Augustana University Traditional Nursing Program Application Essay

This document is a nursing program application essay submitted by Trang Quynh Le to Augustana University. The essay details the applicant's decision to pursue a nursing major, stemming from personal experiences with her grandfather's illness and the compassionate care he received from nurses. She reflects on the impact of witnessing her grandfather's suffering, which fostered her empathy and desire to care for others. The essay also highlights the applicant's greatest strengths, particularly perseverance, illustrated by her determination to overcome challenges in learning English. She describes her efforts to improve her skills and achieve her goals, showcasing her ability to learn from failures and maintain enthusiasm in the face of obstacles. The essay aims to demonstrate her suitability for the nursing program, emphasizing her compassion, empathy, and commitment to providing care.

APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO THE AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY
TRADITIONAL NURSING PROGRAM
Name: Trang Quynh Le Date: 01/12/2019
Address, City, St, Zip: 135 Block H, Nguyen Thien Thuat Apartment, Ward 1, District 3 Ho Chi
Minh City, 700000 Viet Nam
Telephone: [phone] Email: [e-mail]
Year of High School Graduation: 2016 Expected year of graduation from Augustana: 2021
1. Describe what led you to your decision to pursue a major in nursing.
My grandfather laid on the bed surrounded by tubes and machines. An unpleasant odor covered
the whole the room which brought a feeling of discomfort, suffocation, and chills. He had stayed
in the nursing home and endured pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and this tortuous condition
for a year due to end-stage kidney and lung disease. I will never forget his utter despair,
depression, and look of discouragement as he gazed at me. For the first time since being in the
nursing home and taking care of my grandfather, I recognized my passion and desire to care for
others. Witnessing my grandfather suffering promoted my compassion and empathy. I held his
hand, used soft tones, and delivered my words to comfort my grandfather. I craved to understand
a deeper level of his feelings and experiences and his desire to stay with his family. Using a
warm towel to wipe his forehead, telling jokes, sharing my humorous stories, and keeping my
smile diminished his suffering and brought him some relief and happy moments. He was grateful
and cheered up a bit when I was with him. I become acutely aware of my love and aspiration for
a caregiving role and my ability to invest myself in helping other people through their vulnerable
moments. Considering becoming a nurse did not come to my mind until I observed my

grandfather’s nurse taking care of him worrying about him. To assist my grandfather’s
communication, she made a chart including pictures with both English and Vietnamese
expressions and asked me to help her translate some simple words such as hungry, thirsty,
fatigue and restroom into Vietnamese. She tended to my grandfather with friendliness,
attentiveness, care, and gentleness. I felt her caring spirit as she strove to understand my
grandfather's culture, beliefs, and language. She was friendly and helpful and modeled how to
share empathy with other people as a nurse. My thirst for knowledge about medical care drove
me to want to become a nurse. With sufficient knowledge and skills, I could empower other
people to manage their health and achieve a satisfying life. As a nurse, I could implement my
primary goal to become a friend, a confidante, and a trusted advisor of patients.
2. What would you identify as your greatest strengths and needs for growth as you pursue as
University education?
I remember a quote of Winston Churchill: “Success consists of going from failure to failure
without loss of enthusiasm.” While I have never considered obstacles and failure as an excuse to
surrender, I use my repeated perseverance to approach my goals and mark my success. I was not
born as a gifted and intelligent student in the language sciences. Testing, assignments, and
writing were always a challenge--especially English and literature. Studying abroad was my
dream and my primary aim as a child even though English never stopped being my greatest
struggle and challenge. In an extra English class for students who were studying for the Toefl
exam to study aboard, I was the "weakling" and could barely pass the class’s exams nor could I
remember as many complicated English words as my peers. While my colleagues just needed
probably a month to improve in writing, applying English vocabulary words and interpreting
English literature, I spent nearly double that time catching up with them. Even so, I was still

extremely anxious and tried hard to do anything to enhance my skills and capability to be
qualified for the exam. One day, my professor asked me to take the final test to decide whether
he should keep me in class or replace me with another student. I got kicked out of class and was
told that I did not have the competence to learn advanced English and study abroad. Being
disappointed, frustrated, and depressed, I doubted my ability to study English, began to feel
psychologically inferior, feared challenges, and became increasingly timid. However, this failure
did not prevent me from moving forward, reclaiming myself and rediscovering my abilities and
potential as I believe each struggle is just the foundation and the turning point for success. To
attain my goal of getting a qualified Toefl score, I created a new study plan and changed my
learning methods. I attended other English organizations and received additional help directly
from another English professor who assisted me in the process of progress. Even though it was a
long and slow process with many barriers, I never gave up and kept moving forward to be
qualified for studying abroad as I aspired. With perseverance, I proved my proficiency and
marked my success by being accepted and had a chance to study in America. I believe that there
is no impossible thing if we have a strong heart and steady perseverance. Perseverance is my
greatest strength and encourages me to put more effort into my goals. Perseverance is and will
continue to be part of my University education, especially in nursing allowing me to be persistent
with my intention, continuously developing my skills and expanding my knowledge. No matter
how many hurdles I have to overcome, perseverance will give me strength and confidence to
achieve my goals. I desire to become a nurse.
Signed Date 02/12/2019