Bachelor in Nursing - Seattle Pacific University - (Winner)
Editors Note: This nursing student story was selected as second place winner in BrainTrack's Nursing Schools Scholarship for Spring 2010. At the time of submittal, Chelsea Wien was studying for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, WA.
Wishes Had Known | Program Likes/Dislikes | Choosing Nursing
What do you wish you had known about selecting and entering your nursing school that would be helpful to others going into nursing?
I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that your GPA is really, really important. Make sure that your GPA is as high as it can be, especially in the nursing prerequisites. Also make sure you keep in mind that nursing schools are looking for balanced students. You don’t have to burn yourself out volunteering or job shadowing to get in; they just want to see that you have a well-rounded life and know what you’re getting into. Extracurricular activities, leadership positions, and volunteering are great ways to boost your application, but schools want unique students that bring diversity and distinctive experiences to their program. Show your personality in your essays and be honest!
Another important thing to look at when selecting a school is where its clinical sites are located. Makes sure that the school has good ties with prominent, well-reputed hospitals that you are interested in spending time at. Much of your time in nursing school will be spent at these sites, and you want to be sure they will provide you with excellent opportunities for learning and examples of quality care. Also make sure the school you apply to offers the degree you wish to obtain through nursing school. If you’re set on a Bachelor’s degree and all they offer is an Associate's, you want to know that ahead of time before applying. Lastly, apply to a couple of schools because competition is tight, and you want to do all you can to increase your odds of getting in.
What have you enjoyed most and least during your nursing degree program so far?
The best part of nursing school so far has been getting hands-on clinical experience. It has really opened my eyes to the importance of a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship and the vast impact you can have on patient’s lives. The experience of being in an actual medical setting is invaluable to your learning, and you really get to put into practice all the skills you have learned in your schooling thus far.
Secondly, I have enjoyed the camaraderie of my nursing class. Before getting into nursing school, there is a lot of competition, but after getting in, everyone really bonds together and learns to support one another. It’s such a special group of people and I value every single one of the 49 other students in my program. They each bring a unique background and life story to my nursing education, which has given me a great appreciation for diversity in the workplace and classroom.
It has been hard to adjust to the time commitment of nursing school and the early mornings. Before starting nursing school, I thought that 8 AM classes were rough, but now I have to get up at 4 AM some mornings for clinicals. It’s a total life change. It’s hard to find time to relax or have fun with friends, but this year has taught me the importance of making sure I get my “me-time” to keep myself emotionally healthy.
What led you to choose nursing as a career path?
Life is a journey in which I seek to uncover my greatest passions and talents, find outlets for these gifts, and encourage others through my life's work. Thus far, I have only had two decades of life experience in which to figure out the purpose of my life, but I feel that I am just now beginning to conceptualize where my future path should lead. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was created to serve other human beings through nursing them to health, not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually.
I have chosen nursing as a profession because I believe it to be a tangible, active form of service that meets the most critical of human needs — bodily well-being. I also believe that nurses are the face of healthcare because they are usually the practitioners with the most interaction, communication, opportunities to prevent harm, and chances to provide encouragement with patients. Nursing excites me as a career because it combines science with taking care of people, two great passions of mine. I feel that a career in nursing will be a good fit for me because it is a challenging and demanding field, and I look forward to rising to the challenge on a daily basis.