The first thing you learn in nursing school (at orientation, no joke!) is “
DEEP BREATHS”!!! Remember this guys. Anyway, I got into UW’s BSN program last year, JLoya and I are classmates. I noticed some people had questions so here are some ideas I had. Sorry this is so darn
long.
***DON’T COPY PASTE, PLEASE*** Parts of the below writing were used in my admission’s essay, so UW’s got a copy. I’ve provided it here so you can see some ideas if you are really stuck.
Additional thoughts:
Time New Roman is the font I used for everything. It’s standard and takes up the least page space. So, if you tend to be a little “long winded”, like me, this might help you out. Don’t forget you can print in font size 10 but you need to double space and DON’T print double-sided or staple anything!!!!
RESUME:
What did you learn about nurses and nursing? Here is one thing I wrote that you might be able to relate to even if you don’t work as a CNA, MA, LPN, etc…
“Each RN shared in the duties of ---, monitoring/documenting, and circulated with the – techs/CNAs/etc working as a TEAM. Noticing this, I realized a nurse is not just an individual but also part of a team, who is, with the support of doctors, other nurses & techs, able to give the best care. Most interesting, was the incredible amount of patient and family education the nurses performed; with each patient, the RNs discussed the procedure they would undergo, what they would feel, instructions pre, intra and post procedure, and addressed any concerns the patient might have”
I just really think patient education is important…
Community Involvement: I see that some ppl are having a hard time bc they don't volunteer. While I did have plenty of that, don't be afraid to use Micro or O-Chem or whatever Study Groups or Hiking groups (a group could be just 2 ppl! I named my "group" Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Pass Hikers of "City name") or exercise groups (maybe your group is you and your dog, I don't know lol). If you've got kids do you ever volunteer at their school, do you do something with church? ANYTHING in the community counts, they just want to know what you do with your time when you aren't studying like mad!
Teaching Experience: If you've got kids you've got this covered
ESSAY:
A.Key words I used:
- Setting: medical emergencies function in high stress events! Be honest (they do want to hear some weaknesses) ie. “[because I got bored seeing UTI after UTI]…learned a lot in this setting, but I might find greater career satisfaction in a field where patients have more varied & complicated health problems, like geriatrics or ICU” I know you are thinking geriatrics?? YES, not only do almost all of your pts in geriatrics have a bazillion comorbidities but I knew for certain that some of the ppl on the admissions board were on a geriatrics committee or specialized in this. ^_^ Just wanted to explain.
- Duration: long shift (8-12h)= build a relationship with the nurses AND struggle to find balance but that it’s important to take care of yourself (Short shifts, 3-4h, could be ok if they were often thus = varied and numerous experiences… maybe). Just for funnies I added a line about learning that “spider bite” = code for MRSA.
- Skills: For ppl struggling: CNA skills, CPR, HIV, blood borne pathogen & APPLY them! ^_^ COMMUNICATION! (Very important skill) also “acknowledgment that I don’t know everything” asking for help is a skill!
- Health professionals: team-work, interdisciplinary team. If you were able to interact with RNs, LPNs, MAs, rad techs, repertory therapists, MDs, PAs, ARNPs etc. à you know the basics of a nurse’s relationship with each… mention that you’ve seen this.
- Patients: REALLY diverse pts = cultural competency. diverse cultural & socioeconomic backgrounds. Weakness, maybe you wish you spoke another language… but you have knowledge of other countries and their cultures!
B.
Use your health-care experience, if you’ve got it. You can mention personal/family experience but that is really not what they want to hear about. I suggest using family experiences ONLY if it entailed hands-on experience but then also use healthcare experience. They want to hear about what you’ve learned working with nurses, what it means to be a nurse, surprises, complications.... really the most important thing they want you to think about is HOW this will impact your future work as a nurse.
I talked about the “shocking” experience of being yelled at by a pt’s husband (mind you I was a volunteer and the pt had a MINOR laceration but husband thought she was “going into SHOCK!” hehe) and the “thought process” I went through in understanding his emotions and behavior.
Blah blah blah “Temporarily, I doubted my desire to become a nurse” Why would I want to care for someone so unappreciative? (Hehe, I might have exaggerated, I’m made of tougher stuff than this section of my essay might lead you to believe)… … … “… remind myself that many patients are seeing us on one of the scariest days of their lives… easy to label as …, but his behavior probably stemmed from .... His anger wasn't directed at me, but instead, at the situation… In effect, this incident taught me…. By taking a second to empathize with his circumstances, I saw why he may have reacted the way he did. Applying this knowledge as a nurse will help me….”
I focused on one incident and talked about learning several things and what this would help with in the future.
C.
Explain situation/example (BRIEFLY!!!). Explain WHAT you learned and WHY this is important to your future work as a nurse (MOST of the writing should be explaining these ideas!)
As U.S. immigration continues, diversity will only increase….. blah blah blah (keep the first part SHORT, don’t actually experience verbal diarrhea in your essay!)… “Nurses labor alongside and care for people who may have very different beliefs from their own. These differences impact our values, communication style, and our expectations and feelings about healthcare….. blah blah blah CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE.” The --- where I volunteered/worked is located in a city whose residents speak at least 110 languages. As a result, … [[[INSERT EXAMPLE: explain what happened (briefly), WHAT you learned, & WHY it's important!!! This is the “LONG” part]]]. Conclusion: “As a result of this experience, I became aware that my own background impacts my interpretation of events …. and behavior towards …. When I provide care, I need to be aware of …., while respecting and addressing my patient’s culturally specific needs.”
Damn this is long! SORRY! If you've made it to the end of this and you’ve got more questions let them fly! I’m sure a ton of ppl are wondering the same thing. I remember wishing there were more people I could talk to so we are here for ya!
Dec 24, '12 by tedkimHow did UW alumni specifically guided you with the personal statements and resume..
?
Dec 24, '12 by JLoyaI work with them. One of them was rejected the first time and got to sit down with someone from the SoN and they laid out what they are looking for. She applied a second time and got in using their recommendations. She has now been a nurse for a couple years and shared the insight, which I am now sharing with you. Take it for what its worth... Let the anxiety and anticipation begin!!! Enjoy...tedkim likes this.
Dec 25, '12 by OBrienMPInteresting. Good to know that there is a diverse group of people in the program!
Dec 28, '12 by abaloneThe first thing you learn in nursing school (at orientation, no joke!) is “DEEP BREATHS”!!! Remember this guys. Anyway, I got into UW’s BSN program last year, JLoya and I are classmates. I noticed some people had questions so here are some ideas I had. Sorry this is so darn long.