Child Nursing - failed entry this year.
Hi,
Just wondered if anyone could help me with Child Nursing applications. Im studying Health Science Access this year so my college have made sure we all applied for university, im currently 8 months pregnant so a lot of pressure but ive managed it and nearly at the end. However i applied for Sheffield Hallam, Birmingham and Nottingham and sadly got rejected from all of them. They all said that my personal statement was not strong enough and lacked experience. Just wondered what more experience i could get bar what ive already listed below?
Any help would be amazing.
So here is my experience so far
I work as a volunteer Doula and this job includes working shift patterns in hospital supporting women in labour, emotional support, practical support, teaching breast feeding, safe sleep, healthy eating, working with women with PND, ive dealt with bereavement support of a newborn, smoking, financial support, large work loads, daily reports, safe guarding, domestic abuse, and homeless women.
I also work for Home Start and within this role ive again supported PND, family health, children with speech problems, immigration support, domestic abuse, language barriers, families with ME, parents who struggle with more than one child, again report writing, safe guarding issues, isolation, befriending services, budgeting, health of families and children, routines, potty training.
Then ive worked since 16 (30 now) so lots of manager roles, large workloads, working within teams, independent working, task solving, decision making, basic cleaning, party hosting, aiding child development, then the basic cash handling, ordering stock, fire drills etc. Then i have 3 children of my own and loads of personal experience. Im hoping to become a health visitor or neo natal nurse.
I just cant see what else i can gain as experience that can strengthen my personal statement for September next year. Any help?
Just wondered if anyone could help me with Child Nursing applications. Im studying Health Science Access this year so my college have made sure we all applied for university, im currently 8 months pregnant so a lot of pressure but ive managed it and nearly at the end. However i applied for Sheffield Hallam, Birmingham and Nottingham and sadly got rejected from all of them. They all said that my personal statement was not strong enough and lacked experience. Just wondered what more experience i could get bar what ive already listed below?
Any help would be amazing.
So here is my experience so far
I work as a volunteer Doula and this job includes working shift patterns in hospital supporting women in labour, emotional support, practical support, teaching breast feeding, safe sleep, healthy eating, working with women with PND, ive dealt with bereavement support of a newborn, smoking, financial support, large work loads, daily reports, safe guarding, domestic abuse, and homeless women.
I also work for Home Start and within this role ive again supported PND, family health, children with speech problems, immigration support, domestic abuse, language barriers, families with ME, parents who struggle with more than one child, again report writing, safe guarding issues, isolation, befriending services, budgeting, health of families and children, routines, potty training.
Then ive worked since 16 (30 now) so lots of manager roles, large workloads, working within teams, independent working, task solving, decision making, basic cleaning, party hosting, aiding child development, then the basic cash handling, ordering stock, fire drills etc. Then i have 3 children of my own and loads of personal experience. Im hoping to become a health visitor or neo natal nurse.
I just cant see what else i can gain as experience that can strengthen my personal statement for September next year. Any help?
Hi there, sorry to hear you've been unsuccessful.
From what you've said it looks like you have a lot of experience. Did you mention it all in your personal statement and talk about how it's relevant to Children's Nursing? I have heard about lots of people being told their personal statement isn't strong enough because they haven't linked their experience to Nursing or even mentioned it.
I'm sure it's difficult with a baby on the way but maybe you could try and get some more specific experience on a hospital ward or in a care home? From what I understand a Doula is like a birthing partner and perhaps that was perceived as being more Midwifery than Nursing? (Forgive me if I'm wrong!) Children's Nursing gets a lot of applicants from people who are undecided between Nursing and Midwifery or want to train to be a Midwife afterwards so make sure you make it clear you want to be a nurse.
You could also try using UCAS Extra to apply for other choices and ask if they would accept a revised personal statement?
Hope this is helpful and good luck!
Posted from TSR Mobile
From what you've said it looks like you have a lot of experience. Did you mention it all in your personal statement and talk about how it's relevant to Children's Nursing? I have heard about lots of people being told their personal statement isn't strong enough because they haven't linked their experience to Nursing or even mentioned it.
I'm sure it's difficult with a baby on the way but maybe you could try and get some more specific experience on a hospital ward or in a care home? From what I understand a Doula is like a birthing partner and perhaps that was perceived as being more Midwifery than Nursing? (Forgive me if I'm wrong!) Children's Nursing gets a lot of applicants from people who are undecided between Nursing and Midwifery or want to train to be a Midwife afterwards so make sure you make it clear you want to be a nurse.
You could also try using UCAS Extra to apply for other choices and ask if they would accept a revised personal statement?
Hope this is helpful and good luck!
Posted from TSR Mobile
I think just reading your experience as a list it does read quite midwifery oriented, if you see what I mean? I think that you can obviously use this to your advantage re: family centred care, but maybe getting some experience working directly with children would help. Even volunteering in a school a morning a week with SEN children or something could be really useful? Or if you don't have that sort of time available, there are weekend/after school schemes for children with disabilities run by lots of charities, maybe have a look on do.it for opportunities volunteering with children.
What other posters have said is true, I think. Your experience is more midwifery related than for children's nursing, however the key thing many applicants forget is the way they use their experience in their personal statements.
You have a lot of experience. List them out, and choose those that are strongest/most relevant to children's nursing. You don't need to mention everything, but you do need to say what you've learnt and why it is relevant for nursing. See this below example (Created purely by me and bears no resemblance to any applicant I know of):
"I volunteered with St John Ambulance for 3 years, where I was an Event Lead. I organised and provided first aid cover for a variety of local events, such as sports matches and Christmas, New Year's Eve and fireworks events. I have treated minor and major injuries, from superficial burns to serious head injuries"
Clearly this is a lot of experience, but it's just a list. Read this, imagining it's the same fictitious person, and see how it differs:
"I volunteered with St John Ambulance for 3 years, where as an Event Lead, I provided first aid cover for local events. This taught me problem solving skills, for example how to treat patients stuck in areas that are difficult to access. I demonstrated the key principles of providing quality care, such as remaining non-judgemental and respecting dignity. These values are integral to any nursing role"
It's really clear to see how the second example really brings to life that experience, and makes it obvious to the reader how their experience is brilliant for nursing, and in saying what they've learnt, they are showing that they are teachable. It does use 12 more words, which I know are precious in a personal statement, but they are SO much better used!
Also ensure that your personal statement is balanced 50/50 between your academic and practical experiences. This is how the course is structured and as such they want to see this reflected in your personal statement. Also ensure that you include enough content that shows you understand the role of a children's nurse - they won't assume that you know this just by your experience - and many applicants think we just play with children, which just isn't the case.
Sorry for such a long message, but by using examples, I hope it helps people more than just telling them to do something.
Any further questions, feel free to just ask
You have a lot of experience. List them out, and choose those that are strongest/most relevant to children's nursing. You don't need to mention everything, but you do need to say what you've learnt and why it is relevant for nursing. See this below example (Created purely by me and bears no resemblance to any applicant I know of):
"I volunteered with St John Ambulance for 3 years, where I was an Event Lead. I organised and provided first aid cover for a variety of local events, such as sports matches and Christmas, New Year's Eve and fireworks events. I have treated minor and major injuries, from superficial burns to serious head injuries"
Clearly this is a lot of experience, but it's just a list. Read this, imagining it's the same fictitious person, and see how it differs:
"I volunteered with St John Ambulance for 3 years, where as an Event Lead, I provided first aid cover for local events. This taught me problem solving skills, for example how to treat patients stuck in areas that are difficult to access. I demonstrated the key principles of providing quality care, such as remaining non-judgemental and respecting dignity. These values are integral to any nursing role"
It's really clear to see how the second example really brings to life that experience, and makes it obvious to the reader how their experience is brilliant for nursing, and in saying what they've learnt, they are showing that they are teachable. It does use 12 more words, which I know are precious in a personal statement, but they are SO much better used!
Also ensure that your personal statement is balanced 50/50 between your academic and practical experiences. This is how the course is structured and as such they want to see this reflected in your personal statement. Also ensure that you include enough content that shows you understand the role of a children's nurse - they won't assume that you know this just by your experience - and many applicants think we just play with children, which just isn't the case.
Sorry for such a long message, but by using examples, I hope it helps people more than just telling them to do something.
Any further questions, feel free to just ask
That is brilliant thank you so much. As my baby is due very soon and lots of talks with the OH we have decided to hold back to 2017 entry and really work on this personal statement. As i have lots of free time ive spoken to the lady who will be my health visitor and she is allowing me to volunteer with her at the drop in clinics (just in another area) and in the Autumn the local childrens hospital are recruiting volunteers. The aim is to as you say steer away from the Doula experience which is aimed at Midwifery. Its gutting the lack of experience we can get in this area in hospitals but i shall not quit this, and everyones help has really shown where i can focus my attention over the coming months
Original post by gothicdreamer20
That is brilliant thank you so much. As my baby is due very soon and lots of talks with the OH we have decided to hold back to 2017 entry and really work on this personal statement. As i have lots of free time ive spoken to the lady who will be my health visitor and she is allowing me to volunteer with her at the drop in clinics (just in another area) and in the Autumn the local childrens hospital are recruiting volunteers. The aim is to as you say steer away from the Doula experience which is aimed at Midwifery. Its gutting the lack of experience we can get in this area in hospitals but i shall not quit this, and everyones help has really shown where i can focus my attention over the coming months
No problem at all.
Yes it can be so hard to get experience in hospitals but you sound determined so I'm sure you will find something! Remember that experience doesn't have to be in a hospital. You could try and get a few days in a nursery? The drop-in clinic sounds good too. I don't know if you have a First Aid qualification but maybe you could volunteer with St John's Ambulance or similar?
Good luck with everything.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Hi
You've loads of experience!
I applied for adult nursing without any healthcare experience and got in for 2016 entry. I used the skills I had developed from previous employment (I worked in travel until I had my first child in 2002) and being a mum. I had 5/5 offers and am going to KCL.
There's no use listing what you do, you need to relate it to what the person specification states.
For example: being a doula, I have developed my empathetic side by treating the woman as an individual and basing my help on her specific needs. I have developed good communication skills dealing with people from various backgrounds and with varying needs at Homestart.
Make your experience relevant, don't list a job description. Many uni's have a person specific for each of the nursing branches. Look at these and match up each specification to your experience, wether personal, work or volunteering.
Hope this helps! Good luck x
You've loads of experience!
I applied for adult nursing without any healthcare experience and got in for 2016 entry. I used the skills I had developed from previous employment (I worked in travel until I had my first child in 2002) and being a mum. I had 5/5 offers and am going to KCL.
There's no use listing what you do, you need to relate it to what the person specification states.
For example: being a doula, I have developed my empathetic side by treating the woman as an individual and basing my help on her specific needs. I have developed good communication skills dealing with people from various backgrounds and with varying needs at Homestart.
Make your experience relevant, don't list a job description. Many uni's have a person specific for each of the nursing branches. Look at these and match up each specification to your experience, wether personal, work or volunteering.
Hope this helps! Good luck x
(edited 8 years ago)
Thankyou :-) i matched it all up and made it relevant but they said it just wasnt strong experience for child nursing sadly. Sheffield stated i need to have worked in a hospital or they wont even touch my application. And Birmingham stated that working with children wasnt enough. I think the level of aplicants this year is alot stronger due to the financial situation. Hallam alone have seen double the amount in UCAS this year so i never really had a chance lol. But maybe it was for the best as the baby is due in 30 days and need to rest. Although i will continue to tweek and work on this statement for 2017 entry and have just secured a volunteer role in hospital neo natal unit after the baby is born :-)
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