You have your transcripts in order, with grades that prove your diligence. You have secured your letters of recommendation. Maybe you have even obtained some experience in healthcare.

So, what comes next when applying to nursing school?

Writing your personal statement or personal essay for the nursing program is required by almost all nursing education programs in the country.¹ Designed to showcase your personality, uniqueness, and dedication, a superb personal statement could help you stand out in a sea of applicants. It might also be incredibly helpful if you are applying to a competitive school, such as the nursing programs in Phoenix offered by Alliant International University.

If you are wondering how to get into nursing school, crafting a compelling personal statement is a crucial step. To that end, here is how to write a personal statement for nursing school that could reflect your dedication to nursing and your readiness for the challenges of a nursing program.

The Purpose of a Personal Statement

Also called a “motivation letter” or “letter of intent,” a personal statement for a nursing program is a brief essay that outlines your background, experiences, and healthcare aspirations.

Why are they widely required for admission?

Your grades and related experience (if applicable) help admissions counselors understand your academic and professional achievements. What they do not necessarily do, however, is provide a glimpse into your personality, passions, and distinctiveness.

Personal statements could be a place for this. In addition to your letters of recommendation, they may help nursing schools decide if you may be a solid fit for their program.

Your task, then, is to illustrate why nursing matters to you and how it aligns with your values—whether those values are compassion, integrity, and/or healthcare equity. Furthermore, displaying a clear devotion to providing quality healthcare may resonate with admissions counselors.

Preparing to Write Your Personal Statement

Your first step in putting together a winning personal statement is to get a thorough understanding of what your dream nursing schools require in an admissions essay. Although every program may have different requirements and prompts, they will likely ask some iteration of “Why do you want to be a nurse?”

Within your response, you could cover:

• Your interest in working with a certain population, such as senior adults or oncology patients 
• Your long-term nursing goals
• Your personal connection to healthcare, whether it was inspired by taking care of an ill sibling or breaking a bone as a child and finding yourself intrigued by the human body
• Your enthusiasm for the program (and the reason behind it)

When figuring out how to prepare for nursing school applications, research each nursing program’s primary mission and values (as well as their curriculum and faculty). Some schools may value diversity and inclusion. Others might prioritize the importance of hands-on experience. From there, you can craft an essay that aligns your ethics and interests with theirs (just as long as it rings true—a topic we will cover below).

Finally, before putting pen to paper, consider doing a few writing exercises to get your creative juices flowing. Ask yourself:

• What experiences shaped my desire to become a nurse?
• What are the main points I want to convey about my character, skills, and passions?

Not all of what you write may end up in your final draft. However, jotting down the most vital things you want to include can jumpstart your thinking process and ultimately lead to a fantastic essay.

Writing Tips for a Standout Nursing Personal Statement

A nursing school personal statement is often the first impression you will make with admissions counselors, and we all know that first impressions can be crucial.

With this in mind, consider these top tips:

Tip #1: Start with a Strong Opening

You might be tempted to launch your personal statement with “I will be the best, most hardworking nursing student your program has ever seen!” Self-confidence is a virtue, but relying on cliches and overstatements may cause your essay to blur with countless others.

Instead, think about starting your personal statement with:

• A telling anecdote
• A powerful memory
• A riveting statistic
• A thought-provoking question or quotation
• A personal challenge you have overcome

Your introduction could also include a broad overview of why you are interested in pursuing a nursing career and why you have chosen to apply to this particular program.

Tip #2: Focus on Relevant Experiences

Your personal statement is the perfect place to highlight experiences that have strengthened (if not inspired) your interest in healthcare. These might be:

• Specific educational experiences, such as learning CPR or first-aid training or taking an anatomy class, changed your appreciation for the human body.
• Doing volunteer work in a nursing home or handing out meals in a homeless shelter
• Caring for a family member with a chronic illness

Nurses are, first and foremost, advocates for their patients. Showing how your experiences increased your desire to help others may influence an admissions board’s decision.

Tip #3: Emphasize Your Skills and Strengths

Empathy, adaptability, strong communication skills, and attention to detail—all are essential qualities of a nurse who makes a difference in their patients’ lives.

With this in mind, consider demonstrating the “soft” skills you innately possess through anecdotes. For example, you might explain how a certain instance, like experiencing a natural disaster, informed your ability to stay stable and composed under pressure. Or, you might write about your work as an ESL tutor and how it taught you to practice active listening and patience.

Tip #4: Be Honest and Authentic

Sounding overly self-assured may be a turn-off to some admissions counselors, especially if it feels unearned.

Rather, aim to come across as honest and genuine by:

• Tapping into the vulnerability you felt when trying to overcome a challenge or sharing a personal experience
• Expressing your true motivation for becoming a nurse, as opposed to saying what you think an admissions committee wants to hear
• Avoiding cliches (again), as well as sentimentality and melodrama
• Letting your unique voice shine through
• Sharing heartfelt thoughts

Tip #5: Stay Concise and Focused

A personal statement could be revealing. However, a personal statement for nursing school could still keep its concentration on what is relevant: how your character, background, and natural talents relate specifically to nursing. It may be best to not use unnecessary details (unless they highlight your distinctiveness) and consistently bring the essay back to why you want to become a nurse and why you believe you will do well at it.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Personal Statement

Considering how many essays admissions counselors review on a yearly basis, it is critical try to do everything you can to make yours as unique and strong as possible.

This means:²

• Avoiding repetition
• Resisting the urge to spend a great deal of time on a personal issue, such as managing a loved one’s death while finishing college
• Rewriting overused phrases
• Keeping the spotlight on your journey

Finally, it may be best to leave out information that admissions counselors already know, like their school’s ranking. Instead, dedicate that “narrative space” to why you would be an ideal candidate.

Review and Revise Your Personal Statement

Revising your essay is also imperative, as it shows your professionalism and attention to detail. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Take a Break Before Revising

Take some time between crafting your first or second draft and revising it. This will allow you to self-reflect even deeper and spot mistakes, inconsistencies, falsities, and cliches.

Stepping away from your personal statement for a bit may also help you gain a fresh perspective and add a detail or two that will make your essay pop.

Step 2: Seek Feedback from Trusted Mentors

It’s nearly impossible to see our own work objectively.

This is where a second (or third or fourth) pair of eyes comes in handy. Ask those you trust for their opinion and guidance, such as your:

• Former employer
• Favorite teacher or professor
• Parent or guardian
• Registered nurse
• Primary care physician

Step 3: Edit for Clarity and Impact

Last but certainly not least, edit your essay for clarity and impact. Ensure every sentence serves a purpose, and refine your language to meet university-level standards.

Nursing School Personal Statement Example Structure

There are tons of different nursing personal statement examples, but many (if not most) typically follow a similar structure:

• Opening paragraph/Introduction that pulls the reader in and gives a quick overview of your motivation and goals
• Body paragraph (or middle paragraph) that details your skills, relevant experience, and achievements
• The closing paragraph which could reaffirm your dedication to nursing and enthusiasm for the program

Nursing School Personal Statement FAQs

Still, have a few lingering questions about your nursing school personal statement? Don’t worry—we are here to help:

• How long should my personal statement essay be? – Every program may have different word limits. Generally speaking, though, you want to aim for 500-750 words. This should give you enough space to cover what is most important without overwhelming the reader or losing focus.
• Can I use the same personal statement for multiple nursing programs? – While you might be able to use the same essay structure for multiple nursing schools, it is best to tailor each essay according to the program’s mission and values.
• What if I don’t have healthcare experience to mention? – Healthcare experience may be appealing to admissions counselors but it is not always necessary. If you have not spent time directly in healthcare, consider concentrating on any relevant experience, like volunteering, relevant coursework, customer service, or caring for a loved one.
• Should I address challenges and setbacks in my statement? – Certainly, as long as they are framed in a positive light. Overall, you should strive to display your resilience and flexibility (qualities that are highly prized in the nursing profession), but you may not want to suggest that your personal challenges will interfere with your capacity to study.

Grow Your Passion at Alliant

How to write a personal statement for nursing school starts with examining why the profession speaks to you. Once you establish that, couple it with the above tips, and you should be in an optimal spot to craft an outstanding essay.

Alliant offers a number of nursing programs—including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Executive—designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to start an exciting career.

Reach out to Alliant International University today.

Sources:

1. How to write a personal statement for nursing school | indeed.com. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/personal-statement-for-nursing-school.Accessed November 14, 2024. 
2. “The Ten Biggest Mistakes When Writing Your Personal Statement.” The Uni Guide. https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/personal-statements/the-ten-biggest-mistakes-when-writing-your-personal-statement. Accessed November 14, 2024.  

The content of this page is only for informational purposes and is not intended, expressly or by implication, as a guarantee of employment or salary, which vary based on many factors including but not limited to education, credentials, and experience. Alliant International University explicitly makes no representations or guarantees about the accuracy of the information provided by any prospective employer or any other website. Salary information available on the internet may not reflect the typical experience of Alliant graduates. Alliant does not guarantee that any graduate will be placed with a particular employer or in any specific employment position.