Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

Mental Health Nursing is a challenging career, but this is counterbalanced by the sense of reward gained when helping someone to overcome their difficulties and to become a valuable part of our community once more. Having gained both counselling and teaching experience, through church and through my previous career, I believe that I have the communication skills and the empathetic mindset to perform well within this role. This, coupled with the ambition and determination that has always seen me perform well in each academic challenge I have set myself, ensures that I will continue to work to the same high standard at undergraduate level and beyond. I have always been inspired by the idea of being a positive role model in my community and have dedicated many of my studies thus far to gaining the skills necessary to teach. Learning how to work with a range of children, from various ages and with varying abilities, demonstrates my ability and willingness to listen carefully to the sound advice of others with expertise in the field and my desire to work within a field that is socially useful. While continuing my studies in the UK could have presented challenges, my ability to adopt this same approach during my Postgraduate Diploma in Education also demonstrates that I have the necessary skills and ability to pursue a high level of education within this system.

In teaching, as in Mental Health Nursing, there is no substitute for hands on experience and I have worked hard in a range of roles throughout the years. As a classroom teacher I was required to establish good working relationships both with the students and my colleagues; as well as planning and delivering lessons and completing relevant admin. This sort of role, which juggles multiple responsibilities while always prioritising the basic goal of educating and caring for the children, is excellent preparation for a similarly involved role in Mental Health Nursing. Transferring these skills to a placement, I was additionally challenged by working with less able students and those with a range of learning difficulties. Learning how to adapt my existing skills to their specific needs and conditions inspire me to seek out a role that assists those most vulnerable in our society, offering the greatest chance to contribute to the common good.

My caring and compassionate qualities also come to the fore in my personal life. I am a counsellor at my church, which involves establishing effective communication with those in highly vulnerable emotional states. I have found working with these people offers great emotional rewards as solutions are found for their problems, and I am keen to move into a career where this sort of experience is a daily occurrence. I also care for my young niece and nephew, which involves everything from washing and dressing to making sure the oldest one gets to school on time. I take these responsibilities very seriously and, again, gain a great reward from knowing that I am contributing to the wellbeing of my family.

These duties have fallen to me partially due to my brother and his wife’s careers in nursing. It is through talking to them about their experiences that I have become convinced that Mental Health Nursing is the right path for me. Having supplemented this with further research on the internet, I am completely sure that it offers the best fit for my interpersonal communication skills and desire to make a difference within the lives of the vulnerable.