Admission Essay for grad school for PMHNP
Essay length 500-1000 words
Key questions include as follows
1. describe your reasons for pursuing a MSN degree in PMHNP
2. Describe how your past work experiences have prepared you to pursue a MSN degree in PMHNP
3. describe your understanding of the old of PMHNP
4. Describe life modifications you have made or will need to make to be successful in a professional graduate online program.
ESSAY DRAFT below-- (for some reason my word on my mac wouldn't let me attach it or upload it, it was greyed out when I tried to attach it as a file so I copy and pasted my work instead)
Nursing is a career of lifetime challenges and fulfillment. You develop a relationship with nursing so much so it draws you in and will have you craving more. Nursing gives me that stimulation and satisfaction. No one can tell you to be a nurse. You have to feel it, believe in it and become it. My natural predisposition has led me to the field of nursing in all its form. I am constantly learning and always looking for a new challenge to conquer, or journey to venture on.
I am the first and only person from my family to get a college education with it all being self-funded. I graduated cum laude from the University of Maine at Fort Kent with my BSN in 2014 and can say besides the birth of my children it is my biggest and most prized accomplishment. I participated in community events and fundraisers. Remained active in student associations and worked as a nurse's aide and waitress. I am most drawn to the PMHNP because of the work diversity and respectfulness while working with underserved populations. I can see this specialized area of practice as one to devote my clinical career as I grow to maximize my clinical, communication and provider skills to positively impact lives of individuals from various backgrounds. As a PMHNP I hope to increase a general understanding of mental health issues and also bring more of a holistic approach to provide the best comprehensive care rather than addressing a specific aspect of a more complex problem. I absolutely love what I do. I worked so hard to get where I am today and I will work harder toward achieving a greater challenge of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner from EKU.
As a professional nurse I started my career on an acute cardiac unit, after a year moved into an ICU staff nurse position and then settled into OPSU/PACU nursing. Every position I held I have gained immeasurable amounts of knowledge and witnessed the tremendous impact nurses have on the lives of patients. The process of furthering my education will greatly impact my life as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and make a substantial impact on my patients, family, and community and to the profession of nursing. With my acute care experience paired with my dedication and determination to better myself gives me a solid foundation from which to build a promising future in the profession of nursing, specifically in the role as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
As a PMHNP I find it indispensable to have the ability to actively manage mental and physical conditions cohesively. PMHNP primary focus is promoting mental health through assessment, diagnosis, disease prevention and treatment. PMHNP are proficient in the art and science of psychotherapy. PMHNP provide comprehensive patient centered mental health and psychiatric care in a variety of settings such as in-patient facilities, state psychiatric facilities, correctional facilities, mental health centers and schools. PMHNP execute treatment plans by means of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapeutic interventions.
Nursing as a whole is a career that is emotionally and physically draining. I have learned just that over the past two years of my experience. When you are a nurse and also try to manage a healthy family life it can get a little stressful. I know this too. You learn to manage, to balance and to sacrifice. Putting grad school in the mix will add to the already stressful home. However, we learn to adapt, we learn balance and sacrifice. It all comes with managing a family, work and school. With improved psychiatric mental health care as my motivation I plan to strictly set aside time on a daily basis. I will be prepared to dedicate time on the weekends and holidays to ensure I put adequate time into studying. I have learned great responsibility, time management and communication skills especially in the field of nursing and having a family. To accomplish my dreams and to later teach the importance of education to my children I must first sacrifice and dedicate my time and efforts to my graduate studies. In order to make a true difference in healthcare for the clinical setting one must be in a leadership role, and that is where I plan to position myself. Perseverance, determination and self-control will help me accomplish what I have set out to do.
I assume it said "describe your understanding of the role of PMHNP"?
Your essay does a good job of making it clear how much you want to enter this field and how dedicated you are to finishing this degree. Your essay seems a little unorganized though, as there is a lot of repetition, especially when you keep repeating how much you want to be a PMHNP and how much it will change your life. Your answer to #1 is ok, but it would be great to have a few more details. I mean there are many nursing fields where you can work with underserved patients with a variety of work and getting respect. Why the mental health field in particular? I thought your answer to #2 was pretty weak. You say what you are doing but are pretty vague as to how your experience in the ICU and then OPSU/PACU will be applicable to PMHNP or will have prepared you to pursue this degree. Your answer to #3 was ok, but it sounded a lot like information from a brochure or something. Maybe it would be nice to envision how you would fit into the PMHNP world - how do you envision your specific role? And finally your answer to #4 was very good I think. Here are some specific suggestions:
Nursing is a career [providing a lifetime of] challenges and fulfillment. You develop [such a close] relationship with nursing [that] it draws you in [leaves] you craving more.
... field of nursing in all its form. {it would be "all its forms" but this sounds pretty odd to me}
... to get a college education with it all being self-funded.{this makes it sound like you are the first to self fund your education, not necessarily the first to go to college}
... worked as a nurse's aide and waitress. {at first I thought this was what you did after graduating, but now I am not sure - it is a little unclear to me} I am most drawn to the PMHNP because of the work diversity and respectfulness {what do you mean by respectfulness? do you mean your patients or society will respect you? This is a little uncearl} while working with underserved populations. I can see [devoting my clinical career to this] specialized area of practice as one to devote my clinical career as I grow
...As a PMHNP I hope to increase [the] general understanding
... I absolutely love what I do. {this sounds a bit odd here, as if you are already working as a PMHNP}
...into OPSU/PACU nursing. [With] Every position
... The process ... profession of nursing. {this feels somewhat repetitive and seems like it should be in a different paragraph} With my acute care experience
... As a PMHNP {once again, this makes it sound like you are already a PMHNP} I find it
... [The] primary focus [of PMHNP] is promoting
... However, we learn to adapt, we learn balance and sacrifice. {you switched from "I" to "you" to "we" in the space of two sentences, which sounds a little awkward}
... especially [as I have combined] the field of nursing [with] having a family. ...
