Nursing Personal Statements: Insider Tips & Examples

By analyzing the applications of the most successful nurses on Nomad, one of the most important key insights that we’ve learned is:

Nurses who have well-written personal statements tend to get the most engagement from employers.

We also found that nurses with the most comprehensive personal descriptions have the quickest turnaround time for applications they submit! Read below for a list of tips on why you should create a nurse personal statement, as well best practice examples and tips on how to write yours.

Why Is It Important for Nurses to Create a Personal Statement?

No matter what the profession, there is one consistent trend when it comes to a job search:

When a candidate is able to clearly show experience, goals, and a knowledge of what they are looking for, the matching process is far more successful.

Outside of Nomad, employers usually get profile information through phone calls and emails. But that’s not time or energy efficient for anyone. And sometimes — let’s face it, often — important details get lost.

At Nomad, we’ve solved this problem by building a personal statement feature directly into our product. In just a few short sentences, you’re able to quickly deliver key information to potential employers.

Some nurses tend to overlook personal statements in their resumes or profiles, since technically they are optional. However, by including a strong personal statement, you’ve not only made it easier for an employer to get to know you quickly, but you’ve also set yourself apart by putting in the extra effort.

What Should You Say in Your Personal Statement?

The million dollar question is of course what to say in your nursing personal statement. Here are four actions to take:

1. Use Your Training and Specialty to Show That You’re a Fit for the Role

You’ve worked very hard to get to where you are, so make sure potential employers know what you can do! Sharing your background and skill sets doesn’t just help you look good, it also provides potential employers with valuable data to help them think about how you can fit into the role in question — or (and this is important) even other positions they haven’t posted yet.

Make sure to mention any degrees you’ve earned — if you have a BSN or MSN make sure your potential employers are aware!

2. Be Specific About the Type of Work You Are Looking For

Hospital, private practice, or community educational group — there are many different ways to provide care, so the more specific you are about what works for you, the better. A few questions to ask yourself may be:

• What locations are you interested in traveling to?
• What schedule best suits you? Day shifts or night? Are you interested in rorating?
• Have you considered spending some time delivering care in underserved areas?
• What units do you float to? Can you help out in other units if the need arises?

Being upfront about the environments that fit you best will greatly speed up your matching. It will not only cut down of offers that you don’t want, but also help employers get a sense of your range, availability, and who you are.

3. Detail Your Years of Experience

For travel nursing, employers usually require at least one to two years of clinical experience. But if you have more than that, your years of experience may influence what positions you’re considered for.

Make sure to highlight how many years you’ve been working and where you spent that time. Detail any new skills you’ve learned in that time and what your range of abilities looks like. This will give potential employers a good grasp on how best you fit into their roster and how well you can fill their needs.

4. Mention Any Additional Qualifications You Have

This category includes a few different bits of information. The answers to these questions will show your accomplishments throughout your career.

• What Certifications do you have? Certain employers have needs for nurses with specific certifications — showing each of the certifications that you have will give employers an idea of what needs you can help fill! Some of the most in-demand certifications are PCCN and CCNS/CCRN.
• Was your nursing school accredited? While it doesn’t mean you didn’t receive a quality education, if your school wasn’t accredited it may be harder for you to pursue additional degrees. Some employers may be looking for specifically accredited nurses and it only helps to boost your application.
• Are you affiliated with any associations? Not only do associations give you access to a great community of nurses and keep you in the know, they also show that you’re involved in your field and care about being a part of it. Employers love to see that nurses are deeply involved in the work they do.

Examples of Outstanding Nurse Personal Statements

Here are few examples below to spark your creativity. Feel free to use them as templates for your own profile.

Example 1:

Example 2:

Example 3:

How Do You Add a Personal Description?

First, if you haven’t already, make sure you’ve joined Nomad for free as either a nurse or doctor. Then follow these quick steps:

• Go to the “Edit Profile” section on your Profile page, and click the dropdown for “Personal Information.”
• In the dropdown, you’ll then see a text box called “Description.” It’s right over the Profile Photo box.
• Type a few descriptive sentences about who you are and what you’re looking for.

What you write to describe yourself can easily make you stand out to medical employers, since so many clinicians leave this field blank.

We hope these personal statement tips help all nurses to stand out during their job search and eventually, land the job of their dreams!

Remember, we’re here to help, so please do reach out at hello@nomadhealth.com if you have questions or want additional tips! You can also schedule a session with a Nomad Navigator here.

Warmly,
The Nomad Team
nomadhealth.com