities in Philadelphia and my personal health care experiences along the way.
The two years following my graduation from college I served as a fulltime AmeriCorps volunteer with City Year Greater Philadelphia. City Year unites a diverse group of 17-24 year olds for a year of full time community service providing targeted interventions to underserved, inner city students who are risk for dropping out of school. My time with City Year was a life changing experience because it sparked my social justice nerve, challenged my stereotypes, and provided me with leadership opportunities. I was the service leader for my team, a group of peers who were educationally, socio-economically, religiously and racially diverse, and we served the students of at one of Philadelphia's most dangerous and impoverished high schools. Together we helped foster a positive school climate and culture through community wide events and provided students with direct academic support and college guidance.
While my primary focus while working with City Year was on the academic success of students, from the start I became aware that students' sexual and nutritional health was interfering with their ability to succeed. One of the brightest students I worked with was a girl named Nicole. She earned a full scholarship to LaSalle University in Philadelphia but then she got pregnant and decided to defer from school for a year to have the baby. In doing so she lost her scholarship. I realized that the root of the educational problem does not lie with the educational system itself, but that our success as individuals is tied to our wellbeing and the resources we have available to support the different stages of our health throughout our life cycle. I wanted to do more than help the students pass Algebra. I wanted to support them in a journey to take control of their own wellbeing. Through my service, I became acquainted with people who are very different than me. In that time, I came to understand and sympathize with some of the struggles that poor underinsured people often face such, as limited access to health care.
I was underinsured when I was a volunteer so I relied on community based clinics for my dental and health care needs. I am so grateful for the care I received at those clinics but I also came to realize how inconvenient they can be because of long waits and in some instances restricted hours and appointment types. I remember waiting for hours to be seen by a nurse practitioner and thinking how does this system affect someone with more responsibility than I? Can a single mother allot several hours of her time to come in for a routine physical? I fortunately acquired full insurance coverage from my employer after my volunteer terms expired because in the fall of 2007 I was in a bicycle accident that resulted in two minor surgeries, one of which led to a staff infection, and months of physical therapy. I mention this because it was the "aha" moment that led me to realize I wanted to be a nurse. As I observed the role of the nurses in my recovery, I instantly felt that nursing was something for which I was naturally suited. I have always been naturally included to take care of people and have a general interest in health. I was able to confirm this during my time as a nursing unit volunteer at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia and in my current coursework particularly Anatomy and Physiology and Nutrition.
The Decker School of Nursing is my first choice in nursing programs. I understand my primary role as a nurse is to provide quality patient care, and I am seeking a reputable program that is going to provide me with a high quality skill set and knowledge base to be an excellent nurse. Further, I also understand my role as a nurse to be that of an advocate for the patients their families and the community at large. The Decker School of Nursing promotes these same values by preparing its students to maximize a person's quality of life and provide "socially just and competent care." In my role as a health care provider, I plan to continue supporting underserved communities and promote advancements in health care. The Decker School of Nursing values these same principles and clearly demonstrates them by deliberately building a culture of diversity within its walls. I would be privileged and honored for the opportunity to prepare for my role as a health care provider at Binghamton University.
Meghan Poperowitz
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