Applying for a nursing degree at university is a wise career choice for individuals at any stage in their lives. One of the most important selling points in your degree application will be the personal statement made in support of your application. Writing a nursing personal statement can be challenging, so the tips below could prove extremely useful for a variety of top-rated nursing degree courses.
How to write a personal statement for a degree in nursing
Before sitting down to draft your personal statement for University nursing degrees it's a good idea to create a bulleted list of all areas you plan to include. Ordering your list in terms of importance can help ensure the main thrust of your personal statement is in the first couple of sections.
Your nursing personal statement is an individual piece of work which can really make a difference to course leaders and influence the decision-making process. So, it is important you take care when writing the statement and give yourself plenty of time to create a personal statement that makes an impact on readers. You should aim to provide a concise statement which gives real insight into your values and the reasons behind your choice of a nursing career. The factors influencing your specialism choice will also be important to course directors and you should highlight the particular qualities that make you an ideal candidate for roles of this nature. You may not have direct nursing expertise, however, it's highly likely that some of your past experiences will be highly relevant to your future nursing roles, such as leadership and teamworking experiences. Ensuring all this detail is including in your University personal statement is also recommended.
Demonstrate a real understanding of the nursing role you want
One of the main areas in which applicant statements tend to fall down is in the understanding of the role applied for. You need to demonstrate that you have reached a real appreciation of what your nursing role will mean in practice. For example, most roles involve 24-hour care or on-call duties and will entail shifts of some kind. If you already have care responsibilities, your personal statement could feature a brief explanation of the ways you will handle your future nursing role.
Specifics for different nursing degrees
Your personal statement for nursing should be a demonstration of individual passion and drive, showing the ways in which you can make a difference and contribute in meaningful ways when you're in post.
When it comes to personal statement specifics for different roles, it's advisable to explain the inspiration behind your role choice, the sort of qualities you have that suit this course, and you should also show a very real understanding of the way the course is structured and the differences between practical and theoretical instruction.
The following tips may also prove useful:
Adult nursing
If you're applying for a degree in adult nursing you need to be able to demonstrate your ability to interact on a professional basis with adults from diverse backgrounds and ethnic groups, from young adults through to the older person and the acutely ill in hospital care, community care and end of life. You need to demonstrate your knowledge of nursing in the adult field. You should be able to evidence a wide range of personal and social interactions that support your application and highlight your particular qualities and strengths to the full.
Be clear and concise in your writing and show how your previous experiences demonstrate your suitability for the role of the adult nurse by using real examples. Do not worry if your experiences are not health-related or even work-related as many skills are transferable to the nursing role. Be specific as to how your experiences have affected your decision to apply for adult nursing and give examples of the qualities you say you have.
Children's nursing
Nursing children can be extremely demanding and stressful, requiring a number of discrete skills. Working with children can also be an amazing and rewarding career choice and is an area where you will be constantly learning from the patients you are caring for.
Mental health nursing
Mental health nursing is a totally different challenge and nurses will work with patients from a variety of sectors in life. This type of role may entail nursing patients with drug or alcohol abuse issues, alongside the complex range of mental illnesses that can present. If you already have some experience of living with or caring for a relative or close friend with mental health issues these need to be specified in full in your personal statement. Mental health nursing is a growing field in the UK and offers a range of opportunities, including crisis care and follow-up community psychiatric nursing opportunities. Make sure you research this area well before writing your individual statement in full.
Learning disabilities nursing
Working with patients with learning disabilities is another challenging nursing area which can provide opportunities for working in communities and schools, alongside traditional hospital or residential care settings. You should be aware that a learning disability diagnosis varies between all individuals and expert nursing care can really make a vast difference to outcomes.
Finally, nursing is a demanding profession that can be highly stressful and require high levels of coping skills. Your personal statement should be reflective of your own lifestyle skills and convey a great understanding of the sorts of pressures you will experience in different roles.
Hopefully, you have a better idea of ways to approach writing your nursing personal statement now and will be able to convey all your attributes and skills in a manner that impresses readers.
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