Betsy Martinez
Nursing Career
I am currently a freshman at New York City College of Technology (City Tech), aspiring to major in nursing. Just having entered college, there are many things I need to focus on. Lately, I have been reflecting ahead in order to place myself on the correct path on becoming a neonatal nurse. This is the best career for me because I have always wanted to help other people especially babies, there is an ample amount of nursing jobs available, and the salary will give me a chance to live comfortably. In this essay, I will give you background information on the major nursing and neonatology, give supporting evidence on why this is the best career for me, and state how City Tech is preparing me to achieve this career.
There are many important things to know about nursing. After doing more research on the nursing major, I gathered a lot of new information. The City Tech Catalog 2014-2015 tells me that, “The nursing program prepares students to become members of the health team in health service agencies and hospitals.” (College Catalog, 167) In this major, I will safely meet the needs of patients in different settings. The subspecialty in nursing that I want to pursue with my education from City Tech is neonatology. In order to become a neonatal nurse, you must be a Registered Nurse (RN); I would have to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) after completing the nursing courses. A neonatal nurse works with infants up to 6 weeks after birth; this varies depending on the severity of the baby’s health. As a neonatal nurse, I would be working with newborn, sick and premature babies. The article “The parent–nurse relationship in the neonatal intensive care unit context – closeness and emotional involvement” tells me that, “Providing support to parents has become a crucial part of nurses’ responsibilities.”(Fregan and Helseth, 667) I will have to learn how to help parents handle these hard moments in their life and provide support they need during different types of situations. There are three levels in neonatal nursing. I would most likely start in level 1, which is just a healthy newborn nursery. There are also levels two and three; the third level is the level I want to work in, which is working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. (NICU) I can work at hospitals that have NICUs, which a lot of hospitals have.
NYCCT Catalog: Nursing
New York Methodist Hospital
There are many reasons why I believe neonatal nursing is the best career for me. One of them being that I have always wanted to help other people, especially babies. In this field, not only would I be taking care of neonates with different complications, but I would also be helping parents cope with difficult situations. The article “Development in neonatal care and nursing responses” says that, “Together with the increased understanding of newborn physiology and pathology that has grown over the last century, there have been remarkable developments in neonatal nursing, technology, respiratory support, nutrition, and family-centered care in the neonatal unit.” (Fallon and Healy, 21) The neonatal nursing unit is improving more and more each year and I would love to be a part of that improvement. The fact that I could provide care to an infant that needs to survive is heartwarming.
Nursing is also the best career for me because there are many jobs available. This is a good thing for nursing students who have just graduated from school because of the fact that it probably will not be that hard to find a job. Over the years, there has been an increase in health care jobs. The article “Neonatal Nursing: The First Six Weeks” tells us that, “There are nearly 40,000 low birth weight babies born in this country annually.” (Jones, 6) Since there are so many low birth weight babies born each year there is a high need for neonatal nurses. The nursing market will most likely continue to grow each year, which means that I should not have to worry so much about finding a job.
Another reason why I believe nursing is the best career for me is because of the salary. As I mentioned before that in order to become a neonatal nurse you must first become a registered nurse. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), “The median annual wage for registered nurses was $65,470 in May 2012.” (BLS 1) From the knowledge, I already have about neonatal nursing; I know that after a few years you can get a master’s degree to become a neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP). NNPs are paid a lot more since they are the ones who help and guide the staff in the NICU. This salary would give me the chance not only to have a better life for myself but also give be stability. I could live comfortable with this income; I would not have to worry about struggling financially.
In order to become the type of the nurse I want to be, I will need to prepare for different situations in varying settings. There are two programs in City Tech, the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Nursing and the Bachelor Science (BS) of Nursing. Both these programs will teach me many skills that I will need for my career. To obtain a seat in the first program I will have to take the TEAS exam and take pre-requisites. I will be taking the exam next semester. When I spoke to an advisor, she told me, “It’s best to start studying now and start taking practice exams.” (Nyguen) There are limited seats in the program, so it is important I try my very best. Once I am in the program, I will then start taking nursing courses. Some classes that I will be taking are Medication Calculations, Caring for Clients with Common Alterations in Survival Needs, and many more classes resulting in 36 credits. After I earn my AAS in nursing, I can then continue my education in nursing at City tech in the BS program. According to City Tech’s Catalog, the BS of Nursing program will teach me how to apply reasoning and various skills in a nursing environment.
TEAS Study Manual
With my preparation at City Tech, I hope to continue my education in receiving a master’s degree in a different school. From all the research I have attained, I can say that nursing is something you must be truly dedicated to. You will have to put most of your time, if not all, and effort in order to do well and succeed. I would recommend doing internships in either a hospital or a clinic; this will enhance your knowledge in nursing and will be a step forward in becoming a nurse. It is also very important to maintain a high GPA because the nursing programs are very competitive and you would not want to risk the chance of being kicked out. Although nursing might seem hard, if it is something you want to pursue never be discouraged that you cannot achieve this goal.
Works Cited
Fallon, Anne, and Healy, Patricia. “Developments in neonatal care and nursing responses.” British Journal of Nursing 23.1 (2014):21-24. Academic Seach Complete. Web. 8 Nov. 2014.
Fregan, Liv, and Helseth, Solvi. “The parent–nurse relationship in the neonatal intensive care unit context – closeness and emotional involvement.” Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 23.4 (2009):667-673. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Nov. 2014.
Jones, Joy. “Neonatal Nursing: The First Six Weeks.” Critical Care Nurse 24.1 (2004): 6-8. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
Martinez, Betsy. “New York Methodist Hospital.” Flickr. 5 Dec. 2014. Web. 6 Dec. 2014.
Martinez, Betsy. “NYCCT Catalog: Nursing.” Flickr. 5 Dec. 2014. Web. 6 Dec. 2014.
Martinez, Betsy. “TEAS Study Manual.” Flickr. 6 Dec. 2014. Web. 6 Dec. 2014.
New York City College of Technology. College Catalog 2014-2015.2014. PDF. 2 Nov. 2014.
Nyguen, Ms. Personal Interview. 2 Dec. 2014.
United States. Dept. of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Registered Nurses” Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dept. of Labor. Jan. 2014. Web. 22 Nov. 2014.
