nursing program autobiography please help

[mustlovemars]

Hello everyone,

I just joined this site and I was wondering if anyone out there could shoot me a few ideas over! I am trying to get into the nursing program at my college. One of the requirements to the application is a 5 page handwritten autobiography. I haven't really had that interesting of a life. I mean what are they looking for? What high points should I aim for? Do I talk about why I want to be a nurse or why I would make a good nurse? Or just stick strickly with an autobiography from the time I was a child until now.. which would pretty much go like this... i went to kindergarden at a catholic school and kids were mean and made fun of me cause i was fat. i had an alcoholic father but a mother who was supportive and always there for me.. i contemplated suicide in 5th grade and left catholic school for public.. they weren't nice there either and pushed me down bleachers and called me names... from 7th to 8th grade i lost 120lbs and all the people that were mean suddenly wanted to be my friends... my father is still an alcoholic and ignores me... i tutor kids for an A+ scholarship.. get sick with a renal abcess and can't move around for 2months and gain 50 pounds back.. now i'm in school trying to get into the nursing program and my mom has dementia and my father is still an alcoholic?

or keep is short and sweet talking about acomplishments like school?

[NCRNMDM, ASN, RN]

The following is what I wrote in my essay for nursing school, word for word. I hope this helps you in deciding how to go about writing your letter. "The day I learned I made it into the consideration group, I sat down and wrote what nursing means to me and what I will bring to nursing. I carefully considered every word and shared how I felt called to nursing after experiencing the wonderful care given to my grandfather when he had colon cancer. I was very happy with the final result and felt a sense of accomplishment at having completed it in a timely manner. On Wednesday, March second, events occurred in my life that made it necessary to edit my writing. My grandmother suffered a major heart attack and was flown to Spartanburg Regional. She was taken to CVRU barely breathing and with a heart too damaged to sustain her life. The care given to her by the doctors and nurses during the next forty-eight hours impacted me in a way I will never forget. I watched them fight with all the technology and knowledge they possessed to try to save my grandmother's life. During their valiant fight, they took time to explain to us what was happening and what they hoped to accomplish with each intervention. They cried with us and prayed around her bed with us; they cared for her and for us simultaneously. Despite all their efforts, my grandmother passed away at 4:36 AM on Friday, March fourth. After her death, the nurses discontinued all the tubes and machines, gave her a bath and rubbed her body with lotion. They were devastated by my grandmother's death and cried with us as we said our final goodbyes; my family was deeply touched by the care given to my grandmother and to us. As we left the hospital, I knew without a doubt a rewrite was necessary because the things I had previously written seemed almost meaningless in the face of the events we had just experienced. The calling had been deepened, my desire to minister to the sick and their families so strong I could feel it welling up inside of me. During my beautiful grandmother's last hours on this earth the things done and said by her doctors and nurses reenforced the one thing she taught me each day; there is nothing more noble and rewarding than helping people in need. She had a servant heart and during her life I learned from her example. I know her heart did not give out, she simply gave it away to those around her a little bit at a time.

What I bring to nursing is an understanding borne from life experiences. I have learned nursing is not just treatment of disease with medication and procedures; it is a work of the heart, a combination of knowledge and compassion, and the ability to deliver it in a way that most benefits the patients and their families. Because of my experiences in the ER, I am able to remain calm while prioritizing and delivering care efficiently in even the most stressful situations. I have learned to deal calmly with the upset, confused and irate. I am honored to have worked alongside and learned from excellent nurses who taught me what a nurse should be: dedicated, compassionate, tireless, nonjudgemental, and willing to leave a little piece of themselves with each one they care for. I feel I will bring to nursing a desire that comes from deep inside, from a place that was touched by those who give of themselves each day, to make better those who are suffering."

[llg, PhD, RN]

I suggest you think about your life and contemplate some of the recurring themes -- those things that have made you the person that you are and that will give you the ability to succeed in nursing school and be a great nurse.

It's not the time to vent about the hard times you have faced in life. Nor should it be a mere "bragging list" of accomplishments. They are going to want to see that you can think ...that you can learn from life's experiences ... and that you have come to terms with whatever hardships you have faced. They will want to see that your maturity, strength, and healthy attitude towards life will be asset for you in the future and to their school.