Nurse Anesthetist Personal Statement Sample

PERSONAL STATEMENT Aleen Joy McGowan, RN, BSN, CCRN

I graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from a local university in the Philippines. Throughout my nursing career I never stopped gaining knowledge and experience to excel in our profession. After working for a total of 15 years I am now ready to pursue a more advanced nursing education. Due to the school’s strong clinical focus, a well-organized curriculum, and very supportive faculty, I wish to pursue a degree in Masters of Nurse Anesthesia at your prestigious institution.

I wasn’t always aware that there were Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). The first time I heard of the profession was the year I moved to the United States (US) from the Philippines

I researched the requirements and what I needed to do to be qualified to apply to a program. I worked my way up the clinical ladder, until I felt comfortable starting in the critical care setting. I started working at the University of California San Diego(UCSD) at the Intermediate Care unit (IMU) in 2006. This IMU taught me basic critical care thinking, excellent time management, and strong teamwork and collaboration. After working for three years in IMU, I applied and got hired in the 12 bed ICU of UCSD-Thornton Hospital. I was challenged daily, fearful of what I may not be able to handle, and felt very inadequate. But I didn’t let that get the best of me. Everyday I arrived to work an hour early, stayed in my car and studied the pages of my Critical Care book. What taught me best, however, was asking multiple questions. From the surgeons to the nurses, all were ever so patient in explaining things to me. It was a great privilege to work with a team who could handle the most complex patient situations. I was extraordinarily fortunate to be trained by and worked alongside with intelligent, knowledgeable, and supportive nurses. I excelled as a charge nurse, rapid response nurse and as a code blue nurse in that ICU. They helped me realize my potential as a critical care nurse, and nurtured my great passion for