A month ago I would have never expected to be enrolled in college and working towards a career that I had only dreamed of having. I have always wanted to go back to school and earn a degree to better my future, but did not have the means or the motivation to do so. I decided that I needed to do something more with my life and went on to request information about pursuing a career in nursing, and a week later I was on my way to enrollment at South University.
My career goal is to become a registered nurse working at our local hospital in the emergency department. I love helping and taking care of others, so to me this goal is very realistic. There were several factors that made up my mind about pursuing my career in nursing. My extrinsic motivation came from my cousin, Katie, who was thirteen when she was hit by a drunk driver and spent almost six months in the children’s hospital, and needed twenty four hour care when she returned home. My mother and I took care of her in our home. I experienced firsthand what it was like taking care of someone’s medical needs and started my dream of someday becoming a nurse.
The intrinsic motivation that drove me towards my career was a series of trips to the emergency room for my own medical needs. The nurses that were assigned to my case were not the most pleasant people I have met. I felt like a burden on them rather than someone who needed their care. It was then that I decided to finally pursue my career that I had been dreaming of. I want to take care of people in the most difficult times and situations.
The only way that I will be able to achieve my career goals is to keep a positive attitude. Your attitude is what will determine whether you succeed or not. Without faith in yourself and knowing that you can do anything you put your mind to; you will fail.
In order to achieve my career goal, I first needed to come up with an academic goal. My goal academically is to graduate college in two years with an associate’s degree in allied health sciences from South University. Then after obtaining my associates degree I will go on to get my nursing degree, while working at Mercy Hospital as a patient care assistant. South University is making this goal a reality. With the convenience of online classes I can continue to work full time, and achieve my degree on my own time.
My motivation pushing me closer to my academic goal is both intrinsic and extrinsic. My intrinsic motivation comes from the fact I am determined to earn a college degree to better myself not only financially but for the self satisfaction of having a purpose that will allow me to change the lives of those around me. My extrinsic motivation comes from my dad. He graduated college a couple years ago with an associate’s degree in machining and a certificate in welding. He wanted to make a better life for himself and our family. The