The Nursing Application Process

I'm not even going to try to sugar coat this. I HATED the application process! Oh my GOD it was stressful, but so worth it when you see that status change on UCAS (that's the University and College Admissions Service to all that don't know). It was the best day of 2012 so far!

So the first thing you have to do, aside from actually deciding that you want to do the course and which branch/field (adult/child/mental health/learning disability), is think about where you want to study. My choice was always set in stone. I have several commitments at home, as many people do, so moving was never an option. Besides that, I have one of the most prestigious universities on my doorstep. So that was decided. Then you have to start to compose your personal statement. This is so important as it's the university's first impression of you. You can only use a limited number of characters so everything you say has to be concise and important - if it's not going to really convince them that you want it and that they should take you, then you don't need to say it. There are so many sites for advice on completing your PS (honestly Google it! 3, 470,000 results) that I'm not going to go into detail but I will say this....Show how passionate you are about nursing and definitely mention your chosen field. Nursing courses are so competitive now that you have to show that you know what you want and are committed to a certain field. If you want to study child nursing then make sure you say it and be absolutely positive that this is what you want to study for the next 3 years, as well as work in for the next 40. I would also advise to start your PS with something that will catch their attention. Admissions read sooo many applications that I'm sure they get sick of reading, "I want to study adult nursing because..." - be original! Remember, this is their first impression of you and you need to make it count. Also, in many uni selection processes, each section is pointed, including the PS so it needs to be good to get you further.

Next, reference - Make sure you ask your chosen referee as early on as possible to ensure they have time to complete a quality reference for you. I'm sure no one wants to be a few days from the deadline, flapping because their referee hasn't submitted a reference yet. And you definitely don't want them rushing it - it has to be as amazing as you, right?

Interview - ARGH! Even the word sounds scary. Usually, universities send out some information about the structure and content of the day. Mine sent an email, generally outlining tasks and such. All universities do things differently - some have group interviews, some have individual ones, others have both. Some have literacy and numeracy tests, some have 1 or the other, others have both. Most universities have a little information session though, to break you into the day and help you relax - and obviously to give you more information about the course! At my interview we started by registering. We had to take photographic ID and certificates to prove our qualifications. Following this we gathered into a room where we watched a powerpoint and listened to a talk about the course. The tutors are very friendly and put you at ease straight away. I think the biggest misconception people have with interviews is that they're trying to catch you out. They're definitely not - they want to bring out the best in you. So, anyway, after this we watched a short video (2 minutes) about a lady's negative experience in hospital. We had a 10 minute written activity about the video and had to write about any issues and how we would improve her experience. This was quite simple and was mainly to test your ability to write. This aspect is pointed in the same way as the PS. After this we were put into groups of 5 and had a short break before our group interview. We had the chance to get to know each other a little better and feel a bit more comfortable before being plunged back into the testing conditions again.

Group interview - This was basically a group discussion that lasted for around 40 minutes. Firstly, we talked about the video we had watched in the previous session. The interviewers (2 of them by the way) threw in questions to keep the conversations flowing. It's important to remember that this group interview is not just about what you say, which is obviously important, but the interviewers are looking at how well you can communicate. Communication is HUGE in nursing (or so I've been told :0p). They want to see that you don't sit silently and let other people control the entire discussion, or that you don't completely dominate the discussion and drown others out. You have to find the middle ground with this one. Another thing - make sure to make eye contact and talk to everyone in the discussion, not just the interviewers. I made sure to build on other peoples' points, agreeing, disagreeing, adding my opinion or experience to things mentioned. The best thing to do is to not over think it. Try to be as natural as possible. It's just a conversation - no pressure :0/ ha! To prepare I made sure that I had read up on relatively recent changes or important things within the NHS and in the media. I went in with a general knowledge of several things, but in depth knowledge of around 3 different issues. You don't have to know the ins and outs of everything or know everything that is going on in the world of health. They aren't looking for ready-made health professionals - just show that you've taken the time to read up on a couple of things.

The final part - the individual interview. We were told that this would be very short but I wasn't expecting it to be as short as it was - 5 minutes if that! They asked me one question - ONE! I had answers prepared for at least 40, including what was the last book you read and which bloody super hero would you most like to be! I'm glad I had prepared anyway, just in case. So the one question: which qualities/skills do you feel you could bring to nursing? A question you would expect and should definitely prepare for. I said communication, caring and compassionate nature (cliché but very important), experience in a caring role and adaptability, all very important in nursing. Following this, they asked if I had any questions and then if I'd applied elsewhere - I hadn't. I left, fumbling with my scarf that I almost tripped on, dropping my bottle of water and wishing the door wasn't so far away from my shaking hands. I never get that nervous in any situation, and honestly I didn't think it had gone overly well.

So I was left with the inevitable wait. I received an email from the university a few days later telling me that I had been successful at interview and that I was going to be short listed - fantastic!! I had to send them a second reference and then they were going to take my application and total score to a selection event, where a group of admissions tutors look at applications and decide whether they are strong enough to be accepted. I emailed admissions every few days, phoning them just to be sure they received my email, praying that I'd hear soon. I was told that it would take them until around Xmas time to make decisions and inform everyone, so you can imagine my surprise when I received an email from UCAS telling me that my status had been updated only 2 weeks after the interview. I logged in apprehensively to see the word "Conditional" beside the university name. To say that I cried with joy would be an understatement! 

The application process was difficult, the wait was even worse but finding out I was in was absolutely amazing. 

If anyone has any questions about the application process or needs some clarification on any aspect, please feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email.

Until next time, TTFN.