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Nursing Personal Statement Guide: Examples, Tips and Structure

According to recent data, nursing schools receive thousands of applications yearly, and admission rates are increasingly competitive. But fear not! We’ve got your back. 

Table of Contents

This blog equips you with insider tips and expert advice to craft a standout nursing personal statement that captivates admissions committees. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or the thought of putting pen to paper sends shivers down your spine, we’ve simplified the process to make it a breeze. 

So, let’s dive in and discover how to showcase your passion for nursing, highlight your unique experiences, and create an impressive statement that makes you stand tall among the crowd. 

Let’s get you one step closer to your dream nursing programme ! 

What Is a Nursing School Personal Statement?

When applying to nursing schools, one crucial document can make or break your chances of acceptance: the nursing school personal statement. This short essay, typically limited to two pages, serves as your introduction to the admissions committee, giving them insight into your passion for nursing and what drives you to pursue this career.

Unlike your resume or CV, a personal statement for nursing allows you to delve into your journey toward nursing. Share the experiences and encounters that shaped your decision, whether it was a family member’s influence, personal health struggles, or a deep-rooted desire to help others.

Each nursing school may have specific prompts or requirements , so tailor your statement accordingly to produce a good nursing personal statement. The goal is to showcase your unique traits and demonstrate how you align with the programme’s values and mission.

This article will show you how to write a personal statement for nursing and will cover areas from format, key topics, to relevant experiences. Through this guide, you will be able to get started with creating your own personal statement and beginning your journey. If you do require further support following this guide, one of our curated personal statement services may be the right fit for you:

Medicine Personal Statement https://www.medicmind.co.uk/personal-statement/

Nursing School Personal Statement Format

A well-structured nursing school personal statement is key to making a lasting impression on the admissions committee. Follow this tried-and-true format to ensure your statement stands out from the crowd.

1. How to Start a Nursing Personal Statement : Engaging Introduction 

Capture the reader’s attention from the start. When thinking about how to start a personal statement for nursing, we want to open with a compelling story, an impactful quote, or a personal anecdote that reflects your passion for nursing. Clearly state your motivations for choosing this career path and why you are applying to their programme.

2. Informative Body: 

Use the body paragraphs to showcase your experiences and achievements that align with nursing. Avoid a simple list of accomplishments ; provide context for each one. Highlight any healthcare-related work, volunteer experiences, or academic achievements demonstrating your nursing dedication and suitability.

3. Relevant Connections: 

Establish a strong connection between your experiences and the nursing program’s values. Research the programme thoroughly and mention specific courses, faculty, or opportunities that excite you and align with your goals. This demonstrates your genuine interest and commitment. A key component here will be making your statement relevant to the area of nursing that you are applying to for example an adult nursing personal statement may have different experiences and goals from a children’s nursing personal statement or even a mental health nursing personal statement . Being able to apply relevant experiences and show reflection on this will put your personal statement to the top of the list for memorability.

4. Showcase Skills: 

Showcase essential nursing skills such as empathy, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. Provide examples of how you’ve demonstrated these skills in your past experiences and explain how they will contribute to your success as a nurse.

5. How to end a nursing personal statement : Powerful Conclusion

End with a memorable conclusion reinforcing your passion for nursing and commitment to making a difference in healthcare. Reiterate why you are an ideal candidate for their programme and express your eagerness to contribute to nursing.

6. Proofreading and Editing: 

Once you’ve written your statement, carefully proofread it for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Seek feedback from trusted friends, family, or mentors to ensure your statement is clear, concise, and error-free.

Tips for Writing a Stellar Nursing Personal Statement

Writing a stellar nursing personal statement requires careful thought and attention to detail. Follow these expert tips to create a compelling and authentic statement that sets you apart from other applicants:

1) Be Genuine: 

Share your authentic self in your statement. Admissions committees value honesty and want to know the real you . Reflect on your motivations for pursuing nursing and draw from personal experiences that have shaped your passion for the field.

2) Focus on Your Journey: 

Use a storytelling approach to take the reader on a journey that led you to choose nursing as your career path. Discuss significant experiences, challenges, and moments of inspiration that ignited your interest in nursing. Avoid generic statements and, instead, emphasise what makes your journey unique.

3) Showcase Your Strengths: 

Highlight your key strengths, skills, and qualities that make you a great fit for nursing. Whether it’s empathy, leadership, adaptability, or problem-solving, provide concrete example s of how you’ve demonstrated these attributes in various situations.

4) Keep it Concise: 

Adhere to the specified word limit and keep your statement concise and focused. Admissions committees read numerous applications, so a clear and well-structured personal statement will make a lasting impression.

5) Avoid Clichés: 

Steer clear of overused clichés and generalisations. Instead, provide specific and meaningful examples illustrating your unique qualities and experiences.

6) Show, Don’t Tell: 

Instead of making broad claims, back up your statements with concrete evidence and specific instances. This approach adds credibility and depth to your statement.

7) Stay Positive: 

Maintain a positive tone throughout your statement. Focus on your aspirations, accomplishments, and enthusiasm for nursing rather than dwelling on negative experiences or setbacks.

Now equipped with expert tips and a clear roadmap, it’s time to seize the opportunity and create your standout nursing personal statement. Showcase your passion, experiences, and genuine motivations for nursing. Tailor each statement to your dream nursing programmes, highlighting your unique strengths. 

Make every word count , and remember, authenticity is key. With a captivating and well-crafted personal statement, you’ll open doors to the nursing career of your dreams. Start writing now and secure your spot in your desired nursing school!

Need help and expert advice? Contact Medic Mind !

→ Q: How long should my nursing personal statement be?

A: Most nursing schools have specific word limits for personal statements, typically 500 to 1000 words. Make sure to follow the guidelines provided by each school to stay within the desired length.

→ Q: Can I use the same personal statement for multiple nursing schools?

A: While you can use a general template, you must tailor your personal statement for each nursing programme. Highlight specific reasons why you’re interested in each school and demonstrate how you align with their values.

→ Q: Should I mention my grades and academic achievements in my personal statement?

A: Your academic achievements are already listed in your application. Instead, focus on sharing experiences, skills, and personal qualities that make you a strong candidate for nursing.

→ Q: Can I use humour in my nursing personal statement?

A: While a touch of humour can be engaging, use it judiciously and ensure it aligns with the overall tone of your statement. Remember, professionalism and sincerity are essential in a nursing personal statement.

→ Q: What if I don’t have direct healthcare experience for my personal statement?

A: Even without direct healthcare experience, focus on transferable skills gained from other experiences, such as volunteer work, leadership roles, or communication abilities that can be valuable in a nursing career.

Q: Do you have any specific band nursing personal statements. For example band 5 nurse personal statement examples, band 6 nurse personal statement examples, or band 7 nurse personal statement examples?

A: We are always collating further examples from a variety of levels of nursing but the key principle as you progress through the career ladder, from a newly qualified nurse personal statement to a critical care nurse personal statement, in nursing is to be able to continue to grow from your clinical experience and to reflect on those processes. As you progress to higher bands, it is also important to shift the focus from learning to teaching and leadership in order to demonstrate that career progression.

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Nursing Personal Statement Examples

What is a nursing personal statement?

Your nursing personal statement should tell the universities you are applying to all about your strengths and where you see yourself in the future as a nurse.

It should give nursing admissions tutors a good picture of who you are and why you would make a valuable candidate for their course.

If you are applying for a job as a nurse , it's possible you’ll need to provide a nursing personal statement for this, too.

To show that you’ve met the minimum requirements for promotion, you may need to write a band 6 or 7 nursing personal statement.

This piece of writing tells an employer all about your hands-on patient contact experience and why you are a good fit for the job.

How do I become a nurse?

Most people become a nurse by applying to study for a degree at university.

However, there are alternative routes available, such as Nursing Degree Apprenticeships , and starting out as an Associate Nurse .

You will also need to hold the correct entry requirements to secure a place on a degree course, and will also be expected to have some level of work experience.

Take a look at our blog post for more in-depth information on how to become a nurse .

How do I write a nursing personal statement for university?

If you're applying for a nursing degree to set youself on a nursing career path, we always recommend starting your personal statement by brainstorming ideas. Your notes should cover the following:

• achievements
• academic results
• part-time or Saturday jobs
• volunteering
• wider reading
• extracurricular activities

as well as anything else you can think of.

Take a look through our nursing personal statement examples above to give yourself an idea of what a successful nursing statement looks like.

Once you have put together an initial draft, it's a good idea to ask for feedback from family, friends and tutors. They will be able to look at your statement objectively and suggest ways it could be improved.

Incorporate their comments, and ask for further feedback. Don't worry if you have to do this three or four times - it's important you get your statement as perfect as possible before sending it off on your UCAS form.

How do I structure my nursing personal statement?

Your nursing personal statement should be structured with a clear beginning, middle and end, with the opening telling an anecdote or explaining why you are passionate about nursing.

The middle should generally focus on your work experience and current/past academic studies, and how these have helped you to develop skills that are useful and relevant to a career in nursing.

For example, you might talk about how your experience working in a care home helped you build and offer empathy to elderly people.

You should then write a memorable conclusion that mentions your plans for the future, and how you hope your nursing degree will help you achieve these.

What should I include in my nursing personal statement?

• Look at the content of the course and make sure your statement addresses the specific branch of nursing you are applying for, i.e. mental health , adult or child nursing . 
• Demonstrate important skillls that are required for a nursing degree , e.g. patience, empathy, teamwork and communication. Talk about how you have developed these, either at school/college, at your job or during hobbies or other activities.
• Most applicants spend the opening of their personal statement talking about why they want to study nursing , e.g. an unwell family member, or a friend who was in a car accident. Think carefully about whether there was one particular incident that sparked your interest in nursing.
• Don’t include any over-used phrases or quotes in your statement that university admissions tutors will have seen and heard before.
• Now is also not the time for jokes or humour - it often doesn't work well and admissions tutors might not be impressed!

For more help and advice on what to write in your nursing personal statement, please see:

• Personal Statement Editing Services
• Personal Statement Tips From A Teacher
• Analysis Of A Personal Statement
• The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
• Personal Statement FAQs
• Personal Statement Timeline
• 10 Top Personal Statement Writing Tips
• What To Do If You Miss The 15th January UCAS Deadline.

How do I write an introduction to my nursing personal statement?

Like with any type of personal statement for university, we recommend you open with a paragraph on what you enjoy most about nursing, and why you want to study it at university. Again, an anecdote that inspired you to learn more about nursing will work well here, as long as you have a relevant story to tell.

For example, this applicant chose to talk about how their mother's illness inspired them to go into nursing:

"There has been many occasions during my life that I have spent hours sitting at a hospital bedside.

My mother battled a long term illness and as I sat with her trying to keep her spirits up, the Nurses who cared for her always drew my admiration. I feel there are a handful of truly inspirational professions and Nursing is without doubt one of them.

Along with doctors and other medical staff, nurses provide an invaluable service to society and to be part of that group has long been an ambition of mine."

Another applicant chose to talk about how their experience with mental health services as a teenager made them want to help others and make a difference in the world as an adult:

"I have wanted to work in Mental Health since I was 15 years old. When in crisis, I received a level of care which changed my life and I aspire to do the same for others. I also received care that was detrimental at times so I want to be a part of making a difference. I have seen a wide range of nursing approaches and I have learnt so much from my colleagues since working within the NHS, I now know what kind of nurse I want to be when I complete my training."

However you choose to open your nursing personal statement, make sure it's engaging and explains why you want to pursue nursing at degree level. You can see more examples of introductions over at our nursing personal statements section.

How do I write a conclusion for my nursing personal statement?

Try to round off your nursing personal statement with something memorable. This often includes talking about your extracurricular activities, hobbies and/or your ambitions for the future. For example:

" I am confident in my ability to communicate with people from any cultural background and an example of this would be during my time volunteering in a dog sanctuary in Paraguay. This was difficult due to the language barrier, and a virus outbreak between the dogs. I had to organize my time efficiently, an important skill for a nurse, communicate with vets and host families, in often very distressing times.

I acted effectively, thinking on my feet, all whilst remaining calm and treating the animals with compassion. This was a very challenging time for me but it was also very rewarding. I feel a career as a nurse, whilst challenging at times would also be very rewarding, educational, and encourage personal growth."

This applicant demonstrates that as well as communicating what you do currently, or have done in the past, it's also a good idea to try to include how these experiences have helped to shape you as a person, and how they make you a better candidate for a nursing course.

For more inspiration on how to write your conclusion, please see our nursing personal statement examples section.

Further information

• UCAS Nursing Advice
• Indeed.com - How To Write A Nursing Personal Statement
• Nursing Times - How To Write An Effective Personal Statement
• University of Cumbria - How To Write A Good Nursing Personal Statement For University
• Nurses.co.uk - How To Write A Personal Statement For A Nursing Course
• University of South Wales - How To Write A Personal Statement For Nursing & Midwifery

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PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE Adult Nursing Personal Statement

Submitted by Maryam

Study a top 10 Nursing Degree in the UK (CUG, 2024).

Maximise your ability to help people with Nursing at Roehampton! Benefit from exceptional facilities and learn to support people physically and mentally. Find out more here.

Achieve your ambition with a Midwifery degree at Surrey.

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Adult Nursing Personal Statement

I have always been eager to pursue a career where it’s my job to care and fend for people that are unable to care for themselves efficiently. Nursing is very challenging and demanding, however, I believe that it is also very rewarding. I have also come to understand that a career in nursing is about compassion, courage, communication, competence, care and commitment. I believe I have all these values and skills and I believe I am ready to make a difference to people and assist them and their families through difficult times when they are feeling at their lowest. The role of nursing is ever-changing as nurses are now more involved in the welfare of patients. I believe I am ready to take on this challenge and I am hopeful that the opportunities I receive will help develop my skills which in time will help further my career.

To better explore a career in nursing, I took the initiative to undertake a week-long work experience placement in St Georges’ hospital, in the Intensive Care Unit. On my placement I was given the opportunity to shadow doctors and nurses to see what they do in a typical day. I developed my communication skills as well as my empathetic skills. I was able to ‘’put myself in the patients shoes’’ in order to understand how they were feeling. I had to use this skill quite regularly as patients in the intensive care unit have life threatening illness/injuries and are in a large amount of pain.

Nurses need to have high attention to detail as they need to be able to notice any changes in the condition of the patient. I developed this skill while doing work experience in a pharmacy. I had to help the chemists dispense medication to customers, this required speed and accuracy. I had to make sure that the customers were given the right medication at the right dosage. The results of a overdose could be devastating.

The ability to keep calm under difficult, high pressure situations is an essential skill for a nurse to have. I developed this skill while taking part in the Hebe Foundation's Junior Apprentice, where we were presented with problems and provide a solution before the deadline. I learnt that you have to take initiative to resolve situations such as clients' needs and ensure the best possible outcome for each client. I understand that no day of work in a hospital is going to be exactly the same. Every day I will meet new people and I will have to work with different situations, sometimes things won’t go to plan and I have to be ready to ‘’think on my feet’’ in order to solve a unexpected situation quickly and calmly.

On a family holiday to Guyana, I was able to experience what healthcare was like in a developing country. The conditions were devastating; the nurses there were unable to attend to the patients’ needs and the general condition of the hospital was terrible. There was a shortage of beds many patients had to sleep on the floor even mothers with their new-borns. This broke my heart. My experience in there made me promise to myself that one day I will become a nurse and make sure that people that are ill are looked after in the best way possible.

I've practiced Shotokan Karate for over 5 years and competed nationally, in karate I learnt determination, discipline and respect. These values will prove helpful in a career as a nurse.

Every day as a nurse, I know I will learn something new from my colleagues and patients, which will inspire me to explore deeper knowledge of the techniques and procedures I use. I understand that nursing is not an easy route as there will be 24 hour care and on-call shifts as well as dealing with the deaths of patients, but I know that I am ready undertake this challenge and prove to myself that I can do anything I want to. The welfare of the patients is what will matter most to me, if they are happy I will be happy as well.

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Nursing personal statement

If you would like to pursue a career as a registered nurse there are a number of pre-registration Masters courses available, that give you eligibility to qualify in two years

To apply for these courses, you will need to write a personal statement setting out:

• your interest in nursing, specifically within the NHS
• an understanding of the work environment
• knowledge of current challenges facing the profession
• previous relevant experience
• skills including teamwork, communication, problem solving and your capacity for leadership.

Relevant work experience is a requirement of study, but this can be gained in a variety of ways from hospitals to community healthcare settings. You may also include additional experience gained from other non-related areas. Wherever you have built your experience you will need to focus on demonstrating the practical and transferable skills you have developed.

When you write your personal statement it is also important to reflect the core values of working as a nurse in the NHS. These include working together for patients, respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, improving lives and everyone counts. You also need to adopt a person-centred approach to healthcare.

This example should be used for guidance only. Copying any of this text could significantly harm your chances of securing a place on a course.

Nursing personal statement example

I have always been passionate about working in health and social care and chose to study this field at undergraduate level. I particularly enjoyed modules in 'Global Issues Within Social Care' and 'Working with Adults' and was delighted to take up a position after graduating in a social care role within my local council. This exposed me to working in a community-based adult residential care setting, where I saw how adopting a person-centred approach made a genuine difference to the experiences of our residents, empowering them to make care-related decisions and with an emphasis on compassionate care. I began to realise that my skills in communication, teamworking and problem solving, alongside my values of empowering vulnerable people to make choices, would make me an excellent candidate to train as an adult nurse.

To continue to build relevant experience, alongside my social care role, I volunteered in my local hospital where I worked on several wards including A&E, the maternity ward and within the diabetes clinic. I used this opportunity to further develop my skills in patient care, empathy and communication and have received positive feedback from the ward sister praising my communication, excellent time management and my high levels of motivation. Patient feedback was similarly positive, noting my calm demeanour and cheerful manner. Volunteering gave me the opportunity to speak with nurses from a variety of clinical areas about their roles and to explore the many routes a career in nursing presents for professional development and growth. The most important thing I learned from this valuable experience was the profound impact nurses make on individuals' lives and it was this knowledge that firmly cemented my ambition to pursue a career in nursing.

Nursing as a profession demands many core skills, including displaying a professional attitude at times of high pressure, excellent attention to detail, communicating clearly and with confidence, teamworking and being able to work independently. I first developed my professional behaviour while working as part of the waiting team in a busy restaurant where I prioritised excellent customer service. I continued to improve my leadership skills by captaining my high school hockey team and the second XI team at university. My university course demanded a clear focus on detail, and I believe the research I conducted for my dissertation on 'Demystifying drug abuse' is a clear and relevant example. Working in the residential home has always been rewarding  but has, at times, had  challenging moments when my skills in keeping calm and defusing tension through clear and open communication have been valuable. I believe these professional skills would enable me to be a calm and patient nurse, able to handle the difficult situations and conflicting demands inherent in the role.

I have chosen to apply for the MSc Nursing at X University due to the focus on person-centred care and the holistic approach on caring for both the patient and their wider family. I appreciate the combination of theoretical and placement-based modules within your partner NHS Foundation and am eager to learn from both the academic team at the university and from the staff who work within the NHS. I am particularly interested in studying the core module 'Improving Safety and Quality of Care', which would give me a greater understanding of person-centred care in practise. Experiencing a variety of practical placements also greatly appeals, and while I have developed some ward-based experience through volunteering, I look forward to discovering nursing in a range of different settings to better inform me of potential career options.

My academic skills, as demonstrated by my 2:1 degree in social care from the University of Y, alongside my strong A-level performance are a clear indicator of my ability to cope with the intellectual challenge of studying at Masters level. I enjoy both research and writing academically and my grounding in biology and chemistry from A-level studies will be of great benefit. I have always been a proactive student, volunteering to be a class representative in my undergraduate studies and taking an active role in both the hockey team and the student film society. I intend to become a proactive member of the student body if I’m  offered a place on this programme and would be interested in becoming a class rep, something I see from your website that the university values greatly.

The MSc Nursing from X University represents an exciting step towards my professional goal of nursing and I believe my practical and academic skills combined with my passion for delivering excellent patient care make me an outstanding candidate for your consideration.

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• Search postgraduate courses in nursing .
• Gain an insight into the healthcare sector .
• Learn more about personal statements for postgraduate applications .
• Discover more about applying for a Masters .

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• 14 January 2019

How To Write A Personal Statement For A Nursing Course Application

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• Save for later
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• Anamaria Negoita
• Nancy Mcgregor

Writing your personal statement will take time, effort and several revisions before you can submit it, so don’t leave it right up until the deadline to start work on it.

Putting together a high quality nursing personal statement can be difficult, but we’ve broken it down into manageable sections below to give you some ideas of how to get started., start with who you are.

Your personal statement is your chance to talk directly to the course admissions officer about who you are, what motivates you, and why you should be chosen for a place in the branch of nursing you’ve applied for.

If you've worked in healthcare previously, you can definitely give details of your experiences to back up your reasons for applying.

Be specific about how your work has affected your decision to apply and why you feel suited to progressing your career in nursing .

Give practical examples of your interactions with nurses, and how they may have influenced your decision to apply.

Check out Eniola's advice on applying to university for a student nursing degree course  - she talks about applying through UCAS and interviews!

Relevant experience and skills

Everyone has skills and experience that can be applied in a nursing environment, even if they weren’t acquired in a healthcare setting.

Here are some examples of skills and qualities that can be applied in nursing:

1. Communication - it is a vital skill that every nurse must possess. The ability to convey information in a concise and clear manner with both colleagues, patients and their family.

You could use examples from previous work to demonstrate this; maybe a difficult situation with a customer while working in a retail job that you managed to diffuse and resolve.

2. Organisation - another essential skill is to maintain an organised routine in a very busy environment, and often under pressure. Think of another situation where you worked under pressure in a logical fashion.

Here you could maybe talk about your time management of juggling a-levels with a part-time job, or your access to nursing course with a family.

• Applying to university for a student nursing degree course

• How to get into nursing schools in the UK

• How to get into Nursing at University

3. Advocacy - this is the active support of those in your care. It’s a specific point in the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) code and you should address how you will be an advocate for your patients when you become a nurse in your personal statement.

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Your ambitions and career goals in nursing

The competition for nursing course places in every branch at every university is fierce, and consequently they want to ensure the places go to candidates who genuinely want to become a nurse, and are motivated to pursue their career in nursing.

Even if you don’t have a specific nursing role you would like to attain in your career, you should go into some detail about what sort of environment you could see yourself working in.

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