example personal statement for dnp program

DNP Statement of Purpose and Personal History Statement Tips

Writing a statement of purpose and personal history statement for any doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program can be a challenge, especially if you are not used to writing. However, it is an important opportunity to illuminate parts of yourself that may not be on your application.

Instead of detailing accomplishments on your curriculum vitae, your statement of purpose and personal history statement should be a compelling narrative of your personal and academic achievements.

By the end, the admissions committee should have a better understanding of who you are as a person, what drives you and what led you to apply for admission to the UCI Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing DNP program — Post Master’s or Family Nurse Practitioner tracks.

It is worth the time spent preparing to write a statement that truly makes you stand out.

Writing tips

• Before starting, make sure you carefully read the prompts provided by the program for the Statement of Purpose and Personal History Statement.
• Brainstorm ideas and develop an outline.
• Review UCI Nursing’s mission and vision to ensure they align with your professional aspirations.
• Know your audience — you are writing to the admissions committee rather than a friend.
• Consult with a mentor about your professional development. Your mentors can be a great source of advice about your aspirations to become a doctorally-prepared nurse.
• Read other statements for inspiration.
• Adhere to any word limits and instructions outlined on the application.
• Capture the reader’s attention in your opening paragraph. The most compelling aspects of your story should be highlighted first.
• Show, don’t tell. Back up your statements with specific examples and evidence (e.g. “I demonstrate leadership capabilities in my role” vs. “Leadership comes naturally to me, as evidenced by…”).
• Be clear, concise and selective in your word choices.
• Show where you have come from and where you plan to go. Explain how the DNP program will help you achieve your goals.
• Use first person, “I” language (e.g., “I am interested in…” or “I would like to study…”).
• Avoid being overly general, clichés and informal (using slang).
• Make your statement of purpose and personal history unique.
• Review your writing closely for mistakes in grammar and spelling.
• Ask for feedback on your statement and history. Have colleagues, friends or family read it.
• Read your essays out loud.

The Statement of Purpose and Personal History Statement are not:

• A list of activities
• A life story
• Fiction or creative writing

Note: While following this guide may be helpful, it does not guarantee admission to our program.

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How to Write an Excellent NP School Personal Statement

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“Try not to rush this statement. We recommend taking some time to reflect on your nursing career accomplishments, as well as situations that perhaps were learning situations that did not end favorably. Use these to reflect on your motivation and priorities and how they apply to the topic that the school has provided.”

Dr. Doreen Rogers, DNS, RN, CCRN, CNE, Assistant Professor of Nursing & Graduate Nursing Program Director at Utica University

Anyone who’s ever applied to a nurse practitioner program knows two things: careers in nursing are in high demand and graduate school admissions are competitive. Nurse practitioner careers are one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States; in fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2023) predicts that 118,600 new NP jobs will be added to the economy between 2022 and 2032—a 45 percent increase.

So why are nurse practitioner admissions so competitive? A shortage of qualified nursing teaching faculty and an increasing number of retiring nurses are some possible reasons, according to CNN . 

Despite these admissions barriers, a nationwide shortage of doctors is poised to restrict patients’ access to care. To address this problem, states are beginning to expand the scope of practice laws for nurse practitioners. The U.S. News & World Report shows that 22 states, the District of Columbia, and the Veterans Health Administration removed practice authority limitations for NPs, which resulted in expanded healthcare and decreased costs. 

One thing is sure: applicants for nursing practitioner programs must put together flawless applications to rank high with an admissions committee. In addition, an aspiring nurse practitioner who wants to stand out and make a solid first impression needs to write an excellent nurse practitioner (NP) school personal statement.  

To help out hard-working nurses who spend more time seeing patients than practicing academic writing skills, here are some tips for writing an excellent nurse practitioner (NP) school personal statement.

Follow the Five-Paragraph Essay Format

Drexel University has a video featuring several tips for writing a personal essay for admissions committees. The video recommends applicants organize their statements in a five-paragraph essay format and write no more than 500 words. 

• First paragraph: Make an immediate impact in your introduction
• Second paragraph: Explain what attracted you to the program and field
• Third paragraph: Compare your short- and long-term goals with the program goals
• Fourth paragraph: Share your skills, experiences, and characteristics
• Fifth paragraph: Conclude by summarizing your five-paragraph essay

Drexel University also offers a downloadable infographic to illustrate what admissions committees are looking for in an applicant’s essay.

Write an Impactful Introduction

Pretty Nurse Ashley , a registered nurse who documented her experience getting into Vanderbilt University’s top-ranked nurse practitioner program, emphasizes the importance of an impactful introduction in a personal statement in her YouTube video:

That first sentence needs to be something spectacular, something that’s going to pull them in, so it needs to be very creative and something that’s going to get their attention. With your personal statement, you want to stand out from the other applicants. You want to create a story, create a vivid picture of who you are.

At a time when nursing schools are sending thousands of rejection letters to qualified applicants, Pretty Nurse Ashley’s advice to make a strong introduction is solid advice to help an applicant open their statement with what makes them unique.

Do Your Homework: Advice From an NP Career Coach

Renee Dahring is a nurse practitioner career coach , past president of the Minnesota chapter of the APRN Coalition, and a nursing university instructor with extensive experience in recruitment and admissions for nurse practitioner programs. When applying to NP schools, Ms. Dahring recommends that nurse practitioner applicants do their homework in three areas.

Show Your Commitment to Finish

Dahring said, “Every university wants its students to finish, especially in a nurse practitioner program. If you drop out, your spot in the NP cohort is empty. Mostly we like to know: ‘Have people thought this decision through?’” 

In other words, when an NP program admission committee decides to admit a student, they are investing in that person to finish the program. Therefore, if it seems like a risky investment, they will not want to admit that individual.

Connect Your Career Goals to the NP Program’s Mission

“Understand what the program’s goals and missions are and align your personal statement with them. . .Also, consider the mission of the educational institution; most have a dedication to the underserved, but that will vary from place to place,” Dahring advised.

Addressing a program’s or an institution’s mission statement directly in a personal essay can catch the attention of an admission committee. They want to ensure that a person is a strong fit for their specific program. It’s also a benefit for applicants to be familiar with a school’s objectives and guiding philosophy, as it can help ensure that a program is the right fit for them.

Demonstrate Your Understanding of NP Scope of Practice Laws 

Dahring also stated, “The other important thing is to have a really good understanding of the NP Scope of Practice Laws. . .You should have a clear idea of what you are allowed and not allowed to do in the states where you apply for NP school and intend to work as a nurse practitioner.” 

NPs can practice more independently in some states than others—and a solid understanding of these regional nuances can inform one’s essay.

Take Time to Communicate Clearly

Above all, take the time to write and edit well. Admissions committees read through hundreds of personal statements, so communicating concisely and clearly can increase an applicant’s chances of admission to an NP program.

Dr. Doreen Rogers is an assistant professor of nursing and the graduate nursing program director at Utica University in New York. She advises applicants to use their best writing skills:

Remember, your personal statement is an opportunity for you to convey what motivates you and discuss your priorities as a healthcare professional while extending them to your future career as a nurse practitioner. Some aspects that are exceptionally important are the use of appropriate grammar, spelling, word selection, and sentence structure (including an introductory paragraph, transition sentences in between paragraphs, and a conclusion that ties everything together).

Dr. Rogers also recommended taking the time to communicate clearly: “Try not to rush this statement. Instead, we recommend taking some time to reflect on your nursing career accomplishments, as well as situations that perhaps were learning situations that did not end favorably. Use these to reflect on your motivation and priorities and how they apply to the topic that the school has provided.”

Rachel Drummond, MEd

On NPschools.com, Rachel Drummond has leveraged her extensive background in education and mindfulness to provide valuable insights to nursing professionals since 2020. She explores how mindfulness and movement can be incorporated into the demanding routines of nurses, emphasizing the importance of mental and physical well-being for increased resilience and effectiveness in the challenging field of nursing.

Rachel is a writer, educator, and coach from Oregon. She has a master’s degree in education (MEd) and has over 15 years of experience teaching English, public speaking, and mindfulness to international audiences in the United States, Japan, and Spain. She writes about the mind-body benefits of contemplative movement practices like yoga on her blog , inviting people to prioritize their unique version of well-being and empowering everyone to live healthier and more balanced lives.

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How to Write the Perfect NP School Personal Statement

Apr 7, 2020 | Job Search Tips

Most nurse practitioner (NP) schools require their prospective students to compose a personal statement. Often, these elusive essays cause applicants to panic, but with just cause: personal statements are one of the most important components of NP school applications.

Having applied to a BSN, MSN, and DNP program in my past, I have written more personal statements than I can count. In this article, I offer general advice for preparing, writing, and editing your essay.

To help temper your anxiety, this post elaborates on the importance of:

• Following directions
• Being honest
• Writing passionately and professionally
• Making your case
• Starting with an outline
• Offering a story
• Speaking the nursing language
• Addressing your “red flags”
• Giving yourself plenty of time
• Using correct syntax and grammar
• Reading it out loud

Follow Directions

First and foremost, follow directions. Each school has different guidelines for their personal statements, and you do not want your application thrown out just because you fell under their required word count. Some schools provide explicit information on the length, format, and content of the personal statement while others leave the task more open-ended.

For example,  Vanderbilt University  provides an open-ended prompt for the admissions essay: “The Statement of Purpose should reflect your understanding of the role of the advanced practice nurse and your interest in either a particular patient population, in healthcare leadership or in nursing informatics. Before writing your statement of purpose, please carefully review information about the specialty on our website so that you clearly indicate to the faculty that your career goals are a fit with the specialty.”

Drexel University  also offers specific guidelines for their personal statement requirement: “Personal statement (under 1,000 words) that will give the admissions committee a better understanding of: (1) Why you are choosing this particular program of study; (2) Your plans upon completion of the graduate degree; and, (3) How your current work experience will enhance your experience in this MSN program.”

On the other hand, NP schools like  Duke University  and  University of California San Francisco  merely ask for a “personal statement” or “goal statement” with no further direction. Be aware that not every school calls your essay a personal statement. Allen College, for example, calls it a “biographical sketch,” and Johns Hopkins University calls it a “written expression of goals.”

Every application will be slightly different, so it is important to stay organized. Table 1 is an example of how I stayed organized during my NP school applications.

Make sure your answers line up with your resume or curriculum vitae. Do not exaggerate your skills or accomplishments. Instead, be proud of what you have achieved and speak enthusiastically about your desire to become an NP.

Never let someone else write your essay for you, and never plagiarize content from books, blogs, or journal articles. The admissions committee may scan your personal statement for plagiarism using an online program. Be sure to check your essay before you submit it using a website like  PlagTracker ,  Turn It In , or  Grammarly .

Write Passionately and Professionally

One of my favorite quotes is from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” If being an NP is your goal, pursue it with courage, determination, and passion. Become enthusiastic about all things nurse practitioning.

Writing professionally does not mean writing a bland, scientific paper. Be concise, be consistent, use clear examples, and make it sound like you. Make sure your personal statement succinctly and lucidly portrays your passion for becoming an NP. Do not use this essay as a means to criticize past professors or other NP programs.

Make Your Case

Think of your personal statement as your chance to convince the admissions committee to accept you. Why should they admit you? What makes you unique? Why will you succeed in graduate school? Why will you be an excellent nurse practitioner? Use your essay to make your case.

Make sure you tailor your answers to your chosen medical specialty. For example, if you are applying to become an emergency nurse practitioner, what characteristics do you have that will ensure your success? Are you quick on your feet, calm under pressure, and compassionate to all? Are you enthusiastic about this specialty? What have you done or what do you do that demonstrates your passion?

Start with an Outline

Sometimes the hardest part is figuring out where to begin. A mind map can help you start brainstorming. A mind map is a spidergram that offers a structured method for developing ideas.

When you are ready, use your mind map to create a topical outline. Typically, you will want to have an introduction and conclusion paragraph that sandwich a handful of body paragraphs. Your introduction and conclusion should include your thesis and summary of your subtopics. Each body paragraph should elaborate upon one subtopic. I use the following outline when beginning my articles.

Introduction Paragraph

• An attention-grabbing opening statement
• A thesis statement summarizing the theme and purpose of the paper
• Mention each subtopic covered in the body paragraphs

Body Paragraphs (one for each subtopic)

• Opening sentence that indicates subtopic to be discussed
• Multiple sentences that provide supporting details and examples
• A short explanation regarding how these details or examples relate to your thesis

Concluding Paragraph

• Begin with a restatement of your thesis
• Summarize your main topic and subtopics
• End with global statement

Offer a Story

You want the admissions team to remember you. You want to stand out. Try to incorporate a personal story that will make you memorable. The stories can usually be about anything you like: anything from a conversation with a mentor to a volunteer experience. Make the story interesting and use it to illustrate and emphasize your key points.

Choose a story that describes how you decided to become an NP or one that illustrates your personal values. You might also write about a particular challenge or experience that changed your perspective. Try to choose a story that gives the reader a clear impression of who you are and why you will be successful in NP school.

Consider beginning the story in your introduction, telling small pieces in each body paragraph, and ending the story in your conclusion paragraph. If you decide to tel a story in your personal statement, I suggest using the outline below.

• Open with a short vignette that introduces your story and the conflict or challenge
• With each new body paragraph, tell a little more of the story, relating each part of the anecdote to the subtopic
• Conclude the story with what you learned or by emphasizing the moral
• Restatement of your thesis and summarize your subtopics

Speak the Nursing Language

In your personal statement, speak the nursing language. This will give you credibility. For those new to the NP field, learn the language by reading as many books as you can.  A good place to start is Stewart and DeNisco’s  Role Development for the Nurse Practitioner . This text offers a broad overview of health policy, healthcare reform, mentoring, prescriptive authority, and the history of NPs. A newer book that I love is Carolyn Buppert’s  Nurse Practitioner’s Business Practice and Legal Guide . This book will give you more detailed information about the scope of practice laws in each state.

It never hurts to touch on these seminal publications from the  Institute of Medicine :

• The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health
• Assessing Progress on the IOM Report The Future of Nursing
• To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System
• Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century
• Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality

You might also consider citing these position papers published by the  American Association of Nurse Practitioners :

• Quality of Nurse Practitioner Practice
• Scope of Practice for Nurse Practitioners
• Use of Terms Such as Mid-Level Provider and Physician Extender
• Clinical Outcomes: The Yardstick of Educational Effectiveness
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Discussion Paper
• Nurse Practitioner Curriculum

Address Your Red Flags

If you have a red flag in your application, explain it in your personal statement. Do you have a bad grade or low Graduate Record Exam score? Maybe you lack a full year of nursing experience. Rather than shying away from the topic, offer a clear, accurate explanation. Demonstrate humility, and write about how you have compensated for this mistake, challenge, setback, or flaw.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

Do not procrastinate! Start your personal statement weeks in advance. Give yourself adequate time to brainstorm, write an outline, compose each paragraph, revise, and edit. A rushed essay might land your entire application in the rejected pile.

Use Correct Syntax and Grammar

Proofread, proofread, and proofread again! A clean, well-composed essay exemplifies your ability to succeed in a graduate program. My favorite website for checking grammar is  Grammarly . They offer a free and premium service. They advertise that their software catches 250 errors that Microsoft Word does not detect. I also find their free  Grammar Handbook  helpful.

Throughout my DNP program, I started a list of general writing tips. Here are some of the most important:

• Use  American Psychological Association  (APA) formating
• Avoid generalities, cliches, and psychobabble
• Do not use the verb “to get”
• Do not use “very” as an intensifier
• Data is plural, so use a plural verb
• Use active voice whenever possible
• “Compare with” points out differences between two similar things
• Affect is a verb and effect is a noun
• Keep the subject and the verb close together
• Omit needless prepositions
• Use that if what you are saying cannot be eliminated without changing the meaning of the sentence
• Use which if you can delete the clause and the sentence will still have the same meaning
• Avoid using negative statements
• Write out numbers under 10 (e.g. three, seven, 10, 45)
• Be consistent with abbreviations and titles
• Avoid contractions

In general, avoid adverbs. Instead, use stronger verbs that imply the adverb. Here is a list of strong verbs to consider:

• Exemplifies
• Corroborates
• Approximates

There are a variety of websites that can help you with APA formatting, grammar, syntax, and checking for plagiarism. Some good resources include:

• http://www.apastyle.org/
• http://www.thesaurus.com/
• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
• http://www.grammarbook.com/
• https://www.plagtracker.com

Read it Out Loud

After you have finished writing your essay, read it out loud. Most people have more experience listening and speaking than writing and editing. By reading your personal statement out loud, your brain will hear the information and new way and notice flaws you did not see before.

It helps to print a copy of your paper so that you can take notes as you read. Read at a slow to moderate pace. Try to be systematic about your reading: check for grammar the first time through, syntax the second time, and tone the third time.

As you listen to your paper, pay attention to the order of your ideas. Note any gaps in your explanations. Make sure you transition clearly from one main idea to the next. Do not be afraid to reorder sentences, paragraphs, or entire sections. Also, listen for grammatical and syntax errors. You will probably notice sentences that are awkward, too convoluted, and repetitive.

Finally, hearing your paper out loud will give you a sense of its tone. Does your paper sound too casual, too chatty, or too formal? This essay is the admission committee’s first impress of you. Consider reading your paper to a friend and asking them what impression they obtain from your answers.

Dr. Melissa DeCapua, DNP, PMHNP-BC

AuthorMelissa DeCapua is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who graduated from Vanderbilt University. She has a background in child and adolescent psychiatry as well as psychosomatic medicine. Uniquely, she also possesses a bachelor’s degree in studio arts, which she uses to enhance patient care, promote the nursing profession, and solve complex problems. Melissa currently works as the Healthcare Strategist at a Seattle-based health information technology company where she guides product development by combining her clinical background and creative thinking. She is a strong advocate for empowering nurses, and she fiercely believes that nurses should play a pivotal role in shaping modern health care. For more about Melissa, check out her blog  www.melissadecapua.com  and follow her on  Twitter @melissadecapua .

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Guidelines on Writing Personal Statement (DNP Programs)

Applicants must submit a personal statement that discusses the following:.

• How graduate education will promote professional growth and help in transitioning into the role of advanced practice and discuss why you are pursuing the DNP degree.
• Preparation for graduate work. How has your background and experience influenced and shaped your goals for the future and prepared you for graduate study?
• Academic strengths and weaknesses that may affect program success.
• Unique qualities you possess and how you can add to the diversity of the program.
• DNP Project idea-a problem, specific population, or practice/system change to be considered for a DNP Project proposal
• Goal statement to include what kind of work or position you will seek after graduation

Tips for writing the personal statement:

• It is absolutely imperative that you follow these guidelines and that you cover each topic area. Be clear, concise, and cogent.
• The personal statement is limited to not more than three double spaced pages, using a legible 12 font. Grammar, punctuation, organization, and creativity will be evaluated in the scoring. Include and introduction and conclusion.
• Make certain that the statement is grammatically and technically correct. There should be no spelling errors.
• Do not rush. Write drafts, edit, and have someone else read the statement prior to finalizing.

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How to Write a Nursing School Personal Statement: What to Include, Examples, and Mistakes to Avoid

So, you have decided to go to nursing school, or advance your nursing career by furthering your education. Now is the time to become familiar with the application process, get your transcripts and letters of recommendation in order and compose the, in some cases dreaded personal statement. Writing a personal statement is a common part of the application process when working to advance your education. However, the term "Personal Statement" is a bit of a misnomer. The universities and colleges asking for this essay are not looking for your life story. Instead, they want you to demonstrate what makes you uniquely qualified as a candidate for their program. In this post you will find the information necessary to make you stand out among hundreds of other applicants, create a personal statement tailored to your personal goals as well as to your potential institutions, and find out what common mistakes are made and how to avoid them.

Although some institutions will give you a specific prompt to discuss when applying to the program, many will request a general personal statement (aka a statement of purpose). There are some commonalities among all of these essays for which you will find appropriate advice here, to different degrees, depending on the program application requirements. Each of these essays should be written for the specific program you are applying to, so be wary of differences not only in essay type or topic but also appropriate formatting and length. Above all, be aware that you are writing to present yourself as a professional capable of caring for the lives of others; following their provided guidelines and avoiding familiar language (such as contractions and common word abbreviations) will allow you to present yourself in the best possible light.

General guidelines

The personal statement.

Although you want to refrain from telling the story of your life, you still want to make it personal. Be sure to illustrate with specific and unique examples why you are cut out for this career and the specific program you are applying to. There are many things that can be included in this category, not all of them will be right for each applicant to discuss or appropriate for the prompts that each individual provides. However, this list should give you an idea of what the evaluators are looking for in a strong candidate:

Educational background

• Did you take advanced biology classes in high school? If so, you may want to highlight this background and how it demonstrates your devotion to health care.
• Have you gone out of your way to learn relevant skills? Perhaps you can discuss your CPR certification training.
• Have you been administering insulin to a diabetic cat for years? This demonstrates a devotion to health care and the ability to learn transferable skills. In fact, my long history of doing this has come up in highly successful interviews in the past, which was the inspiration for this particular example. Although I was medicating a different species than I would be working with, this history demonstrates the ability to regulate insulin levels, properly store medication, fill a syringe safely, and correctly administer a subcutaneous injection.

Volunteer work

• Volunteer work at a hospital is likely a common point of discussion for aspiring nurses. e sure to tell a story about a situation that makes you stand out which solidified your certainty that this is the right field for you.
• Assisted living facilities, caring for special needs children, working at animal shelters, or volunteering at homeless shelters (among other things) may also be sources of inspiration that allow you to highlight why you should be accepted into the program.
• Supervisors in these types of positions may also be great resources for recommendation letters or potential proofreaders for the initial draft of your personal statement.

Work experience

• If you have worked in a related field in a paid position, this should definitely be not only included in your essay, but considered a potential source of a particularly persuasive letter of recommendation.
• Your employer may also be an excellent resource to ask for feedback regarding rough drafts of your personal statement.

Personal motivation

• Do you have a unique story that has compelled you to want to pursue the field of nursing; perhaps you helped care for a family member? These personal motivations are also excellent ways to set yourself apart.

Relevant acquired skills

• Have you acquired a particular skill set relevant to nursing outside of traditional means? This is the time to highlight that achievement. Perhaps you have experience working in a pharmacy or have proven yourself in high-stress situations; these characteristics translate well into the field of nursing.
• Another asset that you might find to be in your favor is fluency in a foreign language, or ASL. This unique skill set might make you a valuable candidate as well as a more highly sought after employee once you graduate.

Unique traits that make you stand out

• Thousands of applicants to nursing programs write that they have "always wanted to go into nursing", sometimes even in their opening line. Find a way to stand out.
• For example, in my personal statement, I wrote about how I actually did not have a traditional story that culminated in my pursuit of higher education. I found my way from grill cook and karate instructor to medical research science. Embrace the fact that you may not be conventional. Letting your personality, background and voice come through in your personal statement will help the admissions committee determine if you are a great fit for their program.

The right fit

As with any educational program, fit is important when looking into pursuing a nursing degree. Demonstrating that you have researched the program, and illustrating in your essay why it is the place for you, will set you apart from other applicants. Additionally, if your long term goal is to be an ER nurse, for example, and you are applying to a program known for a different type of nursing, application reviewers will see this in a negative light.

Essay topics

In some cases, colleges and universities will give you a specific prompt for this essay or ask for a series of short essays addressing particular questions. In these cases, be sure to answer their questions thoroughly and be aware of formatting guidelines and word count limitations. Equally important, be sure to demonstrate ways in which you are a good fit for not only the program, but also the nursing profession. This is a position that is both incredibly personal and physically demanding, but also a situation where you need to be cool under fire and fastidious with your work. Use any opportunity you can to demonstrate that you possess these characteristics in a way that makes you a highly competitive candidate and a potential star in your chosen field.

If you have applied for continued education in the past and have written this kind of essay before, you may have noticed that applying to nursing programs is a bit unique. Particularly, there is a more empathic slant to writing these essays. As personal statements go, writing one for a nursing program is much more 'personal' than preparing one for academic study. To put this all in context, below are some sample essay prompts used by nursing schools in the past. Following this, some advice from successful career nurses will lend an additional perspective from professionals directly working in the field you aspire to join.

Sample prompts

The Vanderbilt University website currently gives the following information regarding the personal statement portion of the application process:

Your Statement of Purpose should reflect your understanding of the role of the advanced practice nurse and your interest in a particular patient population. Before writing your statement of purpose, please carefully review information about the specialty on our web site so that you clearly indicate to the faculty that your career goals are a fit with the specialty. If you are applying to a dual specialty, be sure to address the scope of practice in each specialty area. Students are offered admission to their selected specialty; it is not possible to enter the program undecided about your specialty area. Vanderbilt University

As you can see, this program focuses on your understanding of what it takes to work in the nursing field and puts a particular emphasis on the patient population you want to work with and the reason behind this decision. They also focus on familiarity with the program, as discussed above. These are points that likely generalize to numerous programs and to personal statements for this field in general.

Yale University has the following requirements, according to a website which generates advice specific to nursing personal statements. This site offers the following advice, which echoes the focal points found here, and may offer further information as you pursue your continued education and refine your personal statement. As you can see, Yale differs in its requirements and constrains the length of the personal statement considerably.

Yale University nursing requires you to write a 250-word essay with free choice of your subject. In writing your essay, it is important that this provides you the advantage to stay ahead of your competition. You should be able to include intellectual development, skills, interests, potential contribution to the progress of National University nursing and among many others. It is important to note that Yale University school of nursing utilizes strict admission process so you should be able to comply with top-notch standards. Do not compromise your admission simply by sending out a poorly written personal statement. To improve your chances in Yale University school of nursing, your essay should be able to reflect your dedication, excellence, commitment, and genuine interest to belong to Yale. In your Yale University nursing personal statement, you should also be able to highlight components of your background from academic to personal that will provide the admissions committee an overview of who you are and what you can deliver. To guarantee your admission in National University Nursing, you should be able to provide your readers with information that is unique and interesting that is not shown in any part of your application. Yale University

The essay requested in this case is considerably short, however, it allows you to write about the topic of your choice. This gives you the opportunity to present yourself as a unique candidate. In this personal statement, it is still important to choose a topic that allows you to address all of their listed points of concern to the best of your ability within the constraints of the allotted space. This excerpt also stresses the focus on compliance to high standards necessary to successfully complete the nursing program. Although this is a very short essay, it is emphasized how important it is to ensure that this work is well composed. Writing a rushed essay will be obvious to those reviewing applications and reflects poorly on your ability to perform at a high level, both academically and as a potential future nurse. Additionally, it is re-emphasized in this piece that it is important to understand the program to which you are applying. As they state, it is important to demonstrate a "genuine interest in belonging to Yale"; this is true of all program applications. Always focus a portion of your essay on demonstrating why this particular program is right for you and what unique skills you bring to the table that other applicants do not. Finally, always remember not to simply reiterate information that already has been included elsewhere in your application; be sure to tell the committee something new and interesting that gives you a competitive edge.

This differs from Fairfield University's DNP program , which requires that the applicant:

• Discuss a practice problem in your field that, in your experience, has a broad impact on patient care outcomes.
• State professional goals for the next 5-10 years.
• Explain how a DNP will help you reach your goals.

As you can see, depending on the institution and level of degree program that you are interested in, the requirements for application can vary greatly. In the case of the Doctor of Nursing Program offered at this university, the personal statement is more focused on the background of the applicant directly relating to their previous experience in their nursing careers. There is also a focus on the ability to think critically about the field, its shortcomings, and how they can be amended. This institution also has an interest in your long-term career development and plans for up to the next 10 years. Remember that reflecting on this in your personal statement allows you to demonstrate your potential to raise the reputation of the university in the long term, a topic that they have a demonstrated interest in learning about you as an applicant. Planning your long term career goals will also assist you in deciding which programs are the best fit for you and will allow you to gain the appropriate background to reach these goals over your career.

What degree program is right for you?

It is important to know that there are a variety of nursing degrees that can be applied for, even within a single university. Each of these offers a different career path, and potential for further education or future job promotion. Before you decide which program you want to attend, you should research the many options available within the nursing field. An example of the options that should be considered can be found at the University of Rochester website :

• Accelerated Programs for Non-Nurses (BS & MS) for students with a non-nursing bachelor's degree and want to become a nurse in just 12 months.
• RN to BS program: for students who want to earn a bachelor's degree in as little as 16 months with part-time coursework.
• Clinical Nurse Leader (MS) for licensed registered nurses who already hold a bachelor's degree in nursing.
• Health Care Organization Management and Leadership (MS) for all applicants with a bachelor's degree.
• Nursing Education (MS) for nurses who aspire to teach at either a college of nursing or within a clinical setting.
• Nurse Practitioner program (MS) for nurses who want to provide another level of care for their patients.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) for nurses entering at the post-baccalaureate or post-master's level.
• PhD in Nursing & Health Practice program for all licensed health professionals who already hold a master's degree.
• Legal Nurse Consultant Course for registered nurses or advanced practice nurses.
• Care Manager Education program for nurses or other health professionals currently working in a care manager capacity, or entering this growing field.
• RN First Assistant program for CNOR or APRN's.

This may not be a comprehensive list, but it gives you an idea of the level of diversity available to you. Become familiar with the programs at each institution you apply to and ensure that they will give you the appropriate foundation to achieve your long-term goals, both in your career and in potentially continuing your education further.

What do nurses say?

Discussions with successful nurses who have completed this process have revealed that, unlike personal statements for academic programs, this essay has a more personal bent. Revealing your altruism and desire to help people, as well as your motivation toward expanding your knowledge and personal growth are appropriate in these essays. You should also highlight how your increased knowledge and growth will allow you to help your patients and become a more effective practitioner. Emphasizing these things while telling an anecdotal story about volunteer work, an aid job, or other experiences will allow you the ability to express these things while demonstrating your unique skills and understanding of the field. Another point often made by individuals who have been successful in furthering their education, and therefore in writing these letters, is that it is sometimes appropriate to discuss your background disadvantages; perhaps you did not achieve top grades because you also had to work full time, for example. Communicating this to reviewers demonstrates that you can persevere in times of hardship and remained committed to your education.

Recapitulation of key points:

• Emphasize what makes you a unique applicant.
• Discuss why you want to be a nurse, and in what field, in a way that conveys your personality and sets you apart.
• Remember that this is a professional document; use formal language, not contractions.
• Do not start your personal statement essay with "I have always wanted to be a nurse." or "I have always wanted to help people." These, and similar sentiments, are common in these essays. An intriguing opening statement will get the attention of the application review committee and make you more memorable. Remember, the reviewers are reading hundreds of these a day, if not more.
• Refrain from reiterating the information that can be found in your application. Not only is this redundant, but you will be forfeiting the opportunity to demonstrate to the review panel how you stand apart from the other applicants.
• Research each program and write a letter that demonstrates why the program is a good fit for you.
• Remember to showcase any skills you have developed that will make you a successful student as well as a long-term asset to the program.

These techniques will allow you to compose a more competitive personal statement for any program you choose. A well-researched and written essay will give you an edge during the application process. Make yourself stand out from the rather large crowd of applicants with a compelling introductory statement and remember to be your (professional) self. This will help to ensure that you get accepted into a program that is a good fit for you, your education, and your career goals. Apply to multiple programs at a variety of levels of competitiveness, you will not get admitted into every program you apply to, but hopefully you will get into the right one.

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Tips for Writing a Great Nursing Personal Statement

When preparing to apply to a graduate nursing program, there are many requirements and submission guidelines to remember. The component that allows you to tell your unique story — your personal statement — is one of the most important.

Writing a compelling personal statement for an MSN program, like the Nursing@Simmons online  Family Nurse Practitioner  (FNP)  or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs, takes time and can be challenging for some applicants. Just as a poorly written essay can hinder your chances of acceptance, a great one can set you apart from other applicants. Below are three steps to writing a personal statement that will make a positive impression on any admissions committee.

1. Plan Your Story

Very few people can sit down at a keyboard and craft the perfect personal statement without preparation. It may take several weeks of thinking about how to communicate your story, so give yourself plenty of time to plan, jot down thoughts, and make an outline as ideas come to you. Use the following tips to gather the information you’ll need to create an excellent statement.

• Consider how your work experience as a registered nurse (RN) has influenced you and shaped your goals for the future.  How will an advanced education promote your professional growth and help you transition into the role of an FNP or PMHNP?
• Think beyond your resume.  What traits, strengths, and accomplishments aren’t captured there? Consider your interests, including how they will contribute to your success in the program. Provide examples of nursing goals, leadership, mentorship, or growth you have accomplished or experienced. Write these down and keep them in mind as you begin your draft.
• Choose appropriate topics for your statement.  Avoid soapbox issues, and don’t preach to your reader. This kind of statement can come across as condescending and obscure the point you’re trying to make.
• Research the program.  Make sure you understand the school’s values and reputation. Do they align with yours? How so?

2. Create Your Draft

• When it is time to start putting your thoughts on paper, try to avoid overthinking your work.  Strive for a natural voice. Pretend you are talking to a friend and write without fear — you can edit and polish your piece to perfection in the next stage.
• Avoid cliches and nursing generalities.  Generic descriptors, such as “caring,” “compassionate,” “people person,” and “unique,” have been so often overused that they no longer carry much weight with an admissions committee. They also don’t address your personal experience in the nursing sphere. Try not to start your story with phrases like “for as long as I can remember” or your audience may stop reading.
• Show, don’t tell.  Strong storytelling is grounded in personal details that illustrate who you are, both as a nurse and a person. Be specific by describing how many patients you managed, how you earned promotions, or a time when your supervisor praised your professionalism and clinical abilities. Here are examples that illustrate the difference between telling and showing: 

“I perform well under pressure.”

“Although my patient arrived for a different ailment, I suspected that her symptoms were consistent with a serious infection. As a result, I was able to advocate for a care plan that prevented further damage.”

• Use specific examples when talking about your experience with direct patient care and evidence-based practice.  Provide details about how your clinical experiences have demonstrated patient advocacy, leadership, communication, or confidence.
• Discuss how earning a  Master of Science in Nursing  aligns with your career plans and why you want to become a FNP  or PMHNP .  Explain that you understand the commitment required and that you have the skills and dedication to become an FNP   or PMHNP. Be sure to let the admissions committee know why you are choosing their program and what makes their program stand apart from the rest. Reflect on the school and program research you did during your planning stage.

3. Edit and Perfect

Even the best writers have to edit and polish their work. Reviewing and revising your personal statement ensures that the piece is clear, organized, and free of errors.

• Once you have written your first draft, take a break and distance yourself from your work.  This will allow you to return to the draft with a clear head to review objectively and spot potential issues and errors.
• Read your statement aloud.  Does it sound like you? Does it reflect your best qualities and the strengths you’ll bring to a nursing program?
• Always use spell check on your essay, but be careful as it won’t catch every spelling error.
• Use a grammar editing tool, such as  Grammarly .
• Ask a friend, family member, or mentor to review your statement. This is a great way to catch errors or awkward phrasing that you may have missed.

Your nursing personal statement should be a window into your life. Use it to share specific experiences that have influenced your decision to advance your nursing education. Adhering to professional standards and presenting yourself in a positive, open, and honest way will help the admissions committee determine your fit and future in an FNP or PMHNP program.

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20 Nurse Practitioner Personal Statement Examples You’ll Regret If Don’t See It

Not all people know about the nurse practitioner job. Even it has been popular at the 1990s, nowadays only tiny people know what nurse practitioners are and what they do. However, being a nurse practitioner is a promising job. Since the government offers a high salary towards nurse practitioners. Want to be one? Here are some nurse practitioner personal statement examples you’ve got to write.

What Is Nurse Practitioner?

The nurse practitioner is a professional nurse that works individually. It’s not having a contract with hospital employers or any institutes else. If it has, the nurse practitioner usually becomes the person who gets to do analysis and controlling job. Unlike a regular nurse who has to be the “doctor’s assistant”, a nurse practitioner works by him/herself. And get paid by the professional job they’ve done apart from others.

Things You Need To Write A Nurse Practitioner Personal Statement

When you want to be a nurse practitioner, you need to apply first to the health institute where you live. If your application is successful, you’ll get the legal permit to open your own service. However, one of the requirements you must provide is the personal statement. You’ll some nurse practitioner personal statement examples on the last section of this article. Now, let’s talk about what you need to get before writing a personal statement.

The Required Educational Background

When you want to be a nurse practitioner, you must at least hold a master degree in nursing studies. Besides, you must show that you’re capable enough in the analysis. It can be proven by how many research you’ve done, and how many journals you’ve written.

The Reputable Experiences

Aside from the educational background, you must have honorable experiences. Especially on the nursing job. Show how many social works you’ve done. How many people affected by your works. And if possible, how many places improved by your dedication. It seems like a hard job. But this is obviously an ideal nurse practitioner has to have.

The Awards and Achievements

If possible, you need to mention awards and achievement you ever got on the past. From the awards and achievements, the government will know directly that you’re worth to be a nurse practitioner.

The Length of Your Dedication to Nursing

At last, you need to mention on your nurse practitioner statement about the time you work on this field. Say how long you’ve dedicated yourself to nursing.

How To Make A Nurse Practitioner Personal Statement To Make Your Application Successful

If you want to make a nurse practitioner personal statement, you have to arrange the draft first. Here are things you need to include on your draft.

Your Life Background

On your nurse practitioner personal statement, you must write the background of yourself. In which family you were born, how many daughters you have, and so on.

Your Professional Experience

Second, write about your professional experience. Tell about where you were worked previously, what position you got, and how long you worked there.

Last but important is your goals. It has to be your personal goals. Explain the reason why you want to be a nurse practitioner. Tell how many impacts you want to make. And what time you need to reach the goals.

Mistakes Often Found on Nurse Practitioner Personal Statement

There are some mistakes often found on nurse practitioner personal statement. These mistakes eventually made the applicants failed to get the job they want.

• Not saying thanks.
• Lack to explain your goals.
• Think that you’re the most appropriate person.

Nurse Practitioner Personal Statement Example

As a reference, you can download these nurse practitioner personal statement printable and nurse practitioner personal statement pdf.

Nurse Practitioner Personal Statement Examples PDF

Nurse Practitioner Personal Statement Free

Nurse Practitioner Personal Statement Examples Download

Family Nurse Practitioner Personal Statement Examples

Being a nurse practitioner is hard enough. But if you want to make a real impact, you have to give efforts as much as you can. Writing a good personal statement can help you through it.

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How to write a personal statement for nursing school.

Reviewed by:

Jonathan Preminger

Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine

Reviewed: 6/19/23

Writing a personal statement for nursing school can be a daunting task, but we’re here to help! Here’s everything you need to know about writing a personal statement for nursing school.

Writing your personal statement is a nerve-wracking experience, no matter what program you’re applying for . You may be wondering: “what are nursing schools looking for in a personal statement?” or, “how can I make my personal statement for nursing school stand out?” Lucky for you, we’ve got some answers. 

Here we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing a personal statement for nursing school. We’ve included a breakdown of the components to include, examples of nursing school personal statements, and tips to improve your own. 

Let’s get started!

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

What Is a Nursing School Personal Statement?

When applying to nursing schools , you’ll most likely notice that most applications require a personal statement. A personal statement is a short essay, typically no longer than two pages, that tells your target schools a little bit about who you are. 

Each school has different expectations for the length and contents of your personal statement, so make sure to check the specific requirements of your target schools. Some common topics include your personal goals for nursing school and why you want to become a nurse.

Nursing School Personal Statement Format

Before writing your personal statement for nursing school, you should plan out what you want to include. If your school does not ask you to answer a specific question with your essay, here is a list of what you should include in your nursing school personal statement.

An Introduction

The introductory paragraph should focus on what brought you to this point. Your school primarily wants to get to know you as a candidate through your personal statement. Your intro should include things like:

• How you first became interested in nursing
• What inspires you about becoming a nurse
• What you intend to achieve through a nursing degree

In this paragraph, your main goal is to introduce yourself and give the admissions committee a bit of background on your passion for nursing. Perhaps you have a family member who inspired you to pursue nursing, you grew up near a hospital, or you’ve struggled with health issues yourself - these are all great examples of an origin story. 

Think to yourself: “If my journey into nursing school was a movie, how would it begin?”

Body Paragraph(s)

In the body paragraph(s) of your nursing school personal statement, you can include a bit about your achievements. However, this isn’t the place to simply list your achievements. 

Think about how your experiences helped you to develop skills for nursing school . Include things like:

• How you’ve furthered your interest in nursing through experience (both in and out of school)
• How your achievements make you a good fit for the program
• Specific things about the program that interests you

The body portion of your essay should contain the majority of the information you want to include. Make sure to only include accomplishments if they help to explain how you’ll contribute to the program. Your CV will list any other achievements that don’t come into play here.

A Strong Conclusion

Your personal statement should end on a positive note. Think about summarizing your statement by looking toward the future. Include things like:

• Your future ambitions following nursing school
• What you’ll be able to contribute to the program 

The end of your body paragraph(s) should mention what you hope to achieve in the future with your nursing degree and lead into your conclusion. The final sentences of your personal statement should further state your passion for your program and how you’ll be a great fit at your target school. 

What Not to Write in a Personal Statement for Nursing School

Before getting into our tips and examples, let’s go over what not to include in your personal statement for nursing school. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when crafting your personal statement. 

Keep it Simple

Your personal statement should be authentic and genuine, but make sure to keep the brief in mind while you’re writing. As mentioned above, a personal statement is typically no longer than two pages in length. 

You should absolutely include some personal anecdotes; in fact, we encourage it! Just make sure to stick to the relevant parts of your story and not to elaborate too much on areas that are not relevant to your application. 

Do Not Reiterate Your CV

Your personal statement is an essay, not a resume. Keep in mind that your application already contains all of your achievements on your CV, transcripts, and other application materials. 

Your personal statement is about understanding your passion and motivations. You can use examples from your CV to further assert your interest in the program, but only if you can elaborate on how they’ve specifically helped you on your journey to nursing school. 

Tips for Writing a Stellar Nursing Personal Statement

Let’s go over a few tips on how you can improve your personal statement. Using these tips can help to make your personal statement and essays for your nursing school application stand out while remaining authentic and genuine. 

Create A Timeline

When writing your personal statement, your focus should be on telling your story. Creating a clear timeline of events can help to effectively tell the story of how you decided to apply for nursing. 

Start with how you became interested in nursing, develop your story with experiences that have cultivated your knowledge, and conclude by talking about your program and your future goals. A timeline will make your essay easy to read and give the admissions committee a good idea of your journey so far.

Stick To the Brief

If your target school(s) give you a specific prompt for your personal statement, make sure to refer back to the prompt while writing your essay to ensure you’re staying on track. 

For example, if your prompt asks you a question, be sure to answer the question at the beginning, the end, and throughout your essay. Your personal statement shouldn’t be vague or veer too far off course. 

Speak From the Heart

It is crucial in your nursing personal statement to share what makes you unique . This is your chance to show the admissions committee why you’d be a perfect fit in their program and demonstrate what you bring to the table. 

Include genuine experiences that have pushed you toward nursing throughout your life. Conveying your passions and motivations is critical in your personal statement for nursing school.

Do Your Research 

One great way to make your nursing personal statement stand out is to do thorough research on your program and include it in your piece. Showing your passion for the specific program. you’re applying to can give you an edge over others and impress the admissions committee. 

When you include your research, be sure to add it organically into your writing. Use your research as a way to connect your personal experiences to the program rather than simply listing information.

Nursing School Personal Statement Examples

Here are two nursing personal statement examples that were written successfully. We’ve also included explanations of how they are good examples to help you improve your own personal statement. 

*Important note: Do not use our samples in your nursing school application. These examples are meant to serve as a guide when crafting your own original personal statement for nursing school. 

Example #1: Indeed ’s Nursing School Personal Statement Sample

“I walked backward down the hill, my arms supporting the weight of the wheelchair as its wheels rolled slowly in reverse. Sunlight danced through the trees around us and shone in my grandmother's hair as she sat inside the wheelchair. I couldn't see my grandmother's face from that angle, but I could hear her laughing with joy as she enjoyed the outdoors for the first time in weeks. My grandmother came to live with my family two years ago after breaking her hip. Although she completed much of her recovery at our home, Nurse George came by every day to perform my grandmother's personal care tasks, monitor her vital signs and assist with her physical therapy exercises. George also taught me some basic patient care practices, such as how to support a wheelchair correctly while going downhill. I had never considered a career in nursing before, but George helped me see the rewards of helping people with their medical conditions and injuries. I am excited by this opportunity to apply to Fern Hill's College of Nursing because I appreciate your program's specialization in rehabilitation nursing. Being a part of my grandmother's recovery team has inspired me to pursue a nursing career that helps patients recover from injuries or medical conditions. I believe that your school's emphasis on assisting patients in regaining their independent skills can help me achieve these professional aspirations. Since realizing that I want to become a nurse, I have become a regular volunteer at Jefferson Rehabilitation Center. I mentor young people struggling with drug addictions and provide childcare for the children of rehabilitation patients. There is no feeling comparable to when a mentee or outgoing patient offers you a sincere "thank you." I can no longer imagine pursuing a career where I do not get to help people overcome their challenges and navigate their way to recovery. My experiences helping my grandmother and patients at Jefferson have taught me the value of empathy and communication. Frequently, my mentees simply want someone to listen to them. I do my best to give them a judgment-free space in which to share their stories. Whether the medical issue is emotional or physical, patients appreciate working with flexible and considerate people. I believe I embody these qualities by actively listening and letting patients talk at their own pace. I am ready to pursue a nursing career and learn about helping patients in a more professional and technical capacity. Fern Hill's College of Nursing is the ideal place to prepare for my future nursing career.”

Why this is a good example: In this example, the writer has done an excellent job of telling the story of how they became interested in nursing. They also develop a clear timeline of events from when they first thought about nursing to how they began developing their skills through volunteering. 

Most importantly, the candidate mentions specific reasons why they’re interested in the program and how they feel they can contribute to the school and field. 

Example #2: Johns Hopkins University Nursing Personal Statement Sample

“I grew up close to a hospital, where I watched patients go through the double doors for a variety of ailments. From a young age, this drove me to develop a strong interest in the field of medicine. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the future that would allow me to take care of those in need. Through my courses in the natural sciences as well as social studies, I have continued to develop my knowledge in the field in order to be ready to continue my education. Now, I am ready to take the next step in my education by applying for the Nursing program at Johns Hopkins University.  Three years ago I completed a nursing shadowing internship that opened my eyes to many of the daily struggles of being a nurse. During my time in the clinic and on the wards, I had the opportunity to work In the critical care and trauma ward as well as In obstetrics and geriatrics. These various experiences showed me the diverse role that nurses play in a healthcare setting, and emphasized the importance of empathy and dedication to patient care.  Johns Hopkins University Is known worldwide for its focus on patient wellness and medical research. As a nursing student at Hopkins, I hope to not only further the institution's goal of providing exceptional patient care, but also to assist with the many clinical trials ongoing at the hospital that pave the way for new treatments. Through hands-on training with knowledgeable staff, I know that I will be able to make the most of my nursing training at Johns Hopkins and become a nursing professional that is capable of enhancing patient wellness in a healthcare setting.”

Why this is a good example: In this example, the writer develops a clear timeline and clearly defines their relevant information. The writer covers when they first became interested in nursing, courses they’ve taken, and what experiences have made them get serious about the profession. 

Finally, they include why they are specifically interested in the program at Johns Hopkins and conclude by adding what they will add to the program as a student.

FAQs: How to Write a Personal Statement for Nursing School

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about nursing school personal statements. 

1. Do All Nursing Schools Require A Personal Statement?

Almost all nursing schools require a personal statement, which can typically be described as a short essay (2 pages or less) that explains who you are and why you want to attend the school’s nursing program.

2. Is a Personal Statement for Nursing School an Essay?

Yes, a personal statement is a short essay that briefly describes your past, present, and future experiences in relation to nursing.

3. How Long Should A Nursing Personal Statement Be?

Each nursing school has different length requirements, which can typically be found in the prompt. If no length is specified, two pages or less is recommended. 

4. What Should I Include In My Nursing School Personal Statement?

Your nursing personal statement should include:

• Why you want to become a nurse
• What inspires you about nursing
• Elaborate on the experiences you’ve had that have taught you about nursing
• Program-specific reasons for your interest in the school
• How you intend to contribute to the program and the field of nursing

If your school’s personal statement asks a specific question, that question should be answered throughout your essay. 

5. Does Nursing Require Essays?

Yes, most nursing program applications require personal statement essays, and some require secondary (or supplemental) essays as well.

6. When Should I Write My Personal Statement for Nursing School?

You should begin writing your personal statement(s) for nursing school as soon as you receive the prompt. Make sure to give yourself an adequate amount of time to complete all sections of your application before the deadline.

7. How do you Start a Personal Statement for Nursing School?

To start a compelling nursing personal statement, there are a few different writing techniques you can use. You can start by introducing yourself, start by talking about how you became interested in nursing, or you can start “in the action” by cutting right into your story. 

Final Thoughts

Your personal statement for nursing school should be genuine, heartfelt, and express how you will make an excellent addition to your target school’s nursing program through a series of examples. 

Each personal statement you write should be adjusted to suit the individual program you are applying for. Sending a general personal statement with every application you submit is impersonal and not recommended. Make sure to follow your brief closely and map out your essay before writing it to ensure you include all of the relevant information. 

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Nursing School Personal Statement: 5 Best Examples

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These outstanding nursing school personal statement examples have been approved by our admission experts who have helped countless students get into their top choice nursing programs. Whether you are at the beginning stages of a nursing career looking to apply to nursing school or wanting to further your career by becoming a nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist, you will probably have to write a nursing school personal statement to gain admission to your program of choice. Your nursing school personal statement is one of the best ways to stand out in a nursing school application . In this blog, we are going to guide you in the process of crafting a strong personal statement that highlights your skills as well as the characteristics you possess that make you a good fit for the program.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

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Article Contents 20 min read

Nursing school personal statement examples, nursing school personal statement sample 1.

I stood there not knowing what to do and being completely sure I had made the biggest mistake of my life. My decision to travel to a remote area of the Amazon jungle in Colombia to work as an elementary school tutor felt like the right one at first, but as soon as I got there, I regretted it. Being faced with the harsh reality of a struggling community made me feel completely out of place. It was heart breaking to witness such a palpable scarcity of resources and realize that there was not much that I could do. It took a lot of determination and adaptability to overcome the shock. Eventually, I learned to navigate this new world and embrace my role in the community. I planned lessons for the children and used all my free time to teach their parents to read and write. I developed teaching materials adapting them to my students’ context in order to make them meaningful. In the end, I realized I had become part of their lives, and I was humbled to have met such an amazing group of people. This experience taught me the true meaning of altruism and the value of hard work. This, alongside the cultural sensitivity that I developed, is what I am bringing with me to this new step in my life.

Becoming a nurse has been my goal for a long time. As a child, due to an unfortunate kitchen accident, I burned my arms with hot water and had to stay in the hospital for serval days. I remember being very scared and in pain, but there was a lady in a white uniform who would come to visit me every afternoon. I always enjoyed seeing her because she spoke to me in a way that almost seemed like she was telling me a story, and that put me at ease. One day, I asked her why she always wore white, and she said she was a nurse. ‘A nurse’, I said to myself, thinking that was exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. She was kind and compassionate, and she knew how to explain things. Those traits that I learned from her are the same skills that I have been honing ever since, as I know they will be essential in my future profession.

I could see my breath crystalize in the air as I exhaled, dribbling and dodging the opposing players on my way to the goal. “I’m open,” shouted my teammate, poised right in front of the penalty box, waving his arms. Two more players stood between me and the goal. I hesitated, wondering if I should trust my teammate or try to score the winning point. Turning, I launched the ball into the air with a swift kick, and watched nervously as my teammate stopped it and sent it soaring above the goalie’s head. As the crowd erupted in celebratory cheers, the game time buzzer rang out across the field and I knew I had done the right thing. Every team victory that season was a personal victory, sparking a feeling of elation that I seek to replicate as a member of whichever health care team I have the privilege of joining.

My biggest soccer fan was always my grandmother, who even brought orange slices for the team to practices, claiming, “The little things are the most important!” Several winters ago, my grandmother unknowingly exposed me to nursing when she was hospitalized with pneumonia so severe that we were unsure if she would survive. Though her whole care team was dedicated, her nurse, Jackie, always went above and beyond to make sure my grandmother was comfortable and happy. Every day, Jackie would pop her head into the room and say “How’s my girl today?” or stop what she was doing to run a cool cloth over my grandmother’s feverish forehead. Each time I had to leave the hospital was gut-wrenching, but I felt better knowing that nurse Jackie treated my grandmother with such empathy. I remember being in awe of her kindness when I found out she left my grandmother sticky notes filled with encouraging messages while she was sleeping. When my grandmother asked her why she spent so much time on such little things when she had so many patients to attend to, Jackie winked and whispered, “The little things are the most important!” While I did not know I wanted to be a nurse in that moment, observing the profound impact Jackie made on my grandmother sparked a strong desire to explore the medical field.

Inspired by Jackie’s compassion for patients like my grandmother, I aimed to make the same difference when I signed up to volunteer at Riverview Hospital. With lofty goals of becoming a physician, I threw myself into my volunteering efforts, often coming in early or staying late to help stock supplies. Whenever I had a spare moment, I would chat with a patient, rearrange their pillows, or a myriad of other small things. One of the most striking aspects of my volunteering experience was how little time Riverview doctors were able to spend with their patients due to the sheer number of people to whom they had to attend. Nurses, on the other hand, had near constant interaction with longer-term patients: assisting them to the bathroom, administering medications, or changing IV fluid bags while chatting with them about how they were feeling. I was reminded of Jackie when I watched how tenderly one of the nurses changed their wincing patient’s bandages, all while trying to distract them with friendly conversation. Even aside from the comforting gestures I witnessed so frequently, it was the little things that made such a huge difference in patients’ wellbeing. Without nurses there to help execute the game play, the team would never score! Always a team-player, I knew I wanted to be a nurse.

Though my time spent on the soccer field is less and less these days, I am thrilled about the possibility of joining a new team and working hard to bring us to victory. My introduction to nursing through nurse Jackie could not have been better. Seeing the relief she brought to my grandmother in her most vulnerable state inspired me to do the same for others. Watching the nurses at Riverview Hospital expertly fulfill their duties while treating each patient as an individual cemented my desire to become a nurse who remembers that the little things are the most important. I want to be there with the assist right before the buzzer, helping my patients win, because every victory on a care team will be personal. (Word count: 719)

Nursing School Personal Statement Sample 3

“Help!” my friend Jack screamed as his faced swelled up due to an extreme allergic reaction to a candy bar he had just eaten. At the time, I did not know what to do, except to call for an ambulance. As we arrived at the hospital, I stayed by my friend’s side to offer my support. I saw the physicians and nurses swarmed around him, ready to take action. After my friend’s condition had been stabilized, he was left with the fear of another anaphylactic episode. It was his nurse that was able to calm his fears as she educated him on anaphylaxis and how to make the appropriate dietary changes. While I did not know how to respond with medical attention when my friend needed me, I gained a new purpose. I was inspired to become a nurse and to guide patients in times of uncertainty through compassion and education.  

To build my understanding of the nursing profession, I pursued experiences that would allow me to gain first-hand experience in the healthcare field. I secured a volunteer position at a children’s hospital where I was responsible for checking patients in and ensuring they were comfortable as they waited for their appointments. I was eager to practice helping calm patient nerves, just as the nurse had done for my friend Jack. Through consoling a memorable patient, named ‘Ryan,’ I learned the importance of working in a team of professionals. ‘Ryan’ was crying as he waited for his appointment since he was experiencing pain due to a broken leg. I talked to Ryan in an attempt to calm him down, but I was initially unsuccessful. To hone my approach, I asked a nurse on staff at the hospital how she approached children that are in pain. She shared with me that it is helpful to try to get their mind off the pain, for example by distracting them with an entertaining story. The next time I saw a patient crying like ‘Ryan’ had been, I was armed with funny jokes and engaging stories from my own childhood that I could share to take their mind off of the pain they were experiencing. From my time as a hospital volunteer, I learned that feedback from a team is critical to advancing professionally and providing optimal patient care. I look forward to becoming a nurse myself and working with my team of healthcare professionals to achieve this common goal. 

In my final year of university, I became involved with clinical research; as a research assistant, I approached patients in the same children’s hospital in which I had earlier been a volunteer, but now I worked to enroll patients in our research study. My purpose was to explain the goal of the study to families in the hospital, educating them on its potential impact and answering any questions they had about enrolling. This task was challenging because I was approaching families that I had not yet built a rapport with, and I needed to establish trust before asking if they wanted to enroll their child in our study. This required empathy for the hardship they were experiencing with a sick child, as well as an understanding of how to relay complex information in a way that was approachable to a variety of audiences. I learned that it is best to first ask the patient, or their family, what their understanding of a topic is to establish a baseline from which to build a conversation. In the future, as a nurse, I hope to apply what I have learned to build rapport with patients and their families for greater healthcare outcomes while ensuring that my patients are comfortable under my care. 

Since my friend Jack’s anaphylactic episode, I have taken the initiative to explore the field of nursing and to build the teamwork and communication skills needed to be a successful future nurse. I look forward to my first day of nursing school where I will be surrounded by peers that share the same vision for the future as me: to train as a nurse in order to provide outstanding care to those in distress alongside a team of dedicated professionals. (696 words)

Nursing School Personal Statement Sample 4

Nursing school personal statement sample 5.

The process of creating a strong nursing personal statement starts even before you begin writing. There is a certain amount of preparation that should take place to identify the specific information you want to include in your essay. So, make sure you take all the necessary steps before you are faced with the daunting, but fun, task of writing your first draft. Remember to give yourself between 6 to 8 weeks to write your statement. Be prepared to write several drafts as you edit and change your essay!

The Brainstorming Stage

The first step is what we call the brainstorming stage. You will need to do some soul searching and write many ideas as they come to you. Working on this step can take you anywhere between a couple of hours to a whole week. It really depends on you and how much you can actually remember from your personal history. There are two types of information that you will need to focus on at this stage: 

#1 Personal experiences

The goal behind this step is to start gathering information about your personal story and about any experiences that you have had from which you learned something valuable. The lessons you learned should relate directly to nursing or have contributed to your decision to become a nurse . You want to answer the question: “ Why do you want to be a nurse? ”

In order to do this, think about your life as a child, the characteristics of the place where you were born and raised, any meaningful experiences that may have sparked your interest in the nursing field, any contact that you had with the healthcare world, or any healthcare workers in your family that had some influence on you. Then consider your high school and teenage years and any events that may have increased your interest in becoming a nurse. How did you finalize your decision to apply to nursing school? Did you have an ‘a-ha’ moment, or was it a more gradual process? Whatever the answers to these questions may be, be sure to identify these key moments because they will be useful for addressing the thesis of your essay, which is why you decided to devote your life to a career in nursing.

Here are some examples of meaningful experiences that can potentially spark, or validate, an individual’s interest to become a nurse or what nursing means to you :

• Being raised in a rural area with limited access to health care and wanting to do something about it in the future;
• Growing up in an urban setting where great social disparity is evident and identifying opportunities to contribute to levelling up these differences;
• Experiencing a personal injury or diagnosis that created opportunities to interact with nurses in a clinical setting;
• Watching the illness of a loved one and seeing the impact that nurses have on a patient’s journey;
• Volunteering at something related to the health sciences or an unrelated field with plenty of opportunities for helping others and interacting with them;
• Conducting research in something related to the field;
• Being involved in extracurricular activities that can lead to reaching a high level of compassion or maturity

Remember to always follow show, don’t tell in any personal statement you write:

#2 Nursing school research

Gather as much information as you can about the program so you can identify the specific things you like about it. It is very important to know the reason, or reasons, why you want to apply to a specific program.

In order to do this, you can look at the program’s website and pinpoint two or three specific aspects that interest you. Do you like the program’s curriculum? If so, what do you like about it? Do you like the research lab? Why do you like it? Have you done research in the past? Has this prepared you to make good use of this lab and contribute to whatever research they do here? Do you like the extracurricular initiatives the program offers? Do these align with any extracurricular activities you did in the past? Do you like the opportunities for patient interaction that the program provides? Why? Have you had patient interactions before? What did you learn from them that you can use moving forward? Knowing the specific reasons why you have chosen this program in particular is essential to write a strong essay later on.

Remember that besides telling universities what you hope to get from them, you will also need to show how you can complement their program. Showing what you can bring to the table, by referencing specific experiences you have had in these areas of interest, is the best way for programs to know that you will be successful if you are admitted. 

Look at these skills that are essential in the nursing field, and which are highly valued by nursing schools. You have probably already developed many of these throughout your life and through your experiences. Try to match these values and traits directly to your personal experiences in your essay.

As previously mentioned, the main goal of the brainstorming stage is to identify your reason for wanting to become a nurse as well as the relevant personal experiences that you can reference to support this decision. We suggest you make a list of five to seven experiences that you could potentially include in your essay. This list is going to be significantly reduced later to one or two, but it is good to have a good amount to start with.

As soon as you identify these meaningful experiences, be sure to also identify what you learned from them; that is, the skills you developed, the characteristics you refined, or any learning that resulted from going through these events in your life. Think about this carefully and select those skills that align with the ones your program of choice values. The information collected here is going to be essential later on when you start writing your essay.

Like any other academic essay, your nursing school personal statement should follow an academic structure and be organized in three major sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. See below for information on what each of these sections should include:

1. Introduction

This is your opening paragraph and, as such, it is the first impression you are going to cause on your readers; that is, the members of the admission committee. The purpose of an introduction is to act as a road map that allows the reader to understand where your story is going.

Important to remember here is the fact that an introduction can make or break your essay, so you need to come up with a very good opening sentence. This is the one that will draw the reader in and make them want to keep reading. Your opening sentence can be a quote, an anecdote, an event, or any idea that is captivating and enticing.

For example:

• “It was three in the morning, and I was sitting in an empty room trying to think how my life had come to this.”
• “He did not need to say anything; I knew something was wrong just by looking at him.”

Sentences such as these ones will leave the reader wanting to know more. There is a reason opening sentences are also called ‘hook’ sentences. Can you think of a good hook sentence to open your essay with? 

2. Body Paragraphs

The body of your essay is where you elaborate on the ideas introduced in your opening by providing personal examples. Remember all the brainstorming we asked you to do? This is where that information comes in handy. Your body paragraphs should include information about those meaningful experiences that you have gone through that have sparked and solidified you interest in pursuing a career in nursing.

Depending on the word limit required by your program, you will decide how many of these experiences to include. We asked you to come up with five to seven during the brainstorming stage of the writing process. Now, since our recommendation is quality over quantity, you should plan to include maximum two or three experiences and present one experience in each paragraph. Of course, one experience per paragraph is not all it takes. Besides presenting the experience, you need to include what skills or characteristics you developed because of this event and how you will be able to apply these skills moving forward in your nursing profession.

In case the program provided a specific question or prompt to be addressed, add a fourth paragraph where you answer this question. It is important to tell the program what they want to know, so do not forget to include this information as part of your body paragraphs.

Mention how your skills can be drawn upon in the future in order to give the admissions committee a glimpse of the type of nurse and professional you are going to be. Remember some of the essential skills in the nursing profession that we mentioned above and see how they connect to your past experiences. 

3. Conclusion

The same way we place great importance on the introduction of a nursing school personal statement, we also want to emphasize the big role that your concluding paragraph has on your entire text. The most important thing we can tell you is that a conclusion should not be a summary. It should, instead, be a place to emphasize some of the major ideas you previously discussed and, when possible, it should circle back to the introduction.

Conclusions have to be insightful and captivating. They should convey a sense of closure and an invitation to keep reflecting on the ideas that were presented in the essay. Think that this is the very last thing that the admissions committee will read from you. What is the last impression that you want to leave on these people? Be creative! 

Here are some more nursing school personal statement examples to help you!

Here are some other aspects about drafting your personal statement to be considered:

Besides all the information that you brainstormed from your own personal history and from the programs\u2019 websites regarding the areas that interest you, there is something else that should be part of the content of your essay, and that is the prompt. You need to be aware of the prompt of the essay provided to you by the program, and you always want to address it. Some programs will ask for a general essay describing your motivations to become a nurse, in which case the information you gathered during the brainstorming stage will suffice, while others will give you a specific question to answer, in which case one paragraph of your essay should be devoted to answering said question.  ","label":"Content","title":"Content"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

No matter how much effort and time you put in writing your personal statement, there is a high probability that the committee members will not spend too much time reading it. Do not take this personally. They go through many application documents from many applicants like you and do not want to waste too much time reading one single essay, especially if it is not interesting enough. They want, instead, to be able to identify in a few minutes whether you are the person they are looking for.

This, of course, creates the need for applicants to write essays that have great content, great structure, and that have that ‘it’ factor that will make them stand out in a nursing school application . Your essay should be easy to read and have a great narrative. It should not read like a nursing school application resume or list every single experience you have had in chronological order. As we mentioned before, quality is better than quantity, and your nursing school personal essay should have precisely that: quality.

What experiences should end up in your body paragraphs? That is up to you. What we can suggest is that you diversify the content by highlighting experiences from different dimensions of your life. Having one of the paragraphs address a personal experience, the second address a research or academic experience, and the third address a volunteering or extracurricular activity is much better than including three experiences related to only research, for instance. Be strategic in how you showcase your skills!

Follow these steps to start drafting you essay: 

• Remember all the information you brainstormed earlier? The first thing you need to do is identify the top three experiences from your life that you want to include. 
• Once you have them, write them in bullet points. Create one bullet point for each that mentions what the experience is. 
• Then, expand each bullet point into sentences and these sentences into paragraphs. 
• As we mentioned above, each paragraph should have three essential elements: what the experience was (i.e., the meaningful experience), the main takeaways you got from it (i.e., skills you developed, characteristics you enhanced, etc.), and future applications (i.e., how you can apply this learning moving forward). 
• Once you have your paragraphs ready to go, make sure you start each one of them with a good opening sentence. Each paragraph should follow the same structure of the general essay. This will create flow and cohesion between ideas.
• You can look at sample medical school personal statements and think how these medical school essays could be applied to the nursing field.

Ok, so you finished writing your first draft. Good job! However, this is only the beginning. Once you are happy with your first draft, you will need to receive expert feedback on it. Having a professional like a nursing school admissions consulting service look at your essay and suggest changes to enhance what you have written is vital to create a strong product. You will see that, more often than not, these experts will be able to identify weak areas and ineffective ideas that you will not perceive.

Once someone else looks at your essay, be sure to incorporate their suggestions, work on editing and polishing up your document, and do another revision. Crafting the perfect essay that will grant you admission to your dream program is a process that should be done carefully and conscientiously. That means multiple revisions and edits are essential. In general, writing a strong competitive essay does not happen overnight. The whole process can take several weeks. So, be prepared to put in the effort and remember to do some happy writing!

The nursing school personal statement should highlight some of your most meaningful personal experiences and the skills you gained through them that will make you a great nursing professional. It should provide a good narrative that will help the admissions committee know more about you as a person and about your chance to be successful in their program. By showing that you possess certain skills that are important in the nursing profession, the committee members will see that you are a good fit.

Writing your personal essay is not an easy task and should not be taken lightly, but when you finally finish writing and look at the amazing essay you have created, you will feel satisfied with the job you did and will be able to show your program of choice why they need to have you.

No. Essays may or may not be required, depending on the program. You can check this portal and this portal to learn more.

No. There are a few steps that you wan to follow before you actually start writing. One of those is the brainstorming stage, and it will help you come up with all the ideas and information that you will need to write a good essay.

Personal information and information about the program or the areas that interest you.

Personal experiences that have been meaningful enough and that have allowed you to develop different skills that are important in the nursing field.

You need to identify the two or three areas of the program that attract you the most and see how those relate to your own experiences.

To identify the reasons that have led you to pursue a career in nursing.

It should have an academic structure and include an introduction, three or four body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Yes, it is! You need to stay within the limit in order to show that you can be concise and also follow instructions.

Then you make sure you address it. Do not leave this information out, as it is essential to provide the program with the information they want to know.

Because it is the first impression that you are going to have on your readers.

It should begin with a captivating opening sentence in the introduction. A statement, quote, or anecdote that is creative and that sparks curiosity on the reader.

You want to describe one meaningful experience per paragraph (i.e., personal example), include the main takeaways from this experience, and how this learning can be applied in the future.

You need to have an expert give you feedback on it. You may think it is already perfect, but personal essays usually require lots of revisions before they can be at the competitive stage.

It depends on the writer, but it is usually something that does not happen overnight. It usually takes several weeks. It depends on how much access you have to professionals who can provide good feedback and how much time you devote to incorporating their suggestions.

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Effective NP School Personal Statements to Consider

Table of Contents

A personal statement is an invaluable tool for creating a successful career in nursing. It serves as a reflection of one’s qualities, experience and ambition — demonstrating your commitment to the profession.

Crafting a standout personal statement requires skillful articulation of both dedication and knowledge. It must capture the reader’s attention while succinctly conveying what sets you apart from other candidates.

In this article, we will explore effective strategies for constructing a compelling personal statement that can elevate your candidacy above the competition. In addition, you’ll find a few NP school personal statement examples to guide you.

How to Craft an Effective NP School Personal Statement

Your NP school personal statement is an essential part of your application to any nurse practitioner program. You must pay attention and write a convincing essay.

Highlight Relevant Academic Qualification

First and foremost, the statement should highlight information on your academic achievements as well as any certifications or specialties you possess. This offers insight into your qualifications and allows readers to ascertain whether you are qualified for the program.

Additionally, being able to articulate your passion for nursing is critical. Discussing how you decided to toe this career path demonstrates commitment and shows readers that you have a genuine interest in nursing.

Adding stories about meaningful experiences or patients can help show the reader that you are compassionate and capable.

Highlight Your Soft Skills

Beyond the academic qualifications, your essay should also highlight your soft skills, like compassion, leadership and effective communication. It is important for nurses to have these skills as it aids their work.

Write Concisely

In addition to giving details regarding your background and aspirations, NP personal statements must also demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively .

Therefore, it is imperative to use clear and concise language throughout the piece. Writing in a conversational manner that reflects your personality is more likely to captivate the reader than overly formal wording.

Furthermore, if appropriate, including factual examples helps bolster arguments and display knowledge. 

Format Appropriately

Once the content of the statement has been finalized, the focus turns towards ensuring proper formatting and structure. It is advisable to keep paragraphs short and maintain consistency across each section; an easy-to-follow structure will ensure readability. 

NP School Personal Statement Examples

Check out these examples of NP school personal statements before writing yours.

Nursing has been my professional passion since I was a child, and becoming a Nurse Practitioner is the logical culmination of my lifelong goal. From shadowing in medical clinics to volunteering as an Emergency Medical Technician, I have devoted my time and energy to gaining invaluable care-related experience. My knowledge of nursing science and practice deepened through coursework during college and subsequently at various hospitals and healthcare facilities. Seeing the impact of excellent patient care on health outcomes, I’m confident that being a Nurse Practitioner will enable me to serve patients better. 

I strongly believe that this profession is not only rewarding but also crucial for providing comprehensive primary care to communities. As a Nurse Practitioner, I look forward to leveraging my clinical acumen to diagnose and treat ailments. By combining evidence-based protocols with personal empathy and understanding, I aim to become a trustworthy ally for every patient. 

I know that NP education requires considerable dedication. I’m ready to rise to the challenge by employing rigorous self-discipline and advanced studying techniques. Moreover, working together with like-minded people who share similar objectives would provide an indispensable impetus for amplifying my intellectual aptitude. With these qualifications and enthusiasm, I’m certain that a Nurse Practitioner program would be one of the most meaningful decisions in my life.

I seek admission to a nurse practitioner program in order to further my education and professional goals. With a passion for service, I want to read and learn more so that I can effectively care for patients in need. My plan is to build upon the knowledge and experience gained through my prior positions as a registered nurse. I hope to use those skills to provide competent and compassionate care. 

I have had the pleasure of providing healthcare services on the frontline for over 10 years. During this time, I’ve developed expertise in many aspects of nursing. Furthermore, I believe strongly in collaborative practice, which has allowed me to form meaningful relationships with both colleagues and patients alike. These experiences have given me the confidence to take on greater responsibility within the field of nursing. Ultimately, it has led me here to pursue a nurse practitioner degree. 

Not only do I possess knowledge of clinical practices and procedures, but I also am well-versed in health policy, advocacy, and team management. Additionally, I thrive when faced with challenges that require problem-solving or critical-thinking skills. As such, if accepted into your esteemed program, I will bring diverse perspectives and insights based on my past experiences. My ultimate goal is to provide excellent patient-centered care while advancing my professional career by expanding my scope of practice.

Final Thoughts

By taking into consideration these tips and referencing the provided samples, you can create a compelling personal statement.

If you need more help, you should consider using the new Hey INK tool . It is an AI-powered writing assistant that turns your simple instructions into well-written content.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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• Goal Statements for Nurse Practitioner Graduate School Examples

Key Highlights Personal Statements for Nurse Practitioner Graduate School Examples

• A compelling goal statement is pivotal for NP graduate school applications to demonstrate motivations, fit, and communication strengths
• Effective NP goal statements should cover your career ambitions, reasons for pursuing advanced nursing practice, relevant experiences, specialty interests, purpose for graduate study, and program alignment
• Goal statement examples for high-demand NP specialties help showcase practice area interests and future objectives
• Polishing your draft entails tailoring content to each program, highlighting unique talents, and refining technical elements before submission

Nurse practitioners (NPs) play a critical role in healthcare delivery across diverse settings. They provide high-quality primary , acute , chronic, and specialty care to patients of all backgrounds. Many experienced nurses decide to advance their impact and career opportunities further by pursuing a graduate degree to become an NP.

When applying to highly competitive NP graduate programs, candidates must demonstrate their qualifications through various materials like test scores, transcripts, resumes, and recommendation letters. The goal statement is also a pivotal part of the NP school application. This single-page personal statement allows applicants to explain their motivations for becoming a nurse practitioner, highlight relevant nursing experiences, and showcase their stellar communication abilities.

Crafting a compelling, well-written goal statement is challenging. However, excellent NP school goal statements can give applicants a vital edge. This article will provide essential details about writing a standout graduate school goal statement tailored to nurse practitioner programs.

Why a Strong Personal Statement Matters for Nurse Practitioner School

Your goal statement carries significant influence over the admissions decision because it offers valuable insights not found elsewhere in your NP school application. This personal statement plays several important roles:

• Explains Motivations & Interests: The goal statement enables you to delve into the experiences, passions, and visions driving your pursuit of an NP graduate degree. This context is crucial for evaluating your mindset, disposition, and future trajectory.
• Demonstrates Program & Profession Fit: By thoughtfully highlighting your perspectives, qualifications, and objectives related to advanced nursing practice, you can show admissions committees your strong fit with the program’s priorities and the wider nursing profession.
• Showcases Communication Strength: As an aspiring nurse leader, you must be able to convey complex concepts clearly and effectively to diverse audiences. The goal statement provides a perfect platform to display strong written communication abilities expected of exceptional NP graduate candidates.

Since the goal statement offers vital insights into applicants as emerging nurse practitioners, it can profoundly influence admissions decisions when done well. That is why crafting a compelling goal statement is so invaluable for reaching your graduate nursing education dreams.

Elements of a Effective Goals for Nurse Practitioners

Outstanding NP school goal statements include several critical elements that offer admissions committees a 360-degree perspective on applicants. As you brainstorm ideas and craft your statement, be sure to cover these vital areas:

• Career Goals & Aspirations: Share your short-term plans and long-term visions related to nursing practice. Explain how achieving an NP degree connects to your ambitions. Discuss any relevant future leadership goals too.
• Motivations for Becoming an NP: What life experiences, healthcare exposures, or personal attributes motivate you to pursue advanced responsibilities and direct patient care as a nurse practitioner?
• Relevant Nursing Experiences: Spotlight specialized clinical skills, insightful patient interactions, research projects, or nursing leadership experience that equip you for NP-level education and practice.
• NP Specialties of Interest: Name one or more particular NP specialties you wish to focus on. Tie your specialty interests directly to prior nursing exposures or future goals.
• Fit with Program Offerings: Research the program and note specific courses, specialty tracks, practicum partnerships, faculty expertise or other offerings matching your interests.
• Purpose for Graduate Study: Explain why you need NP-focused graduate-level training to accomplish your practice, leadership, research or change-agent objectives.

Incorporating details on these crucial topics into your goal statement provides admissions committees the information they need to evaluate your preparation and motivation for tackling an NP degree program.

NP School Goal Statement Examples

Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

My experience in adult intensive care sparked a calling to become an Acute Care NP. By attaining specialized skills and knowledge to care for seriously ill or injured adult patients, I aim to provide top-quality care coordination, deliver evidence-based treatment, and support families during difficult hospitalizations.

Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Witnessing the lack of empowering end-of-life care options for elderly patients fueled my passion for gerontology and palliative care. As an AGACNP, I want to help older adults with complex acute conditions understand their care choices, align treatment plans with personal values, and improve quality of life through skilled symptom management.

Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

I am truly inspired by my gerontology nurse mentor who formed decades-long care partnerships with senior patients. As an AGPCNP, I aspire to promote healthy aging, provide accessible primary care, coordinate resources, and develop rich therapeutic relationships with older adults facing chronic conditions.

Adult Nurse Practitioner

While working in an outpatient clinic, I grew devoted to delivering equitable care for underserved groups. My goal is to become an Adult NP, drawing on a diversity, equity and inclusion perspective to remove healthcare access barriers, partner with my local community, and empower patients as leaders in their own care.

Adult Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Through my advocacy experiences, I witnessed how gaps in affordable psychiatric mental healthcare disproportionately impact communities of color. My mission is to promote mental wellness, diagnose/manage psychiatric disorders, and deliver culturally humble care as an Adult PMHNP.

Emergency Nurse Practitioner

I found my life’s passion while working alongside Emergency NPs making decisive diagnoses and coordinating urgent care teams under pressure. My goal is to obtain the specialized assessment and treatment skills necessary to provide top-tier emergency care across any acute or critical event.

Family Nurse Practitioner

My vision is to serve entire families as a trusted FNP – from newborns to elders. I want to advocate, educate, and form therapeutic partnerships supporting patient-centered care choices, healthy development, and wellbeing through all of life’s changes. I firmly believe nurses play an invaluable role in guiding families toward their highest health potential.

Gerontology Nurse Practitioner

Given rapid growth in the senior population, I want to specialize as a Gerontology NP to transform ageist attitudes, debunk outdated views of aging, support caregivers, deliver exemplary chronic care, coordinate resources, and improve systems serving the elderly through a social justice lens.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Witnessing intense joy and sorrow in the NICU, I discovered a passion for caring for fragile newborns and families. As a Neonatal NP, I want to support healthy infant development, empower parents, build trust during uncertain times, advocate for patients, and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to foster a just, compassionate care culture.

Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

From volunteering at a pediatric specialty hospital, I grew devoted to supporting ill children and distressed families. My objective is to gain pediatric assessment/treatment expertise as a Peds Acute Care NP who compassionately educates, advocates, coordinates care teams, and eases suffering for young patients facing complex health issues.

Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

My pediatric rotation showed the profound impact early supportive relationships have on lifelong outcomes. As a Peds Primary Care NP, I want to partner with families across the lifespan – delivering accessible care, promoting wellness, accurately diagnosing concerns, innovating services, and connecting patients to resources from a social justice perspective.

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Through volunteering at a mental health crisis center, I discovered a deep passion for psychiatric care advocacy. As a Psychiatric Mental Health NP, I want to diagnose conditions accurately, reduce stigma through education, provide trauma-informed evidence-based therapies, and improve access/affordability of services to serve diverse communities.

Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner

My personal journey through high-risk pregnancy and birth complications shaped my commitment to women’s health advocacy. By becoming a Women’s Health NP, I aim to provide the full continuum of compassionate, empowering gynecologic and obstetric care to women facing health issues unique to females. I believe all women deserve judgment-free support for their family planning decisions.

Tailoring your goal statement to reflect your chosen or prospective NP specialty area better conveys your practice interests, disposition and future ambitions to admissions committees reviewing your application.

Career Goal Statement Do’s and Don’ts

When brainstorming ideas and crafting your nurse practitioner school goal statement, keep these do’s and don’ts in mind:

• Convey genuine passion and convictions driving your NP pursuits
• Showcase relevant nursing experiences, knowledge and transferable skills
• Research the program thoroughly to demonstrate fit
• Tailor content specifically to the target NP specialty and program
• Emphasize leadership ambitions grounded in real examples
• Use a professional yet personable voice in your writing
• Make generic statements lacking meaningful details
• Use clichés or platitudes that sound disingenuous
• Focus on barriers or challenges faced without resolutions
• Portray inflated competencies unrelated to actual abilities
• Pass off content from generic statement samples found online
• Submit an unedited draft without carefully proofreading

Keeping these goal statement best practices in mind while tailoring your content to the target school and NP specialty can help yield an authentic, compelling personal statement that stands out for all the right reasons.

Polishing Your Professional Goals Statement

After completing an initial draft of your nurse practitioner graduate school goal statement, allot time for fine-tuning the content before submission by:

• Tailoring to Each NP Program: Research details about the curriculum, specialty tracks offered, practicum partnerships in the community, program strengths and core focuses. Reflect these specifics in your statement.
• Checking for Clarity & Concision: Review the goal statement from an outside reader’s perspective. Is the narrative cohesive, logical and succinct without redundancy? Consider asking a peer to review your draft.
• Revising to Showcase Talents: What specialized experience, innate strengths, knowledge areas or assets make you uniquely qualified as an NP candidate for this particular program? Revise content to spotlight these talents.
• Perfecting the Technical Details: Verify precise graduate degree names/abbreviations featured in the program’s literature. Double check spelling, grammar and formatting for a polished final document.

Investing effort into multiple rounds of thoughtful editing enables you to put forward the very best version of your NP school goal statement possible. This commitment can pay dividends in terms of admissions outcomes and advancing your nursing practice aspirations.

NP School Personal Statement Conclusion

A well-crafted goal statement is vital for nurse practitioner graduate school candidates seeking to highlight their qualifications, motivations, and fit for highly selective NP programs. This personal statement provides helpful context about your background, aspirations, and purpose that other application components may not fully capture.

As covered in this article, excellent NP goal statements convey genuine passions for advanced nursing practice, align to specialty areas of interest, demonstrate strong communication abilities expected of nurse leaders, and differentiate applicants through unique experiences and perspectives. Model statement examples can help spark ideas when drafting content tailored specifically to your target NP specialties, career objectives, and graduate programs of interest.

Remember to allot ample time for multiple rounds of polishing to showcase your talents persuasively. With a compelling goal statement emphasizing your distinct value as an NP candidate, you can make great strides toward achieving your graduate nursing education dreams.

Best Nurse Practitioner Programs Near Me

We identified the top nurse practitioner programs for you through rigorous research. These premier schools have a record of graduating career-ready nurses who positively impact lives. Starting with the program best fit for you puts purposeful, meaningful work within reach. Let us guide your first steps towards a future of healing hope.

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Best Nurse Practitioner (NP) Methodology

• About the Author
• Latest Posts

Meredith Scannell CNM, MSN, MPH, PhD-student has extensive experience in critical care nursing and women’s health. She is a certified nurse-midwife, earned a diploma in nursing in 1995 received a Master’s Degree in Public Health and became a Certified Nurse Midwife in 2006, earned a Master’s Degree in Nursing in 2008 and currently perusing a PhD. She has extensive background working in critical care areas internationally in Boston, London, UK and Melbourne, AU. As a certified nurse midwife she has worked and the North Shore birth center delivering babies in a home like setting and at Beverly hospital. She has extensive educational background including specialized legal training and preparation to prepare as expert testimony. She holds two Masters degrees: a Masters degree in Nursing from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and a Masters degree in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health. She has presented as an expert panelist at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare.

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How to Write a Nursing Statement of Purpose

Nurses are crucial to the success of the health care system, so the nation’s ongoing nursing shortage is particularly challenging. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that the U.S. health care system will average:

• 203,200 openings for registered nurses each year through 2031.
• 30,200 openings for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners each year through 2031.

Waves of nurse retirements, alongside increased demand for health care services from an aging population, are the primary factors driving this shortage. As a result, educating new nurses and bringing them into the profession is vital. The process of educating new nurses begins at the nursing school application stage, when prospective students communicate their goals and qualifications by writing a nursing statement of purpose.

Nursing schools review statements of purpose when they make admissions decisions. Therefore, applicants should strive to craft well-written statements of purpose that are compelling, meet all requirements, and include relevant information. Learning how to write a strong statement of purpose can help individuals pursue their educational and career goals. This holds true whether applicants are new to nursing, or are seeking leadership roles and are considering applying to an advanced nursing program .

What Is a Nursing Statement of Purpose?

A nursing statement of purpose is an essay that an individual submits as part of their application to nursing school. The admissions committees of nursing schools review these statements and use them to make decisions about which applicants they will admit to their programs. Nursing schools can require statements of purpose for both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

Statements of purpose serve as a way for applicants to inform nursing schools about their backgrounds, goals, and credentials. For example, a statement of purpose enables applicants to:

• Explain why they want to attend nursing school
• Outline their goals and where they hope to take their nursing careers
• Provide relevant information about their qualifications and experience

When written well, statements of purpose reflect an applicant’s passion for the field of nursing and desire to contribute to the profession.

Components of a Nursing Statement of Purpose

Examining the components of a statement of purpose for nursing school can help prospective students understand what writing one entails. While certain requirements can vary across nursing schools, statements of purpose typically include the following:

• Applicants should start by introducing themselves and specifying which nursing program they are applying to. They may also briefly explain their primary motivation for applying to nursing school and their high-level goals.
• Educational background. It’s helpful for applicants to specify the names of the schools they have attended and degrees they have earned as well as relevant coursework and academic projects.
• Relevant volunteer experience, work experience, or internships. Discussing any experience that may have prepared an applicant well for nursing school can provide insight into the applicant’s background and qualifications.
• Noteworthy accomplishments. Instead of simply listing accomplishments, it can be helpful to explain how those accomplishments will lead to success in nursing school.
• Information on passions related to nursing. When applicants write about their specific passions for nursing, they have the opportunity to tell their personal stories and explain how their stories relate to pursuing nursing education.
• Relevant skills. Mentioning specific skills in areas that are relevant to nursing can help show why the applicant is a good fit for the program.
• Reason for applying to the program and what the applicant could bring to the program. It’s important to explain why a particular nursing program appeals to an applicant and how the applicant could positively impact that program.
• An applicant may consider ending their statements of purpose by reiterating their passion for nursing and why they are a good candidate for the nursing program they’re applying for.

Tips for Writing a Nursing Statement of Purpose

Applicants can make their statements of purpose effective if they keep the following tips in mind.

Adhere to Requirements

When nursing schools specify their individual requirements for statements of purpose, follow those requirements closely. Some schools may also suggest that applicants contact an admissions advisor for more information on writing the statement of purpose. If that’s the case, it can only benefit an applicant to do so.

Get to Know the Program and Tailor the Statement

Applicants should avoid writing generic statements of purposes that they can send to multiple nursing schools. Instead, they should become familiar with each particular program and tailor each statement to the unique aspects of the program. For example, if one strength of a particular nurse practitioner program is the expertise it offers in nurse leadership roles , applicants can explain why that aspect of the program appeals to them.

Applicants should be truthful and refrain from exaggerating accomplishments. Nursing statements of purpose should be genuine and reflect an applicant’s sincere passion for nursing and desire for a career in the field. For example, an applicant may express how they’ve been inspired to pursue nursing based on a family member’s health challenges, or by volunteer experiences that have given them an appreciation for promoting health.

Strive for Simplicity

Statements of purpose for nursing school don’t have to be overly lengthy. It’s important to stay focused, avoid irrelevant information, and eliminate repetition. In addition, exceeding any guidelines for statement length that a nursing school has specified will not make a good first impression.

Request Feedback on a Draft

After drafting a statement of purpose, it can be beneficial for applicants to ask people they trust to provide feedback. This can help applicants identify areas that require clarification or correction.

Proofread Statements Carefully

Paying attention to proper grammar, spelling, and sentence structure is critical. It’s important to remember that a nursing statement of purpose is a reflection of an applicant’s ability to communicate — which is essential in nursing.

Finding Your Purpose in Nursing

Writing a strong nursing statement of purpose is an important step on the path to entering or progressing in an admirable profession. Investing the time to develop an effective statement of purpose helps applicants demonstrate their dedication and desire to pursue nursing education.

Individuals who are interested in advancing their nursing careers should explore the Regis College online BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program to learn how it can help them pursue their professional ambitions. With six nurse practitioner concentrations, the program allows nurses to pursue the area of health care they’re most passionate about.

Begin your journey to advanced nursing practice today.

Recommended Readings

Is a DNP Worth It?

The Key Traits of an Educated Nurse

Nursing Facts: 8 Things You Should Know About the Nursing Profession

Indeed, “5 Graduate School Statement of Purpose Examples (and Tips)”

Indeed, “How to Write a Nursing Statement of Purpose (with Template and Example)”

Inspira Advantage, “How to Write a Personal Statement for Nursing School”

Kanan, “Statement of Purpose (SOP): Format, Samples and Tips”

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses

Wordvice, “How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Grad School (Examples)”

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Graduate Application Guide for Nurses

• Prerequisites
• GRE and MAT
• Application Requirements
• How to Apply

Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?

Earning a graduate degree in nursing allows nurses to apply for higher leadership positions, earn higher salaries, and further specialize in nursing. If a nurse wants to become a nurse practitioner or researcher, they need more experience and skills to provide the best care to patients.

Aspiring or prospective nursing students should know exactly what’s required when applying for graduate programs. This guide covers graduate program admission requirements and what applicants should expect to provide with the applications.

Learn what really matters when applying to nursing graduate programs and the requirements for application.

Nursing Graduate Program Prerequisites

While these prerequisites apply to most graduate schools, keep in mind that different schools have different requirements. You can find graduate nursing school requirements on your preferred school’s website or talk to the school’s graduate admissions counselors.

Do I Need a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing to Earn a Nursing Graduate Degree?

While some graduate programs require applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing, other programs are designed for RNs without a bachelor’s degree. Many graduate nursing schools also offer accelerated or bridge programs for those who have a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than nursing.

An RN-to-MSN program offers a pathway for nurses who have an associate degree in nursing rather than a bachelor’s degree. Some schools may also offer a direct-entry MSN which is designed for students with a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than nursing.

Since bridge programs take longer to complete than BSN-to-MSN programs and are only offered by some schools, a BSN can reduce the amount of time spent in graduate school.

What Prerequisite Classes are Required for Graduate Nursing Programs?

Nursing graduate students must complete certain prerequisites to prepare for graduate-level coursework.

Prerequisites typically include:

Students who have completed these courses at accredited schools can typically transfer the credits into their graduate program. Private, for-profit schools sometimes do not hold accreditation or hold national rather than regional accreditation.

Students who attended an undergraduate school without regional accreditation should research the transfer policy of their prospective graduate school to ensure the institution will accept their degree and credits. If the graduate program does not offer the required prerequisite courses and the student either has not completed the courses previously or cannot transfer them, the learner may be able to complete prerequisites through another accredited college.

Is Work Experience a Prerequisite to a Nursing Graduate Program?

Nursing is a complicated and ever-changing field. Even after years of school and clinical, graduates sometimes need more time to become comfortable in their roles. That’s why many programs require applicants to submit a resume with their nursing graduate school application and may require a certain amount of relevant experience.

These programs are designed for nurses who want to specialize in a certain area. Applicants to RN-to-MSN programs , which do not require a bachelor’s degree, may need additional experience. Students with professional experience closely related to their field of study are often the most competitive applicants. For example, applicants to a nurse anesthetist program may benefit from experience working in the operating room or ICU. Students who plan to pursue graduate education directly after earning their bachelor’s degree should look for programs that do not require work experience.

Do I Have to Take the GRE or the MAT to Apply to Nursing School?

Many institutions require applicants to submit GRE or MAT scores. If a school accepts scores from either entrance exam , the applicant should choose the exam that best suits their unique situation, considering the subjects, costs, dates, and locations of each test.

The GRE tests students on analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning. The mathematical section is high-school level and below, and all sections require critical-thinking skills. The MAT comprises 100 semantic analogy questions, which assess the test-taker’s understanding of a variety of topics.

The GRE takes four hours to complete, and the MAT only takes one hour. The GRE costs $205, and students may incur additional fees for registering late or sending scores after the test. The cost of the MAT varies by location, with most testing centers charging about $100. Some schools require no entrance exam, while others waive the requirement for certain students.

MAT/GRE Waiver

Some students get nervous at the very thought of taking an entrance exam because they know they do not test well. Working nurses may also not have the time to study for an exam like this. Applicants with these concerns may be able to skip the tests with waivers.

Higher learning institutions may waive the requirement for GRE or MAT scores if a student has:

• High enough undergraduate GPA
• Specified number of years of experience or
• Previous graduate degree in any subject

Many schools make these exceptions because applicants with those qualifications have already proven they can excel at the graduate level or in nursing. To apply for a waiver, candidates should contact the admissions offices at their chosen schools. Each school has a different process, but they all require waiver candidates to fill out applications and provide proof of their eligibility.

Breakdown of MAT Scores

Pearson, the organization that oversees the MAT, scores each test digitally . Test-takers receive unofficial results immediately after completing the exam. Pearson sends official scores to each student’s choice of three institutions. Test-takers also receive official scores, including scaled scores and percentiles.

To calculate a scaled score, Pearson begins with the student’s raw score, which represents the number of questions missed, then uses statistical analysis to account for variations between tests. Each scaled score is between 200 and 600. The percentile illustrates how well the student performed compared to other test-takers. Students receive a percentile score between one and 99, which represents the percentage of learners who earned the same score or lower. For example, a student who scores in the 80th percentile did as well as or better than 80% of all MAT test-takers.

Nursing graduate schools evaluate exam scores differently. Many programs have a minimum score requirement of about 410. However, some universities have no minimum requirement and use the applicant’s MAT score in context with the rest of the application when making admissions decisions.

Sometimes a test-taker recognizes a poor performance before completing the exam. When that happens, the student can take advantage of Pearson’s no score option. The test-taker selects “do not process this score” on screen, and although the student does not receive a refund, Pearson will not send the suboptimal score to institutions.

Breakdown of GRE Scores

GREs have three sections: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. Scoring is fairly straightforward . The verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections are multiple choice and scores range from 130-170 with one-point increments.

The analytical writing section is scored from 0-6, with half-point increments. This section comprises two essay questions. Two readers will score your entrance essay for the nursing program, and if their responses vary by more than one point, a third reader will also score your results. You receive the average of the scores.

The average/mean scores for each section are:

150.37 Verbal Reasoning

153.66 Quantitative Reasoning

3.6 Analytical Writing

In addition to your raw score, you receive a report that indicates your percentile, as described below.

GRE Scores and Percentiles

Percentiles indicate how your scores compare to other test-takers’ scores. The tables below show how raw scores convert into percentiles. For example, a scaled score of 170 on the verbal reasoning section means that you scored in the 99th percentile. In other words, you scored higher than 99% of all other test-takers. A 170 for quantitative reasoning means you scored higher than 96% of all test-takers.

Nursing School Application Requirements

Graduate nursing school requirements ensure you can succeed in the program and as a nurse. This is why they include measurements of your academic achievements, such as your GPA for nursing school or other undergraduate degree, as well as letters of recommendation and a personal essay or statement. These indicate whether you have the personal characteristics required for nursing.

Transcripts

Almost all nursing master’s programs require applicants to submit undergraduate transcripts, which must be official and unopened. In most cases, the undergraduate institution sends these official documents directly to the graduate school.

Admissions boards use transcripts to ensure the applicant holds the required degree, typically an ADN or BSN. Transcripts also reveal whether the applicant has taken prerequisite courses and provide insight into the academic areas in which the applicant excels. Many schools consider each applicant’s overall GPA and nursing GPA separately.

Some schools have no minimum GPA, except for applicants who wish to waive the GRE or MAT requirement. Most schools that set minimum GPAs require at least a 3.0 GPA, but some selective universities require a minimum 3.5 GPA.

Test Scores

When submitting a nursing graduate school application, a strong resume is important, especially if the program requires professional experience.

Resumes should be concise and easy to read. Students should accurately describe each of their previous positions while emphasizing skills applicable to advanced nursing practice. Important items to include are:

• Education and training
• Licensure and Certification
• Awards and accomplishments
• Volunteer work

Applicants who lack experience or who have gaps in their work history can strengthen their resume by adding volunteer or clinical experience. Applicants should be ready to explain any gaps in employment during an interview if required.

Essays and Personal Statements

Graduate nursing school applicants may need to submit a personal statement, an essay, or both. For applicants, understanding how to write a personal statement for nursing school can provide you with an important advantage.

Because the essay or personal statement is an opportunity to explain or compensate for gaps or issues in the rest of the application, students should devote significant time and energy to this piece of writing. Applicants should ensure the essay is free of grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. While a few misplaced commas may not result in a rejection, incoherent writing can ruin an application.

Each institution provides different prompts, but most essays focus on the applicant’s strengths and future plans to illustrate why the school should accept them. Admissions officials look for essays and statements conveying the applicant’s ambitions and motivations. Perhaps most importantly, the essay should be authentic and reflect the applicant’s true feelings about the nursing profession .

Letters of Recommendation

While the essay or personal statement allows applicants to explain themselves, letters of recommendation provide the perspective of the candidate’s colleagues and mentors. Recommenders should have experience with the applicant in an academic or professional setting. Some schools also ask applicants to provide letters of recommendation that speak to the student’s moral character.

Candidates should avoid choosing family members as recommenders and instead ask current or previous professors and employers. Applicants should approach potential recommenders early and give them plenty of time to write letters, ideally a few months.

Near the beginning of the letter, the writer should clearly state their intention to endorse the applicant. The writers should then highlight the applicant’s professional or academic prowess, dedication to nursing, and achievements. Like in essays, admissions boards prefer specific examples in letters of recommendation. UC Berkeley provides an example of an effective letter of recommendation.

English Proficiency Tests

International applicants from non-English-speaking countries must typically complete an English proficiency exam. These standardized tests demonstrate an applicant’s ability to understand English-speaking teachers and succeed in courses taught in English.

Many schools will not issue the required visa documentation without English proficiency scores. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are both commonly accepted. Students should check with their prospective institution to learn about score requirements and which exams the school accepts.

Background Check and Drug Screening

How do you apply to nursing graduate school.

Nurses can advance their careers by applying to graduate school, but because the application process can take a year or longer, prospective students should begin researching early. Candidates should apply as soon as the documents are ready and the desired schools are accepting applications. Waiting until a week or two before the application deadline can be stressful, and even a minor setback can ruin the student’s chances of acceptance.

The steps for applying to graduate nursing school are:

• Complete required prerequisites for nursing school
• Collect necessary applications materials
• Prepare for and take the GRE or MAT
• Apply to programs
• Prepare for nursing program interviews
• Receive acceptance or rejection letters

NursingCAS provides a simple application process for students applying to participating schools. The system is operated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and allows students to apply to many schools at once. NursingCAS charges graduate students $70 for the first school and $40 for each additional institution to which they apply; this fee is comparable to individual schools’ application fees. Both NursingCAS and individual schools may waive these fees for applicants who demonstrate financial need.

Rolling Admissions

Some graduate schools have a rolling admissions policy, which means they have no firm application deadline. Instead, they accept applications all year. Online schools often provide rolling admissions because of their scheduling flexibility. Prospective students who meet graduate school requirements can apply immediately. The school places applications in line for review as soon as they receive them and immediately notifies the student upon reaching a decision.

Because these schools process applications on a first-come, first-served basis, candidates can benefit from applying during less competitive seasons. The time between acceptance and enrollment depends on the number of available spots. The earlier students apply, the sooner they typically begin classes. The start date also depends on the program format. Students attending traditional universities generally wait until the end of the semester. Accelerated programs may offer classes lasting 5-8 weeks and usually offer more start dates per year.

Rounds Admissions

Some nursing programs may provide rounds admissions in order to better accommodate clinical schedules. Schools with this type of admissions policy have application deadlines throughout the year. Most schools offer deadlines in the fall, spring, and summer. Each deadline corresponds with a start date. For example, students who apply by September of 2021 may begin courses in January or August of 2022.

While undergraduate students may benefit from applying for spring and summer start dates, which often have less competition, this is not necessarily true for nursing graduate programs. Because many applicants are current professionals and are not on an academic schedule, some nursing graduate schools may receive applications throughout the year. Instead of waiting for a time with less competition, candidates should apply at a time that fits their schedule.

Waiting for Acceptance Letters

After applying, students should receive a confirmation that the university has received the application. Since most candidates submit online, this confirmation often comes in the form of an email containing instructions on how to check the status of the application and how long the applicant should expect to wait for a decision. Long wait times do not indicate acceptance or rejection. After waiting, applicants receive a letter with an acceptance, rejection, or placement on a waitlist.

Students who are admitted to more than one program should carefully evaluate their options before enrolling. Learners should consider cost, time, distance, and available specialties. Those who are placed on a waitlist may be admitted when accepted students choose other schools. Candidates who receive rejection letters can review their applications and talk to admissions specialists. After improving their applications, they may apply again and receive an acceptance.

Frequently Asked Questions About Applying to Graduate Nursing School

What gpa do you need for nursing grad school.

Graduate nursing schools typically require a 2.75 GPA, and highly competitive schools require a 3.5 GPA minimum. With this in mind, other factors determine acceptance or rejection. A graduate program takes all of a student’s test scores, letters of recommendation, and leadership roles into account. GPA is just one indicator of how well a student would fit into the nursing program.

Does nursing require graduate school?

Not all nursing jobs require a graduate degree to apply. However, nurses that earn an MSN benefit from higher salaries , more job opportunities, and better experience to help care for patients. Some graduate programs even prefer applicants that have already worked in the nursing field.

Is it hard to get into nursing grad school?

Some of the most rigorous nursing graduate programs require high test scores and various top-ranking qualifications, but not every program fits each student’s goals. Each program varies and suits the needs of their respective nursing students.

How long does it take to get an MSN?

The fastest way to earn an MSN is to enroll in an accelerated BSN-to-MSN program that turns the typical six years of undergraduate and graduate classes into 4-5 years.

Whether you’re looking to get your pre-licensure degree or taking the next step in your career, the education you need could be more affordable than you think. Find the right nursing program for you.

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Letter of Recommendation

Application Resume/CV

Waiver Request Letter

Statement of Purpose

Personal Statement

Admission Essay

Now, the grueling process of preparing an application package is our duty.

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DNP Personal Statement

A DNP admission essay comes a long way in applying for your DNP program. You are given a chance to express yourself in a comprehensive essay which includes your thoughts, passion, ideas and your experience. A perfect DNP personal statement and/or family medicine residency personal statement would obviously increase your chances of being considered for a position.

As we all know, the selection process for candidates is complex and thorough, and it can be tricky to know how to write a personal statement for DNP. So you cannot afford to make a mistake because many candidates just like you, are looking for limited slots. Therefore, as far as possible you should ensure that your personal statement for your DNP program is as accurate and flawless as it can be.

Why DNP Personal Statement?

Most tops school accepts less than 30% of applicants, in other to get yourself into a DNP program your application is going to need to stand out from the rest. Many doors can be open in your future career by becoming a Doctor of Nursing Practice but you need a place to be accepted first. Many of your competitors will have the same or more impressive qualification as you and they will have little option to choose from.

This is why your personal statement for DNP program is so important, and which is why you need a professional DNP personal statement writer helping you write the personal statement. A DNP personal statement is essential to anyone applying and hoping to be considered for an opportunity to study an interesting course. The importance of such a DNP admission essay should be emphasized as it’s a factor in determining whether it chooses a specific degree program in higher education.

Tips on How to Write a DNP Personal Statement

A personal statement for DNP program does not have to be difficult to write if you think about it carefully. There are a lot of samples on DNP personal statement written by another which you can use their ideas to write your own and also have the idea of what should be included. However, you shouldn’t just copy any sample nor do you just accept that is going to be a good sample. The following useful tips will help you write your personal DNP statement successfully:

• Structure your DNP personal statement to capture the interest of the reader. Your introduction should be interesting and captivating enough to make the reader interested in what you have to say. You should write your personal statement so that it flows well like a story rather than repeating what you have in your biography.
• Cover the areas the reader will be interested in:
• The reason you are interested in nursing
• Your future career plans
• The reason why it is important to your future
• Skills and abilities you have that will benefit your studies
• Reason for applying for this specific program rather than another
• It is a personal statement you shouldn’t write about others , you should write about yourself at all times, about your passion and dreams for the future. You shouldn’t use quotations and plagiarize what someone else has written.
• The personal statement should be simple and clear for everyone to understand , and do not be flowery with your language or use words the reader will find difficult to understand and also you should avoid the use of slangs or acronyms.
• Your DNP personal statement should be written in a very concise manner , and you should avoid writing things that are not relevant to your application or future career.
• After you might have finished writing your DNP personal statement, you should proofread your statement carefully and ensure that is totally free of errors. Since you are seeking for a competitive position a single mistake could be seen as lack of interest by the reader.

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• On-time delivery. We ensure that the document is delivered within the agreed deadlines.
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• High-quality papers. Many satisfied customers choose our admission essay writing help services because we provided them with quality and rich content which increases their chances of being accepted. We guarantee satisfaction with each and every completed admission essay will deliver.

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If you need any form of assistance with your statement of purpose nurse practitioner or general help for DNP, make sure you contact us!

4 Crucial Questions to Ask When Choosing an FNP Program

• Academics  

Online or on campus? MSN vs. DNP? You’ve got decisions to make.

As we face a shortage of physicians, family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are becoming more valued and sought after in nursing. If you are a nurse who is passionate about the health-care system and is dedicated to providing the best possible care, you are exactly the kind of person who would benefit from pursuing a doctorate degree in nursing.

Here are several questions we think are crucial for aspiring FNPs to ask when considering graduate school.

1. Why should I get a DNP instead of a Master of Science degree in nursing?

The Master of Science degree in nursing (MSN) is a respected degree, but if you are looking for more opportunities in your career, you should consider an FNP-DNP versus an MSN. As one of the highest degrees in nursing a student can achieve, the DNP degree offers much more clinical experience than an MSN and prepares nursing leaders to impact change in both direct patient care and at a policy level.

While an FNP should at the very least have an MSN, achieving a DNP is becoming the standard for FNP professionals across the country. In fact, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) says the MSN degree may not be a viable path to becoming an FNP for much longer: “The DNP provides a clinical option for advanced preparation in nursing practice that is more comparable to other interprofessional education.” A DNP degree also allows FNPs to pursue leadership positions in organizations.

Sacred Heart University’s Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing has an FNP-DNP program best suited for those looking to enhance their career with more authority in direct patient care and who are seeking the opportunity to work with varied populations in different settings. SHU also offers a post-master's Doctor of Nursing Practice for students who are interested in taking a more general approach to their studies.

2. What is the class model or structure? Online, hybrid or traditional?

Another factor to consider is whether the class model or structure of a particular program will fit with your lifestyle. Some schools require students to take courses exclusively on campus in a traditional setting, while others provide more flexible class opportunities with hybrid or online models. Whether you favor an in-person learning style or work full time and need to take some classes online, make sure the program has the options you need to complete your degree.

With flexible learning options, SHU allows FNP-DNP students to complete their degree part time or full time using a hybrid model so students can complete courses both online and on campus.

3. How is clinical practice integrated into the program?

One key component of an FNP-DNP program is the hands-on, clinical experience. On-the-ground fieldwork is where you get to test your knowledge. You will want to compare programs to determine which ones strike a fair balance between experiential learning and clinical practice.

FNP-DNP students at SHU need to complete 1,010 hours of clinical practice for their degree. Various schools have different ways of integrating practice hours into their FNP-DNP programs. Some schools use the capstone project as the main source of clinical hours, while others allow students to gain credit hours through policy summits, leading work teams, simulations/lab environments and so on. You will want to confirm with an adviser that the curriculum they offer will fulfill your educational and career goals.

You can also talk to current or past students and faculty to get a feel for the integration of these clinical hours into your program. SHU partners with local professionals to provide students with hands-on experience at local, regional and national levels—combining classroom lessons with   on-the-job experience.

4. How successful has the program been for previous students?

If you are going for an FNP-DNP degree, you are likely seeking to achieve national certification and licensure. The degree to which programs prepare their students for certification will be revealed in their certification exam pass rate. Be sure to ask an adviser or an admissions counselor what the pass rate is for first-time exam takers.

You may also want to look into the program’s attrition rate, or percentage of students who drop out of a program before completion. While the ideal attrition rate is zero, even the best FNP-DNP programs will have a low attrition rate, which is not necessarily a reflection of the program. Attrition rates fluctuating between 5-10% are not automatically a cause for alarm; however, attrition rates over 10% are worthy of further investigation. Why are so many students dropping out of the program? Is it a reflection of the program itself or is it the result of an unrelated factor with unfortunate consequences?

As of 2023, Sacred Heart’s FNP-DNP program rate’s attrition rate is less than 1%. The program is student-centered and offers support to its students so they can balance their personal life and educational responsibilities.

Interested in earning your FNP-DNP to become a family nurse practitioner?

Sacred Heart University takes great pride in preparing mission-driven, results-oriented changemakers who can thrive in the field of nursing, and we’d love to help you jumpstart your career as a nursing leader.

For more information about this program, schedule a meeting with Lea DiStasio , or reach out at [email protected] .

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