Shortly after being awarded my bachelor's degree in nursing in the Philippines in 1991 and working there as a hospital Staff Nurse, I immigrated to the United States and was sponsored to work in a community hospital on the South Side of Chicago where I worked in the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Room. Serving such a deprived population, seeing patients and relatives at their most vulnerable and being able to play a part in seeing critically ill patients recover were all deeply moving experiences which totally confirmed me in my calling and spurred me to excel within it. An interest in Critical Care developed into a passion and spurred me to pursue advanced training and certification such as CCRN, TNS and, in 2013, a master's degree in clinical nurse leadership.
I am currently an officer of the Uniformed Services working as a Clinical Manager and Team Leader at the N.I.H. I have carefully considered the next step in my career path to enable me to maximize my utility to patients and to the profession and have concluded that I possess the characteristics and academic and professional potential to become an excellent CRNA practitioner. My interest in the specialism began some years ago when I shadowed an excellent Nurse Anesthetist in ICU during emergency surgery. I was deeply impressed by the commitment, calm professionalism and autonomy demonstrated during the procedures. Subsequently, I witnessed CRNA intervention on a more personal level during the birth of my youngest daughter. My wife had undergone six long hours of agonizing labor pain until finally agreeing to the placing of an epidural catheter and administration of an anesthetic by a CRNA. My wife was both safe and comfortable while my daughter was brought safely into the world. I was full of admiration for the professionalism and effectiveness of the CRNA involved and the experience spurred a deeper interest in the specialism which I decided, one day, to pursue.
While working full-time in Open Heart Surgical ICU, I began taking several science classes in a local community college in preparation for the CRNA program. However, I was unable to pursue full-time training at the time because of the financial needs of a growing family and the need to support my aging parents. Now that my children are less dependent, an opportunity to follow my interrupted dream has arrived and I could not be more enthusiastic about doing so.
I am aware that the specialty calls for specific characteristics and would not be making this application if I were not convinced that I possess them to the necessary degree. I would not have achieved what I have in nursing had I not demonstrated an ability to perform to an excellent standard in high-pressured, acute clinical settings and to remain calm during clinical crises and complex situations, having exceptional commitment to patients and the ability to work autonomously or as an effective team member or as an inspirational leader.
Last year, I was commended for USPHS Commendation Medal as an officer who exhibited an exceptional level of proficiency and dedication during the 2014-15 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Research Center. I also received the Clinical Center Director’s awards for strong leadership in the critical care unit, and the development of strategic initiatives that enhanced the efficacy of the Model of Care implementation and received the NIH Director Award for exemplary service and leadership in caring for Ebola infected patients. Furthermore, I was awarded the 2016 RADM O. Marie Henry N-PAC Publication Award for the article I wrote “Ebola at the National Institutes of Health; Perspectives from a Critical Care Nurse” which was published in the Advanced Critical Care journal.
Recently I was selected to receive a NIH Clinical Center Nursing Award in the Leadership Excellence Award category for demonstrating an ability to remain a top performer clinically while working in an administrative role. This award will be presented at the Clinical Center Nursing Award Ceremony on Monday May 8 at the Masur Auditorium National institutes of Health.
I also know that, in addition to the need to demonstrate certain personal characteristics to a high degree, the specialism also calls for an exceptional degree of academic potential and commitment. I believe that I have demonstrated this by the range of qualifications that I have acquired while working full-time and raising a family. The luxury of full-time study will enable me to excel within the CRNA program, which I am determined to do.
I am fully aware that the program will attract many qualified applicants. However, I consider myself to be an excellent candidate. I am a student of life, a lifelong learner, and a transformational leader. I have the proven ability to effectively manage the treatment of the most critically ill patients in ICU and to perform exceptionally well in a high-pressured acute environment.
I strongly believe that ‘all work and no play make Jack a dull boy’. It is necessary for those working in a highly pressured and demanding environment to be able to ‘switch off’. I am an enthusiastic mountain biker and skier and seek to maintain the good health and well-being that I desire for all.
To summarize: I am a highly experienced and well-qualified critical care nurse who has filled roles directly applicable to that of the CRNA with exceptional commitment and I possess a deep and genuine desire to serve, especially the vulnerable and under-served. I am extremely excited at the prospect of crowning my career by becoming a highly effective and caring specialist in anesthesia and can promise outstanding diligence and commitment in the program and in my career beyond it.
CRNA Personal Statement Sample
There are numerous awards given out in Nursing, many for leadership. These awards are testimony to one's exceptional abilities, motivation, and dedication to nursing, if you have earned one or more of these awards, they should be mentioned in the Personal Statement as objective evidence of one's exceptional capacity to excel at nursing. This objective testimony is an effective complement to the more subjective self-assessment of one's abilities in nursing, as can be noted in the example above.