Rayven Kimbrough

I am a senior nursing major at Chicago State University who has maintained a A/B average who has simultaneously earned credits to graduate with a minor in psychology. I am striving to complete a bachelors in Science of Nursing where I plan to go on to complete a Masters of Nursing program. I am interested in a career specializing in public health/ community health nurse practitioner to do more community outreach as far as research, prevention, promotion, and service in areas where there are many health disparities.

I have been a CNA for the past five years where I have had ample exposure and experience in the healthcare field through work and service. I am focused , flexible ,consistent, driven, dependable, and very passionate. I am very scholarly I love learning new things, writing , and reading. I am a hard worker and that can be shown through me maintaining a high GPA in the nursing program where a C is a 78%. I have great leadership skills , but I also work great within a team. I have great interpersonal and emotional intelligence skills, which I have strengthened as a CNA and a outreach ambassador for AmeriCorp where I have participated in many service initiatives.

Service started for me in service-learning course where I spent the semester volunteering a st. James food pantry and tutoring students at my old high school. I went on to volunteer with Microsoft as youth beta app tester for a DCFS app development. Subsequently, I volunteered to AmeriCorps which is a state and federal program whose mission is to improve lives , strengthen communities, and get things done for America. I did service work for most of the pandemic mentoring , food pantries , PPE drives for CPS teachers when they first transitioned back to the classroom setting, connecting youth to our partners who had resources to prevent homelessness and joblessness. Also, I orchestrated workshops to help build financial literacy skills

I am recognized as being people oriented, professional, dedicated, resilient, and organized. It is my ultimate goal to show others that no matter where you have roots or where you come from, you can forge your own path. I want to make a difference by touching the lives of the people I come across in a way that matters, in a way that will mold care and service to people long after I am gone. I want people to know that there are people in this world who still care, even when there are disadvantages and disparities in healthcare that there is someone who is advocating for the people who are underserved and underrepresented.

I have learned during my time in Nursing school that Nursing standards set the bar high coming into any program. It is competitive to get in and a challenge to stay in the program, so the best, brightest, safest, and most certainly those who work hardest will eventually become novice nurses. It has been no easy feat, and it never got easier. It is challenging the entire time. It would be best if you worked harder and more innovative and learn balance, time management, organizational skills, and efficient study skills. Those challenges test your ability to adapt and prevail and to think in a way you never have. You start to think about everything critically because nothing is as it seems; you have four answer choices all of them are correct, but which one is the priority or more applicable? You have time, life, and Odds against you, but everything takes a back seat in nursing school if you want to make it. A 78 is a C, an 85 is a B, and a 93 is an A. ADPIE, ABC's, Priory, assessment, and delegations are your new best friends. Doubt, worry, and tears are your unique characteristics because sometimes you go the entire course not knowing if you will even make it to the next class. Even when you pass, you fail because it is always the next thing in nursing.

When I think about the kind of nurse I want to be, I think of the core characteristics that all nurses should have, like compassion and empathy, but nursing goes beyond that for me. I aspire to be many things as a nurse and follow ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, fidelity, justice, non-maleficence, and veracity. I want to walk in the footsteps that many nurses and theorist before me has forged, like Florence Nightengale, Hildegard Peplau, Jean Watson, Madeleine Leininger, and many more.
Nursing has many different meanings and descriptions to me. But the cornerstone we all agree on is one concept, "Care." Nursing is built on a desire to care and a commitment to providing specialized patient care. Healthcare is constantly evolving, and it is critical to stay current to achieve improved patient results. In holistic treatment, inter-professional connections and outstanding teamwork are essential to providing quality patient care. I believe in nursing and will continue striving to advance in this beautiful profession. When a nurse can comprehend and communicate feelings with their patient, a patient regains control of their care and can remain psychologically healthy throughout their treatment. Nursing philosophy is founded on recognizing and treating every human in need with dignity. To accomplish everything listed above, a nurse must try to provide evidence-based treatment by genuinely comprehending health and illness.

I want to be recognized as a people-oriented, professional, dedicated, resilient, and knowledgeable nurse. I want to make a difference as a nurse by touching the lives of the people I come across in a way that matters, in a way that will mold care and service to people long after I am gone. I want people to know that people in this world still care. Even when there are disadvantages and disparities in healthcare, someone advocates, serves, and cares for the underserved and underrepresented. My ultimate goal is to show others that no matter where you have roots or where you come from, you can forge your own path.