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How to write a personal statement for nursing school.

what should a nursing personal statement include

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!

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What Is a Nursing School Personal Statement?

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

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

Nursing School Personal Statement Format

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

An Introduction

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

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

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

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

Body Paragraph(s)

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

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

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

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

A Strong Conclusion

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

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

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

What Not to Write in a Personal Statement for Nursing School

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

Keep it Simple

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

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

Do Not Reiterate Your CV

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

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

Tips for Writing a Stellar Nursing Personal Statement

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

Create A Timeline

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

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

Stick To the Brief

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

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

Speak From the Heart

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

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

Do Your Research 

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

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

Nursing School Personal Statement Examples

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

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

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

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

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

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

Example #2: Johns Hopkins University Nursing Personal Statement Sample

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

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

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

FAQs: How to Write a Personal Statement for Nursing School

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

1. Do All Nursing Schools Require A Personal Statement?

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

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

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

3. How Long Should A Nursing Personal Statement Be?

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

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

Your nursing personal statement should include:

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

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

5. Does Nursing Require Essays?

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

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

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

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Nursing School Personal Statement: 5 Best Examples

Read our top 5 sample statements.

Nursing School Personal Statement

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

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

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Article Contents 20 min read

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nursing School Personal Statement Sample 3

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

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

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

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

Nursing School Personal Statement Sample 4

Nursing school personal statement sample 5.

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

The Brainstorming Stage

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

#1 Personal experiences

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

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

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

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

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

#2 Nursing school research

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Introduction

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

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

For example:

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

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

2. Body Paragraphs

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

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

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

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

3. Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow these steps to start drafting you essay: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RoCarpenter

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

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

General guidelines

The personal statement.

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

Educational background

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

Volunteer work

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

Work experience

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

Personal motivation

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

Relevant acquired skills

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

Unique traits that make you stand out

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

Embrace the fact that you may not be conventional.

The right fit

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

Essay topics

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

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

Sample prompts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Planning your long term career goals will also assist you in deciding which programs are the best fit for you.

What degree program is right for you?

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

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

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

What do nurses say?

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

Recapitulation of key points:

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

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

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Key Tips for Writing Perfect Nursing Personal Statements

Table of Contents

To be accepted into a nursing school program, you will likely need to submit a personal statement.

This document is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the selection committee and tell them why you should get a chance. The best nursing personal statements are well-researched and thoughtful. With the tips shared, you can write an effective personal statement.

The statement will showcase your qualifications and dedication to becoming a nurse.

How to Craft a Good Nursing Personal Statement

Your personal statement for nursing school should be well-researched and thoughtful. The statement will showcase your qualifications and dedication to becoming a nurse.

Draft an Outline

First, start by drafting an outline of things you want to include. Your essay should include information about why you became interested in nursing and your experience working with patients or in healthcare settings. In addition, add any related coursework or training that you have completed. 

Write Concisely

Next, ensure your writing is clear and concise; avoid using flowery language or excessive padding.

To do this, writing about a topic of real personal interest to you is important. This choice of topic should lay a foundation for a personal statement that expresses your unique voice concisely. Make sure that each point you make is relevant and well-grounded.

Finally, always proofread carefully before submitting your application! Don’t be in a hurry to submit the application. A nurse needs to be meticulous in the conduct of their duty. Take a step back to proofread or even get another person to check your essay.

Examples of the Best Nursing Personal Statements

We have some examples of the best nursing personal statements to inspire you. Read through the personal statement examples and select the one that describes you best.

group of doctors walking on hospital hallway

Nursing is a profession that I have always been interested in. Ever since I was a kid, I knew that helping others and making them feel better was something that came naturally to me. When I visited my grandfather in the hospital, I was amazed by how he always smiled at the nurses. This experience solidified my passion for nursing and led me to pursue this career path. 

Throughout college, I volunteered at various hospitals and clinics to gain more hands-on experience with patient care. Working closely with nurse practitioners has confirmed my belief that this is the right field for me. Every day brings new opportunities and challenges to help people heal both physically and emotionally. The sense of fulfillment that comes from making an impact on someone’s life drives me each day to aspire to be a nurse. 

I am passionate about holistic care and believe in providing patients with individualized treatment plans based on their unique needs. Nursing requires critical thinking skills, compassion, patience, and resilience, all qualities which I possess and plan to utilize daily as a registered nurse. Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any additional information regarding my qualifications or background.

Nursing is a very challenging and rewarding profession. It requires compassion, dedication, and intelligence. I’m committed to offering the best possible care for my patients. I believe that nursing school will provide me with the necessary skills to become an excellent nurse. 

I have been interested in nursing since high school when I had the opportunity to volunteer in a hospital nursery. Since then, I have shadowed nurses in multiple departments of different hospitals. And I have come to realize that nursing is not only demanding but also an extremely fulfilling career path. Nurses are important members of the healthcare team who play a pivotal role in patient care. They must be able to multitask efficiently while maintaining compassion for their patients. 

Nursing school will allow me to build on the knowledge base that I already possess. It will help me learn new techniques which will help me deliver safe and effective patient care. In addition, through networking opportunities provided by nursing schools, I hope to develop strong relationships with other nurses. These nurses can serve as mentors throughout my career journey. Nursing is truly more than just a job; it is a lifelong passion that drives me every day.

Your personal statement is one of the most important documents you will submit as part of your application to nursing school. This document allows you to introduce yourself to the selection committee and make a case for why you deserve a chance to study there. The tips and the accompanying templates in this article can help you write yours.

Key Tips for Writing Perfect Nursing Personal Statements

Abir Ghenaiet

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

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Nursing Personal Statement: Your Voice in Writing

nursingpersonalstatement

Are you an aspirant who wants to go to nursing school; a nurse applicant who wants to advance nursing career by enrolling to a higher level of education, training and specialization; nurses on completion of performance evaluation and credentialing updates; or applying for a job, promotion, or scholarship grants?

Writing a nursing personal statement is a usual requirement of the application process of colleges, universities and human resources department of the hospitals, organization, and health institutions. You may think it is just a simple essay and easy, but it is not. The nursing personal statement is not an essay composition of narrative threads of your life and work adventures vis-a-vis journal of your working experience and professional credentials. Ideally, it is a presentation in writing of how you uniquely qualified and be speak that you are an excellent candidate tailored fit to your adamant personal/professional goals and unparalleled potentials. Your aim in writing a nursing personal statement is to stand out prodigiously among other applicants. 

General Guidelines in Writing Nursing Personal Statement

The Nursing Personal Statement must be formal yet personal without involving the writing into a somewhat storytelling style. The essay should be written depending on the specific program or post you are applying to or varies according to the type of questions and required answers. Above all, your writing must represent yourself as a professional who is capable and qualified. 

The guidelines will give you an idea on the important points and attributes that a strong candidate should endue which evaluators are looking for to determine if you are a great fit for the program or post (Carpenter, 2020). 

  • Highlight strong educational backgrounds such as degree, license, certifications, pieces of training, achievements, and awards.
  • Level of specialization, mastery and expertise which can be represented by the years of service in the field. 
  • Acquired transferable skills that are important socially and professionally like teamwork, leadership, management, personal motivation, time management, listening ability, written communication, verbal communication, research skills, analytical ability, numeracy skills, personal development, and information technology (SkillsYouNeed.com, 2020). In nursing profession — critical thinking, efficient problem-solving skills and fast decision-making ability are the required skills to master of a nurse.
  • Exposure to volunteering works maybe a foreground of your inspiration and aspirations. 
  • Experiences and training that translate how verse and updated you are with relevant current health and medical-related trends.
  • Personal attributes (personality) such as determination, devotion, and motivation. These are excellent ways to show that you are distinctive from others. 
  • Relevant skills extend extra points for the applicants and sometimes a casting vote for a tie-breaker decision. This includes achievement outside traditional means but relevant to the post that you are applying for. In today’s competitive world, Jack of all trades is a handy, versatile person who can do good work at various tasks with diverse skills set giving them the confidence and enough proficiency in whatever skills they are touting. From a  “master of none” to a  “master of all” , whom can be an advantage for start-ups, a long-term learner, fit for leadership, and trusted when it comes to adaptability and flexibility (Vishwakarma, 2019). 
  • Other assets that may favour on your side are foreign language fluency and talent in speaking, which might makes you a valuable candidate as well as a highly sought employee. 
  • Make sure you are the right fit for the program/post. Familiarity in the program/post/job description, and why it is a good fit for you. This will reflects in your nursing personal statement essay and echoes your career-goals.
  • Demonstrate your genuine interest.

Tips in Writing Nursing Personal Statement (Essay topics)

In the case of writing short essays for particular questions, here are the following tips that will help you to write a persuasive essay for Nursing Personal Statement (Carpenter, 2020; Personal Statement Writing Services.Net, 2020):

  • Do not write in your own words. Follow the standards of writing a nursing personal statement.
  • Focus on the question and answer it thoroughly direct to the point. There is no correct answer when asking for an opinion. However, if your opinion does not correspond with the question, it is definitely wrong.
  • Be aware of the technical aspects in writing such as formatting guidelines, word count limitations, spelling and English grammar rules. 
  • To start up, the essay should have an introduction, body and summary or conclusion. Make the three parts have equal length and correlated with each other.
  • Ideally, a personal statement should have 500-600 words length (PersonalStatementWritingServices.Net, 2020). 
  • Avoid the use of contractions and vague language; make your statement in a formal manner. 
  • Bullet points and subheadings are not allowed.
  • Follow instructions carefully. Use a trusted format and template. Observe sequential orders in writing a nursing personal statement. 
  • Stop adding useless arguments and opinions.
  • Submit a well-composed work, consider it as your masterpiece.
  • Be sure to demonstrate that you are a good fit for the program/post as well as in the nursing profession.
  • Use the opportunity to exhibit your character and talents showing you are highly competitive and a potential big shot.
  • Nursing as a profession of empathy makes the profession unique. Hence, applying an emphatic stance to your writing is a tune-up.
  • Nursing personal statement is more personal than academic. Make it simple to understand.
  • Do not tell lies. Evaluators are experts in the field, and they can easily spot untruths and falsified information. Caught lies will not only turn your face red but will turn all your chances into ashes. 
  • Ask advice from successful nurses in the field for additional perspectives.
  • Editing and proof-reading properly after completion.

Common Errors in Writing Nursing Personal Statement

The aim is to steer clear of these three mistakes that might jeopardize your successful application. Ordinary nursing personal statement, unable to explain your interest in the field and miss out to elaborate career plan and goals are the three common errors you should avoid in writing nursing personal statement (EssayEdge.com, 2020). 

  • An ordinary nursing personal statement , which looks just the same as everybody else does is like listening to the same old stories. Personalize your statement by including your own experiences and special motivations without storytelling. Use clear, easy to understand, but strong languages that will describe you and represent you in a professional approach makes your essay more remarkable. 
  • Unable to explain the interest in the field. Remember to put your heart and passion in your writing. Explaining your interest in the field and how you came up loving it shows your personal and emotional sides. This part is written with an emphatic slant. 
  • Miss out to elaborate career plan and goals. Take an insight about your career path starting from plan followed by preparations; then, your goals and actions on how to attain it. Your career plot determines the levels of your intellect, time management, commitment, motivation, determination, efforts, and perseverance. 

The Opening lines

One of the difficulties encountered in all forms of writing, not only in the nursing personal statement — is how to start. It is more difficult to begin if you do not have any background and knowledge about the topic or focus of your write-ups. 

The killer opening should not have to be overkill. Bullock (2020) reiterated that overkill starts is a dangerous move because it will lead the applicant to overthink and going overboard, giving a fancy-pants impression. 

Make a remarkable impression by giving unique opening lines. Unique lines are reflections of your uniqueness. It is the representation of you in a holistic manner. In short, the opening is the overview of yourself and how you tailored-fit for the program/post. Begin by a brief introduction of yourself and your purpose (what are you applying for?). Discuss your enthusiasm for the subject and explain your genuine interest.

If you wish to include a quote in your opening lines, always remember that nursing personal statement is your voice. Meaning, you are going to begin with your own quote and not the quotes lifted from famous lines or famous person. The quote must be a representation of yourself, speaks about yourself, and your deep aspirations. Make sure it must be relevant to the program/post/job description you are applying for and be ready to explain how your quote links to you and your purpose of interest with the application.

The Body Paragraph

The body paragraph is the main part of a nursing personal statement where you highlights your credentials, skills, and goals. The purpose of this section is to present the substance in assertions to your introduction. This is the deliberation of your credentials and proofs, showing that you are a good prospect and a qualified candidate. In the presentation of this part, you can start with your focus in the field. This also includes proofs and shreds of evidence that you fit perfectly for the program/post. You may also discuss your transitions and how you dealt and manage well the changes and challenges experienced from both personal and professional undertakings. The brief and comprehensive deliberation of your qualifications may consist of one or two paragraphs. 

The Ending Lines

Ending line is not as easy as saying goodbye. A brief recapitulation of the entire essay and a strong conclusion gives the prompt for ending lines. Ending lines of your statement should be interconnected back with the opening part of your statement. Bullock (2020), suggested the “necklace approach” to connect the beginning paragraph with the final thought emphasizing vital reinforcements. Highlight your plans, career goals and your possible contributions to the organization and nursing profession that may entice and persuade the evaluator why they should approve or accept your application. For every goodbye, there are promises intertwined. These are the promises of your involvement and 100% commitment. 

In writing a nursing personal statement, take all the chances in favour of you and all the opportunities to keep you on top of your game. Personal and intellectual development, assets and skills, interests and your potential contributions can give you the competitive edge over your competitors. Moreover, it reflects of your commitment, dedication, devotion, excellence, passion and genuine interest will bring you to race. Ability to work under pressure surrounded by constraints and as yet adhere to high standards can get you successfully in. 

Turn the tide on your side, do not compromise your chances by submitting a rushed poorly written output, you should always be in top-shaped with top-notch standards. A well-researched and well-composed output is a reflection of your ability on how to manage effectively on high-level standards during difficult and stressful circumstances. 

Writing a nursing personal statement is not an overnight skill or an item which can come ready-made. There may be a standardized template, but an  Obra  needs intricacy and refinement from practice and training. You need to earn all the details and information you are going to write in your essay as expertise does not happen for a day; it takes years of hard work. 

  • Carpenter, R. (2020). How to Write a Nursing School Personal Statement: What to Include, Examples, and Mistakes to Avoid. Retrieved on 03 October, 2020 from https://www.servicescape.com/blog/how-to-write-a-nursing-school-personal-statement-what-to-include-examples-and-mistakes-to-avoid.
  • com. (2020). Transferable Skills. Retrieved on 04 October, 2020 from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/transferable-skills.html.
  • Vishwakarma, H. (2019). Who is a better Hire, Jack Of All Trades, or Master Of One?. com. Retrieved on 04 October, 2020 from https://medium.com/swlh/who-is-a-better-hire-jack-of-all-trades-or-master-of-one-953cf6d46fe5.
  • Net. (2020). Best Personal Statement Nursing School. Retrieved on 03 October, 2020 from ttps://www.personalstatementwritingservices.net/personal-statement-for-nursing/
  • com. (2020). Avoid These Three Mistakes On Your Nursing Personal Statement. Retrieved on 04 October, 2020 from https://www.essayedge.com/blog/nursing-personal-statement-mistakes/
  • Bullock, A. (2020). How To Start A Personal Statement: The Killer Opening. Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. Retrieved on 04 October, 2020 from https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/writing-personal-statement/personal-statement-the-killer-opening
  • Indeed Career Guide. (2020). How to Write a Powerful Personal Statement. Retrieved on 05 October, 2020 from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-personal-statement

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What to include in your nursing personal statement, how to write a great nursing personal statement.

Whether you’re applying for a university course, a Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship (RNDA) or a new role as a Nursing Associate, a well-written nursing personal statement can help your application stand out from the crowd. Here’s what to include in your personal statement to boost your chances of getting to the next stage in your nursing career.

What is a nursing personal statement?

A personal statement is a step in the application process that helps you sell yourself to the recruiter. It sits somewhere between a CV and a cover letter and is the place to highlight your suitability and show your enthusiasm for a new role. A good personal statement is one that summarises your skills and experience while making them relevant to the role you are applying for. But it’s also the place where you can let some of your personality come through, helping you to stand out to a recruiter. You can discover more about the nursing application process in our blog and   

What to include in your nursing personal statement?

1.reveal a personal anecdote .

As well as highlighting your suitability for a nursing role, a personal statement is the chance for you to show a bit of your personality to the hiring team. Give examples of personal stories that motivated you to pursue a career in nursing. If you’ve got first-hand experience of the nursing profession or another relevant occupation, include it here. 

2.Highlight your qualifications

To become a Registered Nurse , you need certain academic qualifications, such as GCSE English and maths, and A-Levels that usually include a science. Even if you’ve been working as a nurse for some time, it’s important to include all your qualifications. That also includes any nursing degrees or apprenticeships that you have undertaken. You might be aiming for a role as a Nursing Associate , for which you will need GCSEs in maths and English or Functional Skills Level 2 in maths and English. Some employers will also ask for a level 3 qualification. You’ll also need to show that you can study for a foundation degree level and complete the Nursing Associate Apprenticeship programme.

3.Sell your soft skills

Think about the transferable skills that you possess that apply to a career in nursing. For example, being highly organised; an ability to be collaborative and work as part of a team; empathy, compassion and an enjoyment of working with people. Try to give examples of times when you’ve demonstrated these soft skills and explain how they relate to a career in nursing.

4.Experience counts

If you’ve had work experience in an area that’s directly related to the nursing profession then include it here. If you are a Healthcare Assistant, for example, then there’s an obvious link to nursing, and you can read more about how to transition from being a Healthcare Assistant to a nurse in our blog. But even if you haven’t got healthcare experience, there’s likely to be something that you have done that has helped you to develop skills that would be useful to nursing. For example, working in retail will have given you transferable skills such as teamwork and dealing with people. You could also sign up for useful courses such as a St John’s First Aid course or similar.

5.Be passionate 

Enthusiasm is infectious, so let your passion for a career in nursing shine through in your nursing personal statement. While hiring teams will have certain boxes to tick (such as your qualifications), showing how committed, dedicated and passionate you are about a career in nursing might just give you the edge over other candidates. For inspiration about why you want to work in healthcare , take a look at our blog and let that passion come through. 

6.Show awareness of healthcare issues 

Any recruiter will be impressed if you can demonstrate knowledge and a broader understanding of the nursing industry. It highlights your commitment to your chosen career path and a willingness to engage with the nursing profession. Research topical healthcare trends and think about your response to current healthcare affairs. In your nursing personal statement, explain how all of this has influenced your decision to work in nursing. 

Need more help to write your nursing personal statement?

At Safehands Recruitment, we have a team of specialist advisers who can guide you through the process of writing a great nursing personal statement. Get in touch to speak to one of our team and together, we’ll make sure your nursing application stands out from the crowd .

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Writing your personal statement for a nursing degree

What kind of information should you include in your personal statement if you are applying for a degree in nursing? The Nursing Team at Aberystwyth University share their tips. 

Angharad Jones, Amanda Jones and Bleddyn Lewis from the Nursing Team provide guidance on writing a personal statement including:

  • What is a personal statement?
  • What should be included in a personal statement for a nursing degree?
  • How to structure your personal statement
  • Explore your qualities

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  • Originally published: Thursday, 1 September 2022
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Nursing Personal Statement Examples

what should a nursing personal statement include

What is a nursing personal statement?

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

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

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

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

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

How do I become a nurse?

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

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

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

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

How do I write a nursing personal statement for university?

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

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

as well as anything else you can think of.

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

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

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

How do I structure my nursing personal statement?

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

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

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

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

What should I include in my nursing personal statement?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Further information

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

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Nursing Personal Statement Examples in 2023

In this article, we look at the best nursing personal statement examples in 2023 along with tips and advice for writing a great personal statement for a nursing program.

nursing personal statement examples

Table of Contents

What is a nursing personal statement, what should you include in your nursing personal statement, how to write an outstanding nursing personal statement, nursing personal statement example #1, nursing personal statement example #2, nursing personal statement example #3, related articles.

  • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Keep reading for 3 examples of nursing personal statements and the 7 things you should include in your statement. Also, find out how taking care of her grandmother at home inspired one student to go into nursing.

A nursing personal statement is an essay or statement that is usually part of a list of requirements for admittance to a nursing program.

The purpose of a nursing personal statement is to give the selection committee information about your character and qualities so they can see you will be a good fit for the program.

The goals that should be included in a nursing personal statement are:

  • Passing all of your exams and receiving an honours degree in general nursing.
  • Becoming a registered nurse and securing a job as a nurse.
  • Helping a certain group of people (for example children, the elderly, and vulnerable youth)

2. Professional Experience

Any professional experience related to nursing should be included in a nursing personal statement. This could include:

  • Hospital, clinic and GP practice experience
  • Any other relevant work with people such as volunteering or mentoring roles
  • Any paid work that has given you administrative or client-facing experience
  • Previous work experience in healthcare settings such as residential care demonstrates your ability to handle complex situations and care for patients.

For example, one student wrote about how working in a dental clinic helped her to start to consider nursing as a career.

3. Interests and motivation

When writing a nursing personal statement, it is important to explain your motivation for pursuing a career in nursing. Possible interests to include in your statement include:

  • Your desire to help others and make a difference in people’s lives
  • You were inspired by a family member, teacher or neighbour who was a nurse
  • Your interest in providing care and support to those who need it most when they are at their most vulnerable
  • The positive impact that nurses have on their patients’ lives, both physically and mentally
  • Your desire to work as part of a team with other healthcare professionals
  • Your commitment to providing high-quality, compassionate care for all patients, regardless of their background or lifestyle choices.

One of the students profiled below wrote I have a particular interest in pain management and the non-traditional methods of holistic care to support patients, such as hypnosis.

4. Qualifications

When writing a nursing personal statement, it is important to include details of the qualifications you have earned or are currently working towards. These should include:

  • A degree in nursing or a related field.
  • Certification in CPR, advanced life support techniques, and other relevant skill sets.
  • Strong scores in High School science, math and related subjects.

5. Personal Traits

When writing a personal statement for nursing programmes, it is important to include personal qualities such as:

  • Honesty and integrity – you should be honest about your abilities and experience, as well as your intentions for pursuing a career in nursing.
  • Empathy – being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand their perspective is an essential trait of a good nurse.
  • Compassion – having compassion for others will help you provide them with the best possible care.
  • Initiative – taking the initiative when needed shows that you are capable of taking on responsibilities without being told what to do.
  • Maturity – having maturity means being able to think rationally in stressful situations, even if emotions may be running high around you.

When writing your nursing personal statement, you should include the following skills:

  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
  • Accuracy and attention to detail
  • Knowledge of medical terminology and healthcare systems
  • Knowledge of various treatments, protocols, policies, and procedures related to nursing practice.

Make it clear that you know you have a lot to learn and that you are looking forward to a steep learning curve!

7. Achievements

Achievements that could be included in a nursing personal statement include, but are not limited to:

  • Awards and honours received for academic or other achievements
  • Volunteer work or community service activity awards related to nursing
  • Extra-curricular activities that have helped you develop the necessary skills for nursing school, such as tutoring or mentoring programs
  • Accomplishments related to previous jobs or internships related to healthcare professions (e.g., certifications)

Step 1: Research the Schools

Researching the schools you are applying to can help with writing an outstanding nursing personal statement because it gives you an idea of what each school is looking for and what their requirements are.

This process will help you rank the programs in order of preference, determine which schools are reach schools and which institutions should be your ‘safety schools’, if you are not selected by your number one choice.

You could identify any specific topics or themes that each school tends to favor in their applications.

This knowledge will allow you to craft an effective personal statement that stands out from the rest.

Step 2: Get Ready to Talk about Yourself

  • Start by brainstorming: Read the prompt carefully. If it asks you to talk about anything other than your motivation for nursing school (for example, a time when you helped someone) highlight it and brainstorm it separately.
  • Write down any experiences, traits, or qualities that make you an outstanding candidate for the nursing program.
  • Select the best stories and anecdotes: Choose those that demonstrate your strengths and show why you are an ideal fit for the program.
  • Edit thoroughly: Go through each section multiple times to ensure it is relevant and well-written, then reread it with a critical eye to catch any mistakes or typos that may have slipped through in the editing stages.

Step 3: Write the Essay in free-form

  • Sometimes getting started is the hardest part! If you know the examples you are going to talk about and have a rough plan for your essay, write the example that’s most important to you first.
  • To begin, don’t worry about grammar or making it sound perfect. Say what you want to say, and let your passion for nursing shine through.
  • Then, refine your ideas by shaping them and going back in to shape them further if needed. Sometimes, taking a break overnight will give you time to subconsciously improve your ideas.
  • Ensure that your essay is captivating by giving yourself adequate time to go through this process thoroughly before starting on the final draft of your essay.

Step 4: Revise and Revise Some More

  • Read through the entire essay carefully and make notes of any areas that need improvement.
  • Make corrections to grammar and sentence structure issues, as well as any other minor mistakes or typos you find along the way.
  • Re-read your essay multiple times to make sure it flows smoothly from start to finish without any awkward transitions or sections that need further clarification or expansion. Ask trusted guidance counsellors, teachers or study partners to read it and give you some feedback.
  • Read it through again after making changes if necessary, double-check that you have completed the whole application and attached your supporting documents, then submit your application when it’s ready.

In 2023, an example of a successful nursing school personal statement might look something like this:

“The week after I turned 16, I was walking backwards down a 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 exhausted parents were finally trusting me as a caregiver and it changed my life.

My grandmother came to live with my family two years ago after breaking her hip. She completed much of her recovery at our home, but Nurse George came by every day to perform personal care tasks, monitor vital signs and assist with physical therapy exercises.

George also taught me some basic patient care practices such as how to support a wheelchair correctly while going downhill and emphasised the importance of positive mental health in patient recovery.

I am excited by this opportunity to apply to Seaton’s College of Nursing because I appreciate your program’s specialization in rehabilitation nursing; it is exactly what inspired me pursue a career helping people recover from injuries or medical surgery!

Additionally, your focus on assisting patients to regain their independent skills will help me achieve these professional aspirations I have set for myself.

“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 and prepare for my future education.

Listening to my mother talk about her patients and their families at Jackson Pediatrics Center has taught me the value of empathy and communication.

Frequently, they simply want someone to listen; I do my best to give them a judgment-free space where they can share their stories.

Whether it’s an emotional or physical issue they’re facing, patients appreciate working with flexible and considerate people like myself who understand how important it is for them feel comfortable talking about their struggles or concerns without fear of judgement or criticism from others around them. I want to be that kind of nurse in the future.

Additionally, being able to help young people overcome their challenges and navigate their way back towards recovery is something that excites me about pursuing this career path.”

“I first thought of nursing and a career in health when I started a part-time job at a local dental practice. My job was secretarial but almost immediately I was spending some time interacting with patients and became interested in working in the healthcare industry.

I have a particular interest in pain management and the non-traditional methods of holistic care to support patients, such as hypnosis which was used successfully at the practice to help patients with phobias and extreme anxiety prepare for treatment.

This experience helped inspire me to apply for nursing school with the goal of becoming an RN someday because it showed me how rewarding it could be helping people access healthcare.

Since then I have volunteered at our local drop-in health clinic at the community centre; there is no feeling comparable when they offer you their sincere thank yous! Furthermore, these experiences have taught me the value of community support when trying to encourage members of minority communities to access healthcare.

If they know someone who has had a positive experience at the clinic they are much more likely to attend. Going forward, I would like to focus on pain management in the community because I think there is huge scope for development in this field.”

What should be included in a nursing personal statement?

When writing your nursing personal statement, make sure to include:

  • Why you want to become a nurse
  • What inspires you about nursing
  • 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 field of nursing

What format should be used for a nursing personal statement?

The outline of the format should include:

  • Half-inch indentations for each paragraph
  • Left-align or justify your essay
  • Double spacing between sentences and paragraphs
  • One-inch margins all around
  • Times New Roman font style (12 points) with no title or headings.

Note – the nursing school may provide more specific guidance. Use the above if they do not include formatting advice.

What topics can be discussed in a nursing personal statement?

Topics that can be discussed in a nursing personal statement include:

  • Why you want to study nursing and what sparked your interest in the field.
  • Your skill sets, such as patience, empathy, teamwork and communication.
  • Any experiences that have shaped who you are today or influenced your decision to become a nurse (e.g., an unwell family member).
  • Any personal details that are relevant to why you should be accepted into the program (e.g., life experiences).
  • Any personal challenges that may impact your ability to access the course, like severe financial hardship or a disability and the specific suppport you would need.

How do I write a great nursing personal statement?

  • Determine your purpose
  • Research the school
  • Brainstorm ideas
  • Write down key points

What is the difference between a nursing program and a nursing school?

The difference between a nursing program and a nursing school is Nursing programs are the courses that individuals take to earn their nursing degree. Nursing schools are institutions that offer these programs and provide education and training for students.

Nursing schools typically require applicants to submit a personal statement as part of the application process.

Additionally, nursing schools often have a broader focus than just providing education in the field of nursing, such as offering classes in related subjects like biology or chemistry.

How do I find admission requirements for nursing school?

Research the different nursing schools you are interested in, and find their website. All the information you need about admissions should be on the university website

Once you have decided that nursing is for you, you can also schedule an appointment (in-person or online) with an admissions counsellor for each nursing school you are considering to get a better understanding of their personal statement requirements and other criteria they look for in applicants.

What are the different types of nursing careers?

There are many types of nursing careers, including:

  • Registered Nurse (RN): Registered nurses are licensed professionals who provide direct patient care, educate patients about their conditions, and administer medications.
  • Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN): Licensed practical nurses are also licensed professionals who provide direct patient care but do not have the same level of education as registered nurses.
  • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): Certified nursing assistants assist registered nurses and licensed practical nurses with basic patient care tasks such as feeding, bathing and dressing patients in addition to other duties related to the healthcare facility they work in such as cleaning rooms or providing transportation services for patients/family members visiting the facility/homecare settings etc.
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  • Effective fall prevention exercise in residential aged care: an intervention component analysis from an updated systematic review
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  • http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9652-4711 Rik Dawson 1 , 2 ,
  • Jenni Suen 3 ,
  • http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8934-4368 Catherine Sherrington 1 , 2 ,
  • http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6806-3011 Wing Kwok 1 , 2 ,
  • http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7459-5105 Marina B Pinheiro 1 , 2 ,
  • Abby Haynes 1 , 2 ,
  • Charlotte McLennan 1 , 2 ,
  • Katy Sutcliffe 4 ,
  • Dylan Kneale 4 ,
  • Suzanne Dyer 3
  • 1 Sydney Musculoskeletal Health , School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia
  • 2 Institute for Musculoskeletal Health , Sydney Local Health District , Camperdown , New South Wales , Australia
  • 3 Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute , Flinders University , Adelaide , South Australia , Australia
  • 4 Social Research Institute , University College London , London , UK
  • Correspondence to Rik Dawson, Sydney Musculoskeletal Health, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia; rik.dawson{at}sydney.edu.au

Objective The effect of fall prevention exercise programmes in residential aged care (RAC) is uncertain. This paper reports on an intervention component analysis (ICA) of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), from an update of a Cochrane review, to develop a theory of features of successful fall prevention exercise in RAC.

Methods Trial characteristics were extracted from RCTs testing exercise interventions in RAC identified from an update of a Cochrane review to December 2022 (n=32). Eligible trials included RCTs or cluster RCTs in RAC, focusing on participants aged 65 or older, assessing fall outcomes with stand-alone exercise interventions. ICA was conducted on trials with >30 participants per treatment arm compared with control (n=17). Two authors coded trialists’ perceptions on intervention features that may have contributed to the observed effect on falls. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify the key differences between the trials which might account for positive and negative outcomes.

Results 32 RCTs involving 3960 residents including people with cognitive (57%) and mobility (41%) impairments were included. ICA on the 17 eligible RCTs informed the development of a theory that (1) effective fall prevention exercise delivers the right exercise by specifically targeting balance and strength, tailored to the individual and delivered simply at a moderate intensity and (2) successful implementation needs to be sufficiently resourced to deliver structured and supervised exercise at an adequate dose.

Conclusions This analysis suggests that delivering the right exercise, sufficiently resourced, is important for preventing falls in RAC. This clinical guidance requires confirmation in larger trials.

  • Accidental Falls
  • Qualitative Research

Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request. Data are available on reasonable request. Proposals for data should be directed to the corresponding author ([email protected]).

This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See:  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ .

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-107505

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WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC

Exercise reduces the risk of falls for older people in the community with tailored balance and functional exercise having the strongest fall prevention effect.

The evidence concerning the effects of fall prevention exercise in residential aged care (RAC) is less clear, limiting guidance for clinicians working in RAC.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

This intervention component analysis (ICA) used a mixed method approach to develop a theory of potential features of effective fall prevention exercise in RAC that can be explored and validated in future analyses. This theory indicates that (1) exercise interventions for fall prevention in RAC should include balance and strength exercise delivered at a moderate intensity and tailored to the individual and (2) exercise programmes in RAC are more likely to be successful if structured, supervised and resourced to deliver an adequate dose.

HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICY

Findings from this ICA will assist implementation of fall prevention programmes in RAC; guide a qualitative comparative analysis and subgroup meta-analysis in RAC and inform the design of interventions to be tested in future large clinical trials in RAC.

Introduction

Falls are prevalent in residential aged care (RAC), affecting half of residents annually, diminishing independence, increasing care burden and imposing economic costs. 1 2 Implementing effective interventions holds the potential to benefit older individuals and alleviate healthcare burden. 3

The 2019 Cochrane Review in community-dwelling older adults reported exercise prevents falls, particularly with balance and functional exercises, reducing rates by 24% (rate ratio (RaR) 0.76, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.81; 7920 participants, 39 studies; I 2 =29%, high-certainty evidence). 4 Programmes combining balance, functional and resistance exercises reduced the rate of falls by 34% (RaR 0.66, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.88; 1374 participants, 11 studies; I 2 =65%, moderate-certainty evidence). Conversely, the 2018 Cochrane Review for residents in aged care reported uncertain effects of exercise on falls (RaR=0.93, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.20; 2002 participants, 10 studies; I 2 =76%, very low-quality evidence). 5 Subgroup analyses couldn't explain high outcome heterogeneity, challenging clinicians in selecting effective exercise programmes. 6

In this study, we conducted an intervention component analysis (ICA), a method utilising inductive qualitative analysis to collate trialists’ reflections on the factors influencing the success or failure of an intervention. Our objective is to answer three research questions. (1) What are the characteristics of trials included in the updated Cochrane Review? 5 (2) Using ICA, what are the intervention and implementation features that are present in successful fall prevention exercise programmes in RAC? and (3) What explanatory theory does the information in the first two questions suggest for supporting knowledge translation of fall prevention programmes and informing future research in RAC? 7

This systematic review is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. 8 This ICA was developed according to the methodology detailed in an existing published theory. 7

Selection of studies

Criteria followed Cameron et al ’s 2018 Cochrane Review on preventing falls in older care facility residents. 5 New trials from 2017 to December 2022 were sourced from CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL databases, adhering to the Cochrane Review’s search methods. 5 Only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster RCTs with participants aged 65+ in RAC, reporting fall rates or risk and comparing exercise interventions to usual care or control were considered. Trials with ≥30 participants per arm were included to mitigate small sample bias, 9 encompassing outcomes that reduced, had no effect neutral, or increased falls ( figure 1 ).

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PRISMA flowchart of trial selection. PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Data extraction

Trial features.

Two aged care physiotherapists (RD and WK) extracted trial and participant characteristics (trial design, sample size, age, gender, cognitive and mobility status), exercise features (type, duration, dose, delivery, supervision, tailoring, intensity) and fall outcomes from new trial’s final endpoint or the Cochrane Review. 5 Adherence was classified as good if the participant exercise session attendance rate exceeded 50%, and/or if 75% or more of the participants attended 50% or more of the exercise sessions. 10 Exercise classifications adhered to the Prevention of Falls Network Europe (ProFANE) exercise taxonomy 11 and include standardised intensity ratings like the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale 12 and trialist’s self-classification. Low-intensity exercise refers to gentle physical activity where the heart rate and breathing are low; moderate-intensity exercise elevates heart rate and breathing moderately; while high-intensity exercise elevates heart rate and breathing to near maximal effort, making it difficult to sustain a conversation. 12 The ProFANE group’s exercise descriptors cover structured programmes including strength exercises (resistance training with weights and/or body weight), gait, balance and functional exercises mirroring daily movements (eg, stepping, sit-to-stand), flexibility, general physical activity and 3D exercises like Tai Chi. Disagreements were resolved through discussion and involvement of a third author as required (SD and JS).

Fall outcomes were expressed as rate or risk ratio with 95% CI. They were coded positive (<0.75), neutral (0.75 to 1.25) or negative (>1.25) based on Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) group guidance for consideration of ‘appreciable benefit or harm’. 13 Data analysed in Excel.

Trial quality

Two trained independent physiotherapists (RD, WK) assessed study quality using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale, which evaluates 11 criteria: inclusion criteria, random allocation, concealed allocation, baseline similarity, blinding of subjects, therapists and assessors, completeness of follow-up, intention-to-treat analysis, between-group statistical comparisons and outcome measures. 14 Disagreements were resolved through discussion. External validity, the first item, does not contribute to the score, yielding scores from 0 to 10. Ratings: 0–4 (poor), 4–5 (fair) and 6–8 (good). Scores of 9–10 (excellent) are n't feasible in exercise trials due to blinding constraints.

Intervention component analysis

We conducted ICA over four stages:

Authors (RD and WK) described the trial features, quality and classified fall outcomes in Excel. 13

Authors (RD and JS) coded trialists’ reflections on effective and ineffective features in eligible publications’ discussion and conclusion sections, including any additional trial-related documents (eg, protocols, process evaluations) identified through systematic search, pearling and hand searching. A selection of publications was coded independently in duplicate; the remainder were extracted by RD and checked by JS, with disagreements resolved through discussion. Codes were stored in NVivo V.12. 15

RD conducted an inductive thematic analysis in NVivo on included trials, grouping codes to develop themes and subthemes on successful intervention features and implementation. 16 JS and SD reviewed groupings to ensure thematic agreement. Both JS and SD experienced qualitative and falls researchers, respectively, offered critical perspectives to the thematic analysis as non-exercise professionals.

RD reviewed the themes against the trial outcomes and the intervention features to develop a theory regarding the types of intervention features and implementation strategies most likely to be effective in preventing falls in RAC. All authors were involved with developing the final theory.

Equity, diversity and inclusion statement

The author group consists of junior, mid-career and senior researchers from different countries and disciplines, most of whom are women. Our study population included both male and female older adults from different socioeconomic and geographical backgrounds.

Trial and participant characteristics from an updated systematic review

Thirty-two trials were included across 16 countries involving 3960 participants with 35 exercise intervention arms. Many trials have small sample sizes, with a median number of 71 participants and a range from 16 17 to 682 participants. 18 Participant ages ranged from 68 19 to 92 years, 20 21 with a median of 82 years; 74% were women. Eighteen (57%) trials included people with cognitive impairment and 13 (41%) trials included those with mobility disabilities. Trial length varied from 4 weeks 22 to 104 weeks, 23 with a median of 12 weeks (IQR 12–26). Total intervention hours ranged from 1.5 hours 24 to 112 hours, 25 with a median trial dose of 22 hours (IQR 14–36) or 1.8 hours per week, comprising a median of three sessions per week (IQR 2–3) with a median session duration of 33 min (IQR 25–48). Sixteen (52%) trials met good exercise adherence criteria. Ten (32%) trials reported adverse events, including two falls during exercise. 26 27 Most trials compared an exercise intervention with usual care, defined as seated low-intensity range of movement exercise programmes, self-directed or social programmes ( online supplemental material A ).

Supplemental material

Intervention components.

The most common exercise intervention was gait, balance and functional training combined with strength training in 18 (51%) intervention arms. The most common single intervention was gait, balance and functional training in five (14%) arms. In 20 (63%) trials, exercise interventions were tailored to the individual. Fifteen (47%) trials delivered exercise at moderate intensity, 14 (44%) at low intensity and three (9%) at high intensity. Thirteen (41%) trials were led by physiotherapists, three (9%) by other health professionals and trained non-exercise professionals led 14 (44%) trials; five trials (16%) did not report who led the intervention. There was a mix of supervised and unsupervised individual and group exercise, with supervised groups being the most common in 19 trials (59%) with a median of five participants per group (IQR 5–8) ( online supplemental material B )

Quality assessment

The PEDro study quality summary is displayed in online supplemental material C . The median PEDro quality score for the trials included in the ICA was ‘good’ (6/10).

The ICA included 17 trials involving 3293 participants with a median age of 82 years (ranging from 75 to 86 years); 73% were female participants. Ten trials (59%) included people with cognitive impairment and seven trials (41%) included people with mobility disability ( table 1 ). The participant characteristics of the ICA trials reflected the 32 trials included in the updated Cochrane review. ICA identified two major themes related to exercise features and implementation, each with three subthemes ( table 2 ). ICA Codebook outlines the coding framework, which is displayed in online supplemental material D . The correspondence between the themes and the trial’s effectiveness synthesis are summarised in table 3 . The ICA also identified some study design features that could be associated with intervention effects.

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Summary characteristics of 17 ICA trials at inclusion

Development of intervention and implementation themes in the ICA

Presence of themes and subthemes in ICA trials (effectiveness synthesis)

The right exercise

The most common theme supported by the trialist’s commentary focused on providing the right exercise to reduce falls. The results of our thematic analysis suggest that the right exercise is a combination of exercise that targets balance and strength, tailored to the individual’s physical and cognitive comorbidities and delivers moderate-intensity exercise ( table 2 ). Ten trials targeted progressive standing balance and strength exercise, 27–36 12 studies delivered tailored exercise prescription 18 27–35 37 38 and 6 studies delivered moderate-intensity exercise subtheme 27–32 ( table 2 ). Six of eight effective trials 27–32 supported the right exercise theme, while zero out of nine neutral or negative trials did not ( table 3 ).

Supporting exercise engagement

The second theme centred on supporting exercise engagement . However, there was less trialist commentary on this theme ( table 2 ) and only two of eight effective trials included all the subthemes. 27 31 Only the first subtheme had sufficient evidence to progress to the ICA theory ( table 3 ). Four of eight effective trials provided sufficient resourcing as defined as trials that delivered structured and supervised exercise at a dose greater than 30 hours 27 28 30 32 compared with two of nine neutral or negative trials. 34 38 Group exercise that offers socialisation opportunities were offered in five of eight effective trials 27 28 30–32 but was also offered in four of nine neutral or ineffective trials. 33 34 36 38 Fall prevention education was a feature in three of eight effective trials 27 29 31 and one of nine neutral or negative trials. 23 The effectiveness synthesis demonstrated that there was insufficient evidence to involve the group exercise and fall education subthemes in the final ICA theory displayed in figure 2 .

ICA theory of effective fall prevention exercise in residential aged care. ICA, intervention component analysis.

Trial methodological design features

Two features emerged as themes relating to trial design and their impact on effective fall prevention trials. Seven authors commented that some trials are too small to detect significant changes in falls. 23 28 30 33 34 36 38 Five authors commented that trial designs that involved an active control diluted the fall effect. 30–33 36

ICA is a valuable tool for researchers, clinicians and policymakers, enabling the identification of promising intervention components and their implementation strategies. Through ICA methodology, trialist perspectives are plotted against trial outcomes, culminating in the development a theory of effectiveness that can be explored and validated though subsequent analyses. This ICA theory indicates that effective fall prevention programmes within RAC centre on the delivery of the right exercise when sufficiently resourced . However, larger trials are required to expand the evidence base for effective fall prevention exercise programmes in RAC.

In this ICA, we propose that right exercise is tailored, moderate intensity, balance and strength exercise. In general, this is in accordance with the evidence for effective exercise programmes in the community. 4 However, Sherrington and colleagues’ subgroup analysis revealed that balance and functional exercises with or without resistance exercises had the greatest fall prevention effects in the community. 4 , 5 Cameron and colleagues’ subgroup analysis for combination exercises in RAC, including balance and strength exercise 30 32 33 35 38 or physical activity plus strength, 17 did not find a significant reduction in falls (RaR 0.94, 95% CI 0.6 to 1.47); however, there were only six trials in this subgroup analysis. 5 Our ICA was based on an update of Cameron et al ’s Cochrane review, which reported that balance and strength exercises were the most prescribed interventions in effective trials (88%) compared with those with neutral or negative fall outcomes (33%). Becker and colleagues’ multifactorial trial in RAC also supports this finding. They reported that progressive standing balance and strength exercises reduced the rate of falls by 45%. 39

Our review of trial characteristics revealed that 20 out of the 32 trials were tailored to the individual. In the ICA, 88% of positive trials tailored the exercise programmes compared with 56% of trials with neutral or negative fall outcomes. Several trialists stated that exercise needs to be tailored throughout the programme to cater for participants’ changing physical and cognitive capabilities to learn the programme and to maintain exercise adherence, which is a key factor in reducing falls. 33 35 38 40 Contrary to this finding, a recent review of tailored exercise delivered in the community found no significant reduction in fall outcomes. 41

Six effective trials delivered exercise at a moderate intensity 27–32 compared with two effective trials that delivered exercise at a low intensity. 37 40 Among the trials with neutral or negative fall outcomes, both low or high intensity models were tested. Kerse et al revealed that low-intensity exercise delivered in small doses throughout the day by care workers as part of the resident’s usual activities was ineffective. 18 Faber et al reported that high-intensity individual training was neither effective nor sustainable for long-term exercise due to the resident’s high level of comorbidities. 38 Nowalk, Yokoi and Sakamoto and colleagues all commented that successful exercise interventions should be delivered in a way that is simple and easy to learn to maximise exercise compliance in RAC and increase exercise intensity over time. 23 40 42

Trialists provided limited comments on ideal implementation strategies. However, the ICA suggested the importance of adequate resources to support exercise structure, supervision and dosage. Analysis of trial characteristics revealed a median weekly dose of 1.8 hours across 32 trials from this updated Cochrane search, significantly lower than the 3 hours/week recommended by Sherrington et al ’s meta-regression for effective community-based fall prevention. 43 Kerse et al emphasised the need for funding to support more intensive interventions and supervision, 18 while Kovacs et al stressed the importance of sufficient physiotherapy resources for effective fall prevention exercise. 32 More research is required to better understand the implementation of an ideal fall prevention exercise programme in RAC. However, there is likely a higher need for supervision in this setting, given the high level of frailty and comorbidities in this population.

This ICA suggests future RCTs on fall prevention exercises in RAC should increase their sample size, enhance study quality by reducing bias in the design and improve reporting. A total PEDro score of 8 is optimal for multifaceted interventions like exercise trials, contrasting with the median trial score of 6. 44 In the 32 trials identified in the Cochrane review update, 15 enrolled fewer than 60 participants, requiring a larger sample size to detect differences in fall rates. 9 Additionally, many trials did not meet the standards of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement. 45 The reporting of almost two-thirds of trials did not describe allocation concealment, with some not clearly describing their control group. This poor reporting made coding exercise features difficult and reduces the generalisability of this ICA.

Hewitt et al ’s Sunbeam trial achieved an optimal PEDro score of 8, 27 demonstrating effective fall prevention through a physiotherapy-led tailored, progressive standing balance and strength exercises. With a 55% fall rate reduction and improved mobility outcomes, the trial implemented exercise engagement supports detailed in our thematic analysis ( table 3 ). It provided a mean exercise dose of 36 hours, employing user-friendly electronic equipment, fostering high programme adherence via staff and resident education and supervised group exercise for socialisation. Similarly, the Otago Exercise Program, known for its balance and strength focus, demonstrated effectiveness in community settings and merits investigation in RAC. 46

Research implications

The ICA theory will inform a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), which examines the ICA theory’s consistency and identifies conditions contributing to effective falls prevention programmes. 7 While both ICA and QCA facilitate identifying processes and potential mechanisms that link intervention features and outcomes, we acknowledge that causation cannot be definitively established using probabilistic or counterfactual accounts using these approaches. A recent study employing ICA and QCA methodologies on multifactorial fall prevention interventions highlighted the importance of incorporating exercise and engaging aged care staff and managers in implementing tailored strategies in RAC. 47 These findings emphasise the need for future research to explore multifactorial interventions in RAC settings, explore specific programme needs for recurrent fallers who may have different needs compared with single fallers and in other settings to enhance the generalisability of our ICA and bolster the quality of evidence.

To enhance reporting, future trials should adhere to recognised trial reporting guidelines such as the CONSORT statement, 45 Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials statement, 48 Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist 49 and Consensus on Exercise Reporting guidelines 50 to enhance reporting.

Strengths and Limitations

This updated systematic review, incorporating ICA, ensures rigorous methodology. Nonetheless, limitations include the exclusion of conference abstracts, trial records and studies on exercise within multifactorial interventions. Some trials excluded older adults with high cognitive and mobility impairments, potentially limiting result generalisability. Additionally, exercise descriptions were often broad, lacking specificity like sensorimotor training. Incomplete reporting may have compromised ICA quality, hindering a more comprehensive explanatory theory.

Examining trial characteristics in the updated Cochrane Review on fall prevention exercise in RAC reveals intervention heterogeneity. This ICA enriches trial descriptors, aiding theory development and practical applications. Trialists suggest sufficiently resourced, tailored balance and strength exercises delivered at moderate intensity may prevent falls. Future larger trials should scrutinise this ICA theory, delivery mode, dose, different implementation and engagement strategies, and adhere to reporting guidelines.

Ethics statements

Patient consent for publication.

Not applicable.

Ethics approval

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Supplementary materials

Supplementary data.

This web only file has been produced by the BMJ Publishing Group from an electronic file supplied by the author(s) and has not been edited for content.

  • Data supplement 1
  • Data supplement 2
  • Data supplement 3
  • Data supplement 4

X @dawson_rik, @CathieSherr, @venisakwok, @mabpinheiro, @SuzanneMDyer

Contributors All authors conceptualised and designed the study and were involved in applying the ICA methodology in this study. Analysis of data was undertaken by RD, WSK, JS and SD. RD drafted the manuscript. RD is the guarantor and has access to the data, accepts full responsibility for the conduct of the study and controlled the decision to publish. All authors critically revised the manuscript for intellectual content, approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Funding The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia funded Centre for Research Excellence – Prevention of Fall related Injuries provides RD and WK with PhD scholarship funding, and JS and SD partial salary funding. MP receives salary funding from an NHMRC Fellowship.

Disclaimer This manuscript is based on Chapter Three of RD’s thesis by publication called 'Telehealth Physiotherapy to Deliver Exercise in Aged Care Settings' which was submitted to the University of Sydney 14 March 2024. The funding organisations listed above did not have a role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Competing interests None declared.

Patient and public involvement Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.

Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer-reviewed.

Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.

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