Essays

My school requires you to submit an essay on why you want to become a nurse. I am stumped. Anyone else had to submit an essay? Any suggestions?

Here are my reasons:

I know in my heart this is what I want to do:redbeathe

I was fascinated with becoming a volunteer candy striper (not stripper) when I was a little girl.

I am ready to challenge myself

I really like people (even difficult ones)

I have compassion, drive/determination, and eagerness to be a nurse

When I was fixing my son's skinned knee, he told me I would be a good "doctor":kiss

I'm trying to write one about where I see the future of hospital nursing going. I haven't started school yet, so I'm not even sure about where it is now! I have nothing down, it's really making me depressed:o

You have some great things down though, just start writing and see where it takes you. Good luck.

My best advice is to just start writing. Include all of the things that you posted, and go from there. (Said by the woman who is procrastinating on her Genetics research paper)

Write from the heart. If your compassionate about it and not doing it just for the money then you should do well. Feel free to post it here if you want feed back.

I think about becoming a midwife every day. My passion to become a midwife come from within. I read books written by midwives, and can feel their intense love and passion for this place in this world. I cry every time I see a baby being born, even if it is on the Discovery channel. It is so beautiful and such a miracle that I do not want to just be on the sidelines. I want to feel the baby's head emerge into my hands. I want to feel the over welling warmth of passing a newly born baby to his or her mother. I look forward to the day that I can help a pregnant woman felt proud and in control of her birth so she does not have that emptiness so many women feel after a highly technical birth. I look forward to the day I can run into some one and say, "Hey! I caught your baby!"

I wrote my essay on the path that I took in making the decision to become a nurse. (NP, actually; I start school in the fall! Woo hoo) Since it was a career change for me, I detailed the ways in which I gradually figured out that this was the path for me -- including the feeling of wanting a job that was more directly beneficial for others, and the ways in which I had tried to explore that desire in volunteer activities.

I found that that was a good way to show the schools why I had made this decision and how my life experience would help me excel. I was trying to avoid the "I will be a good nurse because I want to help people and am compassionate," beccause I suspect that that's what motivates most nurses! I wanted to be sure that my essay would stand out from the others, would represent me accurately, and would show my sincerity without sounding like it was coming out of a can.

I agree with Pixiesmom, too, in that just starting to write, even if you don't end up keeping any of it, is crucial!

Good luck!

~Chantelle

One of my main reasons for wanting to be a nurse is that I have been treated like crap by nurses while I was in the hospital delivering my four children. Each time (three times, last time was twins) I had a bad experience . I want to be a nurse so I can show people the care and compassion I didn't receive! I agree, just start righting down your thoughts and then organize them. You will come up with a great essay!

When it came down to picking a program and a school I had alot of trouble deciding what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. There were a ton of options infront of me, and nursing was just one among them. Writing that essay helped seal the deal for me.

I did a bunch of research into nursing and discovered what areas really interested me. I found out what courses I was really interested in, certifications I wanted to persue, fields I wanted to work in, etc.

I wrote my essay about the opportunities in nursing, and where I wanted to go with my degree.

The stuff you wrote about sounds wonderful, but don't forget, the admissions committee is going to be reading possibly hundreds of those essays. Set yours apart from the rest. Try to stay away from the standard things every nursing student -always- states (I want to help people, I want to care for others, etc.) While important, of course, hearing that stuff is so common. Show the faculty that you really know what you're getting into, and know what you want to learn about, and where you want to go with it. Most of the students who dropped out of our program in the first year, did so because they didn't really have any focus on where they wanted to take their nursing career....they "just wanted to help people".

Good Luck!!

The stuff you wrote about sounds wonderful, but don't forget, the admissions committee is going to be reading possibly hundreds of those essays. Set yours apart from the rest. Try to stay away from the standard things every nursing student -always- states (I want to help people, I want to care for others, etc.) While important, of course, hearing that stuff is so common. Show the faculty that you really know what you're getting into, and know what you want to learn about, and where you want to go with it. Most of the students who dropped out of our program in the first year, did so because they didn't really have any focus on where they wanted to take their nursing career....they "just wanted to help people".

Good Luck!!

Exactly. In my interview for nursing school they asked me why I decided to go into nursing. I thought about the "I want to help people" answers, but decided to tell them exactly what happened:

I have always been interested in the medical field but never considered it an option for me. However, I was addicted to the Discovery Health Channel, which grossed out my roommate on a regular basis. One night she came home and I was watching a disgusting surgery show and she said, "Geez, if you like all that stuff so much, why don't you go be a nurse or something?" And the little lightbulb went on, I did some research on programs and decided to go for it.

The interview committee got a chuckle out of my slightly unorthodox answer, but I also got into the program. :)

I would recommend that you be honest, but also try to add something into your essay that sets you apart from the rest. If you had a life experience that lured you toward the field, tell about it.

Exactly. In my interview for nursing school they asked me why I decided to go into nursing. I thought about the "I want to help people" answers, but decided to tell them exactly what happened:

I have always been interested in the medical field but never considered it an option for me. However, I was addicted to the Discovery Health Channel, which grossed out my roommate on a regular basis. One night she came home and I was watching a disgusting surgery show and she said, "Geez, if you like all that stuff so much, why don't you go be a nurse or something?" And the little lightbulb went on, I did some research on programs and decided to go for it.

The interview committee got a chuckle out of my slightly unorthodox answer, but I also got into the program. :)

I would recommend that you be honest, but also try to add something into your essay that sets you apart from the rest. If you had a life experience that lured you toward the field, tell about it.

Are you in an advanced or special nursing program? At the college I am applying to there is no essay, no interview. They just look at your GPA and your HESI scores and rank you that way. I don't have to worry about impressing someone with my personality or wit until after I'm in !

I'm in an accelerated BSN program. My essay was a weird topic about how I envison making a difference in the nursing profession for multicultural healthcare consumers, and how I will practice nursing effectively for disadvantaged, rural, and underrepresented patients.

I also didn't have to take the HESI or any other entrance test. Just the essay, GPA, and interview, plus a resume.