Final draft of uni application
Again if anyone has anything to add or any criticism I'd be most appreciative.
Over the past few years I have re-evaluated my life and the experiences I have had. During this evaluation I realised that all I ever wanted to do was help people in some capacity. After much thought and consideration it came to my attention that Mental Health Nursing was something that would suit me as a profession and something I feel I would be good at with respect to making a difference in peoples’ lives.
After much research into the role I feel that so many of the roles of a Mental Health Nurse are appealing to me as a compassionate and empathetic person. I am looking forward to learn how to look after and care for people with both acute and chronic mental health conditions, liaising with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other professionals along with helping rebuild peoples’ lives that have been affected by mental health problems. I have the ability to work alone and as part of a team and feel these qualities are essential for this role.
There are a multitude of reasons why I have chosen this field as the one for me, mainly down to personal experience, both good and bad, within the mental health service. I am a kind and caring person with good communication skills, this is shown in my skills as a mother to a son with learning difficulties along with skills I have shown in the workplace during my work placements. I am able to read people well, picking up indications they may be sick or withholding certain information to how they are feeling. I see this as a good professional skill. When my grandfather was sick I helped nurse him and it was during this time in my life when I decided nursing was something I would find a rewarding and challenging occupation.
As part of my college course I have been on a variety of placements, these have included working in a nursing home with residents that have dementia in a home specifically for Elderly people with Mental Illness. I enjoyed my time here immensely and it gave me a wider knowledge into the different mental health problems people face on a daily basis. My placement at ‘Widnes Hall and Lodge’ was also extremely successful, receiving excellent feedback on my skills of working with both service users and staff. I am currently applying for a volunteer position in this establishment to widen my skills further.
During my time at college we have studied many aspects of health and social care; some are specific to my chosen field. During a unit on Care Planning I used the Mental Health Capacity Act 2005. Using this piece of legislation enabled me to elaborate on many different forms of mental health conditions and how they can affect people on various levels.
I recently completed ‘race for life’ in aid of cancer research and over the past ten years have raised approximately £4000 for different charities including the fore mentioned and epilepsy action. I also plan to walk Ben Nevis in August 2011. Along with charity work I am also an avid reader reading many genres including texts that are related to mental health problems, thrillers and women’s literature. After reading ‘Sunbathing in the Rain: A Cheerful Book About Depression’ I felt that I would be able to make a real difference in other peoples’ lives, given the opportunity.
My ultimate goal is to help reduce the stigma attached to mental health conditions and the additional distress this causes those dealing with such issues on a daily basis. I would also like to help people rebuild their lives and encourage and support them in dealing with their mental health condition. Whether that management is down to lifestyle changes, medication or extra help I know I would find this a challenge and rise to it with enthusiasm.
I hope that by the end of this degree I will have enough knowledge, experience and understanding to make a difference. I would like to eventually work within the community to help normal every day people manage their lives to an extent that they are capable of.
Over the past few years I have re-evaluated my life and the experiences I have had. During this evaluation I realised that all I ever wanted to do was help people in some capacity. After much thought and consideration it came to my attention that Mental Health Nursing was something that would suit me as a profession and something I feel I would be good at with respect to making a difference in peoples’ lives.
After much research into the role I feel that so many of the roles of a Mental Health Nurse are appealing to me as a compassionate and empathetic person. I am looking forward to learn how to look after and care for people with both acute and chronic mental health conditions, liaising with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other professionals along with helping rebuild peoples’ lives that have been affected by mental health problems. I have the ability to work alone and as part of a team and feel these qualities are essential for this role.
There are a multitude of reasons why I have chosen this field as the one for me, mainly down to personal experience, both good and bad, within the mental health service. I am a kind and caring person with good communication skills, this is shown in my skills as a mother to a son with learning difficulties along with skills I have shown in the workplace during my work placements. I am able to read people well, picking up indications they may be sick or withholding certain information to how they are feeling. I see this as a good professional skill. When my grandfather was sick I helped nurse him and it was during this time in my life when I decided nursing was something I would find a rewarding and challenging occupation.
As part of my college course I have been on a variety of placements, these have included working in a nursing home with residents that have dementia in a home specifically for Elderly people with Mental Illness. I enjoyed my time here immensely and it gave me a wider knowledge into the different mental health problems people face on a daily basis. My placement at ‘Widnes Hall and Lodge’ was also extremely successful, receiving excellent feedback on my skills of working with both service users and staff. I am currently applying for a volunteer position in this establishment to widen my skills further.
During my time at college we have studied many aspects of health and social care; some are specific to my chosen field. During a unit on Care Planning I used the Mental Health Capacity Act 2005. Using this piece of legislation enabled me to elaborate on many different forms of mental health conditions and how they can affect people on various levels.
I recently completed ‘race for life’ in aid of cancer research and over the past ten years have raised approximately £4000 for different charities including the fore mentioned and epilepsy action. I also plan to walk Ben Nevis in August 2011. Along with charity work I am also an avid reader reading many genres including texts that are related to mental health problems, thrillers and women’s literature. After reading ‘Sunbathing in the Rain: A Cheerful Book About Depression’ I felt that I would be able to make a real difference in other peoples’ lives, given the opportunity.
My ultimate goal is to help reduce the stigma attached to mental health conditions and the additional distress this causes those dealing with such issues on a daily basis. I would also like to help people rebuild their lives and encourage and support them in dealing with their mental health condition. Whether that management is down to lifestyle changes, medication or extra help I know I would find this a challenge and rise to it with enthusiasm.
I hope that by the end of this degree I will have enough knowledge, experience and understanding to make a difference. I would like to eventually work within the community to help normal every day people manage their lives to an extent that they are capable of.
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