The deep feelings that I have about nursing are connected to being a young, 23 year old, Chinese and Filipino female. In other words, there are multiple reasons why I am so very attracted to a career of service to others through psychiatric nursing. I see caring for others as a natural part of womanhood; we are the mothers and the primary care-givers in life; also being Asian, with our prominent sense of duty to the community and social well-being. I have special concern for the mentally ill and this is why I choose to major in Psychology. I am a progressive, and I want to contribute to making care for the mentally ill increasingly humane and effective. I understand the nurse to be a person who takes great pride in her service to others and is willing to make sacrifices to assure that others are comfortable.

I seek advanced specialty preparation as a nurse because I believe that this is the correct professional choice for me given my character and preparation. I hope to continue to focus special attention on the mental healthcare issues that are especially relevant to the large Asian population in California, and I believe XXXX's continued support for ethnic and social diversity will provide me with an excellent foundation to build upon. Many Chinese and Filipinos downplay the importance of mental health issues and treatment; I am concerned, therefore, with the fact that many who need help, do not receive it, with the mentally ill generally cared for at home. I look forward to working in education, helping to enlighten Asian-American populations of the many options for and benefits that result from finding proper mental health treatment. I believe that I have great interpersonal skills, which are so important for psychiatric nursing, and that I have the determination and high level of motivation necessary to become a leader in my field.

I take pride in being a good listener as I often find that people find me very easy to talk to. For this reason, I have even taken classes on how to listen more attentively. I know that a crucial part of being successful in the nursing profession is being able to communicate effectively, which is why I have completed both interpersonal communication as well as oral communication classes. I work very hard to earn the respect of those that I communicate with by taking a sincere interest in them and I see this as key to success in the practice of psychiatric nursing. I am drawn to this specialty because of my love for people, science, the human mind, and the mysteries of mental illness. I am especially interested in intensive care psychology and the analysis and case management of mentally ill patients.

My experience with the XXXX Women's Center in Santa Cruz, CA in a program called Moms and Kids, has helped me to mature greatly and better understand the intricate psychological bond between mothers and children as well as the difficulties associated with abuse. I worked with children from 2 to 6. Through my experience as a Resident Assistant, I have better learned how to deal with young adults of many different cultures and personalities and the stress and responsibility of being on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I currently hold two positions, one in public relations and the other with an integrative pharmacy, which combines herbal, homeopathic, and conventional medicine. I see both of these experiences as valuable preparation for my career in nursing. I have worked extremely hard in school and taken a special interest in things that have been directly related to my central interest, such as anatomy and physiology. I have taken these classes in a one year program as well as two other classes in order to better prepare myself for graduate study in nursing.. While my overall GPA is not spectacular, my prerequisite GPA is almost a 4.0. I am used to working under high degrees of pressure, making quick decisions and know when to ask for help or collaboration.

My long term goal is to work as a nursing administrator and to have the opportunity to design and implement mental health education programs and initiatives both for my patients and the broader community. My plan is to embody XXXX's mission to provide excellent care in the form of much needed public service. I am a Philippine citizen as well as an American and I hope to someday go to the Philippines to help better educate my people about mental healthcare issues and how this is related to nursing care, how to better recognize, respond to, and especially prevent mental illness. I want to thank you for consideration of my application to your program.