How to be the Perfect Candidate for Nursing School
Pursuing a nursing career takes a lot of courage and determination. Not to mention that the admissions process into your dream school is a tough one. To help you land that spot in your dream school, here are some tips on what to discuss in your admissions essay.
Tell them why you want to be a nurse through “about myself” stories
The topic that cannot be eliminated from a nursing “essay about myself” is why you wanted to be a nurse. Some find it hard to express their desire to pursue nursing education since decisions especially about careers are not mainly based on mere reasons. There are a lot of things that are involved when deciding to pursue a nursing career. The best way to express this is to narrate in your “essay on myself” the related experiences and views about how you came up with the decision. Avoid writing general statements on your “essay about myself.” Instead, focus on tying up your values and motivation with your personal experiences. You can discuss about the most influential people in your life including the values that you learned from them.(1)
Discuss your passion and interest in the health care field
Admissions panel members are looking for applicants who are passionate to pursue a nursing career. They do not want applicants who do not have a thorough understanding of where they are heading to. It is vital to show the admissions panel that your decision to be a nurse is a mature decision. Show them proofs such as narrating your past volunteer jobs with feeding programs and medical missions, or your compassion about a sick neighbour. Through such stories, you will be able to effectively convey your deep interest in the field.(2)
Explain why you think you’ll be successful as a nurse
It will also be a good point to discuss about why you think you will be successful as a nurse. Discuss about your strengths that you think will be essential for the pursuit of this career. Entering into a nursing school is a tough competition. Thus, it is essential to prove to the application committee that you deserve one of the most coveted slots in their school by submitting a well-written application essay.(3)
(1) http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/application.html
(2) http://www.careerowlresources.ca/articles/nursing.htm
(3) http://www.atsu.edu/kcom/admissions/preparing_DO_admission/personal_statement_tips.htm
April 12th, 2010 at 5:13 am
Nurses are always in demand, whether in the past or today. They are the complementary personnel to doctors, and the ones who will nurture patients until they are well and healthy. In order to be the perfect candidate for the nursing school, you need to ask yourself; do I have the necessary qualities to succeed in such a career? Do I really want to be a nurse? Am I ready to put myself at risk, and help save lives and take care of the sick and needy?
It is a given that nurses are paid decent sums of money, and there will always be a need for them. Although Doctors are paid much larger sums of money, they are outnumbered in most medical institutions by a ratio of 5 nurses, to 1 doctor. It is safe to say that nurses then will always be in demand in the job market. But being a nurse is no easy task, you need to be patient, and you must know how to follow instructions. You must be able to work with minimal supervision, and be able to take care of your patients with utmost care and love. The perfect candidate is not usually the smartest one, but rather the one that is most passionate about their nursing career. These are the ones who are willing to risk life and limb, to save one’s life. Who are willing to work longer hours, and take care of the sick and the needy. They are the ones that can make or break the day of their patients, and the ones that are responsible for the wellness of such people. Nursing schools are after students who are willing to learn and adapt to all types of environments and work places. Who are passionate about what they do, and know the risks involved in being a nurse.
May 8th, 2010 at 1:43 am
Truly competent nurses are passionate in their work; putting others before self consistenly. However, risking “life and limb” to “save” another’s life is taking it too far. Nurses are public servants, educated specifically to help the sick return to their healthiest state. Nurses are NOT martyrs!! Nurses go to work, think fast on their feet, use sound judgement, and follow procedures in order to reach the most optimal outcome for their patients. The patient takes precedence over all else, that much is very true, but NOT at the price of another’s life. Dead or dismembered nurses benefit NO ONE!