Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

My inspiration to pursue a lifelong career in nursing derived from witnessing a close individual succumb to a painful and chronic disease when I was the tender age of 6. I pondered and researched endlessly on the symptoms and damage caused by that disease until I comprehended its origin and everlasting effects. The memory of witnessing that individual die will continue to plague my memories and serve as a reminder of why I continue to strive for my goals today. From that point on, I knew exactly the person I aspired to be in the future—a nurse. I was fascinated with acquiring knowledge about the human body and diseases. In high school, I applied to a local hospital to become a candystriper to gain more insight about the medical field and nursing. I was placed into the endoscopy department and it was there where I truly established my determination to take on the challenge of becoming a nurse. I witnessed and experienced a myriad of things during my time there. I grasped how to become more compassionate and to prioritize one’s life and safety above everything. The hospital became my personified version of Utopia.

For ten years my parents sheltered me from the truth about my Grandfather’s suicide. The day he died is a blur, but I remember our afternoons together in his garden reading books he brought home from the library he worked at, and evenings eating Chinese food and watching ice skating—two of his favorite things. Finding out he committed suicide left me with myriad questions. As I matured my desire for understanding intensified. Drawn to human behavior and the mechanisms that affect it, I applied to the University of California at Berkeley as a Psychology major. In the summer prior to beginning my studies Anthony killed himself.

Nursing practice has revolutionized itself throughout the years. Today we realize the causes of current illnesses as complex and multifaceted (source). In past models, for instance the medical model, the approach was straightforward and neglected the patients active involvement in their care; the patient was viewed as the passive recipient and the doctor, an active agent that “fixed” their patients. ( source). New developed models since then, such as the biopsychosocial model, show us that care focuses on many factors. The model demonstrates understanding of how suffering, disease, and illness can be associated by many factors seen at the different levels in society and the medical sciences (source). Caring for each component is

As nurses, it extremely important for us to have an understanding of mental health so we can decrease the stigma in the healthcare profession. There shouldn’t be a difference between a “psychiatric nurse” and a “general nurse”. Since over 50% of the population suffers from a mental illness, both professions should be equally educated and sensitive towards health care issues.

What is it that makes choosing a career so difficult? Is it the fact that many people mainly choose a career they live off for the rest of their lives? Or is it just that they are scared of the difficulties and obstacles that will come through their path? Many students choose the usual careers: nursing, doctors, mechanics, or just working at a gas station. It all depends on where and if the student decides to go to college and what degree they are looking forward to earning.

In the future, I plan to work for the NHS as a mental health nurse in order to better the health care and treatment for patients. I’ve always had a desire to help people whilst also tackling new learning opportunities and therefore I would be suited for this course as I thrive on being challenged and have the determination and commitment that it takes to succeed and start a career in mental health nursing. I am really eager to learn the ropes of the job and really feel that I have what it takes to be a good university student. I believe that mental health nursing is a career that requires an individual to have emotional stability, empathy and commitment among many other skills that I feel I am able to demonstrate well.

In the corner of the small hospital room stood a shy little girl. “You shouldn't be in here, honey”, my mother said as she nudged me out of the room where my grandfather lay dying. At the time, I couldn't understand the enormity of the situation. Ignorant to what was happening around me, my innocent mind fled with curiosity. The beeping of the machines and the soft quick steps of nurses captivated my attention. I was fascinated with this strange new world. This is the moment that sparked my desire to become someone great; a nurse.

This means that the nurse has a role in empowering the patient to realise their unique strengths, regain their independence and rejoin the community as a valuable contributing member (Raeburn, Hungerford, Escott, & Cleary, 2015). A mental health nurse must address the social determinants of health in their practice by promoting and educating their patient about the importance of a safe and healthy living environment. They incorporate an interdisciplinary approach to care by linking the patient to community services such as housing, addictions counselling, and legal services (Raeburn, Hungerford, Escott, & Cleary,

Nurses are the epitome of Cura Personalis. There are an abundance of careers to positively influence the lives of others, but few career paths endeavor to truly serve all people. Nurses respond to health care needs of people considering spiritual, health, socio-cultural, economic status and the evolving practice of nursing to provide and advocate for these individuals. Nurses have an innate ability to learn about the individuals they serve and they care for people rather than “clients,” “patients,” or “customers.” My motivation to pursue a career in the discipline of nursing is because I envision myself helping people through their most vulnerable moments.

While completing my Bachelor of Science degree at Gannon University, I was very enthusiastic about the psychology classes as well as my rotation for mental health nursing. My professors noticed my passion and provided me with many opportunities to care for patients who had extensive amounts of mental health history. I had the opportunity to participate as

With the knowledge that mental health nurses have to work with, it isn’t difficult to see why John Crowther & Theresa Ragusa’s (2011) statements could be true until today. There are many aspects that a mental health nurse needs to excel at to be able to properly give service. However, when read carefully, many of the

During my work placement I noticed that nurses work in a variety of services and are in an ideal position to promote patients’ mental health and wellbeing by helping and empowering them to realise their abilities rather than focusing on their disability or illness (Ruddick,2013).

My desire to pursue graduate study in the mental health field is motivated by personal experiences. Having encountered diverse conflicts resulting from mental health diagnosis’ myself and in my family, I am mindful of some of the challenges that face this particular population. It is a field of work that demands a specialized individual; someone who genuinely encompasses integrity, compassion, patience, and empathy.

I am writing to express my interest in the PhD project, to explore evidence on roles of Public Health Nursing services in reducing health inequalities, and to suggest needed reforms especially in their training at Bournemouth University Faculty of health and social care. The proposed PhD project to develop a o-19 public health nurse for Dorset, excite me as it relates to my training both undergraduate and postgraduate level, work experience field to management level that shaped my research interest in health systems strengthening, global health, health inequalities and disease risk factors.

My role models have always been nurses. When in hospital wards visiting family members or even on hospital placement, where I have completed over 500 hours, my attention has always been on the nurses, admiring their amazing work ethic and their ability to change someone’s life for the better, this is when I decided that I belonged in this profession. I am passionate about mental health as I have personal experience of witnessing and overcoming these issues. To this day, many still feel too uncomfortable to talk about it and I want to change that. For a long time, I was often in denial about my own struggles with mental health problems and have refused help because I could not accept my diagnosis. I convinced myself that ‘others had it worse’; this mind-set eventually made my condition deteriorate without me realising. As a result, I now advocate that my friends discuss it just like a physical ailment so that their struggles feel as valid as a broken leg or an infected wound; it is a wound in their mind.