school nurse essay

Essay Sample on Why I Want to Be A Nurse

Nursing is a rewarding and challenging career that has the power to make a real difference in people’s lives. Whether your motivation is to help others, attain financial freedom, or both, writing a “Why I Want To Be A Nurse” essay is an excellent opportunity to express your passion and commitment to the field.

In this article, we’ll explore the reasons why you might want to become a nurse and provide you with helpful tips and inspiration for writing a powerful and persuasive essay .

Why I Want to Be A Nurse (Free Essay Sample)

Nursing is a career that offers a unique combination of hands-on care and emotional support to those in need. There are many reasons why someone might choose to become a nurse, including:

The Empathy and Altruism of Nursing

I have a strong desire to help people and hope to become a nurse. I think nursing is the best way for me to make a difference in other people’s lives because it combines my natural empathy and desire to help people. Nursing gives me a chance to positively touch people’s lives, which has always attracted me to the thought of doing so.

I saw the beneficial effects that nurses may have on people’s life as a child. I have always been moved by the kindness and concern they have for their patients. The small gestures of kindness, like holding a patient’s hand or speaking encouraging words, have always touched me. I think nurses have a special power to change people’s lives and leave a lasting impression, and I want to contribute to that.

Additionally, I think that becoming a nurse is a great and selfless job. To provide for their patients and ensure they are secure and comfortable, nurses put their own needs on hold. I absolutely respect this kind of dedication to helping others, and I aim to exhibit it in my own nursing career.

The Economic Benefits of Nursing

The financial stability that comes with being a nurse is one of the reasons I wish to pursue this career. Nursing is a field that is in high demand, which translates to a wealth of job opportunities and competitive salaries.  This profession offers the chance for a stable income, which makes it a good choice for people who want to secure their financial future.

Nursing not only gives economic freedom but also a flexible work schedule that promotes a healthy work-life balance. Many nurses can choose to work part-time or in a variety of places, such as clinics, hospitals, and schools..

A Love for the Science and Art of Nursing

To succeed in the unique field of nursing, one must have both artistic talent and scientific knowledge. This mix is what initially drew me to the thought of becoming a nurse. The human body and its mechanisms have always captivated me, and I enjoy learning about the science that underpins healthcare. But nursing requires more than just a scientific knowledge of the body. It also requires an artistic understanding of the patient and their needs.. Nursing is a demanding and fulfilling job since it combines science and art, which is why I’m drawn to it.

I saw as a child the effect nurses had on patients and their families. Their compassion and understanding have motivated me to seek a profession in nursing because they frequently offer comfort and help in the hardest of situations. My enthusiasm for the science and art of nursing will undoubtedly help me to have a good influence on other people’s lives. I want to work as a nurse and improve the lives of the people I take care of, whether it be by giving medication, educating patients, or just being a reassuring presence.

Continuous Professional Development in Nursing

I think the nursing industry is dynamic and always changing, which gives people a lot of chances to learn and grow. I would have the chance to continuously advance my knowledge and abilities in this sector if I choose to become a nurse. In turn, this would enable me to better care for my patients and stay abreast of professional developments.

There are several different nursing specialties available as well. There are many options, including critical care, pediatrics, gerontology, and surgical nursing. Because of the variety of disciplines available, nurses have the chance to develop their interests and find their niche. 

I am certain that a career in nursing will provide me the chance to pursue my passion for healthcare while also allowing me to grow professionally.

Nursing is a fulfilling and noble career that offers a mix of hands-on care, emotional support, and professional growth. I am inspired by the positive impact nurses have on patients and their families and aim to offer my own empathy and compassion. The nursing industry is constantly changing, providing ample opportunities for growth and job prospects with financial stability. The ultimate reward in a nursing career is the satisfaction of making a difference in people’s lives.

Tips for Writing A Compelling Why I Want To Be A Nurse Essay

Now that you understand the reasons why someone might want to become a nurse, it’s time to learn how to write a compelling essay. Here are some tips and strategies to help you get started:

Create an Outline

Before you start writing, it’s important to identify the main points you’ll discuss in your essay. This will help you stay organized and make your essay easier to read.

Start with an Attention-grabbing Introduction

Your introduction is your chance to make a good first impression and engage the reader. Start with a hook that captures the reader’s attention, such as a surprising statistic or personal story .

Be Specific and Personal

Rather than making general statements about why you want to become a nurse, be specific and personal. Share your own experiences, motivations, and passions, and explain why nursing is the right career choice for you.

Highlight your Skills and Qualifications

Nursing is a demanding and complex profession that requires a wide range of skills and qualifications. Be sure to highlight your relevant skills, such as compassion, communication, and problem-solving, and explain how they make you a good fit for the nursing field.

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A School Nurse’s Role in Healthcare Essay (Critical Writing)

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

School nurses may act as child advocates in various ways: protecting students’ well-being, health, academic success, and even lifelong achievement. The roles that are most commonly ascribed to school nurses include care coordination, community or public health principles, leadership, and, occasionally, quality improvement (Best et al., 2018). This post’s selected topics of discussion will be care coordination, leadership, and community or public health. Best et al. (2018) state that care coordination includes a range of responsibilities, from care and chronic disease management to student care plans. Some of the tasks that emphasize the advocating role entail communication with school staff and parents on behalf of a child regarding any healthcare concerns and, in some cases, motivational counseling for struggling students (Best et al., 2018). In this case, collaborative communication regarding consultations, vaccine administration, and treatments may be the middle ground between family members. The nurses may be able to successfully raise concerns that children themselves either cannot or are afraid to formulate.

Another crucial aspect of advocacy is being well-informed, which applies to both the healthcare providers and the students. The leadership aspect of advocacy includes nurses’ continuous education on biological events’ preparedness, neglect, and adolescent abuse (Best et al., 2018). Lastly, the community health responsibility involves teaching a curriculum on sexual health and regular screenings for vision, asthma, and mental health issues (Best et al., 2018). In those instances, a school nurse may serve as a source of support for the students, helping address issues like anxiety, body image issues, depression, issues at home, at school, or with peers, and dating violence. Thus, school nurses’ tasks extend beyond direct care application or documentation – they may act as educators of wider groups and individual counselors. Such support may not be available at home for some students, making these tasks of paramount importance.

The school district in question is the Kenton County school district in northern Kentucky (Kenton, NKY). Together with two others from NKY, this county has become known for its struggle with high rates of opioid and fentanyl overdoses (Johnson, 2018). Moreover, NKY is the hotspot for drug trafficking, with drug-related activities significantly impacting the area (Johnson, 2018). There has been a disparity in addressing the issue of reducing opioid trafficking. Some programs aimed to appoint a regional coordinator for substance abuse, while some remained local, relying heavily on civic involvement (Johnson, 2018). Either way, the coordination of healthcare and advocacy groups and sufficient funding are vital for addressing this crisis effectively.

While it is not exceedingly likely that the school-aged demographic will be ubiquitously involved in opioid use, some of the children’s parents may be. Yet, at the moment, the lack of medically assisted treatment (MAT) represents a serious issue in NKY (Johnson, 2018). Local judges highlight the need for appropriate public education about the opioid crisis and its stigma, and I concur with this sentiment. However, currently, not enough data is present – the county officials do not even have accurate numbers on the extent of the crisis in our community. Rather, they feel like they do not have time to establish what works or does not, favoring immediate action.

In recent years, the situation is still riddled with uncertainty regarding effective policies. For instance, some additional sources of support were secured with the NKYASAP Harm Reduction Funds FY20 issued to the Kenton County Detention Center through the memorandum of agreement (2020). However, this funding only seeks to address the already-formed problem. I believe that one of the vital steps in reducing the opioid crisis in the future is preventative measures in the form of education. School nurses are often responsible for organizing educational events; perhaps, informing children in the Kenton school district about the symptoms of overdose may save the lives of some of their parents. Moreover, teaching children about the vast scope of opioids’ adverse effects may help mitigate the crisis in the future years.

Best, N. C., Oppewal, S., & Travers, D. (2018). Exploring school nurse interventions and health and education outcomes: An integrative review. The Journal of School Nursing , 34 (1), 14–27. Web.

Johnson, Q. (2018). Case study: County-level responses to the opioid crisis in northern Kentucky. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , 46 (2), 382–386. Web.

Memorandum of agreement between Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio, fiscal agent, and Kenton County Detention Center . (2020). Northern Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy. Web.

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• Research article
• Open access
• Published: 30 December 2016

School Nurses’ perspectives on the role of the school nurse in health education and health promotion in England: a qualitative study

• Beverley A. Hoekstra 1 ,
• Vicki L. Young 1 ,
• Charlotte V. Eley 1 ,
• Meredith K. D. Hawking 1 &
• Cliodna A. M. McNulty 1  

BMC Nursing volume  15 , Article number:  73 ( 2016 ) Cite this article

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The role of the school nurse is complex with many possible elements identified by previous research. The aim of this study is to understand perceptions of the role of the school nurse in order to support school nurses in the delivery of health education.

The study used an inductive, qualitative research design involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Participants were recruited from four NHS trusts across England and final sample size was thirty one school nurses. Three focus groups and two interviews took place in person, and three interviews were over the phone. Data was thematically analysed.

School nurses described six main themes. Four themes directly related to the school nurse role: the main roles of a school nurse, school nurses' role in health education, prioritisation of workload and activities, and community work. A further two other themes related to the delivery of health education: the school nursing system and educational resources.

Conclusions

The role of the school nurse in England is very diverse and the school nurse role in health education is primarily to advise and support schools, rather than to directly deliver education. The study identified that tailored public health educational resources are needed to support school nurses.

Peer Review reports

The UK Department of Health states that school nurses have a significant role in co-ordinating and delivering public health interventions for school-aged children [ 1 ]. School nurses in England are qualified nurses who hold an additional specialist public health qualification [ 1 ]. School nursing assistants are not qualified nurses but are fully and appropriately trained to perform as an assistant to the qualified nurse and are key members of the school nursing team. England has a small school nursing workforce, and the number of school nurses continues to fall [ 2 ]. In order to support this limited workforce and their multidisciplinary work, the role of the school nurse in the Healthy Child Programme in England is clearly defined locally [ 1 ].

School nurses have been recognised as the leaders in delivering services identified in the Healthy Child Programme from 5 to 19 years [ 3 ]. School nurses are key to improving children and young people’s health and wellbeing by delivering health promotion, providing health advice, signposting to other services, active treatment, education, family support, protection, safeguarding, service coordination and multi-agency work [ 4 – 8 ]. While there are many common elements described within the role of school nurses, there is confusion about the school nurse’s exact role [ 9 , 10 ] and lack of clarification about the role of school nurses in health education and promotion has been well documented [ 11 – 15 ].

This study aims to understand the role of the school nurse from the perspective of the school nurse, using qualitative research methods, in order to better support school nurses in the delivery of health promotion and education.

Sampling and recruitment

Four NHS trusts across England were chosen to include views of school nurses working in different contexts (rural and urban) [Table  1 ]. School nurses, including school nursing assistants, were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Participants were recruited if they were employed as a school nurse or school nurse assistant in the four NHS Trusts involved in this project. In 2014 school nurse leaders were approached by email and telephone, and leaders assisted with the recruitment of study participants which could include school nurse leads, school nurses and school nurse assistants. Snowball sampling was also used to recruit further participants within each area. Final sample size was thirty one school nurses from four English NHS Trusts. Sampling aimed to ensure representation of school nurses working in four different NHS Trusts with different deprivation levels, with a range of experience as a school nurse, and with different numbers of schools they provide care to [Table  2 ].

National Research Ethics Committee approval was not required as the study only involved staff. Local approvals were received from each NHS trust involved in the study. The localities have been kept anonymous to maintain participant anonymity. Participants gave written informed consent for participation in the research, audio recording and the publishing of anonymised quotes.

Interview and focus group topic guide

The interview/focus group topic guide was developed by the lead author (BH), reviewed by the other authors, and piloted with school nurses [Table  3 ]. The guide integrated aspects of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), specifically related to school nurses attitudes and barriers to the delivery of health education. The Theory of Planned Behaviour states that the three constructs of personal attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural controls combine to form the intention to carry out a particular behaviour. Understanding barriers to the behaviour of interest would allow the researchers to design training to overcome the barriers using the three constructs of TPB; in this case delivering education around public health issues in schools. Topics covered also included day to day work, changes to the role, health education work, and educational resources including Public Health England’s e-Bug resources covering hygiene and antibiotic resistance topics. See McNulty et al. [ 16 ] for a detailed overview of the e-Bug resources. The topic guide in Table  3 was modified as data collection progressed.

Data collection

Semi structured individual interviews and focus groups were facilitated by BH who is an experienced qualitative researcher, registered nurse and researcher for the e-Bug project, Public Health England. Both individual interviews and focus groups were conducted in this research project in order to enrich the data; interviews enabled individuals to speak more openly outside of the group situation, whereas focus groups enabled snowballing and stimulation of ideas. All three focus groups and two interviews took place in person, and three interviews were conducted over the telephone. Interviews and focus groups took place at suitable venues for the participants, i.e. a meeting room in a doctor’s surgery. Two interviews lasted between15-30 min, 3 interviews lasted between 40–50 min and the three focus groups lasted between 45 to 60 min. During the focus groups, a second researcher (VY) was present to record notes, assist BH with collecting consent, and observe the group. Interviews and focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim by a third party transcription company, and checked for accuracy by BH. No new themes emerged from the later interviews and focus groups at which point data saturation was reached and data sampling was considered complete [ 17 ].

Interview and focus group participants were also asked to complete a questionnaire that gathered details about work experience and their role, and half of the participants completed this questionnaire. Characteristics are summarised in Table  2 .

Data analysis

Inductive thematic analysis was conducted based on Braun and Clarke’s (2006) methodology for thematic analysis [ 18 ]. NVivo software version 10 was used as a means of organizing and coding data, as well as completing thematic analysis. A coding book was maintained to operationally define each code.

A subset of the data (one focus group and two interviews) were analysed by a second researcher (MH) who is an experienced qualitative researcher. The analysis was discussed and the researchers agreed on emerging themes prior to developing a thematic framework. The framework (Fig.  1 ) was then finalised in collaboration with the research team. The one sheet of paper method by Ziebland and McPherson (2006) was used to produce a summary report of each theme [ 19 ].

Thematic Framework of the Role of the School Nurse ( black arrow indicates impactful relationship)

Thirty one school nurses participated from four English NHS Trusts [Table 1 ]. Half of the participants completed the questionnaire as this questionnaire was developed during data collection and only half the participants had a chance to complete it.

Six overarching themes emerged from the data. Four themes directly related to the school nurse role: the main roles of a school nurse, school nurses' role in health education, prioritisation of workload and activities, and community work. A further two other themes related to the delivery of health education, and included the school nursing system and educational resources.

Main roles of a school nurse

School nurses in this study described their work to improve the health of children, young people, families and the community. This included understanding community needs through a local or school health needs assessment, or public health profile; caring for anyone aged 0 to 19 years, though usually 5 to 19 years, regardless of whether they are in school and leading in the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme [ 3 ]. School nurses reported that they worked in teams of health care professionals, including qualified school nurses with a public health graduate degree, and school nurse assistants with varying backgrounds and formal training.

The role of school nurses is exceptionally diverse, and school nurses described the service as being ‘stretched’ , and reported being over burdened with work and under resourced. School nurses in this study found it difficult to fit in all they were commissioned to do. At the time of this study, in 2014, safeguarding or child protection [ 20 ] was the main element of the role and had increased in recent years leaving less time to contribute to personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

School nurses described that they advised and supported schools with their PSHE education. Some participants, usually school nurse assistants, delivered health education sessions such as assemblies or classroom talks. School nurses signpost schools to resources and services, including specialists such as anaphylaxis or asthma lead, or diabetic nurses. Other aspects of the school nurse role that were identified in this research included running clinics, conducting drop-in sessions, making and responding to referrals, delivering immunisation sessions, supporting students with sexual health needs, conducting health screening sessions including the National Child Measurement Programme [ 21 ], supporting parents and working with families, supporting children and young people with long term health conditions (i.e. asthma, epilepsy, leukaemia), and working with schools to meet the needs of students with long term health conditions (i.e. writing care plans).

“I think, school nurses, I think there is a lot of child protection that takes… precedent, it takes first place. But I think every school nurse, we all, everybody would like to do prevention rather than cure”. SNA1, Rural, Interview “I think safeguarding’s increased, and I, I don’t know the reasons for that, but it’s definitely increased in the last ten years.” SN4, Rural, Focus Group “I think the school nurses are absolutely so resourceful because … we’ve always had big caseloads, we’ve always been short of staff, we’ve always had different challenges. And yet as a group of professionals we manage those so well.” SN7, Rural, Focus Group “But our role is now public health, and as qualified school nurses we attend a public health [course], we do the School Nursing degree, so our view is very much public health and preventative and not just treating the outcomes.” SN1, Urban, Interview

School nurses’ role in health education

Participants identified that they have historically played a major role in the delivery of health education in schools, but now the schools themselves are primarily responsible for delivering health education. Some described their main role in health education as supporting teachers, rather than delivering education themselves. School nurses reported delivering education on a range of topics including hygiene, sexual health, mental health and healthy eating in a range of formats such as assemblies and health fairs. Often the amount of health education that school nurses identified they are involved in is based on other commitments and how much capacity they have at certain times. However, school nurses describe that they are always educating, promoting health and sharing key health messages opportunistically.

“We can advise, and we liaise and support, but we don’t actually carry out the teaching”. SN1, Rural, Interview “That used to be quite a big part of our role, we’d go in and do, yeah lots of health promotion work. But now we don’t have teaching time with anybody at all.” SN1, Rural, Interview “We tend to do, in the high schools and the upper school and colleges, health events rather than…going into the classroom.” SN7, Rural, Focus Group “I think it [health promotion] is very important for them, we’re lucky, I can’t speak for all schools but I know for the schools we have they value what we do in terms of health promotion because sometimes teachers may feel that … they don’t feel confident in that.” SN1, Urban, Interview

Prioritisation of workload and activities

School nurses reported that they prioritised their work according to the needs of the young people in their communities. Nurses collaborated with schools to negotiate priorities and develop a school health profile. Some school nurses described that they linked priorities to the broader public health outcomes that contribute to overall public health.

School nurses prioritised tasks daily as they had a very diverse role, were short staffed and their time was limited. A priority for school nurses is supporting schools, especially with the delivery of health education and signposting resources.

Participants reported that priority health education topics included hand hygiene, tooth decay and oral health, sexual health, smoking, mental health, obesity and healthy eating. Some were seasonal, for example hand hygiene was reported as a key priority in the autumn when flu, coughs and colds are widespread.

“It also depends on the local need; you’ve got to understand your population, what are the issues, what are the public health issues for your area? … One area maybe dental care is an issue, another area maybe it’s not an issue, so you can’t actually put a blanket service for everything because each area and population is different, so it’s got to tailor to the public [in that area]”. SN8, Rural, Focus Group “I think basically we have to prioritise to meet the needs of the young people, so no, depending on how many referrals we get. Safeguarding of course is number one on our priority list, then once we prioritise we see the young people.” SN2, Rural, Focus Group “I think that’s [public health topics] important… especially how germs are spread and colds and flu and it’s very important. “SNA2, Rural, Interview “I think they [public health topics] are essential. I think it’s very important that the message gets across and hopefully for the children then to take it back to the parents”.SNA1, Rural, Interview

Community work

School nurses reported undertaking ‘multi-agency work’ and referring children, young people and families to appropriate services and community support (e.g. social care, voluntary sector). School nurses described that they managed stakeholder relationships, supported parents, liaised with schools and maintained good relationships with teachers. Some school nurses indicated that certain schools require nurses to accommodate and be flexible towards the school regarding health education, for example meeting the time and subject requests from schools for health education talks. School nurses in this study identified that good relationships with schools were essential to allow them to access students more easily, as nurses experience barriers when trying to offer school health services. Barriers mentioned included schools prioritising academic lessons or examinations over health services being offered, teachers not having time or interest, and schools not prioritising certain health issues (e.g. sexual health).

“Sometimes you find that schools often gate keep and don’t want you to get involved”. SN1, Rural, Focus Group “Yeah, yeah. It’s working in partnership really, multiagency working, all the different agencies together to support the family.” SNA1, Rural, Interview “I think they [schools] always welcome somebody from the outside to come in and deliver [health] messages like that.” SN1, Rural, Interview “I think that’s what’s changed…15 years ago…everybody went in and taught contraception, or, or went and taught puberty, or whatever the school identified what they needed. Whereas now we’re looking at the health needs of the local community, looking at that, school as a community and actually the wider community as well, as a whole.” SN8, Rural, Focus Group

School nursing system

School nurses identified changes to their role that have taken place in recent years, including changes in team structure, priorities and commissioning. Commissioning is constantly changing, and nurses are only commissioned to offer certain services.

School nurses also identified many challenges they face such as lack of time, lack of capacity, technological barriers and financial barriers. Many nurses involved in this research reported that they could offer a better service if they had more resources in terms of funding, materials and human resources. However, nurses believe they deal with challenges proactively and are very valuable.

“I think we’re under resourced, I think that’s always been that, hasn’t it?” SN, Rural, Focus Group “Some things we’re commissioned for, some …things like sexual health, like puberty we’re not really [commissioned to do], we can’t support schools with puberty. We can support the teacher and give a little bit of answering questions but we can’t really take the class for puberty [talks]”. SNA2, Rural, Interview “And I think the big challenge is that we’ve been commissioned to provide what’s in that service specification, and it’s that we deliver that and we don’t go delivering things because nobody else is out there to do it, and I think that is a big challenge, because I think you do get pulled in to lots of different things, but it’s making sure that we’re focussed on what we should be doing.”SN1, Urban, Interview

Educational resources

School nurses indicated that they are short on educational resources, finances to access resources, and human resources to deliver education. Some school nurses stated they use old or outdated resources, make do with what resources they have, and that they borrow resources from other health professionals (e.g. smoking advisor, dietician). Many nurses mentioned a resource library where they used to access resources, however many of these libraries do not exist anymore (i.e. resources were shared amongst teams when Primary Care Trust’s became Clinical Commissioning Groups in 2013). Most school nurses identified that they make their own resources and tools for teaching. School nurses stated that they are in need of health education resources like the e-Bug resources developed by Public Health England, and some described the need for standardised resources among teams or regions.

“As I said at the meeting really, we’re very good at making our own resources up. Like the healthy lunchbox, I’ve made myself a healthy and an unhealthy lunchbox up. And we do have books we can get from the British Heart Foundation, places like that, but often it’s collecting bottles of drinks and then putting on how much sugar would be in there. So it is…very much about making our own resources.”SNA1, Rural, Interview “Having a resource where the lesson plan is written out clearly…is good because you need something that is structured, because you’re talking in front of groups of people. With children in school … you need to ensure there’s an aim, there’s an objective, that there’s an evaluation in place at the end of the lesson. So you need something structured and you need the correct resources as well, so that is very important.”SN1, Urban, Interview “Even if we’re not actually delivering, using the resource [e-Bug] ourselves, we’d want to be able to, we could be promoters [of them].”SN, Rural, Focus Group “Probably just support really, and knowing that, even if they were delivering the message, that they’ve got resources they can call upon or people they can call upon, and somewhere that they can actually turn to … if they need that bit of extra support or extra guidance.”SNA1, Urban, Interview

Main findings

This research identified that the role of the school nurse in England is very diverse. School nurses’ role in health education has shifted over time from directly delivering health education to advising and supporting schools with health education, as well as signposting resources to teachers. School nurses described that they are in a unique position to have a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of children, young people and their families.

Comparison with existing literature

As indicated in other previous research [ 22 ], we found that there are various elements that make up the school nurse role. The role differed according to location, but this is expected as the needs of young people and communities differ. For example, the needs of children and young people in an urban London community may be very different from the needs of a population in rural Midlands. Given this diversity, it is not surprising that much previous literature [ 5 – 10 ] has identified confusion and misunderstanding about the school nurse role. While our research indicated that the school nurse role is extremely varied and diverse, and school nurses find it difficult to fit in all they are commissioned to do, each school nursing team was fairly clear about their individual role and priorities.

In 2013 the Department of Health identified that there were only 1,200 qualified school nurses in England [ 23 ]. In 2012, there were 8.2 million pupils attending 24,372 schools [ 24 ]. This equates to 1 school nurse per 6,833 students, or 1 school nurse per 20 schools. The Royal College of Nursing (2015) stated that the number of school nurses in England continue to fall [ 2 ], therefore it is not surprising that nurses in this study describe themselves to be under resourced and ‘stretched’ as a profession. Increased time pressures on school nurses are influencing their capacity to directly deliver health education [ 25 ]. This research provides further evidence that school nurses have limited time and resources to directly deliver health education alongside their other priorities, and they lead a more advisory and supportive role in health education.

The ‘Our School Nurse’ report by the British Youth Council [ 26 ] outlines the views of young people on the role of the school nurse. The views of young people support our research that school nurses are limited in directly delivering health education as the report states that only 5% of young people said that their school nurse has given information on how to have a healthy lifestyle through assemblies or events at school, and only 9% of young people said their school nurse had delivered Sex and Relationship Education or Personal, Social and Health Education lessons [ 26 ]. Furthermore, young people state that the best way to learn from the school nursing team is through face-to-face assemblies, presentations and introductory sessions [ 26 ] reinforcing the value of school nurses delivering health education topics to young people. Whilst our research suggests that school nurses do not directly deliver health education to schools it is apparent in other literature that young people want to learn from school nurses about health topics.

Implications for future research

The aim of our research was to identify the school nurse role related to health education in order to better support school nurses, for example by developing tailored educational resources around hygiene and infections. Results show that most school nurses are involved in health education to some degree, whether in a supportive, advisory or signposting role or through directly delivering education. Our research indicates that the amount of health education that school nurses deliver is determined by local priorities and capacity of the school nurse team. Further research could identify the priorities of each locality in England in order to determine the capacity in which school nurses can focus their time on health education.

Through this research, school nurses identified that they are in need of health educational resources to assist in their work. These resources could either be used by school nurses, school nurse assistants, or they could be signposted to schools and teachers by the school nursing teams. Priority resources needed for school nurses include hand hygiene, oral health and sexual health which are currently freely available via the European project e-Bug operated by Public Health England [ 21 , 25 ]. Resources are also needed to support education about smoking prevention, mental health, obesity and healthy eating. Public Health England’s Change4Life campaign currently provides free toolkits for Key Stage 1 and 2 on healthy eating [ 25 ]. School nurses' responsibilities related to health education could be supported by having a bank of evidence based education resources readily available and further research is required to develop additional resources. Signposting free health education resources would allow school nurses to commit more time to their other responsibilities and therefore it would be useful to explore the relationships between school nurses and teachers in sharing good practice.

Strengths and limitations

A strength of the study was the use of qualitative methods of enquiry to enable comprehensive consideration of the role of the school nurse in the delivery of health education. This study used qualitative methods, interviews and focus groups, which brought synergism, snowballing of ideas and stimulation of participants. However, the convenient nature of the sample could limit transferability of the findings. The topic guide ensured that interviews and focus groups covered similar subjects, and all research was conducted by one researcher (BH) with a background in nursing. This study involved a wide range of school nurses from different educational settings and locations. Data analysis was robust with double coding by an experienced second researcher on a subset of the data, which enhanced the trustworthiness of the findings. In addition, results from our questionnaire [Table  2 ] indicate that participants had a range of experience, worked in both primary and secondary schools, and were responsible for students in 5 to 10+ schools. A limitation of this aspect of the research, however, is that only half of the study participants completed the study questionnaire.

The findings provide a range of opinions from a diverse group of school nurses, and provide insight into the varied role of the school nurse in England. This work assists in clarifying the role of the school nurse, by those who undertake the role, especially related to health education and promotion.

The role of the school nurse in England is very diverse and their role in health education is primarily to advise and support schools, rather than to directly deliver health education. The study identified that school nurses can be better supported by having educational resources available to signpost to, enabling school nurses to dedicate more time to their other responsibilities. Addressing understaffing issues would also assist school nurses in their diverse role.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank staff in the Public Health England, Primary Care Unit for comments and suggestions on the manuscript. Many thanks to the school nurses who took part in this research. Particular thanks to Wendy Nicholson, National Lead Nurse for Public Health England, for comments on the manuscript. Thanks also to the Department of Health school nurse team for their collaboration and/or comments, the educators and students who use the e-Bug resource and Dr Donna Lecky for her contribution in the initiation of the project. This work was supported by Public Health England.

The research was funded by a grant from Public Health England.

Availability of data and material

Not applicable.

Authors’ contributions

BH carried out the focus groups and interviews, analysed the qualitative data and drafted the first manuscript. VY participated in the design of the study, assisted with the qualitative research collection and contributed to manuscript revisions. CE also interpreted the data and critically revised the subsequent versions of the manuscript. MH double coded the qualitative data set, interpreted the data set and contributed to the manuscript. CM participated in the design of the study, reviewed the qualitative data, made final comments on the manuscript and oversaw the project. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Competing interests

At the time this work was conducted, the authors all worked for Public Health England to produce and disseminate e-Bug teaching resources for schools covering microbes, the spread, treatment and prevention of infection, and antibiotic resistance.

Consent for publication

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Local approvals were received from each NHS trust involved in the study. Participants gave written informed consent for participation in the research, audio recording and the publishing of anonymised quotes

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Beverley A. Hoekstra, Vicki L. Young, Charlotte V. Eley, Meredith K. D. Hawking & Cliodna A. M. McNulty

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Hoekstra, B.A., Young, V.L., Eley, C.V. et al. School Nurses’ perspectives on the role of the school nurse in health education and health promotion in England: a qualitative study. BMC Nurs 15 , 73 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-016-0194-y

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-016-0194-y

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Why I Want To Be A Nurse Essay

Applying for nursing school is an exciting step towards a rewarding career helping others. The nursing school essay, also known as a personal statement, is a critical part of the application. This is your chance to showcase your passion for the nursing profession and explain why you want to become a nurse.

This guide will show you exactly what admission committees are looking for in a strong nursing school application essay. Let’s walk through how to plan, write, and polish your “why I want to be a nurse” personal statement so it stands out from the competition.

What To Include In Your Nursing Essay

Writing a compelling nursing school essay requires advanced planning and preparation. Follow these tips to create an effective personal statement:

Plan Your Nurse Essay

The first step is to carefully conceptualize your nursing school admissions essay. Jot down some notes answering these key questions:

• Why do you want to go into nursing?
• What personal experiences or traits draw you to the field of nursing?
• How have you demonstrated commitment to caring for others?
• What are your academic and professional qualifications for nursing?

From here, you can start mapping out a logical flow of key points to cover in your nursing school application essay.

Show an Emotional Connection to the Profession

Admission committees want to see that you have genuine passion and empathy for the nursing career choice. Dedicate part of your personal statement to describing your intrinsic motivations and positive impacts for desiring to become a nurse.

Avoid cliché reasons like “I want to help people.” Instead, get specific by sharing a personal anecdote that emotionally moved you towards nursing.

Here’s an example of how you could open your nursing school entrance essay by highlighting a meaningful patient-care interaction:

“Holding Mrs. Wilson’s trembling hand, I watched her fearful eyes relax as I reassured her that the medical team would take excellent care of her. At that moment, providing empathetic comfort to calm her nerves despite the clinical chaos around us, I knew deep down that nursing was my calling.”

This introduction immediately establishes an emotional pull towards the human side of healthcare. From here, explain how this or similar experiences instilled a drive in you to become a nurse.

Show That You Care

Much of nursing is providing compassionate, person-centered care. Therefore, your “why I want to be a nurse” essay should emphasize your ability to be caring, empathetic, patient, and comforting to others.

Share examples that showcase your natural inclination for caregiving:

“Volunteering at the Red Cross shelter after the wildfires by comforting displaced families demonstrated my patience and attentiveness to those suffering. Even as some evacuees grew frustrated by the chaos, I calmly reassured them that we would do everything possible to assist with their recoveries and ensure they felt cared for.”

This example highlights key soft skills needed in nursing as a career, like compassion, active listening, the desire to help, and providing a calming presence under pressure.

Share Your Aspirations

A strong application essay will also articulate your goals and vision for contributing to the nursing field. What are you hoping to achieve through a career in nursing?

Here is an example of discussing aspirations in a nursing school personal statement:

“My long-term aspiration is to become a nurse leader by earning an advanced degree and management experience. I aim to leverage my organizational, communication and critical thinking skills to mentor junior staff, improve operational workflows, and advocate for policies that enhance quality of care. In nursing, I’ve found my true calling – to provide critical care, and help others by being a source of compassion and driving excellence in healthcare delivery.”

This type of self-motivated, forward-looking vision demonstrates maturity, strong goals, and natural leadership qualities.

Describe Your Nursing Skills and Qualifications

Finally, your nursing school entrance essay should summarize the skills; profession offers, and experience that makes you an excellent candidate for the nursing program. Highlight relevant strengths like:

• Academic achievements (science/healthcare courses, GPA, etc.)
• Extracurricular activities (volunteering, internships, etc.)
• Relevant work experience (patient care roles like CNA, medical assistant, etc.)
• Other transferable skills (communication, leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, etc.)

For example:

“My passion for science, healthcare experience as a CNA, and volunteering at a community health fair have prepared me to thrive in the intellectually stimulating and collaborative nursing curriculum. I bring dedication, attention to detail, and a strong work ethic as demonstrated by my 3.8 GPA studying Biology at the University of Michigan.”

With application essays, it’s all about showcasing why you would make an outstanding addition to the nursing program, making a difference through your qualifications and intangible traits.

How Do You Write an Introduction to a Nurse Essay?

Now that you’ve brainstormed content ideas, it’s time to turn them into a polished personal statement. Here are some tips for crafting an attention-grabbing introduction to your nursing school essay:

Hook the Reader with a Personal Story

One of the most engaging ways to start writing your essay is by recounting a brief personal story that illuminates your drive to become a nurse. This can immediately immerse the reader in your intrinsic motivations.

For example , you could open with an anecdote describing a meaningful instance of care and comfort you provided to someone in need:

“Tears streamed down Mrs. Hernandez’s face as she told me about losing her husband to cancer last year. As a hospice volunteer, I held her hand, listening intently to her painful story of grief and loss…”

This type of vivid introduction pulls the reader into the narrative straight away. From here, you can continue sharing details about the scenario and its influence on your desire to pursue nursing.

Illustrate the Human Impact of Nursing

Another compelling way to begin your nursing personal statement is by painting a picture of nursing’s profound impact on patients and their families. This highlights your understanding of the profession’s vital role.

For instance:

“Looking a trembling new mother in the eyes as she first held her newborn, relieved knowing both were safe and healthy after a complicated delivery – that is the human difference nurses make each and every day.”

This type of introduction emphasizes nursing’s profound emotional impact on patients during vulnerable yet joyful moments. It activates the reader’s empathy by bringing them into the vivid scene while showing your own insight into the medical field.

Articulate Passion for Helping Others

Finally, you can start your nursing application essay by asserting your resounding passion for caring for others. This clear expression allows you to succinctly introduce central values like empathy and compassion.

“Ever since I was a young volunteer candy striper in my local hospital, I’ve held an unwavering passion for helping those suffering through the profound act of nursing. I was born to care for others.”

This authoritative opening clearly states your emotional connection to nursing in a compelling yet concise way. You can then build on this assertion of passion through personal examples and further explanation.

No matter how you start your nursing school essay, the introduction should vividly showcase your motivation and why you chose nursing. Set the tone early with your authorship and emotion.

Why I Want To Be A Nurse Essay Examples 

Now let’s analyze some complete sample nursing personal statements for inspiration on crafting your own:

Why I Want to Be a Nurse at a Hospital: Essay

Essay on why i want to be a nurse assistant, 1000-word essay on why i want to be a nurse, essay on why i want to be a nurse, why i want to be a nurse: argumentative essay, mental health nursing personal statement, why i want to be a pediatrics nurse, why i want to be a nurse practitioner essay, writing a why i want to become a nurse essay.

To craft a standout nursing school application essay, prospective students should engage the reader with an emotional opening that illuminates their calling to the profession, whether through a compelling personal anecdote or vivid imagery expressing the profound impact of nursing. 

The conclusion should be resolved by painting an inspiring vision of how the writer’s skills, values, and determination will be channeled into excellence as a nursing student and future registered nurse, making an empathetic difference in patients’ lives.

With focused, mature writing that radiates passion and preparedness, a “why I want to become a registered nurse” personal statement can stand out amidst the competition as a window into a promising applicant’s commitment to this vital healthcare profession.

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How to Write an Admission Essay for Nursing School

The nursing school admission process is rigorous. One of the critical requirements for new applicants is an application essay, and writing a compelling nursing essay will give you a major head start over other nursing school candidates.

Once you have figured out why you want to be a nurse, all your memories, accomplishments, ambitions, and goals will align. Therefore, writing an essay on why you are interested in becoming a nurse and selecting a specific nursing college or university allows the admissions team to understand why they should choose you over other candidates.

A well-written, organized, and polished nursing school essay automatically increases your chances of acceptance. With thousands of applications destined for assessment and judgment by the admissions committee, you would want to make your application essay for the nursing school admission stand out.

We have admission essay-writing experts and consultants who, luckily, have compiled this intensive guide to help you write an intentional, focused, and perfect essay for nursing school.

Note: If you are in a hurry or you need direct assistance in writing your nursing college essay, please place an order and let our expert essay writers craft for you an original, engaging, and compelling nursing essay!

What Is a Nursing School Essay?

A nursing school essay is a written piece that demonstrates your interest in a nursing career and elaborates why you are the perfect fit for a specific nursing program.

Most nursing schools (colleges and universities) require aspiring students to write an application essay for nursing school admission. It is a personal essay submitted as part of the application process, which the admission officers review to determine if you can be accepted.

A good nursing school essay shows your interest in the nursing field, your chosen career path, why you want to pursue your nursing education through a specific nursing school program, and why you believe you should be accepted into the institution. It has to show why the entire process is crucial to you and why you are a worthy candidate to select for the nursing school program.

Sometimes, it is the only hope one has left, especially if the competition is stiff. Imagine a situation where the application materials such as grades, resumes, test scores, or recommendation letters are all qualified; a nursing school essay will be the only means to select the best out of the rest fairly.

Writing a perfect nursing essay will demonstrate that you are ready to go down the thorny path of training to become a nurse. Nursing education entails research and writing assignments, and a well-written essay demonstrates your readiness.

Helpful Information to Include in a Nursing Admission Essay

You are probably wondering what goes into an application essay for nursing school admission. Well, your nursing essay will answer an essay prompt from the university. Most colleges will specify the essay questions for college of nursing applicants for various levels of study (MSN, DNP, BSN, Ph.D., or ADN).

Below are some examples of what might be expected:

• Your goals and ambitions for a successful nursing career
• How do you plan to achieve your academic goals
• The specific reasons why you want to join the nursing field
• Reasons you are selecting the particular nursing school or program
• Personal accomplishments that set you apart as the right candidate
• Experiences and encounters that make you love nursing career
• Plans for the future once accepted
• Experience with medical training or patient care
• Character traits aligned to being a nurse
• How you are prepared to become a successful nurse
• Academic, personal, and career interests
• Any other reasons to convince the admissions committee to approve your admission

In some quarters, a nursing school application essay might be a statement of purpose, personal essay, or letter of intent. It is a chance to plead with the admissions committee to accept you into your dream nursing college or program. Having looked at what goes into it, it is also essential to cover the steps to writing a perfect and comprehensive admission essay for nursing school.

Structure of a Nursing School Essay

A nursing essay for admission into a nursing program or school follows the typical format of an academic essay. It is organized into three main sections: introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

• This is the opening paragraph that has to impress your readers (admissions officers)
• It can make or break your admission essay or personal statement
• It should be direct to the point
• It is a roadmap that helps the readers to know what to expect as your story grows.
• Open it using an enticing quote, event, anecdote, or statement
• You are allowed to use personal pronouns such as I in the introduction and the rest of the essay
• It has 2- 3 and sometimes five paragraphs
• Elaborates the introduction
• Every paragraph has a unique opening sentence that is a mini-thesis statement.
• Bears the best ideas yielded in your brainstorming session
• It can be as long as your word limit allows but contributes to at least 70-80% of the word count
• Focuses on quality over quantity
• Has one idea or experience per paragraph
• You should mention the skills you intend to develop and how they will help you become a successful nurse
• Connect the skills and experiences to the program and your future career
• Summarize and emphasize the main ideas
• It should be captivating and insightful
• Conveys a sense of closure to the readers
• Invites the readers to reflect on the ideas in your essay
• Creates one last lasting impression on the readers

Outline for a Nursing School Essay

A good nursing school essay outline should give you directions that help you visualize what the essay will look like in its final draft.

If you are writing a nursing essay, having the outline is the first thing you do after brainstorming (as shown in the steps).

It helps you to figure out how to arrange the ideas and points in the essay for a better flow. You can develop each section independently, regardless of the sequence, and still have a quality essay. 

In most cases, the outline is meant for personal consumption, especially when writing a personal statement. However, if you are writing a nursing essay on a given nursing topic , you might be required to write an outline, annotated bibliography , and the nursing essay , and each will be graded separately.

Given the structure, you can outline your nursing school essay as follows:

    Introduction paragraph

• Hook (quote, statement, or anecdote)
• Background information
• Thesis statement
• Transition sentence

    Body paragraph 1

• Topic sentence
• Evidence, data, and facts
• Transition to the second body paragraph

    Body paragraph 2

• Transition to the third body paragraph

    Body paragraph 3

• Transition to the conclusion

    Conclusion

• Summary of the main ideas
• Restate the thesis statement
• Last impression (call to action to the admissions committee)

Steps for Writing a Nursing School Essay

Optimizing your application essay increases your chance of getting accepted into the nursing program or nursing school. The essay should elaborate on your person (who you are as an individual) by providing a comprehensive perspective of your career ambitions, goals, and plans related to your passion for nursing. You should elaborate to the admissions committee why you are a good fit for their nursing program. Students at the ADN, BSN, ABSN (Accelerated BSN), MSN, DNP, or Ph.D. might be required to write an admission or personal essay, and here are the five steps to make it successful.

• Read the prompt
• Brainstorm for ideas
• Plan your essay
• Write the first draft
• Edit and Polish your Essay

Let's explore all these steps before delving into the tips to help you write the essay better.

Read the Prompt

If you are considering applying to a specific nursing school, you need to begin by researching the application process to know when you will be expected to submit your application essay.

In most cases, the nursing schools have essay prompts and instructions for the potential nursing candidates published on their websites. The prompts might vary depending on the programs you are interested in pursuing and the institutional preferences. Therefore, it is vital to begin by locating the nursing school essay guidelines. A quick search online can help, or you will also find it enclosed in the email sent to you by the school's admissions committee.

Read the instructions thoroughly with a specific focus on the essay question, word limit, and topics you must cover. If you apply to many nursing schools, you should locate and read each prompt before moving to the next steps.

Reading and understanding the instructions is the first step in writing an excellent application essay. Besides, it helps you to customize the essay to the requirements and not the other way around.

Brainstorm for Ideas

Now that you know what is expected of you, you need to decide what to include in your nursing essay to make it stand out. For this, get into an idea-generation marathon where you brainstorm ideas based on the prompt and the requirements.

Give every idea a thoughtful consideration and make shorthand notes so that you have all the ideas condensed. Consider your ambitions, accomplishments, drive, passion, preferences, strengths, weaknesses, character traits, and other attributes that might relate to your urge to pursue nursing as a career.

Also, research the nursing program and relate it to your personal ambitions and desires. Such information will help you spot the specific things you like about it. You can then tailor your experiences and encounters to the requirements. Look at the program's website and examine 2-3 aspects that stand out. This will help you focus on what you have that makes you the best pick for the program. You can also reference experiences, events, or traits related to the program.

Consider the environment and people around you and relate them to your desire to become a nurse.

Experiences, encounters, and events can inspire ideas to pen into your nursing school essay.

You can also research some well-written examples of nursing personal statements and essays to get inspired when brainstorming ideas for yours. Besides, you can also ask people in your network, such as family, friends, or peers, for ideas that can stand out and then choose the best.

To get the most robust ideas, rate them depending on how best they answer the prompt; this is the fodder for the entire application essay. Choose 3-5 strongest points and make them the central focus of your essay.

Plan your Essay

As a nurse, planning is everything, even when it comes to clinical decision-making. And because you are destined for this noble career, planning your personal essay won't hurt. Instead, it helps you know what to put and where to engage the admission officers from the beginning to the end of your nursing school essay.

With the ideas in mind, create a rough outline and adjust it until you are fully satisfied that your thoughts, facts, and opinions are well-organized. The outline will help you to structure your essay, avoid derailing it, and write a draft that bears all the quality ideas.

A good step is to organize the essay into paragraphs that align with the word count (often given as the minimum or maximum number of words, exact number of words, or characters).

Include an introduction to give your readers a clear understanding of the focus of your essay. Yes, a good nursing essay has a thesis statement that shows your central claim or the main idea you are focusing on the entire essay.

You should include the body paragraphs, each with a topic sentence supporting the thesis and a series of supporting facts such as examples, evidence, and illustration.

Finally, include a conclusion as the last paragraph that reverberates the thesis, summarizes the essay, and has a call to action to the admissions committee.

Write the First Draft

After the outline, you must begin writing your essay sentence by sentence and paragraph after paragraph. Whatever approach you take, ensure that every detail covered in the outline ends up in your essay as long as it is valid.

Write the introduction paragraph by giving a hook or attention grabber. You can begin with a quote from a famous nurse or a scholarly nursing article. You can also state facts or give statistics if they matter to your application. You should also elaborate on your selected topic, especially if the prompt provides options. End your first paragraph with a thesis statement that describes the focus of your nursing school essay. The introduction should account for 10-15% of the word count.

Each body paragraph has a unique, unmistakable, and concise topic sentence followed by supporting details and a concluding sentence that transitions to the next paragraph. Ensure that you have at least two body paragraphs considering that you can write either a three-paragraph or a five-paragraph nursing essay. Collectively, the body section should be 70-80% of the essay's word count. The body paragraphs should outline your encounters, experiences, and events and how they relate to the specific nursing program.

The final part is the conclusion, where you summarize the main ideas in the essay. for this, avoid the clich� conclusion starters such as "in conclusion," "to sum up," or "in summary." Instead, use conclusion opening sentences that demonstrate to your reader that the essay has ended � it gives the best closure and helps close the information loop in your essay. Rephrase your thesis and summarize the main ideas before appealing to the admissions committee to accept you into their nursing program. It should be 10-15% of the word count, like the introduction paragraph.

Edit and Polish the Essay

Now that you are done with your first draft, it is only the beginning, and you are far from being done. You need to take a break to cool down your frustrations, anxiety, and adrenaline developed when writing. It is a chance to establish an objective mind to look at things from a broader perspective when you settle for editing and proofreading.

If you are not good with editing and proofreading, you can hire a professional proofreading and editing expert to look at your essay and suggest changes to make. You can also use friends and family as a second and third eye to see what you cannot see. Using their feedback will help you optimize the essay for better results. You can incorporate the suggestions and proceed to editing and proofreading.

As for editing and proofreading, you can take advantage of tools such as Grammarly, Ginger, Hemingway Editor, and other editing and proofreading tools available by students and professionals. Revise the essay until it meets the requirements and addresses the prompt. If anything, do not be afraid to do away with an entire paragraph or a few paragraphs that don't make sense.

It is better to start over again than submit a subpar nursing school essay that will be a laughingstock of the admissions committee. The only way to entertain the admissions officers is to write an outstanding nursing school essay that will automatically dial you into the nursing program of your choice. Best of luck!

Example of Nursing School Essay Prompts

• Discuss your interest and understanding of the clinical nurse leader role. What's your story? And what experiences have contributed to your interest?
• The DNP program aims to prepare nurse leaders at the highest level of nursing practice to improve patient outcomes and translate research into practice. Describe experiences that exhibit your formal leadership role or informal leadership skills.
• How will the program help you achieve your academic and career goals?
• What experiences have influenced your interest in pursuing a clinical specialty you have chosen?
• The DNP program aims to prepare nurse leaders at the highest level of nursing practice to improve patient outcomes and translate research into practice. Describe experiences that exhibit your leadership skills.
• Why have you chosen to pursue a nursing research doctorate?
• How does becoming a nurse fulfill your ambitions?
• What does becoming a nurse mean to you?
• What drives you to become a nurse?
• Why do you want to become a nurse?
• What is your nursing philosophy?
• What was your reason for choosing nursing as a career? Do you have any additional information that you would like the admissions committee to know about you that has not been previously considered in the application?
• What are your professional goals? How will this accelerated nursing program help you materialize those goals?
• Discuss a specific leadership position (e.g., manager, director, associate dean) you wish to attain within three to five years after completing the DNP program.

Note: Some of these prompts have been rephrased from the Rush University Website . They keep changing depending on the preferences of the admissions committee. Inquire with your university or college of nursing to get specific directions on the most current prompts and instructions.

Related Reading: Ideas for a nursing capstone project.

Tips for Writing an Effective Nursing School Admission Essay

When grades, test scores, and other material entries don't count , a nursing school essay, referred to as a personal statement, suffices. In this case, a great nursing school can only be your hope for getting into nursing school. If you want to get ahead of the competition, these proven tips will significantly help you.

1. Plan Well

To pen an excellent nursing school essay that gets you accepted, you need to plan the essay.

Read the instructions, brainstorm as you take notes, research widely, and create an outline.

And even when done, the purpose is to have a reverse outline to help you score the essay against the requirements. Planning helps you to know what attention-grabbing statement to begin the essay with, the sequence of the body paragraph ideas for a logical flow, and what specifics to include in the conclusion.

Having an outline will help you save time when writing the first draft and help you to stay focused when writing.

2. Show, Don't Tell!

All effective nursing school essays express your personality, experiences, and encounters while convincing the admissions officers that you are the best fit for the program.

You should not focus on telling your story alone. Instead, show how your account relates to the prompt.

Discuss experiences, encounters, and events but show how they have impacted your choice of the program and desire to become a nurse.

If you are applying to a specific program, enlighten your readers on why you are specifically interested in the program and what that means.

It could be the hybrid learning model that entails both online and classroom learning or the history or reputation the school has, parental preferences (if they were a graduate), mentor recommendation, etc.

3. Choose Information Wisely

Ensure that every idea or information in your essay is unique, authentic, and original. Don't just write fictitiously.

If you have no past experiences directly related to nursing, you can introduce them and twist them to fit the context.

Impress the admissions committee with your wits, not just a summary of what others have written online.

Standing out in your presentation of facts will always carry the day. Genuinely share your story about what made you want to become a nurse.

4. Avoid Excuses

Even if you don't have appealing past encounters with medicine, hospitals, or anything related to nursing, tell your story as it is.

Do not excuse yourself for telling the truth. After all, you are on your journey to becoming a nurse; all you are seeking is training to develop the knowledge and skills.

If you have cared for your family members at home, babysat your siblings, or have compassion for the suffering, these are the most authentic stories you have, and they can spell meaning on your ambition. Therefore, prove your strong candidature by stating things as they are without clutching at things that do not matter.

5. Let it Flow!

Instead of forcing things such as humor or stories, write plainly about your experiences, encounters, and past events that made you want to become a nurse.

Most "why I want to be a nurse" essays don't have to have any humor. If it clicks well and is good, if it doesn't, don't force it.

As well, avoid exaggerating things when writing your nursing school essay. You should focus on making it as interesting, engaging, and convincing as can be but be truthful.

Avoid mixing up stories. A good way is to focus each paragraph on the main point that relates to your thesis.

6. Show you care about People and Yourself

Nursing is a noble career that entails caring for oneself as you care for others. Your full-time attention and job will be to care for people to help them achieve better health outcomes.

You must show empathy, selflessness, and determination to be a nurse. You can bring examples of when you took care of others and yourself.

Let the committee know that even when training as a nurse, you understand self-care as much as you understand caring for others.

7. Bring in Current Issues

If there is a chance that you can introduce nursing concepts or ideas from current events, it will beef up your nursing school essays.

Get facts from well-established nursing organization websites such as the American Nurses Association, National League of Nursing, Emergency Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, or National Black Nurses Association, etc.

Intrigue your readers by understanding the challenges and opportunities in the nursing field.

You can relate your application to nursing shortages, medical errors, nursing burnout, continuing education, evidence-based practice, etc.

8. Briefly Explain your Qualifications

Since you have already provided material such as transcripts, resumes, and test scores, it is imperative to briefly expound on the qualifications without going into details. Tell them about your experiences, your education, and how you have set yourself up for success in nursing school . For instance, elaborate on how volunteering and internships helped you develop a sense of becoming a nurse or how they developed skills you will apply in nursing school.

9. Share your plans

Everybody has plans. You have short, medium, and long-term goals as you prepare to enter nursing school. You should include them in your essay and demonstrate how the program or school will help you achieve them. Admission officers are always wowed by hearing about goals, especially if they relate to their schools or programs. As you do this, be very specific with the goals and how you intend to achieve them.

All set, but before You Go �

As you contemplate entering nursing school, you must understand that it will never be a walk in the park. There is so much to learn within the specified time frame, and you must show your preparedness. A nursing school personal essay is one of the ways to do so.

Related Article:

• Writing a nursing philosophy ( a student's guide)
• Writing a nursing student resume (a guide)

Lucky for you, our nursing admission essay writers have shared insights, tips, and steps that can help you write an exceptional application essay for any nursing school or program. If you follow them, you will write a seamless admission essay that increases your chances of getting into the nursing school of your dreams.

We wish you luck in your endeavors and promise that were available in case you need a well-written, organized, and plagiarism-free admission essay tailored to your experiences and the specific nursing school or program requirements.

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How to Write a Nursing Essay with a Quick Guide

Ever felt the blank-page panic when assigned a nursing essay? Wondering where to start or if your words will measure up to the weight of your experiences? Fear not, because today, we're here to guide you through this process.

Imagine you're at your favorite coffee spot, armed with a cup of motivation (and maybe a sneaky treat). Got it? Great! Now, let's spill the secrets on how to spin your nursing tales into words that not only get you that A+ but also tug at the heartstrings of anyone reading. We've got your back with nursing essay examples that'll be your inspiration, an outline to keep you on the right path, and more!

What Is a Nursing Essay

Let's start by dissecting the concept. A nursing essay serves as a focused exploration of a specific aspect of nursing, providing an opportunity for students to demonstrate their theoretical knowledge and its practical application in patient care settings.

Picture it as a journey through the challenges and victories of a budding nurse. These essays go beyond the classroom, tackling everything from tricky ethical dilemmas to the impact of healthcare policies on the front lines. It's not just about grades; it's about proving, 'I'm ready for the real deal.'

So, when you read or write a nursing essay, it's not just words on paper. It's like looking into the world of someone who's about to start their nursing career – someone who's really thought about the ins and outs of being a nurse. And before you kick off your nursing career, don't shy away from asking - write my essay for me - we're ready to land a professional helping hand.

How to Start a Nursing Essay

When you start writing a nursing essay, it is like gearing up for a crucial mission. Here's your quick guide from our nursing essay writing service :

Choosing Your Topic: Select a topic that sparks your interest and relates to real-world nursing challenges. Consider areas like patient care, ethical dilemmas, or the impact of technology on healthcare.

Outline Your Route : Plan your essay's journey. Create a roadmap with key points you want to cover. This keeps you on track and your essay on point.

Craft a Strong Thesis: Assuming you already know how to write a hook , kick off your writing with a surprising fact, a thought-provoking quote, or a brief anecdote. Then, state your main argument or perspective in one sentence. This thesis will serve as the compass for your essay, guiding both you and your reader through the rest of your writing.

How to Structure a Nursing Essay

Every great essay is like a well-orchestrated performance – it needs a script, a narrative that flows seamlessly, capturing the audience's attention from start to finish. In our case, this script takes the form of a well-organized structure. Let's delve into the elements that teach you how to write a nursing essay, from a mere collection of words to a compelling journey of insights.

Nursing Essay Introduction

Begin your nursing essay with a spark. Knowing how to write essay introduction effectively means sharing a real-life scenario or a striking fact related to your topic. For instance, if exploring patient care, narrate a personal experience that made a lasting impression. Then, crisply state your thesis – a clear roadmap indicating the direction your essay will take. Think of it as a teaser that leaves the reader eager to explore the insights you're about to unfold.

In the main body, dive into the heart of your essay. Each paragraph should explore a specific aspect of your topic. Back your thoughts with examples – maybe a scenario from your clinical experience, a relevant case study, or findings from credible sources. Imagine it as a puzzle coming together; each paragraph adds a piece, forming a complete picture. Keep it focused and let each idea flow naturally into the next.

Nursing Essay Conclusion

As writing a nursing essay nears the end, resist the urge to introduce new elements. Summarize your main points concisely. Remind the reader of the real-world significance of your thesis – why it matters in the broader context of nursing. Conclude with a thought-provoking statement or a call to reflection, leaving your reader with a lasting impression. It's like the final scene of a movie that leaves you thinking long after the credits roll.

Nursing Essay Outline

Before diving into the essay, craft a roadmap – your outline. This isn't a rigid skeleton but a flexible guide that ensures your ideas flow logically. Consider the following template from our research paper writing service :

Introduction

• Opening Hook: Share a brief, impactful patient care scenario.
• Relevance Statement: Explain why the chosen topic is crucial in nursing.
• Thesis: Clearly state the main argument or perspective.

Patient-Centered Care:

• Definition: Clarify what patient-centered care means in nursing.
• Personal Experience: Share a relevant encounter from clinical practice.
• Evidence: Integrate findings from reputable nursing literature.

Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Practice

• Scenario Presentation: Describe a specific ethical challenge faced by nurses.
• Decision-Making Process: Outline steps taken to address the dilemma.
• Ethical Frameworks: Discuss any ethical theories guiding the decision.

Impact of Technology on Nursing

• Current Trends: Highlight technological advancements in nursing.
• Case Study: Share an example of technology enhancing patient care.
• Challenges and Benefits: Discuss the pros and cons of technology in nursing.
• Summary of Key Points: Recap the main ideas from each section.
• Real-world Implications: Emphasize the practical significance in nursing practice.
• Closing Thought: End with a reflective statement or call to action.

A+ in Nursing Essays Await You!

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Nursing Essay Examples

Here are the nursing Essay Examples for you to read.

Writing a Nursing Essay: Essential Tips

When it comes to crafting a stellar nursing essay, a few key strategies can elevate your work from ordinary to exceptional. Here are some valuable tips from our medical school personal statement writer :

Connect with Personal Experiences:

• Approach: Weave personal encounters seamlessly into your narrative.
• Reasoning: This not only adds authenticity to your essay but also serves as a powerful testament to your firsthand understanding of the challenges and triumphs in the nursing field.

Emphasize Critical Thinking:

• Approach: Go beyond describing situations; delve into their analysis.
• Reasoning: Nursing essays are the perfect platform to showcase your critical thinking skills – an essential attribute in making informed decisions in real-world healthcare scenarios.

Incorporate Patient Perspectives:

• Approach: Integrate patient stories or feedback into your discussion.
• Reasoning: By bringing in the human element, you demonstrate empathy and an understanding of the patient's experience, a core aspect of nursing care.

Integrate Evidence-Based Practice:

• Approach: Support your arguments with the latest evidence-based literature.
• Reasoning: Highlighting your commitment to staying informed and applying current research underscores your dedication to evidence-based practice – a cornerstone in modern nursing.

Address Ethical Considerations:

• Approach: Explicitly discuss the ethical dimensions of your topic.
• Reasoning: Nursing essays provide a platform to delve into the ethical complexities inherent in healthcare, showcasing your ability to navigate and analyze these challenges.

Balance Theory and Practice:

• Approach: Connect theoretical concepts to real-world applications.
• Reasoning: By bridging the gap between theory and practice, you illustrate your capacity to apply academic knowledge effectively in the dynamic realm of nursing.

Highlight Interdisciplinary Collaboration:

• Approach: Discuss collaborative efforts with other healthcare professionals.
• Reasoning: Acknowledging the interdisciplinary nature of healthcare underscores your understanding of the importance of teamwork – a vital aspect of successful nursing practice.

Reflect on Lessons Learned:

• Approach: Conclude with a thoughtful reflection on personal growth or lessons from your exploration.
• Reasoning: This not only provides a satisfying conclusion but also demonstrates your self-awareness and commitment to continuous improvement as a nursing professional.

As we wrap up, think of your essay as a story about your journey into nursing. It's not just about getting a grade; it's a way to share what you've been through and why you want to be a nurse.

Imagine the person reading it – maybe a teacher, a future coworker, or someone starting their nursing journey. They're trying to understand your passion and why you care about nursing.

So, when you write, remember it's more than just an assignment. It's your chance to show why nursing matters to you. And if you ever need help – there's always support from our essay writer online .

Ready to Excel in Your Nursing School Essay?

Order now and experience the expertise of our professional writers!

How to Write a Nursing Essay?

How can a nursing essay effectively address ethical considerations, what are some examples of evidence-based practices in nursing essays.

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is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Nursing Essay Examples

Nursing Essay Examples That Will Help You Write a Stellar Paper

Published on: May 6, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

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Many nursing students struggle with writing effective nursing essays, which are an essential part of their education and professional development.

Poor essay writing skills can lead to low grades and an inability to effectively communicate important information.

This blog provides a comprehensive guide to writing nursing essays with examples and tips for effective writing. Whether you are a nursing student or a professional looking to improve your writing skills, this blog has something for you. 

By following the tips and examples provided, you can write compelling nursing essays that showcase your dedication to the field.

Let’s get started.

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What is a Nursing Essay?

A nursing essay is a type of academic writing that aims to explore a particular topic related to nursing. It also presents a clear and concise argument or viewpoint supported by evidence. 

Nursing essays can take many forms, including:

• Descriptive essays
• Reflective essays
• Analytical essays
• Persuasive essays

What is the Importance of the Nursing Essay?

Nursing essays are important for several reasons. First, they help nursing students develop critical thinking skills by requiring them to analyze and evaluate information.

Second, they help students develop research skills by requiring them to locate and use credible sources to support their arguments. 

Third, nursing essays help students develop communication skills by requiring them to present their ideas clearly and concisely in writing. Finally, nursing essays are important for nursing education because they prepare students for the types of writing.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

To help students better understand how to write nursing essays, it can be helpful to review examples.

Below are some examples of nursing essays.

Nursing School Essay Examples

College Nursing Essay Examples

Graduate Nursing Essay Examples

Nursing Scholarship Essay Examples

Nursing Essay Conclusion Examples

Nursing Essay Examples of Different Fields

Nursing is a diverse field with many different specialties and areas of focus. As a result, nursing essays can take many different forms and cover a wide range of topics. 

Given below are some examples of different types of nursing essays:

Personal Philosophy Of Nursing - Essay Examples

Cal State Fullerton Nursing Essay Examples

Evidence Based Practice Nursing In Medical Field - Essay Examples

Leadership In Nursing And Healthcare Professionals - Essay Examples

Principles Of Professional Practice Of Nursing Professionals And Pharmacists

If you're seeking additional examples of nursing essays, you're in luck! 

Below are some more examples that can help you gain a better understanding of nursing essays:

Health Care And Reflective Models For Nursing - Essay Examples

History Of Nursing Essay Examples

Ethical Dilemma In Nurses Work - Essay Examples

Mental Health Nursing Essay Examples

Why I Want To Be A Nurse Essay

Working In A Team And Collaboration In Nursing

How to Write a Nursing Essay

Writing a nursing essay can seem daunting, but with the right approach, it can be a rewarding experience.

Here are the key steps involved in writing a nursing essay:

Understanding the Topic and Question

The first step in writing a nursing essay is to carefully read and understand the topic and question. 

This will help you determine what information you need to research and include in your essay. Make sure you understand any key terms or concepts related to the topic. Consider different perspectives or viewpoints that may be relevant.

Researching the Topic

Once you have a clear understanding of the topic and question, it's time to research. 

Start by gathering information from credible sources such as academic journals, textbooks, and government websites. 

Consider both primary and secondary sources, and make sure to take detailed notes as you read.

Organizing and Outlining the Essay

Once you have completed your research, it's time to organize your ideas and create an outline for your essay. 

Start by identifying the main points or arguments you want to make, and then organize them into a logical order that flows well. 

Your outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Writing the Essay

With your outline in place, it's time to start writing your essay. Make sure to follow your outline closely, and use clear and concise language that effectively communicates your ideas. 

Use evidence from your research to support your arguments, and cite your sources appropriately.

Editing and Revising the Essay

Once you have completed a first draft of your essay, take some time to edit and revise it. Look for any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation, and make sure your essay is well-organized and flows well. 

Consider asking a peer or instructor to review your essay and provide feedback.

What To Include In Your Nursing Essay

When writing a nursing essay, there are several key elements that you should include. Here are some important things to keep in mind:

• Introduction

Your introduction should provide a brief overview of the topic and purpose of your essay. It should also include a clear thesis statement that presents your main argument or point of view.

• Background Information

Provide some background information on the topic to help the reader better understand the context of your essay. This can include relevant statistics, historical information, or other contextual details.

• Evidence and Examples

Use evidence and examples from your research to support your arguments and demonstrate your knowledge of the topic. Make sure to cite your sources appropriately and use a variety of sources to strengthen your argument.

• Analysis and Evaluation

Provide analysis and evaluation of the evidence and examples you've presented. This can include discussing strengths and weaknesses, comparing and contrasting different viewpoints, or offering your own perspective on the topic.

Your conclusion should summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis statement. It should also offer some final thoughts or suggestions for further research or action.

Nursing Essay Topic Ideas

Choosing a topic for your nursing essay can be challenging, but there are many areas in the field that you can explore. Here are some nursing essay topic ideas to consider:

• The role of technology in nursing practice
• The impact of cultural diversity on healthcare delivery
• Nursing leadership and management in healthcare organizations
• Ethical issues in nursing practice
• The importance of patient-centered care in nursing practice
• The impact of evidence-based practice on nursing care
• The role of nursing in promoting public health
• Nursing education and the importance of lifelong learning
• The impact of nursing shortages on healthcare delivery
• The importance of communication in nursing practice

These are just a few ideas to get you started. You can also explore other topics related to nursing that interest you or align with your academic or professional goals. 

Remember to choose a topic that is relevant, interesting, and feasible to research and write about.

Tips for Writing an Effective Nursing Essay

Writing a successful nursing essay requires careful planning, research, and attention to detail. Here are some tips to help you write an effective nursing essay:

• Writing Concisely and Clearly

Nursing essays should be written in clear and concise language, avoiding unnecessary jargon or technical terms. Use simple language and short sentences to help ensure that your ideas are communicated clearly and effectively.

• Stating a Clear Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement should clearly state your main argument and provide a roadmap for the rest of your essay. It should be clear, concise, and located at the end of your introduction.

• Using Proper Citation and Referencing

Citing and referencing your sources is crucial in any academic writing, including nursing essays. Make sure to use proper citation and referencing styles, such as APA or MLA. Include a reference list or bibliography at the end of your essay.

• Seeking Feedback and Revising

Before submitting your nursing essay, seek feedback from peers, professors, or writing tutors. Use their feedback to revise and improve your essay. Make sure that it is well-structured, coherent, and effectively communicates your point of view.

By following these tips, you can write a nursing essay that demonstrates your knowledge and skills in the field.

In conclusion, writing a successful nursing essay requires careful planning, research, and attention to detail. 

To showcase your knowledge in the field of nursing, it is important to have a clear understanding of the topic at hand. When writing your nursing essay, be sure to include relevant examples, incorporate current research, and use proper citation and referencing. 

And remember , seeking feedback and revising your essay is key to ensuring that it effectively communicates your ideas and arguments.

If you need help with your nursing essay or any other type of academic writing, consider using our AI essay writer . 

Our nursing essay writing service can provide personalized support to help you succeed in your academic goals.

So, why wait? Contact us to get college essay writing help today! 

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• OJIN Homepage
• Table of Contents
• Volume 22 - 2017
• Number 3: September 2017
• Healthy and Ready to Learn

Healthy and Ready to Learn: School Nurses Improve Equity and Access

Kathleen H. Johnson, DNP, RN, NCSN, FNASN is a clinical assistant professor of community health nursing at the University of Washington Seattle. She has a clinical doctorate in Community Health Systems Nursing, is a Robert Wood Johnson Executive nurse fellow, a Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership fellow and a fellow in the National Academy of School Nursing. She has been honored as School Nurse Administrator of the Year, National Board Certified School Nurse of the Year, and Washington State March of Dimes as Distinguished Nurse of the Year. She has been a school nurse for 15 years working in direct care, as Interim State School Nurse Consultant and Health Services Manager of a large, urban school district supervising 90 nurses delivering care to over 54,000 students in a culturally and ethnically diverse community. Dr. Johnson’s research and publications are directed at the use of data to support systems of care to promote student health. Her passion is facilitating efficient and effective school health services to support the health and well-being of our children.

Healthy children learn better; educated children grow to raise healthier families advancing a stronger, more productive nation for generations to come. School nurses work to assure that children have access to educational opportunities regardless of their state of health. Challenges exist in coordinating children’s healthcare, but also present opportunities to build a robust system of care for children. This article briefly reviews the historical roots and legal issues in school nursing , and discusses student needs for school nursing support and disabilities in the school setting . The work of school nursing is described, as well as registered nurse staffing in schools . The conclusion considers current and future issues in school nursing, including funding and delivery issues, the use of information technology, and partnership opportunities.

Keywords: School nursing; child health; schools; special education; children with special healthcare needs

School nurses assure that all children have access to appropriate educational opportunities regardless of their state of health. Healthy children learn better; educated children grow to raise healthier families, thus creating a stronger, more productive nation for generations to come ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015 ; Marmot & Bell, 2006 ; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [RWJF], 2016 ). School nurses assure that all children have access to appropriate educational opportunities regardless of their state of health. They have a foundational role, providing not only direct services for students with health problems, but also promoting the health of the communities in which they live and serve.

The combination of children’s health and education intertwine to determine their futures; the health and educational paths of a community of children combine to lay the foundation for powerful forces that benefit or hinder a nation of communities. Health is inextricably tied to student readiness to learn, and education is a social determinant of health that predicts a person’s future success, and the health of his or her own children ( CDC, 2015 ; RWJF, 2016 ). The CDC defines social determinants as the “…conditions in the environments in which people live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks” ( CDC, 2015 , para. 1). Educational success is measured by on-time graduation and ultimately attainment of a job for pay ( U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services [U.S. DoE], 2010 ).

School nurses stand at the intersection of health and education... School nurses stand at the intersection of health and education, weaving supports needed to reduce barriers to learning and promoting healthy children, families, and communities. The following is a discussion of issues related to provision of school health services in the United States (U.S.). This article briefly reviews the historical roots and legal issues in school nursing, and discusses student needs for school nursing support and disabilities in the school setting. The work of school nursing is described, as well as registered nurse (RN) staffing in schools. The conclusion considers current and future issues in school nursing, including funding and delivery issues; the use of information technology; and partnership opportunities.

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) defines school nursing as a specialized practice that “protects and promotes student health, facilitates optimal [student] development, and advances academic success. School nurses, grounded in ethical and evidence-based practice, are the leaders who bridge healthcare and education, provide care coordination, advocate for quality student-centered care, and collaborate to design systems that allow individuals and communities to develop their full potential” ( NASN, 2017a , para. 1). School nurses serve the nation’s 56 million school-aged children in public, private, and some charter schools ( National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2016 ).

School nurses have earned a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited nursing program and are licensed as a RN ( NASN, 2016 ). Licensed practical or vocational nurses, and graduates of diploma and associate degree nursing programs also work in schools, as do graduates of masters of nursing and public health programs and those credentialed as advanced practice registered nurses (APRN). The National Board for Certification of School Nurses ( NBCSN, n.d. ) offers the opportunity for school nurses to be national board certified in school nursing. In addition, many states have school nurse certification programs administered through their department of education or health. The NASN ( 2017 ) serves as the professional organization of school nurses and has affiliate organizations throughout the country.

Historical Roots of School Nursing

School nursing started in the United States in October 1902 when public health nurse Lina Rogers treated communicable diseases to reduce student absenteeism in New York City. School nursing started in the United States in October 1902 when public health nurse Lina Rogers treated communicable diseases to reduce student absenteeism in New York City. Prior to Rogers’ work, medical officers excluded children with communicable diseases from school ( Zaiger, 2013 ). The exclusions served only to reduce time students spent learning as they went home to play after school with their classmates, resulting in continued community exposure to illness. Rogers worked with families to treat infections, reducing the number of children excluded for health reasons from 10,567 to 1,101 in just one year ( Zaiger, 2013 ). Recognition of the need for school nurses quickly spread across the nation to Los Angeles in 1904, Boston in 1905, Seattle in 1907, and Philadelphia in 1908 ( Zaiger, 2013 ).

Rural school nursing began soon after as public health nurses traveled on horseback to visit children at schools to perform screenings and infection control. Nurses meeting children at school learned about other health issues of students’ families, and then worked to build relationships with those families. This allowed them to build the trust needed to encourage immunization against communicable diseases and provide support to manage illness in the family, thereby improving the health status of the entire community.

There were wide variations in what school health services looked like until the 1950s when a more implicit focus developed on direct care; leadership and management of school health programs; case finding and coordination; and health education for students and the community ( Zaiger, 2013 ). Today, communicable disease has taken a back seat to care coordination of chronic health conditions as the major focus of school nursing activity. However, the emphasis of the school nurse contribution to improve school attendance for well children and promote access to education for those with chronic health conditions continues ( NASN, 2016 ).

Legal Issues in School Nursing

In addition to state nurse practice acts, school nurses are bound by education specific statutes at the federal and state level. School nurses are bound by the same nurse practice acts and standards of practice and ethics as nurses in other healthcare settings ( American Nurses Association [ANA], 2010 ; ANA, 2015 ; National Council of State Boards of Nursing [NCSBN], n.d. ). The Scope and Standards of School Nursing publication provides further practice guidance for school nurses ( ANA & NASN, 2011 ). In addition to state nurse practice acts, school nurses are bound by education specific statutes at the federal and state level. For instance, Washington State has a whole section in their education statutes devoted to school health requirements on screening, medication delegation, and care of students with chronic conditions such as type I diabetes, asthma, anaphylaxis, and urinary catheterization ( Revised Code of Washington: Common School Provisions, 1890 ).

Straddling health and education sectors and interfacing with the boards of both professional nursing and education at the state and district level adds a layer of regulatory complexity to the role. In general, school board policies and procedures authorize school health services in an individual school district in the same way as policy manuals in a specific hospital or ambulatory care setting.

...delegation to unlicensed assistive personnel is a key element of school nursing in those states where it is allowed by nurse practice acts. Given the large caseloads that many school nurses manage, delegation to unlicensed assistive personnel is a key element of school nursing in those states where it is allowed by nurse practice acts. Parents and school staff whose typical experience with healthcare is related to their own family sometimes struggle to understand the safety and legal requirements of providing care as part of their employment ( NASN, 2014d ). Because of this, the importance of nursing delegation, medical orders, and training by a nurse for the administration of medications and treatments may be overlooked by school staff if an RN is not available. Safe and legal delegation of care in the school setting must be supervised by an RN, just as in other healthcare settings.

Where allowed by nurse practice acts, delegation of nursing tasks occurs in the school setting to unlicensed assistive personnel who typically include the classroom teacher, instructional assistant, or office staff ( NASN, 2014d ). School nurses follow delegation principles outlined by the ANA and NCSBN ( n.d. ). Some states also allow volunteers identified by parents to independently administer certain medications in the absence of an RN. For example, California allows insulin to be administered by unlicensed volunteers, and Washington State allows parents to identify an unlicensed volunteer to administer insulin and nasal medications (e.g., Midazolam ®) ( American Nurses Association v. Torlakson, 2013 ;  Revised Code of Washington: Common School Provisions, 1890 ). Recognizing the value of an RN to assess and promote the health of students, some states require a registered nurse at each school. In sum, there is wide variation across states in access to an RN at school, which is addressed in greater detail in a subsequent section.

Student Needs for School Nursing Support

Improvements in medical care in recent years have changed the landscape of childhood health, allowing more children to survive prematurity, cancers, and other conditions previously unsurvivable ( Perrin, Anderson, & VanCleave, 2014 ). Increased knowledge about child health has led to improved screening, preventive care, and management of chronic conditions. This has increased the number of children with health problems who survive to school-age and then require nursing services at school.

Children who survive acute conditions arrive at school with a variety of complex health needs that require nursing care. Immunizations and advances in infectious illness have led to reductions in communicable diseases. However, they have been replaced with increases in chronic diseases such as asthma, obesity, mental health concerns, and neuro-developmental disorders. In fact, rates of children with chronic conditions that interfere with their daily life have increased 400% between 1960 (when many current policy makers attended school) and 2010 ( Perrin et al., 2014 ). Today’s children come to school with more complex daily health needs, requiring technology-enhanced interventions and a need for increased surveillance to assure their safety at school. Social and demographic factors (e.g., poverty; racial and ethnic health disparities; language issues) add to the complexity of the care of today’s children ( Perrin et al., 2014 ). For example, asthma strikes American Indian and Native Alaskan children 25% more frequently than White children, while Puerto Rican children have an asthma rate 140% more than their non-Hispanic White classmates; Black and Hispanic children live with higher rates of obesity ( Perrin et al., 2014 ).

The good news is that death rates from all causes for pre-teen children declined 60% from 1980 to 2013 ( Federal Interagency Forum, 2015 ). This means that more children come home after treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) with conditions that span the range of specialized clinics in the most comprehensive children’s medical centers. Children who survive acute conditions arrive at school with a variety of complex health needs that require nursing care. The Maternal Child Health Bureau reported that in 2010, children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN) comprised 18% of school aged children in the United States ( U.S. Department of Health & Human Services [U.S. DHHS], 2013 ). Eighty-six percent of CSHCN require prescription medications, and nearly 30% require specialized therapies; nearly a quarter of their parents report at least one unmet need for services while less than half of CSHCN receive coordinated care in a medical home ( U.S. DHHS, 2013 ).

Social issues add to the complexity of children’s health needs. Twenty percent of U.S. children live in poverty and 21% live in homes that are food insecure; 11% of teens had a major depressive episode ( Federal Interagency Forum, 2015 ). Four percent of children do not have a regular source of healthcare and school nurses may be the only health provider they see. One in five teens experience a serious mental health problem and 50% of mental health disorders start in childhood ( National Alliance for the Mentally Ill [NAMI], n.d. ). Untreated mental illness is associated with suicide, homelessness, and incarceration ( NAMI, n.d. ). Urban minority children have been particularly impacted by health issues that interfere with learning and add to the disparities they face ( Basch, 2011 ).

Social issues add to the complexity of children’s health needs. Health and social issues combine to adversely affect school attendance. The impact of chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10 percent or more school days per year, on educational outcomes, future health, and the student’s financial future is an additional barrier for students with health or social needs. “Ten percent of kindergarteners and first graders are chronically absent” ( RWJF, 2016 , p. 1). Chronic absenteeism in early grades diminishes students’ ability to read in third grade, which in turn puts them at four times the risk of dropping out of high school ( Balfanz & Byrnes, 2012 ; RWJF, 2016 ). Children who are chronically absent for even one year in high school are seven times less likely to graduate, which increases the risk that they will die earlier than classmates who earn a high school diploma ( Attendance Works, 2015 ; RWJF, 2016 ). Despite increasing prevalence and complexity of student health needs and the subsequent impact on educational success, structures to uniformly provide resources to meet those needs are developed ad hoc at the local level.

Disabilities in the School Setting

Children who are disabled require directed support at school to be successful. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s also energized advocacy for persons with disabilities, leading to laws to protect their rights. In 1973, the Rehabilitation Act was passed, forbidding discrimination against disabled persons in federally funded programs such as public schools ( National Low-Income Housing Coalition [NLIHC], 2014 ). In 1975, the first special education statutes were enacted to protect the rights of students with disabilities to receive a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) ( U.S. Department of Education [U.S. DoE], 2010 ). Before these federal statutes were enacted, millions of children with disabilities were either excluded from school or had limited access and were denied an education, ultimately limiting their ability to earn a living and function independently as adults ( U.S. DOE, 2010 ).

Students with disabilities fit into two categories: a) students whose disability affects their educational progress and b) students those whose disability restricts access to their education. Students whose disability affects educational progress are eligible for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) ( U.S. Department of Education [US DOE], n.d. ). Students whose disability restricts access to their education require accommodations under Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ( U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights [U.S. DOE, OCR], n.d. ).

Students eligible for special education services (category a) need specialized instruction to advance academically. Many also have a health component to their disability and require health services at school (e.g., tracheostomy care, gastrostomy tube feedings, medications, and training for staff providing healthcare as delegated by an RN). Students (category b) with conditions such as Type I diabetes or severe allergies require accommodations to be at school safely. For a student with diabetes, these accommodations may include snacks and the ability to use insulin at school; students with severe allergies require medication at school and staff training to avoid known anaphylaxis triggers or recognize and treat emergencies.

The school nurse... develops individualized healthcare plans (IHPs) to outline appropriate accommodations and health support. The school nurse, armed with knowledge of the school environment, specialized knowledge of the health condition, and the specific health needs for that student, develops individualized healthcare plans (IHPs) to outline appropriate accommodations and health support ( NASN, 2015a ). Providing supports for students through special education services has resulted in greater numbers of students with disabilities achieving educational success, graduating from high school, enrolling in post-secondary education, and attaining independence as adults working for pay ( U.S. DOE, 2010 ). Disability statutes protect the rights of Americans “…to participate and contribute meaningfully to society” ( U.S. DOE, 2010 , p. 12).

The Work of School Nursing

Health conditions underpin most disabilities that children face in school. Health conditions underpin most disabilities that children face in school. It is the responsibility of the school nurse to develop IHPs, emergency care plans (ECPs) and the health portion of individualized education plans (IEPs) that form the foundation of special education and Section 504 accommodations ( NASN, 2015a ). Part of these accommodations may include identifying and minimizing barriers to attendance; delegating and supervising of prescribed medications and treatments; and training school staff to recognize and respond to health emergencies ( NASN, 2015a ). School nurses are uniquely positioned to assure that appropriate accommodations are in place for the student, improving educational access while avoiding unnecessary expense ( Zirkel, Grandhom, & Lovato, 2012 ).

In addition, as part of their work in health promotion and illness prevention, school nurses support school management of emergencies and disasters. Emergency responses range from the acute injury or illness of an individual student or staff member, to community wide catastrophes, including accidents, natural disasters, and lockdowns due to criminal activity ( NASN, 2014b ). School nurses are often the first person called to an emergent situation and are critical to implementing the school’s Incident Command System ( NASN, 2014b ). They prepare for and respond to emergent situations by assessing and identifying prevention and mitigation measures, facilitating a “rapid, coordinated, effective emergency response,” responding to actual emergencies and preparing for and assisting in recovery efforts after the emergency ( NASN, 2014b , p. 2). This planning and preparation supports not only well students, but those with special healthcare needs such as Type I diabetes, seizure disorders, those who require mechanical ventilation or are dependent on others for emergency evacuation. School nurses meet these needs through a combination of triage, staff training, and safety surveillance ( NASN, 2014b ).

...school nurses incorporate health education into every interaction they have with students, staff, and families. Additional work in health promotion and illness prevention for school nurses includes health education in areas that address obesity, bullying, environmental health and drug abuse (NASN,  2013c ; 2014a ; 2014c ; NASN 2016c ). From providing fundamental health education by teaching kindergarteners to cover their coughs, to growth and development education for middle and high schoolers, school nurses incorporate health education into every interaction they have with students, staff, and families. School nurses coordinate their work with other education professionals to promote the health of students, staff, and the community ( NASN, 2015b ). The CDC has long recognized the role of school nurses in promoting health by including school health services in their Coordinated School Health program ( NASN, 2017c ). The program has since evolved into a partnership with education professionals called the Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community program (WSCC Model) ( CDC, n.d. ).

Registered Nurse Staffing in Schools

The presence of an RN at school is very dependent on local funding, and state specific regulations ( Baker, Hebbeler, Davis-Aldritt, Anderson, & Knauer, 2015 ; Maughan, 2009 ). Scarce school financing is a common dilemma for school districts and when budgets are tight, cuts in health services programs often result. However, the U.S Department of Education clarifies that public schools “… operating federally funded programs must provide education and related services free of charge to students with disabilities“– a provision of special education law known as “free appropriate public education” or FAPE that includes the provision of health services ( U.S. Department of Education [U.S. DOE], 2010, p. 1 ). Unfortunately, federal funding for special education covers only about 10% of costs incurred for these programs, and mandated services under Section 504 are unfunded ( U.S. DOE, 2005 ).

Unstable funding mechanisms and the indirect link between student health and the educational mission of schools often puts funding for school health services at risk. Unstable funding mechanisms and the indirect link between student health and the educational mission of schools often puts funding for school health services at risk. This risk for services is despite documented value that the nursing care provides for education and health outcomes, particularly to address issues of equity ( Baker et al., 2015 ; Baisch, Lundeen, & Murphy, 2011 ; Basch, 2011 ; Wang et al., 2014 ). For example, the cost of managing asthma was approximately $56 billion in 2007 and resulted in 3.68 million lost school days ( Rodriguez, Riviera, Perlroth, Becker, & Wang, 2013 ). Rodriguez et al. found that a full-time school nurse decreased absenteeism, particularly for younger students.

As indicated earlier, students with high rates of absenteeism before 3 rd grade are less likely to read at the 3 rd grade level ( Balfanz & Byrnes, 2012 ). Failure to read in grade 3 in turn impacts high school graduation rates, which affects student employability and future financial independence ( Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017 ). Rodriguez et al. ( 2013 ) also described decreased overall costs of providing care for children with asthma when a full-time nurse was present at school, which resulted from increased state payments to the school related to improvements in average daily attendance; a reduction in emergency room visits and hospitalizations; and wages earned by parents who did not miss work due to their child’s illness. Similar outcomes have been found in other studies ( Baisch et al., 2011 ; Wang et al., 2014 ). Despite this evidence-base, funding for school nursing services, highly dependent on per pupil funding, varies widely across the United States ( Maughan, 2009 ).

Current Issues in School Nursing Some issues present challenges for appropriate provision of school health services, yet also point to opportunities to improve healthcare and education outcomes for children. This section discusses several such current concerns, such as regional issues that impact funding; variability in services related to funding differences; information technology; the aging school workforce; community partnerships; and emergence of telehealth.

Caseload numbers are closely tied to per pupil funding. Regional issues that impact funding and oversight. School districts (Local Education Agencies [LEAs]) operate under local control, in which community school boards make decisions on issues such as curriculum and school policies. That same reliance on local control is applied to staffing and funding for school health programs. As a result, school nurse caseload numbers vary widely across states ranging from 300 to almost 6000 students per nurse ( Maughan, 2009 ). Caseload numbers are closely tied to per pupil funding ( Maughan, 2009 ). In 2015, there was a difference of more than $10,700 between the state with the highest per pupil spending and the state with the lowest (i.e., $21,206 per pupil in one state versus $6,575 in the state with the lowest education funding) ( U.S Census Bureau, 2015 ).

School nurses practice independently in a non-health setting, often in professional isolation, sometimes referred to as a silo. School nurses practice independently in a non-health setting, often in professional isolation, sometimes referred to as a silo. Some districts operate without the benefit of a nurse administrator. This leaves non-health school administrators with uncertainty about the needs and management of school health programs, and school nurses juggling the demands of their caseloads, advocating for professional nursing standards, and looking for reliable technical support for their work. While most healthcare organizations have independent oversight ( Joint Commission, n.d. ) and structures focused on healthcare quality, local school boards retain oversight of school health programs without the benefit of baseline program standards to guide them. Combined with economic pressures faced by school districts, support for students with health problems can be more dependent on zip code than on health condition. Research on school health models would provide information about the recommended administrative structure of school health delivery systems. Partnership with hospital systems would lay ground work for more standardization in delivery models and stable funding.

Variability in services related to funding differences. Disparities in funding and caseloads across the country, and even within states, highlight the lack of clarity on the scope and role of healthcare in schools for nurses, medical providers and educators alike ( Endsley, 2017 ; Maughan, 2009 ). Work associated with a caseload of 300 students compared with the workload of nearly 6000 students impacts the level of care that can be provided ( Maughan, 2009 ). Workload issues are further muddied by increasing numbers of students with complex healthcare needs who require intensive services, such as tracheostomy care, gastrostomy feedings, or managing Type I diabetes or severe seizure disorders. While society and health systems benefit from school-based care, the burden of paying for that care has been borne by education systems as opposed to health systems.

Systems level solutions are needed to improve uniformity in school health services delivery. Systems level solutions are needed to improve uniformity in school health services delivery. An ever-increasing number of hospital systems collaborate with school districts to staff school nursing services. Healthcare is moving to new delivery systems, and improved ways of coordinating care are emerging, including accountable health communities ( Centers for Medicare and Medicaid [CMS], 2017 ). Including school health services in these systems offers the opportunity to improve coordination of children’s healthcare and stabilize school health funding. These partnerships create healthier communities, and school nurses benefit from the professional support systems imbedded in hospitals.

...data collection and IT implementation for school health has lagged. Information technology (IT) . Health IT has advanced rapidly with the oversight of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The ONC has partnered with CMS to drive adoption of electronic health records, use of standardized languages, and certification of electronic documentation systems ( ONC, 2016 ). The field of education has seen similar advances in data management with collection of data through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Despite having a presence in both worlds, data collection and IT implementation for school health has lagged. While many school nurses report access to electronic documentation systems, no standards or systems for certifying school EHRs have been identified. This leaves the selection of appropriate school health documentation systems to be sorted by school nurses with limited IT experience, and school IT and education administrators with little knowledge of health IT requirements.

Barriers to smooth information exchange between school nurses and health systems impact efficient care coordination between health providers and the place where students spend the majority of their waking hours. To address this and improve information sharing, some hospitals allow parents to give permission for school nurses to access student primary and specialty care provider electronic medical records. Improved information exchange makes both systems more efficient and enhances care coordination for the student.

Demographics of the school nursing workforce mimic those of RNs in general, predicting a looming shortage. Aging school nurse workforce . Demographics of the school nursing workforce mimic those of RNs in general, predicting a looming shortage ( U.S. DHHS, 2014 ; Willgerodt & Brock, 2016 ). Inequities related to compensation for school nurses when compared to community nursing pay standards, further complicate RN staffing concerns for schools. The shortage of RNs, and particularly baccalaureate prepared RNs needed in schools, requires that districts identify more robust recruitment and retention strategies to improve their ability to attract new nurses to the school setting. These include improved compensation, new school nurse orientation programs, and ongoing professional development.

Partnership with school-based health centers. School-based health centers (SBHC) provide primary healthcare and often behavioral health services in schools to students enrolled in their practice ( School Based Health Alliance [SBHA], n.d.a ). These centers function as an independent medical office, usually within school walls, at approximately 2,300 U.S. schools, ( SBHA, n.d.a ), or 2.3% of the nation’s 98,271 schools ( NCES, n.d.b ). The SBHA noted,

The school nurse is the building’s health ambassador, on the frontline for day-to-day oversight and management of the school population’s health. School-based healthcare complements the work of school nurses by providing a readily accessible referral site for students who are without a medical home or in need of more comprehensive services such as primary, mental, oral, or vision health care” ( SBHA, n.d.b , para. 12).

Partnerships between SBHCs, school nurses, and school districts minimize barriers of access to medical services, particularly for students who live with disparities.

Telehealth. School nurses are professionals trained in assessment of body systems and documentation of findings. They are connected to the communities they serve and are often the first health professional a student or family member may consult when confronted with a health problem. Advances in telehealth hold great promise for rural and frontier communities to have increased access to medical care right in their local school by combining the benefits of telehealth with the professional skills of the school nurse ( Nelson, 2017 ).

The Future of School Nursing As healthcare moves into the community, focuses more on client-centered care, and is facilitated by electronic documentation systems, there is huge potential to improve efficiency and cost effectiveness of coordinating healthcare for our nation’s children by including school health services. In an ideal child centered system, interoperability between children’s electronic medical records and school health records will become standard, thus facilitating efficient, effective coordination between health systems and school; improved surveillance of disease outbreaks; and coordination of health promotion activities.

Schools will partner with community healthcare systems as part of accountable care organizations to provide a true system of care for children who are well and those with chronic conditions. Health and education data systems will be integrated to provide information to drive policy, care delivery, and research into effective interventions in both health and education. Schools will partner with community healthcare systems as part of accountable care organizations to provide a true system of care for children who are well and those with chronic conditions. In turn, this will standardize models of school healthcare delivery and lead to quality recognition programs where parents, medical providers, and educators will have clear information about their school healthcare program. The school nurse will be an integral member of a child’s larger healthcare team, assuring implementation of the plan of care and providing timely information from the school health record about student response to care. School health will be fully integrated into the greater healthcare system to provide a holistic, child-centered, health system.

School nurses stand in both the health and education sectors to support the well-being of children and the future health and economic vitality of our nation. In summary, school nurses are an important link in the continuum of care for children with chronic conditions, a critical component of illness prevention, and a safety net for those children who are outside the traditional medical care system. They bridge the gap between health and education; individual and population healthcare; and address chronic health needs of individual students as well as prevention and health promotion activities of public health. School nurses serve children whose health needs range from well care to the full spectrum of chronic pediatric health conditions. While challenges to integrate the healthcare that children receive remain, robust opportunities also exist to further promote child health. Healthy children learn better; educated children grow to raise healthier families and stronger communities. School nurses stand in both the health and education sectors to support the well-being of children and the future health and economic vitality of our nation.

Kathleen Johnson, DNP, RN, NCSN, FNASN Email: [email protected]

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The national survey of children with special health care needs chartbook 2009–2010. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013.

Wang, L., Vernon-Smiley, M., Gapinski, M., Desisto, M., Maughan, E., & Sheetz, A. (2014, May 19). Cost-benefit study of school nursing services. JAMA Pediatrics , 168(7), 642-648. doi:10.1001jamapediatrics.2013.5441

Willgerodt, M., & Brock, D. (2016). School nurses in the U.S. Retrieved from https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/NASN/3870c72d-fff9-4ed7-833f-215de278d256/UploadedImages/PDFs/Advocacy/2017_School_Nurses_in_the_Nation_Infographic_.pdf

Zaiger, D. (2013). Historical perspectives in school nursing. In J. Selekman (Ed.), School nursing: A comprehensive text (2nd ed. (pp. 2-24). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.

Zirkel, P. A., Grandhom, M. F., & Lovato, L. (2012). Section 504 and student health problems: The pivotal position of the school nurse. The Journal of School Nursing , 28 (6), 423-432. doi:10.1177/1059840512449358

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• Article September 30, 2017 U.S. Licensed School Nurses Working in an International Setting Julie Hudson, MSN, RN, NCSN; Nancy Smith Tsurumaki, MSN, RN, NCSN
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Tips for Writing Your Nursing Program College Essays

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Giebien Na in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered:

The importance of your college essays, general advice for writing your nursing essays.

If you know you want to be a nurse, you probably have quite a few reasons for that. Instead of merely relying on your academic and test performances to tell your story, you get the opportunity in your essays to share exactly why you’re so passionate about nursing. Writing about this can be a clarifying and even exciting process. This article explains why college application essays matter and how you should write about why you want to become a nurse.

Grades and test scores matter when you’re applying to college, but your essays can help improve your chances of admission. They’re how you can express your experiences and make your desire to become a nurse clear and personal.

If your prospective school doesn’t have supplemental essays, it’s a good idea to include your interest in nursing in your Common App essay . This could mean that you end up with two different drafts of the essay: one for if there are supplemental essays where you can discuss your interests in nursing and one for if there are not. You’ll change them out depending on whether you also have to respond to specific prompts about why you want to pursue nursing. This may not sound like much fun, but it will help you be admitted to your school of choice.

It might seem exciting to apply to a place where you don’t have to write extra essays—it’s less work! If you don’t do that additional work, though, you’ll have fewer chances to explain yourself. You might not be able to share exactly why you think that you’re the right fit for a certain college or program. 

If you are writing supplemental essays for the colleges that you’re interested in, you can include more details about your passion for nursing. You’ll often be asked, “why this major?” or “why this school?” When you have those opportunities to share your specific reasons, you can let yourself get personal and go deep into your passion. Use that space to share important details about who you are.

Start Broad

When writing essays entirely about why you want to pursue nursing , try to start from a broad interest, then slowly work your way to telling specific personal stories and goals. 

When first thinking about your general interest in nursing, ask yourself what attracts you to the work of being a nurse. This can lead to powerful potential responses. Maybe you like taking care of people in the community. Perhaps you’ve always known that you wanted to make a difference in the healthcare profession, but you don’t want to be a doctor. You’d rather make patients’ healthcare experiences as comfortable and pleasant as possible. 

After you’ve described these broad, overarching motivations for wanting to go into nursing, consider any personal experiences that have made you want to be a nurse. Think about moments you’ve had during hospital visits or checkups or an anecdote from a time that you decided to volunteer in a healthcare role. Once you’ve written these stories, you can end the essay by discussing your planned major and career goals.

Discuss Your Future Goals

If you know what your end goal is, be sure to include it. You can write about becoming a registered nurse or maybe a nurse practitioner. It doesn’t have to be set in stone , but sharing a final ambition can help anchor your personal narrative. Writing about the future that you want can help the admissions officer reading your essay see how you view yourself. If they can do this, they’ll better understand your values and motivations and see you as a real candidate for their school. 

You don’t have to follow this pattern exactly. For example, it can be powerful to begin your essay in the middle of the action—you can dive right into an anecdote and get the reader interested in your story from the jump. 

While you should avoid dramatization, starting with a few clear, memorable scenes or a line or two of dialogue can make for an instantly interesting essay. All of this helps you show your passion, rather than simply explaining what intrigues you about a nursing career. 

Once you’ve led with your narrative, though, remember to ground it in clear reasons for your intended career and what you want your future to look like. A good essay will be balanced between the past, present, and future. It’s how a college will see who you are and everything that you have to offer.

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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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How to Write a Winning Nursing Application Essay

Not everyone dreads writing their nursing application essay. Some consider writing a strong suit. But others definitely don’t. If you fall in the latter category, take heart; submitting a well-crafted, winning essay isn’t as difficult as it may seem.

It may help to keep in mind that a bad essay probably won’t ruin your chances of becoming a nurse. But a good essay could mean the difference between getting accepted into a program of your choice, at a time of your choosing, or not. That’s because admissions personnel often turn to the application essay to differentiate among candidates who might otherwise seem equivalent. A good application essay can set you apart from the pack and help your application stand out.

Of course, if writing were your passion, you’d probably be pursuing a different career. Admissions staff for nursing programs throughout the U.S., including those at the Denver College of Nursing , understand this. In addition to giving you a chance to reveal a bit about yourself and your motivation for becoming a nurse, admissions personnel view the essay as a way to assess skills that go beyond writing ability. For example, it can be a quick way to assess whether you’re capable of following instructions carefully.

Importance of the Nursing Application Essay

The nursing school application essay is an important part of the admissions process. It not only provides insight about an applicant that goes beyond grades and test scores, but also gives the applicant an opportunity to discuss personal and professional aspirations and explain why they’re passionate about becoming a registered nurse (RN).

An application essay provides a glimpse into an applicant’s character and values. It also helps applicants demonstrate their ability to convey thoughts coherently, a vital skill for nurses who must communicate effectively with patients, families, and healthcare teams, among others.  

The admission essay also presents students with an opportunity to highlight unique experiences they’ve had, challenges they’ve overcome, and impactful moments in their lives that have motivated them to pursue a nursing degree. Whether it’s a story about a transformative volunteer experience or a story about how an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse helped care for a family member, these narratives help differentiate candidates by showcasing their potential contributions to the profession.

Writing a compelling nursing school application essay is about more than drafting words onto a page. It’s about crafting a final product that enables admissions counselors to see applicants as more than their GPA, educational history, and academic achievements. It can be an equally important skill for students looking to apply for grants and scholarships to help them pay for nursing school .

Tips for Your Nursing Admission Essay

Writing a nursing school application essay requires finesse and clarity. Below are just a few of the tips students can use to craft an essay they can be proud of.

1. Follow Instructions Carefully

Think of your essay as another type of screening tool. For example, applicants who fail to follow instructions properly are easily weeded out of the pile. This makes sense when you consider the ultimate importance of following instructions and staying on task in nursing school.

Managing your workload, meeting expectations, and making deadlines will be crucial to your success. It’s far too easy to fall behind — and never catch back up — if you don’t practice self-discipline during nursing school.

If the expected length of your nursing application essay isn’t spelled out, assume that you should submit no more than two pages of text. If you’re assigned a specific topic, be sure to address it, even if you only use it as a springboard to launch your essay in a new direction.

2. Don’t Procrastinate

Writing a strong essay may take more time than you realize. Accordingly, it makes sense to allow plenty of time to complete your essay. Unless you’re already an accomplished writer, assume that crafting a polished essay will take considerable time for brainstorming, drafting, editing, and rewriting.

It may be helpful to create an outline first. But try not to overthink it. Writing that comes from the heart — not the head — is often some of the most compelling writing there is. But even heartfelt sentiments require a bit of effort to shine on the page. Clear phrasing and attention to detail matter.

3. Don’t Be Intimidated

The idea of creating an outline and writing one or more drafts can sound daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. A rough draft can simply be a bunch of words strung together that capture your stream of consciousness. It’s OK not to worry about grammar, structure, transitions, or other technical details when writing a rough draft.

Remember, it’s called a rough draft for a reason. The point is to gather your thoughts, ideas, and even feelings, and give them voice. Once you’ve done this, you’ll likely find that making revisions; fixing grammar and spelling errors; and eliminating unclear, unnecessary, or inappropriate words or phrases comes more easily. Writers used to do this by hand. Today’s technology makes it remarkably easy to edit on the fly, and numerous digital proofreading tools are available to help you fine-tune your writing.

4. Make the Essay Yours

Lastly, avoid the obvious, the expected, or the banal. Recognize that there are certain sentiments that virtually every applicant will be tempted to express. Try to avoid the expected and do something a little different. That doesn’t mean you should be different for the sake of being different. But sharing something that other writers haven’t already discussed can be valuable.

Attempt to craft a strong, compelling opening sentence or paragraph. In any piece of writing, it’s important to hook your reader early for optimal impact.

You and your experiences are unique. Take the plunge and dare to bare a bit of your soul and bring some of the emotion that motivates you into your writing. As noted earlier, writing that comes from the heart is invariably more gripping than writing that appears to follow a template. Allow your essay to tell a story: the story of you. But keep it succinct and keep it honest. 

Pursue Your Dream of Becoming a Registered Nurse

Aspiring nurses across the U.S., whether they’re interested in earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) , a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) , an RN to BSN , or a Master of Science of Nursing (MSN) , must start their educational journey by applying to an accredited nursing program and crafting a nursing application essay.

Are you ready to take the next step toward your dream of pursuing a nursing job at a hospital, community care clinic, or group medical practice? Discover how completing a nursing degree with the Denver College of Nursing can prepare you for the next step in your career.

Recommended Readings Celebrating Important Women in Medicine and Healthcare Making a Difference in Texas as a Rural Healthcare Safety Net Provider Nurse What Does an OR Nurse Do?  

Sources BigFuture, Tips for Writing an Effective Application Essay  Indeed, Writing an Application Essay for Nursing School Admission IntelyCare, "Tips to Write a Personal Statement for Nursing School” 

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Writing an Outstanding Application Nursing Essay

Embarking on the path to a nursing career involves navigating through various challenges and significant moments, with the nursing application essay standing out as a key component. This essential part of your application transcends mere formality; it presents a special chance for you to highlight your character, commitment, and aptitude for the nursing profession. In this detailed guide, we aim to explore the intricacies of creating a standout nursing application essay. Whether you’re just starting to explore the nursing field or are ready to submit your application, this article is your roadmap to success.

Understanding the Purpose of the Essay

What do nursing schools seek in your essay.

Nursing schools are looking for candidates with the academic qualifications and personal qualities essential for nursing. Your essay should reflect your compassion, empathy, commitment to the profession, and understanding of the nursing role.

The Essay’s Role in Your Application

Your application essay is your voice in the admission process. It’s where you can speak directly to the admissions committee, tell your story, and explain why you are drawn to the nursing field. This essay can be the deciding factor in your application, setting you apart from other candidates.

Preparing to Write

• Research: Aligning with the School’s Values

Prior to beginning your essay, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the fundamental ideals and beliefs of the nursing school you’re applying to. Spend time browsing their website, absorbing their mission statement, and comprehending their perspective on nursing education. This crucial insight will help you tailor your essay to resonate with the school’s philosophy. This research will help you tailor your essay to resonate with their ethos.

• Self-reflection: Your Nursing Journey

Reflect on your experiences and why you chose nursing. Think about moments in your life that led you to pursue this career. These reflections will help you create an authentic and personal narrative.

• Brainstorming: Crafting Your Story

Take time to brainstorm ideas for your essay. Think about your strengths, experiences, and what aspects of nursing excite you. Make sure to note down these key points; they will be the essential framework for your essay.

Structuring Your Essay

• Introduction: Making a Strong First Impression

The introduction of your essay is your first chance to capture the reader’s attention. Begin with an engaging story, a meaningful personal experience, or a statement that makes the reader think. This approach will offer a window into your personality and highlight your enthusiasm for nursing.

• Body: Building Your Narrative

Organize the body of your essay around a few key experiences or ideas. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of your journey or a particular quality you possess. Use examples from your life to demonstrate your commitment, compassion, and ability to overcome challenges.

• Conclusion: Leaving a Lasting Impression

Your conclusion should wrap up your essay by summarizing the key points and reaffirming your interest and readiness for a nursing career. This is your final chance to remind the admissions committee why you are a suitable candidate.

Writing Tips and Best Practices

• Clarity and Conciseness

Keep your writing clear and concise. Avoid unnecessary jargon and be direct in your storytelling. Remember, the admissions committee reads many essays, so getting your point across quickly is crucial.

• Authenticity: Be Yourself

Your essay should reflect your true self. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Honesty and sincerity will resonate more than trying to fit a certain mold you think the school wants.

• Using Specific Examples

Provide specific life examples rather than general statements about your passion for nursing. This might include volunteering, personal experiences with healthcare, or moments of inspiration from other nurses.

• Attention to Technical Details

Proofread your essay multiple times for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Also, adhere to the nursing school’s formatting guidelines, such as word count and font size.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Steering Clear of Clichés and Generalities

Clichés and overused phrases can make your essay sound generic. Instead, focus on providing unique insights and personal experiences that highlight individuality.

• Directly Answering the Essay Prompt

It’s crucial to stay on topic and answer the essay prompt directly. Deviating from the prompt can lead the admissions committee to question your attention to detail and ability to follow instructions.

• Avoiding Excessive Jargon

Revising and Refining Your Essay

• The Importance of Drafts and Revisions

Your first draft is just the beginning. Be prepared to revise and refine your essay several times. This process helps fine-tune your message and improve the overall flow and clarity.

• Seeking Feedback

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Carren Teitelbaum, a school nurse in Ramapo, N.Y., once had a student stumble into her office with a 102 degree fever. Mrs. Teitelbaum called his mother, who said she’d given her son Tylenol that had likely worn off and that she could come give him more.

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MBBS in Russia | MBBS in Moscow | Study Nursing in Russia | Study Nursing in Moscow | Nursing Education in Russia | Nursing Education in Moscow | MBBS Admission in I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University | MBBS Fee in I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University | Apply for MBBS Admission in I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University | How to Get Direct Admission in MBBS in I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University | Study Nursing in I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University | Nursing Fee in I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University | About Nursing

The Department of Nursing was opened in accordance with the order of the Rector and the decision of the Academic Council of the I. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy (now the First Moscow State Medical University named after I. Sechenov) in February 2004.

The Department of Nursing is the first department of the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov (Sechenov University), created to provide clinical training for students of the Faculty of Higher Nursing Education and Psychological Social Work (FVSO and SDP) in the direction of training 34.03.01 “Nursing” ( Bachelor’s degree) and the ACT in the specialty 34.02.01 “Nursing”. Since 2011, the department taught the discipline “Nursing” and the practice of obtaining the primary professional skills “Care of the sick” at the medical faculty in the specialty 31.05.01 “General Medicine”. Since 2014, the department also teaches the discipline “First Aid and Nursing” and the practice of obtaining professional skills and professional experience “Sister” in the specialty 31.05.03 “Dentistry”.

The department is located on the basis of the Clinical Center of the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov (Sechenov University) in UKB number 3 at ul. Rossolimo house 11, page 5, students of the medical faculty, the dental faculty and the faculty of the MPF are engaged in this base. In 2017, the department allocated educational premises at the address: ul. 1st Borodino, house 2.

Since January 31, 2018, the Department of Nursing Year is part of the Medical and Preventive Faculty (MPF).

Scientific work of the department: Complex scientific theme of the department “Psychovegetative correlations in patients with coronary heart disease.”

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“The Doctor as a Humanist”: The Viewpoint of the Students

Conference Report and Reflection by Poposki Ognen (University Pompeu Fabra); Castillo Gualda Paula (University of Balearic Islands); Barbero Pablos Enrique (University Autonoma de Madrid); Pogosyan Mariam (Sechenov University); Yusupova Diana (Sechenov University); and Ahire Akash (Sechenov University)

The practice of Medicine as a profession has become very technical; doctors rely on fancy investigations, treatment algorithms and standardized guidelines in treating patients. In a lot of universities, medical students and residents are trained without appreciating the importance of art and the humanities in delivering good care to patients and their families. Factual knowledge is imposed on us, as students, from scientific evidence delivered by highly specialized professionals: those who know more and more about niche subjects.

As a result, when someone decides to become a doctor , it seems that scientific training is the sole priority, with most attention being given to the disease-treatment model. As medical students, we are taught very specific subjects, leaving little or no space or time for any cultural enrichment programs. And yet, Personal growth as a doctor and a human being cannot be achieved unless one is exposed to the whole range of human experience. Learning from art and artists can be one such means of gaining these enriching experiences. We can learn from historians, and from eminent painters, sculptors, and writers, as well as from great scientists. How do we achieve these ends? The following essay summarizes and reviews one attempt at providing answers. The 2nd “Doctor as a Humanist” Symposium took place at Sechenov University in Moscow from the 1 st to the 3 rd of April, 2019, to explore the holistic perspective of interpersonal treatment.

To begin our essay, we would like to clarify some key concepts, such as culture, humanism and humanities, as they were employed at the conference. Culture is a complex phenomenon that includes knowledge, beliefs, artistic production, morals, customs and skills acquired by being part of a society, which can be transmitted consciously or unconsciously, by individuals to others and through different generations.

The humanities are academic disciplines that study the cultural aspects and frailties of being human, and use methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, which distinguish them from the approaches of the natural sciences. Humanism is the practice of making the human story central. Consequently, the studies of humanities, so invested in human stories, is one aspect of practicing humanism.

Technological and practical progress in medicine has been impressive in the past fifty years. Nevertheless, patients still suffer from chronic conditions such as heart failure, chronic lung disease, depression, and many others. These are conditions where technology cannot significantly change the outcomes or reverse the underlying condition. One of the ways to alleviate suffering is through compassion and empathy where the doctor is a professional who listens to, understands and comforts the patient, as well as engaging the patient as a fellow human being. We need arts and humanities as doctors’ tools to comfort and, perhaps, even to heal. We also need them to remind us that we are ‘merely human’ ourselves, and that we share our humanity with our patients, as equals.

Unquestionably, there are fundamental requirements that every physician must internalize; the conference goal was to explain that one such requirement is the humanistic view. Opera, poetry, philosophy, history, the study of dialectics, biographical readings, and even volunteering abroad can be means of engaging the world for positive change. Sometimes called  “soft” skills, these are in fact necessary and valuable qualities to empower ourselves as persons, as well as doctors. The 2nd The Doctor as a Humanist Symposium placed the corner stone in a global project that aims to understand medicine as a multidisciplinary subject, and to establish the concept of humanistic medicine both as a science and an art where the patient and the doctor are human beings working together.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION

The event united experts in Medicine and the Humanities from all over the world. The speakers (doctors, nurses and students) were from Russia, the USA, the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, Mexico and more. Each day’s program was both intense and diverse, and included plenary lectures and panel sessions. Medical students were highly involved in all parts of the conference, offering us a great chance to introduce our projects, share our opinions on various topics, and discuss our questions connected with the role of the humanities in medicine.We participated in roundtable discussions, which were chaired by experts from different countries. Even though this made us nervous, at the same time it was very important for us, as students, to be a part of it. We discussed the future of medical humanities from various perspectives, and above all our thoughts and ideas were listened to and commented on, on an equal basis with the world’s experts. For once, we could see that our views were being taken into consideration, and we hope that in the future this will be the norm and NOT the exception. We are the future of medicine, and our voices should be heard, too.

At the end of the first day there was a students’ session, where we gave our opinions on the relative importance of the medical humanities from a multicultural viewpoint, and on this particular roundtable there were students from Russia, Spain, Iran, Mexico, Italy, as well as a Nursing resident. One of the students during the session shared her view that “I would like to see medicine through the lens of humanism and empathy, and also implement all its principles in my professional life on a daily basis”. All participants agreed, and although we were representing different countries and cultures there was no disagreement about this. Even though we have not yet faced many of the obstacles of the world of medicine, we can see the role of compassion in clinical practice better perhaps than our seniors. We shared our points of view about this question and its relevance in the different countries. It was an incredible moment, as experts and professors demonstrated a great interest in our ideas.

The program was extremely diverse; however, the main idea that most speakers expressed was how to find, sustain and not lose humanist goals. Brandy Schillace gave an impressive presentation entitled “Medical Humanities today: a publisher’s perspective”, which studied the importance of writing and publishing not only clinical trials, but also papers from historians, literary scholars, sociologists, and patients with personal experiences. The nurses Pilar d’Agosto and Maria Arias made a presentation on the topic of the Nursing Perspective that is one of the main pillars of medical practice. Professor Jacek Mostwin (Johns Hopkins University) shared his thoughts on patients’ memoirs. An Italian student, Benedetta Ronchi presented the results of an interview on medical humanities posed to the participants and speakers during the symposium. The plurality of perspectives made this conference an enriching event and showed us how diverse ideas can help us become better doctors. More importantly, it reminded us of our common humanity.

A significant part of the symposium was dedicated to Medicine and Art. Prof Josep Baños and Irene Canbra Badii spoke about the portrayal of physicians in TV medical dramas during the last fifty years. The book “The role of the humanities in the teaching of medical students” was presented by these authors and then given to participants as gifts. Dr Ourania Varsou showed how Poetry can influence human senses through her own experience in communicating with patients. She believed that many of the opinions and knowledge that we have internalized should be unlearned in order to have a better understanding of the human mind. The stimulus of poetry makes this possible. Poetry allows us to find new ways to express ourselves, and thus increase our emotional intelligence and understanding of other people’s feelings.

One of the most impressive lectures was by Dr Joan.B Soriano, who spoke about “Doctors and Patients in Opera” and showed how the leading roles of physicians in opera have changed over the centuries. People used to consider the doctor as the antihero, but with time this view has transformed into a positive one that plays a huge role in history.

It is important to be professional in your medical career, but also to be passionate about the life surrounding you; for instance, Dr Soriano is also a professional baritone singer. For students, this Symposium was full of obvious and hidden messages, which gave us much lot of food for thought. As Edmund Pellegrino, the founding editor of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy , said: “Medicine is the most humane of sciences, the most empiric of arts, and the most scientific of humanities.”

CHOOSING ONE WORD

To conclude our summary of the students’ viewpoint each of us chose One word to encapsulate our thoughts about the symposium.

The Doctor as a Humanist is a multicultural event where everyone can learn and contribute to this global necessity to put the heart and soul back into medicine. Of course, we are aware and delighted that other organizations are championing the cause of the Humanities in Medicine, and in some cases, such as https://www.dur.ac.uk/imh/ , they have been doing so for many years.

As medical students, we appreciate how we have been placed at the centre of the symposium, which we believe has made this new initiative rather special. We hope that students of Medicine and from other disciplines come and participate in future symposia.

If you want to learn more, and see how you can participate, please contact the International student representatives, Mariam ( [email protected] ) and David ( [email protected] ).

Acknowledgements

Assistance provided by Jonathan McFarland (c) and Joan B. Soriano (University Autonoma de Madrid) was greatly appreciated during the planning and the development of the article.

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An Immigrant’s Heritage Sets the Stage for a Life of Service

Christian Gloria was a certified personal trainer working one-on-one with affluent clients in Austin, Texas, when his heartstrings tugged. “I found myself on the second floor of this beautiful, expensive gym, looking literally across the train tracks wishing I could do more,” says the associate professor and deputy chair for the Department of Sociomedical Sciences . “I wanted to work with communities like my family who don’t have access to those kinds of programs and services.”

Gloria was 11 when his family emigrated from the Philippines to California, and then Texas. After earning his PhD from The University of Texas at Austin, he headed west. “I decided to do a leap of faith and move as close to Asia as possible,” says Gloria, who spent nearly a decade on the faculty at Hawaii Pacific University, where he oversaw the launch of the state’s first CEPH-accredited Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) and its first fully-online 12-month accelerated Master of Public Health (MPH) degree programs. He also started visiting his homeland, intent on giving back through public health research, training, and workforce development.

“People say that public health is a discovery degree—it never goes as planned and the job calls you,” says Gloria, who came to Columbia in 2021 and serves as both director and principal investigator for the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Columbia Mailman-based Region 2 Public Health Training Center. “Some people prefer to stay in one lane. I love to run to emergencies.”

Filipino nurses are a significant workforce around the world. How has their experience during the pandemic affected your work?

Gloria: In the U.S., Filipinos make up 4 percent of the nursing workforce. But one-third of the nurses who died during COVID were Filipino. In 2023, colleagues and I started Healing Heritage , a project with other Filipino-American researchers that has evolved to include partners from Norfolk State University, Loyola University of Chicago, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Harvard, and Princeton, with funding from Columbia’s Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life. We’re interviewing [Filipino nurses] about their experiences during the pandemic—which was also a time of anti-Asian hate events—about how they coped with the stresses, and how religion or faith played any role in their experiences. New York City has a large Filipino community; my dream is to establish a center for Filipino community health that I’m hoping will be based at Columbia.

What are the topics you’re tackling through the Public Health Training Center?

Gloria: We assess the needs of the public health workforce, as well as develop and deliver trainings to meet these needs for our region, which includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Priority trainings lately have been in the topics of climate health, gun safety, de-escalation and conflict resolution, data science, technology and health, telehealth, trauma informed care, cultural humility and multicultural competence, health policy and advocacy, and mental health promotion and burnout prevention.

You have robust professional ties in the Philippines. How did those come about?

Gloria: In Hawaii, there’s a large Filipino-American community. Most youth there know nothing about our home country, don’t speak our native language. They inspired me to go back home and starting in 2015, to visit every school of public health I could find, with a mission to establish exchange programs for students and faculty.

How did the Philippine government’s 2017 Mental Health Act  set the stage to expand your work there?

Gloria: Historically, there’s been a terrible stigma against even talking about mental health in the Philippines. My PhD was on mental health, stress, coping, and resilience. The 2017 Mental Health Act recognizes mental health as a medical issue and opens up funding for research and intervention programs. The government and universities invited me to become a Balik Scientist (or “Returning” Scientist), which is a program designed to reverse the country’s brain drain, and I became the country’s first mental health expert funded by this government program.

What was your role?

Gloria: My mission as a mental health visiting scientist was to help faculty and students from the department of psychology at Angeles University Foundation (Pampanga, Philippines) who are clinically trained, but not public health trained. They wanted to do population-level surveillance. I helped them bring their clinical training into communities and into the public health field, and I provided trainings on preparing research articles for publications to international scientific journals. The goal of the Balik Scientist Program is to bring scientists back home and incentivize them to stay and serve the country permanently. They certainly tried to do that with me, but it is not yet the right time for me.

What brought you to Columbia Mailman?

Gloria: During the interviews, I fell in love with everyone. People were so accomplished, yet humble. I was so in awe of the support system that Columbia has in place for faculty to be successful and world-renowned. One thing I love about Mailman and its students is how diverse everyone is, coming from all walks of life, all parts of the world, all kinds of experience and training—many are already leaders in their field. It’s a beautiful melting pot of brilliant people.

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Graduates will assume leadership positions in academic, clinical and other health care roles. The purpose of this statement is for you to provide information about yourself and to demonstrate your ability to express ideas clearly and logically.

The personal statement should be no more than 1,000 words, double-spaced and typewritten and should be free of grammatical and mechanical errors. Citations are not required. Please include your name and program you are applying for. 

• Please articulate your reasons (including career goals) for gaining an advance practice degree in your chosen specialty (Adult/Gerontology, Family, Nurse Anesthetist or Psychiatric/Mental Health).
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• As a school, our vision includes respect for and inclusion of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Provide an example of how you have worked with diverse populations locally, nationally or globally. How do you believe your graduate education will help you to further your skills in working with people from diverse backgrounds?
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