Child nursing degree personal statement example (1b) Masters

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

As I lay in the maternity ward, the only mother without a baby by her side, I felt complete trust for the team in the special care baby unit. The team were caring for my new born baby and their technical skills along with their genuine concern and empathy allowed me to relax, trust and believe in them. Whilst nursing our son the staff also provided both physical and emotional support to me and my husband and ensured that we were involved in our baby’s care. I was inspired by the way all the various medical professionals came together and worked as a team to care for me and my new born baby. Further research into nursing courses, and the career of a nurse through journals available in my Library, such as Nursing Times and Paediatric Nursing, convinced me that children’s nursing was for me.

I knew that to really understand the role of a children’s nurse I needed to experience the profession first hand. I organised the opportunity to work shadow a midwife. This gave me the chance to witness the role of medical professionals working together to care for newborn babies and their mothers. After shadowing a midwife I volunteered to work on a weekly basis on the children’s ward. This is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences I have had. It has reinforced my commitment to work as a children’s nurse and has given me the opportunity to see how a children’s ward is run and how everybody works together as a team. I am still working there at present and will continue to do so for as long as I can.

Spending time in the children’s ward has increased my desire to become a children’s nurse. I feel that nurses make a difference every day and I am eager to pursue a career where I can make a real and tangible difference. I know that the job is tough and at times emotional and challenging but I also know that it will bring great personal satisfaction as I will be able to support and care for patients and their family. It is my dream that one day I will be able to offer the same high standard of care, support, knowledge and skill that I have witnessed by the health professionals who have cared for me and my family.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

I have always looked upon nurses with respect and admiration and believe that nursing is more than a profession; it is a way of life which includes life-long learning. I enjoy learning and since leaving school I have continued to study for both personal and professional reasons. Having children of my own reinforced my passion for working with children and I very am interested in the way that they think and behave. I began to study for and successfully completed the level 4 certificate in Early Years practice with the Open University and worked at my daughter’s nursery as a supply nursery nurse, I particularly enjoyed working in the baby room.

This was at the same time as working full-time in the University library and whilst studying distance learning towards the BSc Information and Library Studies degree. Working full-time, whilst studying through distance learning, has taught me discipline, organisational and time keeping skills. Despite the demands of my academic studies I have found time to attend courses in emergency life support for children and babies, makaton and counselling. I have also qualified as a baby massage instructor and volunteer my time to teach new parents/carers the benefits of massaging a baby. All these courses taught me skills that are beneficial to me in my own life but are also transferable into nursing.

The BSc degree that I’m currently studying has taught me a wide range of skills that will enable me to successfully study the nursing degree. I have studied modules in communication, research skills, management, ICT and Information and Society which included data protection and ethics. The course requires students to complete essays, reports, exams and a dissertation. I have successfully completed the second year in the minimum time through distance learning. I have found that the academic study can be related directly to my practical work and this has helped me enormously with the degree. The nursing degree is a mixture of work placement study and theory based learning which I have found over the last few years’ suits my style of learning.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I truly enjoy working with people and my work in the library has enabled me to develop excellent communication skills, appreciate people as individuals and to be patient and understanding. Working in a customer service environment demands good listening skills and an ability to be able to deal with pressure and to deal with people of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds. I have learnt to be able to answer enquiries efficiently and to share my knowledge and advice.

I am able to handle difficult situations effectively and with confidence and have learnt to adapt my manner to the requirements of different library users. I manage the inter-library loans office where we locate material from all over the world for students and staff. This work has given me valuable research skills which I have been able to use for my own study and for coaching students whilst working on the reference desk and the loans desk. Managing a team of people has enabled me to develop skills in management, team building, training and presentation. I am able to organise and prioritize my work without supervision and can also work well within a group environment. I am adaptable and respond positively to new tasks. I am positive that these skills would be of benefit to me whilst training and working as a nurse.

I balance work, study and home life whilst ensuring I continue to look after myself. I cope with stressful situations well and believe that this is due to taking time out for myself, eating well and keeping fit at the gym.

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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