how to write personal statement for nhs jobs

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Making successful applications

Once you have successfully found a position you wish to apply for, you need to make sure your application does you justice and provides you with the best possible chance of getting an interview. This means reading the job description and person specification and taking time over your application demonstrating your skills and experience.

How good a match are you?

All employers will be judging how well your application matches the 'person specification' for the position you are applying for. The applicants who closely match the person specification will be the ones that are shortlisted for interview.

To stand the best chance of receiving an invitation is to demonstrate that you do have the skills and experience as stipulated within the person specification and provide clear examples within the supporting information section.

Never submit the same application form twice. Always adapt it to show how you meet the person specification of the particular post you are applying for.

Complete all the parts of the form

Read the instructions within the advertisement and application form very carefully and make sure that you complete all the sections of the application form. The information you give in the 'application for employment' section will be used to decide if you should be shortlisted for interview.

The 'personal information' and 'monitoring information' sections will not be used for shortlisting, but will be kept for administrative purposes only.

Provide good supporting information

The 'supporting information' section is your opportunity to sell yourself therefore make sure you use it to your advantage. You can include any information here that has not been covered elsewhere on the form. Demonstrate why you would be suitable and how you meet the person specification. You need to convince the recruiter that you have the required skills, knowledge and experience and that they should be inviting you for an interview.

You can include, among other things, details about:

• your duties and responsibilities;
• your skills, knowledge and/or experience which is relevant to the post;
• identify any employment gaps;
• voluntary work you have accomplished;
• research, publication and/or presentation experience.

• HealthJobs Ltd
• 27 June 2018

How To Write A Personal Statement For Your Next Job In Healthcare

• Matt Farrah Nurses.co.uk Co-founder / Co-owner
• Save for later

An excellent personal statement is the key to success in every healthcare job application you make and in this article we look at the steps to follow in order to create the ideal one.

If you’ve written a personal statement before for a previous job application or university course application, you can use ideas and themes from that but you can’t simply use the same one again.

A personal statement must be tailored for each situation, and when you’re applying for healthcare jobs you need to tailor it according to the person specification and job description of the vacancy you’re interested in.

Start with a brainstorm of ideas

If you try to sit down and write your personal statement from scratch by starting with the first sentence, you could find your finished personal statement has no coherence and does not follow a logical order.

By brainstorming your ideas first you can prioritise the points you want to make and assemble all the evidence you want to mention that will back up the claims you’re going to make.

In order to avoid repetition in your personal statement, pick out a couple of points you want to make in your opening statement that really establish you as a serious contender for the job; for example, your qualification or current employment.

Then move on to the centre section where you should elaborate on the all the reasons why you are perfect for the job! Use the person specification and job description from the vacancy advert as a reference and try to check off the points you’re making with the requirements of the employer.

Your closing section should summarise the main points you want the employer to remember you for, especially your professional expertise if you applying for a doctor job , dentist job or any other senior healthcare professional job.

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Put words around your ideas

As you begin to put your ideas into sentences, be mindful of the length of your personal statement. It’s easy to write too much, but you are more likely to be successful if you are succinct and coherent.

It’s essential as you’re writing that you use a variety of examples from your experience to illustrate each point you’re making because you want to demonstrate the range of your experience.

It will also help to make your personal statement as memorable as possible because the employer will have a really good insight into your history and how your experience can make you ideal for their job vacancy.

Proof-read and edit your personal statement several times

When you think you have your personal statement completed go back and proof read it to spot any spelling errors, and to check that the information you have given is accurate.

Your personal statement forms part of your job application so you can be sure that when you apply you are required to confirm all information is correct to the best of your knowledge.

Whether you’re an experienced healthcare professional in a particular field, or you’re applying for your first healthcare assistant job , the personal statement is an essential part of the job application.

It’s your only opportunity to talk directly to the employer before they decide whether or not you are suitable for the job and therefore should be offered an interview.

Try to imagine the questions they will be asking themselves when reading your personal statement and provide clear, concise answers to as many of those questions as you can anticipate.

Once your personal statement has secured you an interview, you'll be wanting advice on how to smash your interview, right? Take a look at how to successfully prepare for interviews in healthcare to find out how to do just that.

Looking for a job in medicine or health care? Next Steps... Create an account. We will help you build a CV as part of that process. This will get you ready to start searching for jobs.

About the author.

I believe people working in healthcare should be able to choose to enjoy work. That is, choose an employer who reflects their values and provides them with a sustainable career. This leads to better patient care, higher retention rates and happier working lives in this most important employment sector.

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• Making a Successful Application

Using the supporting information section to your best advantage

This section is critical to complete well. It’s your chance to really sell yourself as a suitable applicant and get that invitation to interview.

As an external applicant you have up to 1500 words for this section to persuade and influence the recruiting manager that you could do the job and that you deserve an interview.

So how do you do this?

By tailoring your application i.e., by matching your skills, knowledge, and experience to the job requirements. You need to connect your current and past work experience to the requirements of the role you are applying for. This means you can’t just cut and paste any old thing. You need to make it specific to the job in question.

In the Employment History section of your application, you will have listed your previous jobs and the main duties and responsibilities of each. This will have given you some ability to link your skill set with the job in question, by one job at a time. However, the Supporting Information section of your application is where you can sell yourself and really stand out from the crowd.

You have the freedom to organise this section how you want, so you can do this by grouping your skills and work experience into broader themes and strengths that match the job you are applying for.

Using bullet points and subheadings is good. Long paragraphs and essays are not so good. Make it as easy as possible for the recruiters to find the information you need and want them to see.

The critical thing to do here is to pay close attention to the requirements of the role you are applying for and give good examples of your achievements for each. Remember that now with NHS Jobs the shortlisting criteria are included with the advert. Recruiters will be scoring your application against these. So, make sure you cover these.

What makes a good example?

This will be covered in more detail in section 2 on Having a Successful Interview. A helpful framework to use here is the STAR example.

What is a STAR example?

STAR stands for:

• S ituation or T ask – what was the context and what were you being asked to do
• A ction – what you did to achieve this
• R esult – what was the outcome or result, e.g., money or time saved, better customer service, patient care, staff morale etc

In a good STAR example, you address all three elements concisely by writing about your previous experience.

For example:

“At Acme Ltd, as Trainee Accountant, I was asked by my manager, towards year end, to make savings from the budget. This was crucial to the business as we were overspending. I set up a team involving key people from across the business, such as department heads. I asked people to share their ideas and we then prioritised the best ones. For example, I decided to change our electricity supplier to a lower tariff and reduced our stock levels by 10% which improved our working capital. Overall, I achieved £20k in savings, almost 3% of the budget, and we hit the year-end target. My manager was really pleased, and I got a letter of recognition from the Managing Director.”

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Creating the Perfect CV for NHS jobs

I know you must be excited about how to proceed now that you’ve completed a series of hurdles to get to where you are now. The next obstacle to face: getting a job. This is not an easy task. Sure, far be it from me to tell you that there are not thousands of job openings available and that the NHS is not hoping that many doctors apply, but there is one thing you must keep in mind- how you create a perfect CV for NHS jobs to present yourself is extremely important.

Table of Contents

Why do I need a CV for NHS jobs then?

So you may be asking yourself that already. Not every job advert asks for a CV, but some do, and there is no harm your keeping one handy just in case, especially if you get called in for a job interview, or an HR wants it for documentation.

Also going through this article you will find out what things makes a difference in your NHS jobs application. It can also help you populate answers in the online application form in your NHS jobs profile.

Different parts of the CV

Ensure your CV is professional, succinct, and well-laid out . The skeleton of your CV for NHS jobs will consist of:

• The objective/ Profile
• Your educational qualifications
• Any training courses/certifications
• Medical experience/jobs held
• Research/ Audit/ Clinical governance done
• Teaching experience
• Management/leadership experience
• Team working
• Volunteer work/ Extracurricular experience
• Linguistic qualifications

The list what I’ve made here is of my own making; feel free to work with the order you feel comfortable with. If you’ve noticed, you can fill a few of these headings with what you’ve put in your NHS jobs profile. The only difference is that there is no word limit here. Also, you might be wondering I don’t have this or that, what do I write here- no worries. I’ll cover everything to the best of my ability.

1. Header

Let’s start with the header. It is made up of-

It would be ideal to ensure you have a professional email, something preferably with your name in it rather than a ‘ fun ’ email. For instance, try for an email like [email protected] versus [email protected]. It would also be a good idea if you were to provide a local UK mobile number and address. Please ensure the address you provide can be proved by a tenancy agreement or a letter or a something to that extent as your employer may need it to be verified. If you can’t manage that, just give any address that you can prove (home address is absolutely okay).

2. Objective / Profile

Next is the objective . What you need to explain here is, briefly, what you’ve done so far (related work experience) and what you hope to do in the future, and why you are applying for this job; a summary, a quick look . For example,

“I have completed my internship training/worked as a medical officer/ [your post] for [duration] at [hospital name]. I rotated through various specialties/ worked in [this] department. Out of all these specialties/ During working there, I discovered my interest in [that] field because this offers [reason]. This is why I’m applying for this job. Being organised and working hard, I want to see myself as a better doctor in the years to come.”

Sharp. Simple. Short.

You will get to explain the whole thing in the following headings, but this introduction gives the reader a fair idea about you just at the start.

3. Educational Qualifications

Isn’t it just a boring table with columns and rows.

Yes and no. You will definitely put everything in your CV for NHS jobs in a table, but there are so many ways you can format it to stand out and get your information across. For example,

• Make a border less table, everything looks well aligned minus the ugliness of the crowded lines.
• Put the years you obtained your degrees in the first column rather than your degree or institution.
• Bold the degree names, and write the institution’s name under that, and the year you obtained it in another column in the same row.

You can follow past to present or present to past. I personally think present to past is a better idea.

4. Training courses / Certifications

Same thing goes like educational qualifications. Make a table preferably as the same format as above.

There is always a debate about whether or not to attend any sort of a BLS course beforehand to bolster the CV for NHS jobs. One can argue that it is a waste, but I found more response in my interviews after doing one, and it only cost £35 to attend for a validity of one year. Follow this link to sign up for an  Adult Basic Life Support course . Courses like ILS/ALS/ALERT can be done after you’ve started working as many trusts cover the cost, but if you still wish to complete them, ensure they are ResusUK certified .

If you’re taking ALS soon, check out our post on how to prepare for ALS.

I have no certifications/training courses!

It’s completely fine. You can just drop this heading and move on to the next one.

5. Medical Experience

This is where you get the chance to explain at length what you told in your profile at the beginning. Here also you can take that present to past approach. Be sure you mention the following things:

• The hospital that you’ve worked in
• Duration of your job
• Your job description there, i.e. what you did there. Make it a bulleted list. You can face a difficulty here sounding very repetitive with “I did that….”, “I followed up patients…”, “I performed these procedures…”. Try dropping the “I” here; “Admitted patients…”, “Performed this…”, “Communicated with people…”, “Helped junior colleagues…” – it tells the same story but comes across as more professional.

One job experience can follow another. Follow the same pattern of describing all your medical experiences in your CV for NHS jobs.

6. Research/ Audit/ Clinical governance experience

Again here, if you don’t have it, you don’t have it . Skip it. Yes, these make you a better candidate, but if you didn’t do it back when you had a chance to do it, what can you do now? You will have greater chances to involve yourself in these activities when you start working in the UK. Audits from back home will also be accepted. If you’re unsure on where to start, see our article on understanding audits and QIPs .

During the interview, if you are asked what do you think you need to improve about yourself? Or what do you think your shortcomings are? – you can just take this opportunity and say you need to take part in audits and research more.

I’ll advise you to read up about audit, research, clinical governance, and related topics and how it helps health care both clinically and non-clinically.

I would highly recommend purchasing and reading the book  Medical Interviews: A Comprehensive Guide to CT, ST & Registrar Interview Skills

7. Teaching Experience

If you have a formal teaching qualification you can mention here with the experience of teaching. But even your informal experience of teaching undergraduates during your ward rotations can also be also mentioned here. You should include when you taught and what you taught them. If it’s informal, there is obviously no proof, but you can still mention it here.

Your NHS jobs profile must have a paragraph there about this. Just work on that as there is no word limit now.

8. Management & Leadership Experience

Same as the NHS jobs profile. If you find it difficult how to write it, here are some tips:

You can give one or two example, elaborating-

• The situation- what happened,
• The task that needed to be done – the challenge,
• What you did- your action that proves the point,
• The response- the outcome of your action.

I’m sure if you’ve worked as a doctor anywhere, you can find multiple examples in your life. Just word it nicely and follow the above skeleton.

9. Team work experience

These actually create the bulk of your CV for NHS jobs. No, these aren’t NOT important. This, including management and teaching experience, paints a picture of how you are as an employee in the workplace.

Follow the same skeleton above to write one or two examples where you’ve showed you’re a good team player.

10. Volunteer work/ Extracurricular experience

If you don’t have it, you don’t have it.

Just make sure to follow the same format as you’ve explained your medical experience.

11. Languages

You know what languages you are fluent in. Also add languages where you have limited  to  moderate proficiency.

No, don’t talk about your football/basketball skills here. It’s nearly at the end of your CV, and to say it  bluntly , you need to sell yourself a bit further. The things that should populate your “Skills” heading are unknowingly given to you. The job description and person specification. Yes, that document has a list of skills that they want from you, it can be anything starting from good communication skills to being tech savvy. Read that and fill this section up accordingly.

If you don’t know where to find the job description and person specification please look here how to apply for jobs in the NHS , to see a breakdown of a job advert.

13. Interests

The final personal touch. Now, you can talk about football/ basketball/sports and all. Movies, music, dance, art & culture- anything that you are interested in or anything that relieves your stress- goes here.

Just a tip here, keep it short and professional. You’re not writing a letter to your friend or a dating profile.

14. References

Personally I don’t like the idea of writing all my reference details if not requested specifically, as those are privileged information among myself, my employer’s HR and my referees.

Just type “ Available upon request ”, which is more than enough. You can always email your referees’ details if they request it  later on.

To conclude

It wasn’t that complicated, was it?

The last tip, DO NOT send your CV in a doc/docx format, ALWAYS send it in a PDF format. Foxit reader or most of the readers have the option to make a new PDF from any word document. I personally use Nitro PDF to work with PDFs.

Now that you have a good CV, the only thing that remains is nailing the interview. Check out The Interview: Part 2 of 3 for an introduction to the common interview questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long my cv should be.

In NHS jobs online application, all the text boxes have work limit but when you are submitting one written like this, there is no limit. Make sure you keep it succinct.

What can I put on my CV to make it stand out?

Be yourself and write your own words. Don’t copy-paste of blindly write whatever you see on different blogs and Facebook posts. That’s a sure way that your CV will look like someone elses’s. Follow different structures and fill those by your own words. Use spell and grammar checking software.

What should not be included in your CV?

We have seen people write how backward and underdeveloped their country’s healthcare system is and how great UK healthcare is in their supporting information.  Completely unnecessary . Also talking about personal circumstances and struggles in life should also not come up in your job application. We have painfully read some supporting information where IMGs are practically begging for a job.  Very unprofessional .

Can I get your CV template?

No. That is how your CV will be like hundreds others. Follow the headlines in this article and write a few words to a few paragraphs under each title.  There you go,  you have a template now.

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How to wite your CV

How to write your CV

Doctors Direct has years of practice in recruiting the best candidates and as a result has a wealth of knowledge to pass on when it comes to writing a CV that will get you noticed, for all the right reasons.

Knowing what to include in your CV and in what order can be quite daunting. This guide aims to help you on your way to creating a CV that provides succinct and impactful information, that best represents you and your achievements.

Getting started

TIP: Use a confident tone and positive language when writing your CV.

Your CV should be no more than 1 -2 pages long and only communicate the information you feel is most relevant or important to the role for which you are applying. Keeping your CV short and sharp will help to hold the attention of the reader.

At the top of your CV you need to provide your full name, home address, email address and telephone number.

Most people then like to add a short bio, or ‘personal statement’ summing up your current personal situation, and your career aspirations. This should only be a few sentences long but should highlight your skillset enough that the reader wants to know more about you.

TIP: Look at the key information that the role rquires and tailor your personal statement to highlight the skills you have that match what they are looking for.

Your Experience

Next you need to add your work experience [1] in reverse-chronological (most recent at the top). You will want to confirm where the experience took place (organisation and location) and the duration.

TIP: Update your CV regularly. Sending an old CV will look unprofessional, so make sure that yours is up to date to meet the requirements of any roles you see advertised.

It can be helpful to differentiate between paid and voluntary work. The areas of expertise and skills you used during this time need to be included along with any projects you worked on. It can be easy to overcomplicate your CV with too much detail on the role, as often this will have been copied from a job description. In your CV you want to get across transferable skills and personal strengths that will be of interest. CV’s should detail specific skills, systems and processes you have used.

Your Education

Again, this is ideally displayed in reverse-chronological order. This section often takes up valuable space on your CV but try to include the most relevant information here. You will want to add the dates you were studying, the establishment name, location, course and grades achieved.

Gaps in your CV

If you have had any time during study or employment it is useful to explain this on your CV.

For example

‘X date to X date – travelling round South America’

‘X date to X date – volunteering with “Charity name” providing basic infection control information to young families in remote villages in Africa.

Closing your CV

At the end of your CV it’s good to add any additional information that is relevant to your application but does not necessarily fit in to any of the other sections.

It may be that you have some interests, hobbies, experience or short courses that you want to share, here would be the best place for them.

TIP: Ask someone to look through your CV to check for any mistakes you may have overlooked.

Your can download our CV writing guide by clicking the button below

https://nhspbank.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/How_To_Write_Your_CV.pdf

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In this section

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Applying for jobs

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It’s time to put your hard work into practice and take the first steps in your career.

Job hunting can seem like a stressful activity, especially as it often happens around times of intense pressure, whether that’s as you’re about to finish your degree, during rotations, or at a time when you’re tired and feel you need a break.

However, putting time aside to plan and prepare a job hunt can pay off many times over later – your future self will thank you.

Remember – always read the job description and person specification carefully and make sure you address in your application, how you meet all aspects, whether you’re filling and application form or making your CV bespoke for the job. Use information you’ve collected in your degree portfolio and draw on practical examples of these to illustrate how you meet each aspect of the hob description/person specification.

Application forms and NHS statement writing

Many employers will send you a standard job application form and prefer this method to sifting through CVs. Departments that receive many applications will usually use the application form as the first stage of their selection process and draw up a shortlist of people to invite for interview. It is therefore essential to take time and care when completing an application.

Be precise about your work/placement experience: give clear dates, locations and job summaries. The NHS website provides guidance on how best to make your application successful and how to write your application form .

Qualified Physio have written a useful online blog called ‘ 8 Steps for the perfect physio or health care application, personal statement and cover letter ’.

An up to date and accessible CV is an essential instrument in your job search toolbox, so that you can apply for posts with minimal notice. There are many schools of thought as to how a CV should be organised. Much depends on the individual and the job you are seeking, but some of these general points may be useful:

• Type the information, spacing sections well, so it doesn’t look cluttered.
• Check your spelling and grammar.
• Keep your CV to no more than two sides of A4.
• Include your full name, address, phone number and email address.
• Include a short personal statement to give the reader a snapshot of who you are and what you are bringing to physiotherapy. This statement can either sit as an introductory paragraph, or can work equally well at the end of the CV – pulling the information presented together as a summary.
• Education and training: list in date order the schools and colleges you have attended since age 11.
• Academic qualifications: list the examinations passed with your grades.
• Practice education: make a note of how your placements were organised (e.g. 8 x 4 week placements, 6 x 5 week placements + one elective). List the placements you have undertaken and the key achievements/learning outcomes for each one. You should also list, under the title ‘Positions held’, any positions of responsibility, for example, Prefect, society committee member, etc.
• Work experience: include details of any vacation, part-time or voluntary work undertaken, briefly mentioning your duties and what the job involved. Link these where possible to the behaviours/knowledge/skills from the CSP’s Physiotherapy Framework (accessible via the CPD ePortfolio). Mature students should detail any previous full-time employment.
• Interests and achievements: consider what impression it is you want to create before completing this section. List any special skills or hobbies and give details. Include any special courses you have attended.
• References: you may want to include ‘References available upon request’ at the end of your CV although this is not mandatory. In any case, make sure you have on hand the names and addresses of two people who are willing to be contacted by the prospective employer with a view to commenting on your experience and personal qualities. At the outset of your professional career, most employers will require a reference from your university. Speak to your course leader and another lecturer (or an employer from a clinical job or volunteer work) to gain their permission before using their names. Where possible, try to provide referees who are available at short notice.

Preparing for interviews

Your hard work has paid off and you’ve been invited for an interview, well done! This is your opportunity to demonstrate your qualifications and knowledge, your interest in the role and your personality. Taking some time to prepare for the interview will help you feel calm and confident on the day.

We suggest dividing your preparation into three main areas:

• Identify why you will be able to do the job, with specific reference to the job description and person specification. Think of at least three examples of what you have actually done in relation to each of the areas of the job description and person specification, using examples from different experiences. Think about the impact each of your example had, focusing on your achievements. If you have not had direct experience, think about what you may have done in other areas of your life (domestic, voluntary, student rep roles, etc.), which may have given you transferable skills and experience. Think about your successes, big or small, and the lessons you have learnt from where things haven’t gone as well as you had hoped. Draw out information from your portfolio if you have it that can act as supporting evidence for your statements – you may be asked for this at interview.
• Research the employer and the physiotherapy department via the Internet, personal contact, the organisation’s annual report, etc. Find out as much as you can about the particular Trust and/or department, which will enable you to prepare some questions to ask at the interview. Trusts place an emphasis on values-based recruitment so look at their values beforehand, especially working in the NHS. Values are often available online on the organisation’s website.
• Wherever you look to work, get yourself up-to-date on the policies and guidelines relevant to that sector and the contribution that physiotherapists can make, now and in the future. Write yourself notes under these three headings, and then condense your notes into key bullet points that you can go over the night before the interview. 

After the interview

Analyse what you did well in the interview and note down anything you were not prepared for and think about how you might answer differently in the future. If you aren't successful, ask for feedback. 

All the steps above and included in the Final Year Student Handbook will hopefully lead you to your first job offer. Once you have received an offer, it is important that you know what to look out for in a contract of employment. So it is equally important that you are given a written contract by your employer to avoid any confusion or disagreements at a later date over what was originally agreed. 

The CSP has created a handy  Guide to your First Employment Contract ,  giving you guidance on what to look for when checking your employment contract before you sign it. 

For more advice on preparing for interviews including group interviews, download the Final Year Student Handbook

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Next steps after graduation.

You’re about to complete your degree – now what? And what happens to your CSP student membership when you graduate?

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Applying for jobs & interview preparation

Job hunting can seem like a stressful activity, however putting time aside to plan and prepare a job hunt can pay off in the long run.

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Developing professionally is a key part of any physiotherapist’s career. You will have already started doing it through placements during your study years but this doesn’t stop here!

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Sample Supporting Statements

For Students and Newly Registered Nurses, Nursing Support Workers, and Nurses and Midwives.

The supporting statement is the most important part of your job application. This is effectively where you convince the employer that you're the right person for the job and explain why they should hire you.

This page offers sample supporting statements and a tutorial to help you. we can also offer feedback on your supporting statement via email..

Different employers will have different instructions or expectations with regards to supporting statements, but generally they'll be looking to see if you're applying for the right reasons and that you meet the essential criteria. If you haven't already done so, read the general advice on writing job applications first. To help give you an idea, have a look at our sample supporting statements which have been written to correlate to a sample Person Specification. In particular, pay attention to the way the sample supporting statements:

• Cover all the essential criteria listed in the Person Specification
• Use examples or evidence to demonstrate how the criteria is met
• Follow the order of the Person Specification as much as possible.

The samples should be used as a guide only. Your own supporting statement should be structured around the job and person specification you're applying for. You may also want to watch the Supporting Statements tutorial below.

• Apply for jobs that are right for you
• Never write a 'one size fits all' supporting statement
• Explain why you want the job, showing your passion/interest and motivation
• Demonstrate how you meet all the essential criteria from the person specification using examples or evidence
• Demonstrate how you meet any organisational/trust values if there are any
• Imagine you're being asked the question, "Why should we hire you?"
• Run a spelling and grammar check

Supporting Statement Tutorial Preview

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• About Nurses.co.uk
• 06 May 2020

What your nursing personal statement should say about you

• Claire Carmichael Registered Nurse
• Save for later
• Johanna Mancelita

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This is a question I asked myself when I wrote my nursing personal statement: ‘What do they want from me? What do they really want to hear?’.

You can write as much or little as possible on a personal statement (within the given word count), but what you write has to count - I’d say it was more about quality over quantity with this one.

But hopefully, I can give you some good quality information to help you write the perfect statement to bag you that interview and hopefully, the job!

Firstly, every statement should be unique to the role you’re applying for; so, remember to change it for every time you apply for a new job.

Secondly, always look at the Trust’s values, person specification and any other information they have uploaded for you; this is going to tell you what they are expecting from you to guide you to write your statement.

You will need to follow their essential and desirable criteria and give examples of how you have achieved these.

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Now, what do most Trusts look for?

From my experience they want you to be the 6 Cs of Nursing; Care, Compassion, Commitment, Courage, Competence, Communication.

So, you have to demonstrate this within your statement along with some nice key themes such as; being empathetic, maintain dignity, being patient centred and showing trust - Trust values are normally built on these.

Furthermore, Trusts will want to provide the best care possible to patients and they want to see how you meet this through your statement and then in your interview.

Is at the heart of nursing and the care you provide should help to improve an individual’s health and wellbeing.

They might also want to see that you genuinely care about other people and helping out.

This is how care is given which is based on empathy, dignity and respect.

This refers to the commitment to paitients and their individual care and overall experience.

This helps you to do the right thing at the right time.

It also enables you to speak up when needed.

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However, everyone will be writing the same skills and experience (more than likely), so you also want to add something to make yourself stand out from the crowd .

Your statement should show you as a person and not just a generic piece of writing of what you can and can’t do.

Moreover, you need to shine, show that personality and passion through your writing.

Some personal statements I have been asked to read, have genuinely given me goose bumps, because you can feel that passion through the page, it’s lovely.

Nonetheless, I know it can be quite hard to get your head in the right place to do this.

Something I do, is, close my eyes and visualise the place, time, experience that I want to talk about.

I put myself back into that place and how lovely it made me feel at the time, which brings back those feelings and I will start writing.

Your statement should also show how committed you are to nursing and your long term goals should incorporate this.

Trusts want to see you are in it for the long run, not just a quick job fix at the time.

Some other things that would be worth mentioning are:

Multi-professional working

How you can effectively work within the multi-disciplinary team and build good relationships with other professionals.

Give examples of how you have done this and why it has benefited your team.

Administering medication safely

How you avoid drug errors?

What thing’s do you do?

This will show you are practising safely and will continue to do so when working for the Trust you’re applying for.

Accurate record keeping

However you have kept records whether it is paper and pen or on a computer you have to show how you did this and how you maintained confidentiality.

You need to show that you can write legible and accurately, which is why you need to get someone to proofread your personal statement just in case too!

Evidence-based practice

How you keep up to date with the most recent guidelines, policies and practices.

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