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.
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