Personal statement

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What is appropriate in a personal statement for an application to nursing school? It seems nearly impossible to write about the reason I want to become a nurse and NOT mention things like my pregnancy, labor and delivery, family, divorce, etc. Furthermore, nurses have touched my life in good times and in bad and I'd like to mention the impact they've had on me; that being the reason I want this career for myself. To help others when they need it. However, I certainly don't want to divulge my life story and get too sappy and come off as being an emotional wreck or something.

I know there is a way to lay out the various scenarios and describe why my life experiences add up to me wanting to follow this path but I just wonder if it's bad to get too personal. But the title implies personal as in, "personal statement". Any thoughts?

Thanks!

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

When I had to write my personal I included several personal stories too. One was about a patient at the hospice where my mother worked that I got to meet and he completely rocked my world. He was in the final stages of AIDS and just completely blew this selfish girl right out of the water. I included all that in my personal statement, with a little more detail than I'm giving here.

You certainly don't have to go into the details of why you divorced, or how much you bled postpartum (to name a couple examples) but you can probably tell your story without those details anyway, without your story losing any of its power.

They want it to be somewhat personal...that's why they ask for a personal statement. Not to sound like a smart aleck. ;)

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Furthermore, nurses have touched my life in good times and in bad and I'd like to mention the impact they've had on me; that being the reason I want this career for myself. To help others when they need it.Thanks!

i'd focus on that part and leave the rest out.

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When I had to write my personal I included several personal stories too. One was about a patient at the hospice where my mother worked that I got to meet and he completely rocked my world. He was in the final stages of AIDS and just completely blew this selfish girl right out of the water. I included all that in my personal statement, with a little more detail than I'm giving here.

You certainly don't have to go into the details of why you divorced, or how much you bled postpartum (to name a couple examples) but you can probably tell your story without those details anyway, without your story losing any of its power.

They want it to be somewhat personal...that's why they ask for a personal statement. Not to sound like a smart aleck. ;)

not smark alecky, i totally hear you! thanks for you comments. that helps.

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i'd focus on that part and leave the rest out.

hey the dude. thanks. i guess, to be clear, the major time when a nurse helped me was during my struggle with breastfeeding coinciding all of the drama previously mentioned. not only did she teach me how to breastfeed properly (after two failed attempts with other lactation consultants), but she lifted my heart from a really bad place. i guess there is a way to be general there.

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Specializes in Neurology.

Hey Rubypie,

Exciting that you are getting your personal statement ready! UNC is particularly discouraging of using personal statements as "therapy." I guess a lot of people do get too personal or they wouldn't have cautioned us against this in the Open House I went to... I think UNC wants to understand what brought you to nursing and they also want you to relate that you know how tough nursing is (as much as you can know at this point). Elvish is right though, do make it personal. Just not overly so...easy, right? :)

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momofthreeboys, i'm applying to duke in dec! they are letting people do it w/out having completed all prereqs as long as by the time we begin, they are complete w/ at least a B-. I'm so excited, getting my application ready. Wish me luck! :)

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Specializes in Neurology.

Awesome! Good luck! Have you visited yet or are you waiting for the interview? Remember that the faculty members who will interview you will read your statement right before you walk in the door.

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Thanks! Next week I'm doing the info session. Any tips? All I need now is GRE and to finish my statement and find out who my two referrals should be... I already have one selected.

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