Essay for admission into nursing school

Bob_N_VA · Dec 30, 2010

Write from the heart, but proofread before you hand it in. Don't make it too long, but give them a feel of why you want to be a nurse, how you think you will succeed and make a difference.

justashooter · Dec 30, 2010

your letter has to be your letter. it can't be mine.

that being said, consider your life experience to this point, specifically in terms of the care that you or someone close to you have received from in a health care setting. if little to say on that subject, talk about your other experiences and how they might bind you to clients in a positive way, so that you could offer special empathy. if little to say in that respect, talk about your gender, and how adding male influence in nursing could bring balance to a profession that is lacking it, and credibility to the profession by balance. talk about seeing nursing as a profession worthy of your effort and dedication, leading to rewarding experiences in a personal sense, for both you and the people you interact with. expound. 1.5-2 pages double spaced typed 11 point with an appropriate header and signature over typed name.

for structure, after the greeting, write it like an expository essay. begin with an opening paragraph that mentions a goal, and 3-4 reasons to pursue it. follow with 3-4 paragraphs discussing each reason/concept seperately, and summarise in your final paragraph. each paragraph should be 3-5 sentences, concise, and to the point. write it and then read it out loud. change it if it doesn't flow naturally. write it 5 times if you have to. no detailed personal stories about your grandmother, just detatched observations about the nature of nursing care and how you could add to it in a positive way.

calihelper · Jan 9, 2011

Is this too personal?? What do u guys think? I wrote this before I saw your responses.... Thank you for taking time to respond :)

Dear Dean of Admissions,

My life experiences have helped me to realize that nursing is my calling. I feel the best about myself when I am given the opportunity to help and care for others, and It would be my dream to complete the Nursing Program at your incredible institution.

It was the day after my wedding in 2003 that ultimately confirmed my desire to pursue a career in nursing. I had just arrived in Las Vegas with my new husband when I called home to let them know we had arrived. I instantly could tell by the tone in my sisters XXXX voice that something was wrong. After I persistently begged then to tell me what the problem was she broke the news to me. My 20 year old sister XXXX has been diagnosed with AML ( Acute Myeloid Leukemia). Those were the scariest words that I had ever heard. I stood there paralyzed in fear with a terrible feeling of helplessness. Immediately we flew home to be surrounded by our loved ones. Little did I know it at the time , this was just the beginning of our travels for XXXXX treatment. XXXXX immediately began her first round of chemotherapy treatment at XXXXX before being transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in NH for a stem cell transplant. This had been my first experience with any type of cancer or illness. I spent many hours researching Leukemia, blood cells, stem cells, and bone marrow trying to learn as much as I could so I could understand what was happening. The effects of the chemotherapy therapy in preparation for the stem cell and bone marrow transplant were extremely painful and devastating. XXXX lived in isolation at the hospital for several months at a time. We had to wear masks, gowns and gloves to be with her. We all took turns sleeping at the hospital with her. She was never alone. We all pulled together and helped care for her. We were disappointed to learn that the stem cell transplant was a failure and we were now in need of a bone marrow donor. The next step was traveling to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for a bone marrow transplant. My sister asked me to have a bone marrow drive and to help try to find a donor for her.

It was Valentines day 2004 in XXXXX XXX where one of my biggest accomplishments occurred and a life changing moment in my life. We had two weeks to try to put together a bone marrow drive for XXXX and raise money to fund it. Our family worked day and night gathering donations, and getting the word out to media and news agencies about our drive. We all worked very hard and were able to pull it together. We had no idea how many people were going to show up. We had hoped for fifty or sixty. Each bone marrow kit involved a blood draw that cost $60.00. If people couldn't afford it we asked they come anyways because our family wouldn't turn anyone away. We had a bone marrow drive that brought in over 500 people! We ended up running out of kits and having to turn people away. It was a miracle. This day changed my life and the way I view the world. People that were unable to donate for medical reasons donated money for other people that showed up and couldn't afford it. We had a couple come in on the morning of their wedding to donate to see if they were a match for my sister. It was amazing people all day donating their time, blood and money to help a complete stranger. It still brings me to tears thinking about how wonderful and caring people are. My sister didn't find a match at our drive but two other people did! There is no better feeling in the world than knowing because we had this bone marrow drive for my sister that two other people in the world got a second chance at living and keeping their loved ones around longer. My sister passed away exactly one year after her initial diagnosis. I feel that her illness and death had formed who I am today. I know for certain who I am and what I want to do with my life. I was born to help people and I feel go good when I am doing it.

I have continued to work closely with Bethematch.org (formerly new England marrow donor program)trying to get people to join the registry. I run bone marrow drives and recruit people whenever possible. I know that every person does make a difference and I proved it. My long term goals are to work with oncology patients preferably in a transplant center. I feel that I need to pay it forward. I have leaned that it is the little and big things that make such a big difference to a patient dealing with an illness. I have great compassion and empathy for the patients and their loved ones.

As a caregiver for the XXXXXXX I work in an apartment building with ten residents that are paraplegic or quadriplegic. The residents rely on me and my fellow coworkers for activities of daily living such as toileting, showering, eating, dressing, cleaning, food preparation, and any personalized goals they have. This job has times where it is physically and emotionally draining. There are times when you are dealing with body fluids that can make most people nauseous I am able to work through these challenges and focus on the task at hand which is helping the patient.

I have began taking courses at the XXXXX in XXXXX. I have thus far taken Anatomy and Physiology I and II , Nutrition, Psychology, Math Concepts, and Human Growth and Development and excelled in all of them despite the challenges of being a stay at home mom of three children ages 4,6 and 17. It was very challenging at times to balance parenthood and the intensive academics. It proves that I am determined when I set my mind on something.

I am hoping for the opportunity to fulfill my calling through completion of the Nursing Program at XXXXXX. I realize that this program is highly competitive I think through my life experiences and good grades that is a good indicators that I will successfully complete the nursing program and become an exceptional nurse. It is my first choice to study at the XXX campus, if there are openings in other locations in the state (especially XXXX) I am willing to travel. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Student4_life · Jan 12, 2011

Its a good story, but at over 1000 words its too long. Admissions has to read a lot of essays and you need to keep it short to keep their attention (I was daunted by your novel and its the only one I read today). My advise is to condense the story, keep why you are going to excell there and drop the brown nosing (they already know they are incrediable and competitive, and are unlikely to want to hear you campus selection in the essay).

Bob_N_VA · Jan 12, 2011

Agree. It's way too long. First paragraph is good, last one could use some editing to make it more succinct, the whole middle section really needs to be reworked into a paragraph or two. Ideally the whole essay should fit on a page, not 2-3. Hard as it may seem, you need to take all those experiences and boil them down into what you learned about yourself and how you feel becoming a nurse will dovetail into those experiences and why you will succeed in their program. Good luck.

calihelper · Jan 12, 2011

revised!!

My life experiences have helped me to realize that nursing is my calling. I feel the best about myself when I am given the opportunity to help and care for others, and It would be my dream to complete the Nursing Program at your incredible institution.

My first memorable experience working with nurses happened at 17 years old when I became pregnant. This time in my life was incredibly scary and I got through it with the help from my wonderful family and caring visiting nurse staff. I was so empowered by the nurses support, education, willingness to help and their positive influence that they helped me believe that I could be successful. I wanted to be the best mother that I could be and I needed the encouragement and reassurance that I was given. It was extremely challenging having a child when I was so young myself. Luckily the nurses were there to help me weekly with answering all my parenting questions . I would love the opportunity to impact another life as they did mine.

When my sister Kimberly was been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia she was faced with a stem cell transplant then later a bone marrow transplant. This had been my first experience with cancer or illness and I spent many hours researching it so I could learn as much as I could so I could understand what my sister was going through. We mentally and physically prepared her for chemotherapy and stem cell transplant .It was a long process but we were with her at each step of the treatment. It was wonderful nurses that made my sisters quality of life their mission. My family was so vulnerable and unsure as how to help Kimberly, we had to rely on competent, compassionate nurses who we knew would advance the best course of action possible.

It was heartbreaking for us to learn that the stem cell transplant was a failure and now she needed a bone marrow transplant. At this point I knew the importance of a bone marrow drive and how it can save someone’s life. My family members and I decided to organize and arrange a bone marrow drive so we could help her find a donor. Our drive was amazing and brought in over 500 people! It was a miracle.

Ultimately, My sister didn’t find a match at our drive but two other people did! There is no better feeling in the world than knowing because we had this bone marrow drive for my sister that two other people in the world got a second chance at living and keeping their loved ones around longer. My sister passed away exactly one year after her initial diagnosis. I feel that her illness and death made me who I am today and I know for certain what I want to do with my life. All this experience helped me realize that I was born to help people and it gives me great satisfaction when I am doing it. I am still actively volunteering for bethematch.org and I learned that every person makes a difference and I proved it!

As a caregiver for the Visiting Nurse Association I work in an apartment building with ten residents that are paraplegic or quadriplegic. The residents rely on me and my fellow coworkers for simple day to day activities such as toileting, showering, eating, dressing, cleaning, food preparation, and any personalized goals they have. This job sometimes is physically and emotionally draining but the rewards of putting a smile on a patients face is all worth doing it all again the next day. I have learned that some of the little things such as a smile or acknowledgement towards your patients is as important as the big things such as being there with patients emotionally and physically. This can make such a big difference in a patients life when they are dealing with an illness. I have great compassion and empathy for patients and their loved ones.

I have began taking courses at the Community College of Vermont in Burlington. I have thus far taken Anatomy and Physiology I and II , Nutrition, Psychology, Math Concepts, and Human Growth and Development and excelled in all of them despite the challenges of being a stay at home mom of three children ages 4,6 and 17. It was very challenging at times to balance parenthood and the intensive academics. It proves that I am determined when I set my mind on something.

I am hoping for the opportunity to fulfill my calling through completion of the Nursing Program at xxxxxx. Among the many reasons, xxxxxxx stands out because the NCLEX pass rates are 96% which is much higher than the national average of 78%. In today’s economy it is impressive to have a placement rate of 100% after 4 months of school completion. I would also love to be part of the team and learn from the nurses and doctors at Fletcher Allen Healthcare. I have heard that VT Tech students have a reputation for being well educated and prepared for a career in nursing. I realize that this program is highly competitive but I think my ability to learn through my life experiences, my passion to learn new things and apply them to make someone else’s life better is a good indicator that I will successfully complete the nursing program and become an exceptional nurse. My first choice is to study at the Williston campus, but if there is an opportunity and openings in other locations in the state (especially St. Albans) I am willing to travel. Thank you for your time and consideration

cory'swife89 · Jan 12, 2011

I skimmed through it. I think it's still kinda long especially for someone who reads alot of letters.