Goal Statement

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I am in the process of writing my goal statement for my nursing application and am having a hard time. My main reasons for going into the nursing field are for the income, job security, and the ability to work the night shift. Would it be wrong to state this in my goal statement? Now, the reasons I stated above are not the only reasons, but they were what originally had me look at the field of nursing. The more I read about it the more excited I am to work with patients and hopefully make a difference in their lives. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.

Ummm...ok I'm going to be brutally honest here, so please don't burn me at the stake. When I first read your post and read "income, job security and night shift" red flags went up. I think 99% on here will agree that if you are going into nursing for the money, you are going to be miserable. If I, a total stranger thought that, the acceptance board will also think that. Sooooooo, here is my advice. If you TRULY are intrigued by helping others than I would put that in. Not to say that you need to lie but maybe word it something to this effect:

"Upon researching possible career options my initial criteria was income, job security and the ability to work night shift. This search brought me to the fields of X, Y and Z. After further research, I find myself drawn to the field of nursing because of the patient interaction and the ability to help those in need. These aspects interest me because".....and then further expand as to why you think nursing would be your sole career choice.

I would definately not delve anymore into income. Red flags, red flags. Money doesn't make a good nurse, you need to have the heart for it. And if you aren't 100% positive that you are going into it for the right reasons, you need to soul search.

Hope this helps. Don't burn me at the stake.

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Thank you for your honesty and I understand the red flags about the income. I actually thought people would be more harsh. I have great respect for all the millions of nurses out there. Many of you knew it was always what you wanted to do or have some amazing story about a nurse that helped you realize your calling. I dont. I have never worked in the medical field, I have a management degree. I based this decision on a decent income and the ability to only work 3 days and still have lots of time for my family. There is the chance I get in and I don't like it at all, but how will I know until I try. Sidenote: I would not stay in a career that I am not happy at, which is part of my reason for going back to school as well. Plus, there are so many different areas I think I could find an area that I do like. A few of my family members are nurses so I know it is a hard job and very unappreciated. But then I hear a story of how they connected with a patient and they feel it made a difference. It makes me excited to get started.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.

I thought I had posted back but I guess I didnt hit submit. Anyway, it sounds like you have everything very well thought out. I wouldn't stress about not having some sort of "epiphany" about going into nursing. I didn't either, but it did take me 20 years to figure out this is what I wanted to do. The one thing I DID know was that I wanted to help people. Actually the first time I went to college I went for Social Work. However, I will also say that I thought long and hard before I sent in my application because I didnt want to take a valuable spot in a very VERY competitive program if I wasn't absolutely positive that this is what I wanted to do. There are a ton of others out there that have had an epiphany. Not saying that you or I aren't any less deserving but ya get the point.

I am sure that there are tons of areas of nursing that you will be "happy" in. My wish for you is that you are doing what is in your heart and not what your schedule and pocketbook dictate. Cause like they say "if your heart ain't in it.....you ain't in it"

GOOD LUCK

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I'm wondering if you might not get somewhere by being honest and genuine.

The admissions committee is going to be seeing a lot of variations on "I've wanted to be a nurse all my life" or "I had an epiphany". And a lot of those are going to be from people motivated primarily by money who know that isn't what the admission committee wants to read.

If you can demonstrate that you're a serious candidate with realistic expectations and a genuine interest in nursing beyond the perks, an honest statement is likely to get you further than something non-heartfelt and generic.

On the other hand, do examine whether your interest is genuine. Would you still be interested if the job prospects weren't particularly good, the hours worse, and the money not what you expected? Because, at least in some areas, it seems to be heading that direction.

By the way, my own motivation to actually start the process of becoming a nurse was largely financial. I'd discovered it was something I was interested in and would probably enjoy through volunteer work, and I'm very comfortable and happy about the idea, and feel that it's a logical choice given a lot of my lifelong interests. But the decision to actually bite the bullet and do it? Purely motivated out of a need to be able to support my family.

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I really struggled with the mix of the "ideal" ( I want to help people, etc.) and the "practical" (I need a reliably stable and decent income to save for college and retirement). I went with the practical. The essay was for an accelerated program, I am older and had a 4.0 in all prereq's. The "practical" essay is the only part of the application that I thought might not have been an asset. I was a teacher in another life and the fields are very similar in many ways. (educating, working with public, assessment, diagnosing, evaluating, you know the drill...) and mentioned that too. I was not accepted. Maybe a mix of the two like was mentioned in one of the above posts...Good luck!!!

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