Impacting Lives: My Path to a Nursing Career OR why I chose nursing as a career

My topic is

Impacting Lives: My Path to a Nursing Career

why I chose nursing as a career

Mention these people

Florence Nightingale (for sure)

And one of these three: Clara Barton, Mary Eliza Mahoney, and Virginia Henderson were four of the most influential nurses in history.

The interview with nurse Melissa Becker, 1. Nursing is a great job where I can help people and make them feel better. 2. Nursing is a tough but good job that needs kindness and strength. 3. Nursing is a lifelong journey of learning and getting better, and it makes me feel happy in my personal and work life”

Use these words

Benevolence
Compassion
Dedication
Empathy
Fulfillment
Helping others
Making a difference
Passion
Purpose
Service

Requirements

Use Times New Roman 12-point font.
Double-space your essay.
1100 words minimum (or 3-5 pages) (not counting the Works Cited page).
Your essay must have at least 3 “quotations” from your interviewee.
Your essay must have a Works Cited page with your interviewee listed.
The essay must argue (thesis) and explain why (topic sentences) you, now, after the interview, want or don’t want to pursue a career path.

Interview Research Paper Standards (“Rubric”)

You and your facilitator will apply the following standards to your Interview Research Papers and determine how well you have met each one (“exceeds standard,” “meets standard,” “approaches standard,” “not yet,” and “insufficient data”).

Introductory paragraph hook

There is a hook to captivate readers’ attention that relates to and prepares readers for the essay.

Introductory paragraph background

Following the hook, you identify or provide readers with necessary background information on the issue or topic under discussion to help them recognize what the issue is or means, why it may be relevant for discussion, and how it relates to or prepares readers for the problem or issue of the essay.

Introductory paragraph debate

Following the background information, you present readers with a problem, debate, or issue that is controversial. Readers will need to see how the problem, debate, or issue is not an easy one to solve; it’s a tricky situation and there are multiple sides to the argument because people with different opinions raise good points about it.

Introductory paragraph thesis statement

The introduction concludes with a thesis statement that presents your solution to the problem, debate, or issue introduced in the background and debate. The thesis statement is what your essay is trying to prove to readers. It will make at least one concession (“although” or “even though” or “though” or “while”) and will align with your essay’s topic sentences and body paragraph evidence.

Topic sentence

Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that introduces the reason or topic or focus of that paragraph as it relates to and supports your essay’s thesis statement.
(Optional: often, it may be helpful to provide a clarifying sentence by repeating the topic sentence in a different and clearer or simpler way if necessary.)

Say with context

Following the topic sentence or topic sentences, you incorporate others’ words and ideas into your writing (evidence, sources, quotes, etc). You ensure that your evidence, source, or quote includes context, so readers are prepared for it (where/who the source is from, what’s going on in it, when, why, and how), and that the evidence, source, or quote is distinguishable from the rest of the paragraph (use quotations and citations).

Mean

Following each and every Say with Context, you interpret and analyze your Say’s meaning to explain clearly how it relates to and supports your topic sentence reason as well as your thesis statement.

Matter

Once you’ve addressed potential counterarguments and returned to support your argument, it’s important readers see why your point or argument matters. Express what consequences and wider implications derive from the point of your body paragraph: if you’re right, then what do those consequences reveal about us and our world? What new pathways now stand before us? How does the point you just proved change you or change others? Who else is impacted by this knowledge or reality? In other words, once you’ve evaluated what those consequences reveal about us and our world, predict what your newfound knowledge means for our collective future; that is, how are we all implicated and impacted by that knowledge and, most importantly, so what?

Conclusion paragraph thesis restatement

The first sentence of your conclusion paragraph restates your thesis statement, not as something that needs to be proved but as something that has been proven.

Conclusion paragraph summary

Following your restated thesis statement, summarize your argument and the main points that support it to help readers recognize the validity of your proven thesis statement.

Conclusion paragraph significance

Once you’ve summarized your argument’s main points to justify your thesis statement, express how your argument matters even more by connecting it to other relevant arguments; in short, show what consequences and wider implications derive from your essay’s main argument: if you’re right, what do those consequences reveal about us and our world? What new pathways now stand before us? How does the thesis you just proved change you or change others, perhaps in a profound way? Who else is impacted by this knowledge or reality? Predict what may happen in the future because of this knowledge and how that prediction may represent a much bigger argument or thesis we need to consider now going forward.

Sentence strength

This standard assesses how well you use sentence-combining techniques to express your ideas, avoiding run-on sentences and redundant writing in the process. Readers should be able to read your ideas without getting distracted by grammar mistakes and redundancy. Ideally, you accurately incorporate a mix of various sentence-combining techniques throughout your writing (FANBOYS, semicolons, and subordination).

MLA formatting

For non-research paper submissions, MLA formatting still applies: you’ll want to double-space your submission, left-align it, and use appropriate headers (your name, our course name, submission date), Times New Roman font, and page numbers. There’s more to MLA formatting than this, and we’ll get to that later in the semester.

write your argument about this career

Use the information you have gathered to write a 3-5 page essay that explains YOUR opinions and YOUR feelings regarding your prospective career and/or academic path.

Your paper will discuss your interviewee, but they are NOT the main focus of this paper; you and your feelings are the main focus of each paragraph.

Your paper will discuss your prospective career, but it is NOT the main focus of this paper. Don’t tell me about aspects of the career unless it is connected to your desire to pursue your career path or avoid it.

Your paper might discuss your prospective major, but describing the major is NOT the main focus of this paper. Don’t tell me details of the major unless you’re also telling me how those details make you feel about your major and/or career path.

a sample essay that follows the teacher’s instructions (Why college is the right fit for me an interview with Jennifer Guz)

Why college is the right fit for me an interview with Jennifer Guz

Mark Zuckerberg never finished college, nor did Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. It makes you wonder, then, is a college degree essential? Or, for that matter, worth it? I recently sat down with my sister and current graduate student, Jennifer, to discuss this topic. Whether college is necessary has become more prevalent of late. The success of a few individuals without a degree has reinforced the notion that college is a waste of time. At the same time, research shows that those with a college degree earn significantly more than those who do not. Although my financial burdens will be a hurdle I must overcome to immerse myself in college fully, I still believe college is the right fit for me, considering my thirst for knowledge, the benefits it will have on my mental health, and the accessibility to opportunities it will provide

Although some say you should have a clear idea of what you want to do with a college degree, I believe the simple pursuit of knowledge is enough to make it worthwhile. During my interview, my interviewee asked me a fundamental question “How would you feel on your deathbed if you never pursued your education.”. This struck a chord with me; I would feel terrible. I realize now how vital learning has become a part of my identity. Though I dropped out

of school after 8th grade, I always maintained a fascination with knowledge. History caught my attention early on; whenever I wasn’t out being a menace, I would spend my time reading about the events that have shaped this world. The events of the past enthralled me; id put myself in their shoes and imagine what it would be like to live as a Roman during their golden ages or as an Aztec warrior seeing a white man for the first time. I would share my newfound knowledge with my social group, and because most had no formal education, they were quickly impressed. This gave me a sense that I was worth something. Learning became a way for me to stand out amongst my peers. It gave me an identity. It’s who I am now, the guy that knows random shit. I learned to associate learning with feeling good, which continues to this day. Though there is some merit to the notion of taking a practical approach to college, every situation is different. Even though I don’t have a set plan, simply putting myself in an environment that cultivates my desire for knowledge is enough to make it worthwhile for me. Not only does college quench my thirst for knowledge, but it also improves my overall mental health.

Though my mental health has been a significant obstacle I’ve had to overcome to get to college, I believe the sense of purpose I will attain from my college experience will benefit my mental health immensely. Initially, I was going to write about how my mental health would be negatively affected by the college experience I’ve since come to my senses. I suffer from various mental disorders, and fortunately, I’ve been treated for the past year or so, and it has benefited me greatly. It has given me stability, and though that is very important for someone with my disorders, it isn’t enough to overcome specific mental health issues I still deal with, like low self-esteem and a feeling of inadequacy. As stated in an article in psychology today, research shows “that individuals who have a strong sense of purpose and meaning in life tend to have better mental health, overall well-being, and cognitive functioning compared to those who lack a sense

of purpose.” Though my time in college has been brief, it has instilled a sense of purpose in me as I’ve never felt before. Those feelings of inadequacy have slowly faded; my self-esteem has improved and, in turn, made me a more confident individual. Without college serving as a signpost for life, I don’t believe there would be a way to improve my mental health further. College has and will continue to serve my mental health very well, even though the financial obligations affected by my decision to go to college also play a part in my overall well-being.

Though my current financial situation and my college education aren’t a match made in heaven, I still believe college is the right choice financially in the long term. Because of various reasons, I have put myself in a financial bind. This has made it hard to work less and focus more on school. I asked my interviewee how she dealt with the financial burden, and she had a simple but practical answer “Move in with your parents.” She had a rough first experience with college because she had to work. She stated, “You miss out on the extracurriculars when you’re working while in school,” and claimed, “The best experiences I had In college came when I moved back in with my parents and had the time to devote myself fully to school.” She emphasized the importance of joining clubs or volunteering for research projects and how they have a more significant impact on you than “simply attending all your classes and getting a degree” Unfortunately, my financial burdens require more complex solutions than moving in with my parents let along the stigma that comes along with it. Considering my circumstances, she suggested I look at student loans, and to my surprise, they seemed like a reasonable solution. I came to learn of what are called subsidized loans, which according to the BCC website “for students with demonstrated financial need as determined by federal regulations, no interest is charged while you are in school at least half-time (6 or more units) or are in a deferment period.”

I had heard of student loans before but had no idea there was a way you could avoid paying interest. Some might say it would be a mistake to accrue more debt, especially for someone already in considerable debt, but if it means I get to focus on earning a degree, then it’s worth it. According to Money magazine, “the median annual wage for full-time workers ages 22 to 27 with a high school diploma is $30,000. For a full-time worker with a bachelor’s degree, it’s $52,000.” Considering this, it may mean I suffer financially in the short term but benefit significantly in the long term. Essentially my financial situation can’t get any worse, and investing in myself will ease that financial burden in the future. Not only will college reduce my financial obligations in the long run, but it will also open up boundless opportunities I can’t even begin to imagine.

Though some say college isn’t required to open doors of opportunity, I believe it to be necessary for specific individuals. This was, by far, the most exciting part of my interview with Daniela. She highlighted how someone’s social status determines the opportunities they have access to, and for specific marginalized communities, college is the only avenue available to access these opportunities. She stated, “Many of my wealthy friends could simply get hands-on training in fields they had no experience in simply because of whom they knew” This makes a great deal of sense when you look at our former presidents, Donald Trump or George Bush; they aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed, yet somehow, they obtained significant positions of power. She then asked me to compare my social network and what opportunities I could offer or be offered. All I could think about was manual labor. My social network consists of low-wage, what some consider low-skilled individuals. She stated that her first professional opportunity came from some “random guy I met in my philosophy class.” Therefore, some of us have no choice

but to go to college if we want to access opportunities beyond using our manual labor as a commodity. I’m tired of the same old options; of being praised for putting my body through hell for the benefit of some rich guy earning millions on the backs of many like me. For someone like me, college is synonymous with opportunity.

In conclusion, although my financial obligations make complete immersion problematic, I still want to continue my college path because of its benefits on my thirst for knowledge, the improvements in my mental health, and the opportunities I will have access to. Coming to this conclusion was not easy; I was initially going to write a paper on why I shouldn’t go to college. The interview with Daniela opened my eyes to what I was missing out on. Listening to her speak about how she grew as a person through the extracurricular activities and research projects she joined inspired me to stay on track. Because of this interview, I realized investing in myself now will be worth the struggle ten times over, not just financially, but it will present opportunities that will help develop my character and fulfill the identity I want to be perceived as. She’s my sister, after all; we came from the same impoverished family; if she can do it, so can I.

Works Cited

Jennifer Guz “Why college is the right fit for me an interview with Jennifer Guz” Personal Interview 07 Oct 2022

Kristen Fuller M.D “How creating a sense of purpose can impact your mental health” Psychology Today 07 Mar 2022

https://www.berkeleycitycollege.edu/financial_aid/federal-student-loan/ BCC Federal student loan page.

Adam Hardy, “The Wage Gap Between College and High School Grads Just, Hit a Record High”

Money Magazine 22 FEB 2022