How to Write a Nursing Personal Statement
A career in nursing is one that is extremely rewarding but becoming a nurse requires the right education and practical experience. The application process is rigorous and expectations are high as you will be expected to deliver a high level of care once qualified. So, it is extremely important that you submit a captivating personal statement for nursing school alongside your application.
Read on to learn more about nursing personal statements and what is required to create one that stands out.
What is a nursing personal statement?
A nursing personal statement will accompany your nursing course application. Nursing personal statements will support your application and anything contained within it such as your experience, grades or your qualifications. It adds a personal element to your application and within it you might choose to talk about your passion for nursing, how you are dedicated and hard working while also covering why you want to become a nurse.
What to include in a personal statement for nursing school?
When writing a personal statement for a nursing course you should include certain pieces of relevant information.
Your Education - You should mention any education that links to nursing which could include any GCSEs or A Levels that you might have. You might have also achieved certain certifications or training that have given you certain skills such as first aid or CPR. It is also important to cover the practical skills that you might have learned and how you decided to pursue a career in nursing as a result of these skills.
Any Volunteer Work - If you have undertaken voluntary work then it is worth mentioning these experiences, especially if they relate to nursing. A successful nursing course application won’t be dependent on volunteer work but volunteer experience can help. It will give you the opportunity to demonstrate how those experiences prove that you are committed to nursing while also discussing the responsibilities and skills you learned.
Your Work Experience - It’s important to mention your work experience and how it relates to nursing. If you have experience of working in a care role, then this will help to support your university application and show that you have experience of working in a care setting. However, if you don’t have experience of working in a care setting, you should look for opportunities to discuss the skills and responsibilities that came with other roles you held. You could discuss the importance of teamwork or how you had to manage certain responsibilities and show how these can be transferred into nursing.
Skills - Aim to discuss any skills that you possess that would be suitable for nursing. This will provide you with the opportunity to discuss these skills and show how they would translate into the nursing environment. This might include having the ability to be understanding or compassionate while you might also want to discuss how good you are at working under pressure.
Personal Reasons - Consider discussing the reasons why you want to become a nurse. This is an opportunity to put a personal touch and help the reader gain a clearer idea of who you are. Are you inspired by someone you know who is a nurse or perhaps you had an experience of being treated by nurses and appreciated the importance of the role.
Your Personality - Attempt to share any unique traits that you might have that would make you a great nurse. If you are applying for a specialist nursing course then you should aim to highlight any traits that relate to that role. Maybe you spent time caring for an elderly relative or have experience of working with children as these might help when applying for specific courses.
How to write a nursing personal statement
Carry out research on the course - When you research the university nursing course, it will enable you to apply your knowledge to your statement. Nursing personal statements make it possible to state why the course appeals to you and the reasons for this. It is important that you carry out research on all of the courses that you are applying for along with the universities. This will ensure that you can create a personal statement that is tailored to each one.
Follow The Instructions - The university course application will have instructions relating to what your personal statement should include. They might also provide specific topics that you will need to cover, so it is vital that you read the directions and follow them. This will also prove that you can follow directions and instructions.
Consider Your Motivations - Consider what makes you want to become a nurse such as your motivations and experiences. You will be able to create a list of the information that you can include in your personal statement for nursing school. However, you should make sure that the motivations and reasons you choose do relate to the instructions.
Share Your Story - You can create a personal statement for nursing school with a personal touch when you tell a story. This will make it easier to digest and the reader is likely to remember it. You can include a story that relates to your passion for pursuing a career in nursing while reverting back to it throughout the statement.
Proofread It Before Submitting It
After you have finished writing your personal statement for nursing school, it is time to read it. You need to check that it flows well, reads well and delivers the message that you want to get across. Try reading out loud to determine whether it’s easy to understand but also check for any errors. You could also consider asking others to read it and review it in order to provide their feedback.
How long should my personal statement for nursing school be?
The university application form might stipulate how long the personal statement should be, so you should make sure that you look for this information. An average personal statement length is around 500 to 1,000 words which will equate to one to two sides of typed A4 paper.
You should aim to make your personal statement concise so that it is easy to read. Additionally, it should also be clear and simple to understand. Avoid going over the word count because this could indicate that you cannot follow requests and might work against you. This could mean that you have to make changes and amend your personal statement so it fits the requirements.
Best opening sentences for nursing personal statement
The main thing that your UCAS personal statement should do is to make an impact. From the opening sentences, you should leave the reader wanting and needing to continue reading.
With this in mind, there are some cliche opening sentences that you might want to avoid.
“Since I was young I…..”
“The reason I am applying for this course is because….”
“I have always had an interest in nursing……..”
“Throughout my entire life I have always had a passion……”
The aim is to stand out from the first line, so these cliche opening sentences will be seen in many UCAS personal statements. As a result, you should aim to keep the opening sentence unique to you.
It can prove difficult to begin with the opening sentences. So, you might want to think about beginning with the second paragraph or waiting until you have completed your personal statement. This could make it easier to tie your opening sentence in with the rest of the content of your personal statement, helping to make it feel more personal.
Best practice template
When creating your UCAS personal statement, you should follow a format to ensure that it is structured correctly. So, the following format is suitable for writing your personal statement.
Paragraph 1 - Explain in this section a reason or story as to why you want to be a nurse. This will help to create a connection.
Paragraph 2 - At this point, you can explore your work experience as well as your education. This is also where you should discuss all relevant qualifications or certifications.
Paragraph 3 - Talk about the skills you possess that relate to the role and give evidence to support this.
Paragraph 4 - Explain what makes you a good candidate for being a nurse and enrolling on the course.
Conclusion - Finish by discussing the reasons why you are interested in enrolling on the course. You should also ensure that this also links back to your opening anecdote or story.
Personal statement for nursing example (short paragraph 2-3 sentences, I'll add after paragraph button for example download)
Here is an example for you to use as a guide. This should provide you with an idea of how the personal statement should be structured and how it should read.