A career in Nursing is one that can be extremely rewarding and satisfying, whilst at the same time being challenging and stressful. As a qualified Nurse you will have achieved a career that will last you through to retirement and one that will open up endless windows of opportunity for you, should you be an individual who seeks wider prospects. Nurses should never find themselves out of work, this is the reason that demand for places at nursing schools is so high.
Once you have decided that Nursing is the career for you, you will need to ensure you give yourself the best chance of securing a place in the Nursing School of your choice.
These top tips will give you some pointers about how to make your application stand out from the crowd, and will provide you with some ideas you may not yet have considered for getting that important Nursing School place.
Firstly, make sure your academic qualifications are the best that you can achieve. This may sound obvious, but you really need to get the best possible grades to get the best chance of getting onto the nursing course you have chosen. As well as obtaining qualifications in required subjects, such as the Sciences, English and Mathematics, you could consider doing some extra studying in night school or via an online distance learning courses. Any courses which focus on healthcare, psychology or advanced sciences will be useful to add to your application.
You need to make sure you are in excellent health, being a nurse is a demanding role, physically and mentally and you must be able to face the day to day challenges of the role. Remember also that you will be required to provide references with your application and these will talk about your sickness and also your time-keeping. Use this as a chance to improve if you have a tendency to be late and to get yourself organized, in you daily routine and your studies. Organization is vital skill that the Nursing School will be looking for.
Volunteering
This is essential; most Nursing Schools will be looking to take on candidates who can demonstrate that they have carried out a certain amount of hours in a clinical or other type of healthcare environment. Whilst for most prospective students this would be as an unpaid volunteer, for older students it can include working as a paid nursing assistant or helping elderly patients in their own homes.
Your application
Again this may sound an obvious one but the way you complete your application and the research you have done before hand may be what gets you that all important place. Once you have selected the Nursing School of your choice a good idea is to speak to the admissions center and try to establish what type of candidate they are looking for. If they cannot advise you then make a point of visiting the school and speaking to current students and tutors. Some schools prefer the purely academic students whilst others are looking for those with more vocational skills. Other schools may have a preference for students who can demonstrate their analytical skills and those who are excellent communicators. Once you have established the answer to these questions you can tailor your application accordingly.
References
Personal references can make the difference to your application being selected over another. Make sure that you build up a good relationship with the person who is supervising you in your volunteer work, their letter of recommendation will be imperative to your application. Also your mentor at your high school and college will provide a letter of reference. Maintaining a good relationship with them and making sure they appreciate your commitment to a career in nursing will come across in their reference. The letter of recommendation will highlight all the skills you developed that will make you the ideal candidate over all the others.
