Program Application Questions

Describe your progression as a clinician, including key roles and experiences

Among all existing professions, nursing is one of the most efficient ways to care for others. Despite the wealth and rank a person may acquire, premier health care will always remain an issue. Many people are living with disabilities that prohibit them from caring for themselves, and some people are in hospital beds without close family members or friends. After migrating to Florida, it did not take long to discover my passion for health care and solidify my drive to obtain the highest education to serve better.    

I was introduced to the health care system as a certified pharmacy technician, working part-time in my neighborhood in Walgreen. At the cash register, I was shocked once by seeing a customer pressing at his neck to talk. I was scared since it was the first time I encountered such a patient. He explained that he had throat cancer and had a tracheotomy placement in the past; this was his best health since then. I nodded and pretended I understood his story, but the information was new to me. When I got home, I decided to learn about his case. My sister had a nursing book at the house, which I utilized to read about different diseases. I was amazed by the information I gained in a short period. Since then, I have decided on nursing as my career path.

My nursing journey began in 2003 when I received a diploma from Broward College, signifying my rank as a registered nurse. The first opportunity to showcase my ability was a clinical hospital job at Broward Health Medical Center. I provided compassionate care for my patients for about 12 years while taking a leadership role. Two years later, I received my bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University and then my Master’s in Nursing in 2017 from Nova Southeastern University.

I have worked in several healthcare centers, gaining adequate experience handling diverse patients. After working at Broward Health Medical Center for more than ten years, I joined Medix Urgent Care Center in 2017, where I was tasked with assessing needs for, ordering, obtaining, and interpreting appropriate lab tests, as well as providing patient and family education related to the disease process and treatment plan. In 2020, I returned to Broward Health Medical Center, where I help manage patients with acute and chronic illnesses and complex diseases, including monitoring them. I also work at Care for You Medical Center and Dixie Medical Center, which have helped improve my skills in collaboration, patient education, HIPPA compliance, customer service, and personal accountability. I have grown professionally from a passionate young nurse to a nurse practitioner who cares for diverse populations and manages diseases of all levels.  

Describe all professional and community leadership roles, including present or past. List activities/responsibilities for each leadership role.

Broward General Medical Center, the workplace in which I spent most of my career, is a teaching facility. It is accustomed to mentoring new students and new nurses as early as possible. Soon after my annual evaluation, I was assigned to mentor students assigned to my unit. A few months later, I was sent to precept the new nurses.

I have been privileged to work as a nurse practitioner at small offices where teaching and leading my staff was imperative. From Medix Urgent Care Center to Care for You Medical Center, I coached medical assistants about their continuing education needed to renew their licenses and tips to keep a healthy working environment. During the pandemic, I served as a Lead Nurse for the Broward Health Department for the COVID-19 Vaccine administration at a designated tent. I was responsible for teaching new hires, doing huddles before the shift started, coordinating the break schedule, and assisting nurses with needed supplies.

Describe volunteer activities within the past two years and time spent on these activities.

I am passionate about helping nonprofit organizations, whether financially or physically. I have served as the health department director at my church for the last five years, where free screenings at least twice a year are provided to the uninsured population around the neighborhood of the said church. Health promotion and disease prevention are emphasized two times a month. Topics like diabetes, hypertension, the importance of annual screening, healthy eating, and hyperlipidemia, to name a few.

I also volunteer yearly for multiple church camps as one of their healthcare personnel. I recently went to the Southern Union Camporee as a health personnel volunteer for four days. The medical tent was opened to all campers, especially to my assigned population, over 300 people. Children came in for falls, insect bites, hand irritation from their drums, fever, cough, and so on. I did the screening, provided essential medical assistance, and called 911 as needed.

I am also a member of the medical cadet, an organization that assists FEMA in offering help to affected people after a tragedy. My last dispatch was on July 20, 2022. In that event, I helped with food packaging before handling them to the community. For the past ten years, I have been fortunate to lead a group of children from Bethlehem Church, ages 10 to 16. I teach them life skills, health, survival techniques, etc. We meet every Sunday from 9-11. The current group is preparing for their evaluation by the district coordinator.   

Describe all scholarly activities and roles in the activity

I have been in school most of my life. Many times, I have group projects to participate in. The one that involved most people I can recall was a scholarly paper on cultural diversity. I chose Native Americans as our topic. The tasks were divided among us. Some students were to talk about their food, others their music and beliefs, and another group discussed their status in America. I was part of the group to talk about their food. We went to the Native reservation restaurant. I could taste some of their food and bought some for the presentation. Once all the information for the project was collected, each student was assigned to write a paper about their findings. Then, another group had it peer-reviewed before it was presented to the instructor to be graded. Everything went well with the scholarly paper since it was a collaborative effort.

In addition, I have had four clinical placements as an ARNP student in 2015 and 2016, where I gained practical experience handling diverse patients. During these placements, I diagnosed and treated various diseases and injuries in general practice, ordered and executed diagnostic tests, and analyzed diagnostic images to investigate patient conditions further. I also administered and prescribed appropriate courses of treatment, including pharmaceutical medications. I learned how to advise and educate patients on diet, hygiene, and effective disease prevention methods. With the help of my preceptors, I conducted physical examinations to provide the information needed for admission to a school, consideration for jobs, or eligibility for insurance coverage. These opportunities and my clinical experience after school have equipped me with the necessary knowledge to advance my profession through the DNP program.  

What are your professional goals? Tell us how a DNP from the University Of Florida College Of Nursing will help you reach your goals.

My passion is giving back to the community. I believe in higher education to better fulfill this goal. My objective in pursuing the DNP program is to prepare myself with the highest professional level of nursing practice, and to advance my application of nursing knowledge in caring for diverse populations. I believe the more I know, the better equipped I can be to help my community. I plan to open my clinic soon, where I will effectively serve the underserved. In addition, with my autonomous license, this doctorate program will help me to reach my goal. After reviewing many DNP institutions with distance learning, I am convinced that the University of Florida, the number one DNP program in Florida, will provide me with all the tools I need for success.

Describe an area of clinical interest you would like to explore further as a clinical project. Why does this area interest you?

I am passionate about caring for vulnerable patient groups. Currently, our office is trying to help the people living in halfway houses. Many have been to jail and are trying to get their life back. I believe they need a second chance and a place to welcome them. This population has minimal healthcare access due to a lack of health insurance. Therefore, they are at risk for sexually transmitted infections, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). As a Black provider, I would love to explore more HIV prevention and management among the unfortunate population, which is the core population I currently serve

Describe your personal and professional experience that has best prepared you for doctoral study.

I was fortunate to start my nursing journey at well-known Nursing schools like Broward College, a two-year program where the fundamentals of nursing were implanted. I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Florida Atlantic University in a 2-year time frame. I was privileged to go to Oklahoma for one of my classes, caring for underserved Native Americans for one week. I was assigned to educate the community about sexually transmitted infections. Lastly, the two-year program at Nova Southeastern University prepared me to enter the advanced nursing role confidently. After graduation, one of my preceptors called me to work for her because she was traveling out of state. I had to tell her wait for a little as I needed to pass my board first and then follow her for a couple of shifts to gain enough confidence to work alone. The facility owner replied, “don’t you come from Nova and worked for Broward health?” She waited for my exam and hired me soon after. With their challenging academic program, these institutions meet the accreditation requirement to provide evidence-based teaching. I also worked for a teaching hospital where I was a preceptor and mentor to many nurses. My clinical rotation in diverse cities enables me to interact with different kinds of patients with various diseases.

The University Of Florida College Of Nursing is committed to creating an academically challenging and supportive educational community of students with diverse talents, experiences, and backgrounds. What is your background will uniquely contribute to our community in the College of Nursing?

A number one DNP program, like the University of Florida, is expected to be academically challenging. I believe I am prepared to take on the challenges since my academic experiences were never accessible. My eagerness to learn and aptitude to study earned me a Magna Cum Laude for my bachelor’s degree and an appearance on the dean’s list once for my master’s degree. As an immigrant, I can speak more than one language, fortunately. I will bring my culture with me as expected. I am culturally competent, having worked in different communities and interacting with professionals from diverse backgrounds. I will inspire fellow students and nurse practitioners about caring for diverse populations, particularly the underprivileged. Being a part of the minority groups in the country, I will share some expectations of the underserved populations, including barriers to accessing healthcare services. In short, I will provide a practical example of nursing practice for minority groups, inspiring fellow students to promote health equity. Further, as a caring and compassionate Nurse practitioner, I am ready to grasp new concepts and evidence-based practice knowledge that will be applied to serving my patients.