Nursing Program in Davenport University Admission Essay

There are many essential qualities and skills one should have to succeed in Davenport's Nursing Program. The qualities and skills I have that will help me in the program include motivation, good teamwork, and working well on my own; I have goals I want to accomplish, know how to deal with stress, and display respect and honesty.

Motivation is a skill every student should have. It's imperative to have when going into a nursing program. With the amount of work and effort required in the nursing program, a student needs to have great motivation, which I have—my motivation shows in my past and current classes. I am always on time for my classes, and I don't miss many class days. If I have to miss a class, I still communicate with the professor and get the missing information we learned that day from the professor or a classmate. I showcase my motivation by getting my classwork in on time or days before the due date. Having grit is an essential skill for me because it gets you better grades by getting your assignments in on time and being to class every day to learn the information and skills you need. 

An important quality to have that goes hand-in-hand with motivation is setting goals. Having goals is a crucial part of the cause; you strive to complete your target. My leading goal in life is to become a neonatal nurse. Having this goal has made me do my absolute best to persevere in my schoolwork and make sure I am doing the best I can in my classes. Once I get accepted into the nursing program, I can achieve this goal by striving to get good grades, keep up good study habits, and continue my motivation. By continuing what I'm doing now, I will accomplish my goal while I'm in the program. 

Being in a program like the nursing program, one needs to have good teamwork skills. In my past class experiences at Davenport University, we tend to have smaller class sizes, so it's crucial to work well with others if needed. In the nursing program, you may need to work in pairs or groups to do a project or practice a procedure. In my classes, I have gained good experience in teamwork. In my medical assisting classes, we have had to practice specific skills on one another, for example, performing an EKG. While practicing procedures, I have learned I have good communication with my group members or partner, which is an integral part of teamwork. Over time I have learned new things about myself, for example, how I'm a great listener. I am attentive to my group members with anything they need. When we were practicing EKG's, one of my group members was stressed out about performing it herself. I listened to her concerns and assured her she had nothing to worry about and that she would do fine. In that situation, I used both my listening and communication skills. 

Schooling can be overwhelming, especially when it pertains to something in healthcare. An excellent skill to have so you're not letting yourself get too stressed out is stress management. I have heard that nursing programs can be very tough and stressful at times. Thankfully I have learned good stress management skills to help out if it gets to that point. During high school, I used to get very stressed out and anxious about big projects and tests. Since I've attended college, I've learned how to manage those feelings. When I start to feel nervous about a project or test, I take deep breaths and relax my body and mind. If I'm still feeling a bit anxious, I try restricting my thinking and think more positively about the outcomes instead of negatively. These two strategies have immensely helped me multiple times during my first two years of college. This semester these strategies have helped me a lot when I have to perform my medical assisting classes. Once I get into the nursing program, I will continue to use these techniques to get stressed or overwhelmed with assignments, projects, or tests. 

Being honest is a valuable skill to have in a nursing program; you have to display your honesty in many ways. You will have to be honest if you're not understanding the material you're learning, be honest if you did something wrong, and even be honest in your work. I do very well in displaying my honesty inside and outside of school. When I was younger in high school, I would always be afraid to be honest with my teacher if I didn't understand the material they were teaching; I learned that it isn't the best option. Since I've learned that, I'm more open and honest with my professors when I need more help on a subject. That has helped me expand my knowledge and get better grades on assignments. Self-reflection is another skill I learned to be honest about my strengths and weaknesses. When I'm performing a skill or procedure in my medical assisting classes, and I miss a step or do a step wrong, I identify the problem and let my professor know, and I restart and correct myself. Being honest with yourself and your peers is crucial to better yourself and your knowledge.

Being able to stretch past my limits and grow into an empowered Nurse of the 21st Century with Davenport University's help is my dream. To exceed patients and family's expectations and bring compassion into lives who need it most.