I am applying to the NHS with the intention of obtaining the position of Healthcare Assistant at the Orchards Inpatient Unit. This aspiration has been shaped throughout my life for various reasons, most importantly to understand and see first-hand how much of a difference professional help makes when dealing with mental illness. I would like to be part of the team that improves and saves the lives of others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In 2013, I decided to go to Nottingham Trent University to pursue my talent in the fine arts and nurture my strong will to learn, and I really enjoyed my time on the course. However, university is a tough and often difficult place to adapt to and, like many other students in the UK, I struggled to adapt and was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in my second year. My interest in a career in healthcare was born after experiencing and seeing the crucial help I received from so many of my friends, classmates, and family members affected by mental illness, and how important professional help is for recovery. This inspired the theme of my final degree exhibition: I produced contemporary art responding to the importance of talking about mental illness, raising awareness and provoking conversations about the social issues we have in the UK when it comes to mental illness. My degree has helped me develop my ability to articulate ideas and critically analyze relevant research in order to formulate my practice and ideas. I can communicate effectively through speaking and writing and can present ideas with confidence and conviction. I work well under pressure and have a mind that works simultaneously to think creatively and logically to solve problems - an asset in unpredictable situations such as in a hospital environment and in caring for adults with mental illnesses. My modules within my degree involved a significant amount of self-motivated practice, working independently and with others, as well as a significant amount of self-assessment. My current position is Activities Coordinator at Etheldred House, a residential care home in Cambridgeshire. I have been part of the Ethelred House family for a short period of time, however these short weeks have been essential in pointing me to the right career path. Working with and caring for older people with mental illnesses has been, without a doubt, the most rewarding and interesting role experience I have ever been a part of. I have learned so much about the mind and how dementia affects thinking, daily functioning, personality and character, and I want to continue this journey further by working towards a qualification in nursing. This is just one of the reasons why I would like to pursue a career as a healthcare assistant. Although my current position is the first professional position I have encountered, I have been involved in various situations that have required a similar practical, patient and understanding manner to enable the most positive outcome possible. For example, when my grandmother fell, she needed extra help to ensure she could live her daily life as physically normal as possible, and I helped her. This involved washing her, dressing her and generally helping her with her daily routine, acting as work over a 3 week period. Additionally, I volunteered at 1st Witchford Brownies, being responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the children, as well as teaching them new skills in outbound type activities. Patience was essential here, as was the ability to recognize thestudents' level of understanding to make lessons interesting and memorable. I would be the perfect candidate for this role because I am patient, understanding, polite and caring and I pride myself on work ethic and practicality. I understand the importance of confidentiality and keeping the patient's dignity intact, whatever stage of their illness. In addition to these skills, I have completed a number of e-learning training programs including dementia awareness, infection control, fire safety, food hygiene, equality and diversity, mental capacity law, end of life care, fluids and nutrition and CoSHH. Additionally, whilst in Canada I took a Foodsafe Level 1 course, which I passed with 94%. This will be helpful in caring for adults with mental illness during meal times and ensuring their overall health and well-being is a priority. In addition to the food safety courses I attended, I had hands-on experience feeding residents at Etheldred House, both hard and soft foods. Another course I undertook with contributing attributes is my Avalanche Safety Level 1. While not as useful in England as in Canada, the course included a basic first aid course and basic emergency medical training. My ability to work well in a team, motivate and encourage others was demonstrated in 2014, two friends and I cycled 850 miles in 10 days from Amsterdam to Berlin to raise money for cardiac research at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge. I overcame a number of problems and had to find solutions almost instantly to stay on schedule. This demonstrates my determination to succeed, but also my exceptional organizational and time management skills. Through education, previous work and everyday life, I have acquired various skills and experiences that make me an ideal candidate for the position. My degree has provided me with many useful attributes that I can apply to a career in healthcare. I have been involved in both receiving and providing mental healthcare and feel I have a full understanding of the role. I see public health as a vital and integral part of society and would like to be part of it. I am determined to help make a difference. One particular memory that shaped my fundamental passion for medicine is a particular habit that my grandparents had. Growing up, my grandfather stored home-grown pumpkins under our beds and my grandmother collected hundreds of Gatorade bottles full of water throughout the house. As I grew up, I realized that these habits once perceived as bizarre were practices that helped my family cope with PTSD. My grandfather kept pumpkins under our beds because it was an old habit to avoid theft and starvation. My grandmother collected water bottles following her son's death from dehydration during the Cambodian genocide. Although deeply saddened by these experiences, it pushed me to mature and ingrained a deeply held desire to positively impact the lives of others while being intellectually engaged and challenged through a career in medicine. With this goal in mind, the insights I gained through hands-on experience as a physician assistant and graduate student during clinical internship led me to pursue a career as a surgical medical assistant. My experiences as a medical assistant for a group of plastic surgeons and reconstructive, microvascular, craniofacial and hand surgeons brought me closer to the field of surgery. The patients I met gave me information about.