Writing a midwifery or nursing personal statement is no easy task, so here are some tips that will help.

Do

• Be organised. Before you start writing, make bullet points of everything you want to include and order them in terms of importance
• Show passion
• Show you understand the reality of being a nurse or midwife. For example, 24-hour care / on call / shifts
• Start writing early. Give yourself plenty of time to read, edit and check - and then, check again! 
• Write it in a Word document and then copy and paste it into UCAS when ready
• Focus on your field of choice, whether it's adult, child, mental health, learning disability nursing or midwifery
• Why have you chosen to study a midwifery or nursing degree? Explain your choice. What is your inspiration to be a nurse in that field or a midwife?
• Tell us what qualities you bring to the nursing course
• Think about what values and qualities you need to be a good nurse or midwife. How you can show evidence of these?
• Tell us what experiences you have and how they will help you in your field of choice. These do not necessarily have to be care experiences
• Demonstrate your overall awareness of USW's midwifery or nursing degree – 50% theory and 50% practice for example
• Only mention hobbies that reveal something relevant about you. Perhaps they have taught you good timekeeping skills, teamwork or given you extra insight or experience in your area of interest
• Proof read. Correct spelling and grammar is absolutely vital. A misplaced apostrophe or absence of capital letters can be seriously off-putting. Use the spell-check on your computer and get parents and teachers to proofread your statement

Don't 

• Don't simply list what you have done. Saying you were captain of the hockey team or spent a week at a local newspaper is not very helpful unless you use it to show what you learned from the experience
• Don't use clichés. One of the most overused opening sentences is: My mother or grandmother was a nurse/midwife...
• Don’t say you want to be a nurse/midwife just because you have watched a TV programme (several possibilities here!)
• Don't use famous quotes from people you admire. We are interested in what you have to say - not Florence Nightingale
• Don't list your interests, demonstrate them. Actually doing something, such as joining a national society, volunteering or being involved in a charity, shows you have passion and drive
• Don't ask too many people for advice. Input from parents and teachers can be helpful, but this is a personal statement - we want to hear your voice and personality.