nursing internship experience essay

📕 Studying HQ

What you hope to gain from your nursing internship: a guide for nursing students, carla johnson.

• October 17, 2023
• Nursing Essay Examples

Embarking on a nursing internship is an exciting and pivotal step in your journey toward becoming a healthcare professional. It’s a rare opportunity to bridge the gap between theory and practice, enhancing your knowledge and skills while gaining invaluable real-world experience. This article will delve into what you hope to gain from your nursing internship . Whether you’re a seasoned nursing student or just starting your academic journey, this insight will help you maximize your internship experience.

What You'll Learn

Clinical Proficiency

One of the primary objectives of a nursing internship is to develop clinical proficiency. This means gaining hands-on experience in performing various medical procedures and assessments. During your internship , you’ll have the chance to work closely with experienced nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals, learning how to administer medications , insert IVs, dress wounds, and monitor vital signs.

Your internship will expose you to various clinical scenarios, from basic patient care to complex medical interventions. The real-world context of these experiences will deepen your understanding of the nursing process and enhance your technical skills. By the end of your internship, you’ll be better equipped to provide high-quality patient care , which is crucial for your future nursing career.

Interpersonal Skills

Nursing is not just about medical procedures; it’s also about caring for patients with empathy and compassion. During your internship, you’ll learn the art of effective communication, an indispensable skill in healthcare. You’ll interact with patients, their families, and a diverse team of healthcare professionals, all of which will contribute to your growth as a compassionate nurse.

Moreover, your internship will allow you to develop crucial teamwork skills. You’ll collaborate with nurses, doctors, and other staff members in a fast-paced environment. This experience will teach you how to work efficiently as part of a healthcare team, which is vital for delivering comprehensive patient care.

Decision-Making and Critical Thinking

In the real world of nursing, decisions must often be made swiftly, and they can significantly impact patient outcomes. Your internship will present you with real clinical situations where you must apply critical thinking and make informed decisions. In these moments, your theoretical knowledge meets the practical aspects of nursing.

You’ll learn to prioritize tasks, assess patient conditions, and react appropriately to emergent situations. These skills are honed through direct experience; your internship is the perfect setting for such growth. The ability to think critically and make sound judgments is a hallmark of a competent nurse , and your internship is the training ground for this essential skill.

Exposure to Diverse Clinical Specialties

Nursing is a diverse field, with numerous specialties ranging from pediatric nursing to critical care, from obstetrics to psychiatric nursing . Your internship will likely expose you to a variety of clinical settings and specialties. This exposure is invaluable as it helps you discover where your true passion lies.

Internships often offer rotations through different departments or units, allowing you to experience the breadth of nursing. This hands-on exposure will help you make informed decisions about your future career path, ensuring that you choose a nursing specialty that aligns with your interests and strengths.

Networking and Professional Development

Your nursing internship is not just about the clinical experience; it’s also a chance to build your professional network. You’ll interact with nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals who can become mentors, references, or even future colleagues. Building strong relationships during your internship can open doors to job opportunities and enhance your overall professional growth.

Moreover, your internship might provide opportunities for continued education and skill development. Many healthcare institutions offer training programs and workshops to their interns, allowing you to acquire certifications or further your knowledge in specific areas. These added qualifications can significantly boost your resume and career prospects.

Patient Advocacy and Ethical Understanding

Nursing is not only about medical tasks; it’s also about advocating for the well-being and rights of patients. Your internship will expose you to ethical dilemmas and situations that require you to advocate for your patient’s best interests. This aspect of nursing is crucial for delivering patient-centered care.

Through these experiences, you’ll better understand medical ethics, patient rights, and the importance of informed consent. You’ll learn how to balance the need for medical intervention with a patient’s autonomy and preferences, ensuring that ethical considerations are always at the forefront of your practice.

Your nursing internship is a transformative experience that is key to your growth as a healthcare professional. It offers a unique opportunity to develop clinical proficiency, enhance your interpersonal skills, foster critical thinking, explore diverse specialties, and build a professional network. Furthermore, it makes you a patient advocate with a strong ethical foundation.

As you embark on this journey, remember that your internship is not just a requirement; it’s an investment in your future. The knowledge and skills you gain during this period will prepare you for a successful nursing career and contribute to your ability to provide exceptional patient care.

If you need assistance with academic writing, don’t hesitate to seek our services. Our team of experienced writers can provide expert guidance and support to help you excel in your nursing program. Let us be your partner on your academic journey, ensuring that you make the most of your internship and all your educational endeavors. Contact us today to explore how we can assist you in reaching your academic and professional goals.

Start by filling this short order form order.studyinghq.com

And then follow the progressive flow. 

Having an issue, chat with us here

Cathy, CS. 

New Concept ? Let a subject expert write your paper for You​

Share this:, have a subject expert write for you now, have a subject expert finish your paper for you, edit my paper for me, have an expert write your dissertation's chapter.

• Writing Service 
• Discounts / Offers 

Study Hub: 

• Studying Blog
• Topic Ideas 
• How to Guides
• Business Studying 
• Nursing Studying 
• Literature and English Studying

Writing Tools  

• Citation Generator
• Topic Generator
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Conclusion Maker
• Research Title Generator
• Thesis Statement Generator
• Summarizing Tool
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Confidentiality Policy
• Cookies Policy
• Refund and Revision Policy

Our samples and other types of content are meant for research and reference purposes only. We are strongly against plagiarism and academic dishonesty. 

Contact Us:

📧 [email protected]

📞 +15512677917

2012-2024 © studyinghq.com. All rights reserved

#1 Duquesne University Graduate School of Nursing is Ranked #1 for Veterans by Militaryfriendly.com

• MSN Programs Overview
• Admissions & Financial Aid
• MSN Curriculum
• MSN Careers
• Master of Science in Nursing Resources
• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
• Executive Nurse Leadership and Health Care Management
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Forensic Nursing
• Nursing Education and Faculty Role
• Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
• Clinical Leadership
• Admissions & Aid
• About Duquesne
• Why Duquesne Online?

The Importance of Clinical Experience

April 7, 2020

View all blog posts under Articles | View all blog posts under Family Nurse Practitioner | View all blog posts under Master of Science in Nursing

For nearly all professionals outside of healthcare, internships are a rite of passage along the way toward a higher education degree or post-graduation employment. For nurses, however, the traditional “internship” has a different spin: clinical experience. For all intents and purposes, clinical experience is to nurses what an internship is to business students, and clinical experiences for nurses provide important insight and practice that may improve patient care in the future.

Clinical Experience is a Requirement for Higher Education

While an internship for a non-healthcare position is highly recommended, clinical experience for nurses is compulsory. Accredited nursing programs across the U.S. include clinical experience as a requirement for graduation, both at the bachelor’s and master’s levels.

According to a white paper published by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), hands-on job experience prepares nursing students for a diverse patient-care environment in a variety of settings. This is due to the broad field of nursing as a whole – there are many specialties, care settings, positions, and more – and no two days are alike. Clinical experience before entering the professional world in full provides a vast wealth of knowledge to nursing students.

A separate paper from the AACN highlighted a number of the goals of clinical experience for master’s nursing students. At this level, students are expected to:

• Partake in quality care initiatives
• Participate in or lead inter-professional care teams
• Collaborate in care services across multiple healthcare departments
• Implement learned knowledge and behaviors into real-world scenarios

In supervised learning environments, nursing students can practice their skills and  hone key traits with real patients but under the watchful eye of tenured professionals. This safety net helps them develop a mastery of their skills faster than would be possible on their own, without sacrificing quality patient outcomes.

Broad Benefits of Clinical Learning for Nurses and Employers

Furthermore, one study, published in BioMed Central Nursing that surveyed more than 450 nursing students found that there was significant support offered for clinical learning in an education environment.

The study authors report that the surveyed nursing students were “highly satisfied” with the clinical learning environment. The factors that impacted satisfaction were the types of management and leadership and the presence of mentors. The more mentorship that was offered to students, the higher the overall student satisfaction of the clinical learning experience was.

A related benefit of clinical experience for nurses is a professional network. Hands-on learning will introduce students to supervisors, professors, and coworkers who may provide assistance during the job search. For example, students may work directly with an  experienced nurse leader  during their clinical experience, and that leader could become a mentor and provide a written recommendation or introduce the student to a job opening.

For nursing students, this effort is even more crucial as health organizations search for candidates to deliver quality patient care. Employers want to ensure that new hires can operate without the need for constant supervision, and clinical experience is a great way to learn how to be more independent on the job, while still having supervision from a preceptor to ensure that all the proper steps are taken for quality patient care.

Students with ‘Internships’ Have Higher Satisfaction in their Positions

Clinical experience can facilitate the transition between student and professional, working nurse. Students will get to experience what it’s actually like on the job and see if it aligns with their interests before committing to a specific nursing focus or clinical setting.

A number of health care institutions are offering programs to make up for regional and national nurse shortages while enabling a smooth transition into the clinical practice. Seton Healthcare Family in Texas, for example, established a residency program in 2007 to help recruit nurse practitioners and retain them more effectively.

The residency program included:

• An 18-week program
• Supervised clinical experience
• A mentorship program
• Student evaluation and assessment

This effort reduced the turnover rate of new hires in the facility and helped students adapt to the environment. Experience such as this may help nurses better understand what is expected of them in their jobs and attain higher satisfaction in their career outcomes.

Nursing Students Will Learn How to Work Effectively

When entering a new job, there’s a sense of excitement and surprise at every turn. Challenges will emerge unexpectedly, and it’s up to professionals to overcome them and use what they learned to shape themselves as nurses. Clinical experience help nursing students become accustomed to high-stress moments. This experience will enable them to hone their preparation skills and reflexes to ensure that they’re ready for anything.

Although no day as a nurse is the same, nurses often develop a routine. Responsibilities might revolve around repeat actions, such as making rounds to visit patients and administering necessary care. Clinical learning is important to train nurses how to handle both the routine and high-stress elements of the job without negatively impacting patient outcomes.

Bedside Manner can Significantly Improve

A big part of a nurse’s role is to talk with and care for patients. As an “intern” in a clinical learning setting, students should try to know the patient as best they can, Medical School HQ suggested. This will help them give relevant information during daily and weekly conferences and consult on the plans for care.

A study conducted by Vanguard Communications found that most patients had no problems with the level of health care received. Instead, common complaints centered on communication, wait time, and bedside manner. Of the study group of patients most satisfied with their medical experience, 40 percent listed bedside manner as their biggest complaint, ahead of all other options.

Nurses are essential for understanding the patient’s condition, planned procedures and why these strategies are being pursued. Without this information, medical errors can occur. The patient should always come first, and interactions as part of clinical experience will serve as important learning opportunities.

About Duquesne’s Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program

The Duquesne University School of Nursing is top ranked in U.S. News and World Report’s 2017 Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs. The MSN program offers three areas of specialization: Forensic Nursing , Family Nurse Practitioner , and Nursing Education and Faculty Role .

Nurse.com, “How to apply for nursing internships and why it’s so important” Medical School Headquarters, “Ten Tips for Successfully Starting your Intern Year” American Association of Colleges of Nursing, “Resources” BioMedical, “Nursing students’ satisfaction of the clinical learning environment: a research study” Advisory Board, “Patients’ top complaint? It isn’t doctors or nurses, study finds”

• Visit Nurse.com on Facebook
• Visit Nurse.com on YouTube
• Visit Nurse.com on Instagram
• Visit Nurse.com on LinkedIn

Nurse.com by Relias . © Relias LLC 2024. All Rights Reserved.

Nursing Reflective Essay: Examples + Useful Writing Tips [2024]

Do you need to write a reflective nursing essay? Whether you are a nursing student or already working, we know that you may be too busy writing papers. We’ve prepared information for you about reflection models and nursing reflective essay examples, writing instructions, and templates for the outline. This article will teach everything you need to make writing your essay easier.

So, how do you write an academic reflective essay?

What Is a Reflective Essay?

15 best reflective essay topics: nursing, nursing reflective essay examples, reflective tools and models, reflective essay writing tips, reflective essay body paragraphs, how to conclude a reflective essay.

In a reflective essay, you express your thoughts based on your knowledge, beliefs, reflections, and experiences. A reflective essay is best described as an exceptional and personal essay: you will have a lot to think about, comprehend, and explain. You have to demonstrate the feelings that you have experienced before. It should be honest. If you have any opposing thoughts and feelings about the topic, you should write them.

The peculiarity of a reflective essay, unlike an analytical one, is in the expression of thoughts based on personal experience.

How long does a reflective essay last? It’s simple. It depends on your topic and how you express your thoughts. But you have to remember that this is a highly brief type of essay, and you can do it with a few pages.

You can check out the 100% free essay samples to see it all.

What Is a Reflection in Nursing Essay?

Nursing involves many aspects of work, and reflection is one of the critical tools for developing professional competence and personal skills. In nursing, reflection is important because it provides all the prerequisites for further personal growth. It is a reflection that will allow you to take a broader look at your strengths and weaknesses and assess your prospects.

Think of your nursing reflective essay as a chance to reflect on your career, skills, and personality, which will lead to further improvement.

• Empathy and support in nursing.
• Communication with patients is one of a nurse’s most important tasks.
• Nursing is the art of caring for the patient during illness.
• The key is not to cause harm but to help afterward.
• Time management in nursing.
• The Patient’s Interests Come First.
• Why did I become a nurse?
• Doctor- patient confidentiality in nursing.
• The importance of enhancing soft skills for the nurse.
• Nursing knowledge should not be limited to narrowly professional information.
• Reflective essay on the internship .
• Nursing culture and ethics .
• Deontology of nursing and its synthesis with my personal experience.
• Nursing clinical reflection essay.
• Nursing issues for the elderly.

To better understand what reflexivity is, let’s look at examples based on these articles:

Scientists from different fields of science invented many models to simplify the process of reflection. Below are reflection models you can use in your essay nursing writing practice.

Gibbs’ Reflective Model

In 1998, Graham Gibbs introduced his reflexive model to the world. Gibbs’ model is a cycle and, therefore, excellent for analyzing repetitive experience.

It covers 6 stages:

• Description. What happened? Don’t judge or try to conclude yet; just describe.
• Feelings. What were your reactions and emotions? Again, don’t begin to analyze them yet.
• Evaluation. What was good or bad about the experience? Make value judgments.
• Analysis. Were different people’s experiences similar or different in importance?
• Conclusions. What conclusions can you draw in a general sense from this experience and your analysis? What conclusions can you draw about your particular, unique personal situation or way of working?
• Personal action plans. What steps are you going to take based on what you have learned? What are you going to do differently in this situation next time?

Dewey’s Reflective Thinking Model

John Dewey believed that reflective thinking is the active, persistent, and careful evaluation of a belief or assumed form of knowledge, the grounds for that knowledge, and the additional conclusions to which knowledge leads.

John Dewey’s Reflective Model was one of the first and has been the foundation for many other models. He identified five steps of reflective thinking:

• Step 1: Identify the problem.
• Step 2: Investigate the issue.
• Step 3: Generate several possible solutions.
• Step 4: Evaluate the options and select the best answer from the combination of solutions.
• Step 5: Test and implement the solution.

Kolb Reflective Model

The Kolb Reflective Model or “Kolb cycle” focuses on transforming information into knowledge. The basic four steps of the Kolb model are as follows:

• Concrete experience. Anyone should already have experience in the field or area they want to learn.
• Observation and reflection . This stage implies analyzing the person’s experience and knowledge .
• Forming abstract concepts . A model describing the information and expertise is built at this stage . Ideas are generated, interrelations are made, and new information is added concerning how everything works and is arranged.
• Testing in new situations . The last stage implies experimentation and testing the model’s applicability and concept . The result of this stage is a direct unique experience. Then the circle closes.

Schön Reflective Model

Donald Schön’s reflexive model was described in the book ‘ The Reflexive Practitioner .’ He explained how professionals solve problems with a kind of improvisation that is perfected through practice.

Schön’s reflective model , like his writings, is based in many ways on the Dewey we already know

• Action reflection involves reflecting on an experience you have already had or an action you have already taken. It involves considering what could have been done differently and the positive aspects of that interaction.
• Reflection in action involves reflecting on your efforts as you make them and considering issues such as best practices throughout the process.

Bouds Reflective Model

David Bouds paired with Schön to explore the limits of reflective practice. This model is based on learning by doing. By analyzing his own experience, the practitioner begins to understand better how to improve certain things.

Bouds suggests that by reflecting, a person may be unconsciously learning. In reassessing the events of his life, he systematizes and classifies emotions, ideas, and results, as well as results, and compares past goals with results.

Past experiences, experiences, and ideas require constant analysis attention to feelings. This leads to new perspectives, commitment to action overall positive changes in behavior.

Driscoll Reflective Model

John Driskoll proposed a simple model of reflection at the beginning of the 21st century. It involves reflection through extended answers to questions we are already familiar with. The scholar linked the three basic questions to the stages of the experiential learning cycle and then added trigger questions that must be answered to complete the process of reflection.

Step 1: What? Sets out to recall what happened as objectively as possible, without criticizing anything that happened

• What exactly happened?
• What exactly did you do?
• Was anyone else involved?
• Was it a good experience? Or a bad experience? Or both? And why?

Step 2: So what? It requires you to slow down and start looking for patterns or meaningful moments. The key here is to bring in concepts that help shed light on what is going on.

• How did you feel at that particular moment?
• How did you react?
• Why did you react that way?
• Did you feel the same way about the situation then as you do now?
• Did you experience conflict with your values?
• Do you think past cases influenced your experiences in this situation?
• Who else was involved in the situation? How did they feel? And how did they react? And why did they react that way?

Step 3: Now what? Encourages beginning to transfer new knowledge into future situations and other contexts.

• What did you learn from reflecting on this situation/experience/incident?
• Could you have prevented the negative consequences?
• And how might you have done so?
• What would you have done differently if a similar situation arose in the future?
• What could you have done to better prepare for it?
• Where did things go wrong last time, and what would you focus on now?

5R Framework

The 5R Framework was developed in 2002 by a group of scientists as a universal system of reflection, later modified.

It focuses on five basic steps, each addressing one aspect of reflection. Thinking through the five stages, an individual will engage all of the major reflection components, allowing you to create a critically meaningful review based on your experience.

• Report. What do you see and hear? Write it all down.
• React. What do you think is happening? What works well and what doesn’t? How do you feel about the situation you are reflecting on? What is it about this situation that makes you feel this way?
• Relate. How do my perceptions of this situation relate to my personal and professional experiences? How do they relate to my knowledge and skills? Through what “lens” do you view this situation? From the perspective of classroom management or collaborative learning? Do you need professional development in terms of content knowledge?
• Reason. Do you relate your point of view to someone else’s and how it affects the situation? Does sound practice support your strategies, or do you use different approaches? How does your point of view affect how you understand the problem? Could another point of view be helpful?
• Reconstruct. What did you learn from this observation, and how will it affect your practice?

CARL framework

The CARL framework of reflection involves going through four stages: context, action, results, and learning. The vastness of this model gives a lot of information, and even at the first stage, you can already get a lot of valuable data. But this is also its main disadvantage because it makes the model more complex.

The framework has four steps:

• Context : Description of the context of the experience.
• Action : Explanation of the action taken.
• Results : Explanation of what your actions led to.
• Learning : Identification of the experience and knowledge gained.

Now that we’ve covered the basic concepts let’s write a reflective nursing essay.

Reflective Essay Outline

How to make a reflective essay? First, write an outline.

Any reflective essay is a statement of thoughts about something, and the outline acts as a sketch in which you write them down. Creating it is the first step to creating high quality and vivid essay.

What would make a good outline structure for a reflection essay? Structure all your knowledge. Write what you want to see in the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Here is the reflective essay outline template:

• Hook: Use a catchy statement to set the tone and introduce the article.
• Mention the main points.
• Thesis statement: Include all the important points and ideas in one statement.
• Topic sentence: Carefully explain the first idea in one sentence.
• Proof of topic or idea: Use authoritative sources to support the idea.
• Idea analysis: Apply logic and rational thought to the idea and information from the source.
• Topic sentence: Carefully explain the second idea in one sentence.
• Topic sentence: Carefully explain the third idea in one sentence.
• Repeat the statement of the thesis.
• Review the main ideas
• Final, concluding sentence

Reflective Essay Thesis

A thesis statement is a condensed version of the paper in which you must briefly explain your position. The point is for your audience to read it and understand your work.

To make a good thesis statement for a reflective essay, you need to formulate your thought on paper. To begin with, think well about the problem, and develop your attitude toward it. That’s why the thesis statement should be created after writing the outline. It is unnecessary to give everything out in advance to the reader because later, you will unfold this thought more broadly.

After successfully developing the thesis statement, you can proceed to the actual writing.

And so, below, you can see examples of the reflective essay introduction and conclusion. Learn what its body of it is.

How to Start a Reflective Essay? Examples

You need to start any paper in the right way. How to write a reflective essay introduction? Check these examples:

• Practice and theory do not always agree. Not all of the medical reference books that I have been able to study are fully applicable in practice. John Kimble’s case is a testament that it is often necessary to rely on them and consider the specific situation. He complained of dizziness, and the doctors advised him to get a blood iron test. The test showed that there was nothing wrong. But as it turned out later, this was an erroneous result because Kimble had eaten redfish rich in iron the day before, which temporarily raised the iron in his blood.
• I had always dreamed of becoming a nurse, but my fear of blood robbed me of all desire to study. But still, my passion and ambition made me pull my will into a fist. I had to change and forget what fear of blood was. I lived my dream, which helped me overcome one of my fears.
• A few years ago, I went through a severe emotional crisis. I had always dreamed of going to the University of California, as it is one of the most prestigious medical universities in the United States. But unfortunately, I failed my entrance exams, so I had to study at the university in my hometown. My failure seemed like a disaster, but now I realize it was a real blessing.

The essay’s body carries arguments, explanations of the topic, and the main body of information.

Each paragraph should begin with short introductory sentences, and the body of the sections should be divided into several parts. This will help you better structure what you have written and help the reader navigate through the text.

It is worth remembering about argumentation. There should be several things that you rely on in your position. Describe each of them in detail in a separate paragraph. Observe the semantic sequence. A mistake, in this case, will be to repeat twice the same argument in different words. It will give the reader the impression that there is nothing to say.

You should also remember about transitions in a reflective essay. Move smoothly from one aspect to another and take your time.

How to end a reflective essay? In conclusion, you should focus on pulling together all of the material, summarizing all of the points made and what you have learned. Try to include a few moments about why and how your attitudes and behaviors changed. Here are some examples:

• Was the practice of volunteer nursing helpful to me? Absolutely! I was grateful for these weeks because I learned a lot. But most of all, I have learned my Soft skills, which will help me get used to my professional activities.
• At that moment, I thought about who would be the priority in that situation, and I still believe it was the patient. If the same problem were to arise again, I think I would do nothing but speak up and justify my decisions. I recognize and know that time management and prioritization are essential skills in nursing, and I hope that my skills will improve with practice.
• I reflected on how personal values can affect professional practice from the incident. Still, it is crucial to consider that the organization has its own set of values to follow, regardless of personal values. Finally, in reflecting on the incident, I was able to discuss the importance of quality assurance monitoring and health care evaluation both in general and during the incident, which allowed me to consider what conclusions were drawn from the incident and how to prevent similar situations occurring again.

So, now you have examples and an idea for writing a reflective nursing essay. Writing your paper will become many times easier and faster.

If this article was helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues!

❓ What Is the Purpose of Writing a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay aims to express one’s thoughts about a previous experience, including how one changed in the process and what one learned. It is often described in a diary entry; they are intended to demonstrate how the author’s thoughts have changed over time.

❓ What Makes a Good Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay is a combination of both objective and subjective elements. We mix scholarly analysis with personal experiences. This type of paper should explain to readers how our experience influences our behavior and what lessons we learned.

❓ What Are the 3 Basic Parts of Reflection Paper?

An essay should have a clear structure and must contain three parts. It should have a clear introduction reflecting the problem, then the central part with an analysis of the causes, and the conclusion with possible solutions to the problem or how it affected the author.

❓ What Is the Best Reflective Model to Use in Nursing?

One of the best options for nurses is the Gibbs model. The model is accessible and extremely simple. Therefore it can be operated without any problems in any situation.

• Reflection toolkit: The University of Edinburgh
• Essay Conclusions: University of Maryland
• Thesis Statements: UNC Writing Center
• A short guide to reflective writing: University of Birmingham
• Outlining: Harvard College Writing Center
• Reflective Practice in Nursing: ZU
• Critical self-reflection for nurse education: NCBI
• Essay Structure: Harvard College Writing Center
• Essay Structure: UAGC Writing Center
• General tips for academic reflections: The University Of Edinburgh
• Reflective essays – ANU
• Writing An Essay Title – Illinois Valley Community College
• Nursing Essay Help: Medical Essay Writing Service in UK
• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter X
• Share to LinkedIn

You might also like

30 google search tips & tricks for students, learning to write shorthand: the complete guide for students, infographics for students: the complete guide.

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• J Multidiscip Healthc

Challenges of Clinical Nursing Training Through Internship Approach: A Qualitative Study

Sharare ahmadi.

1 Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

Alireza Abdi

2 Nursing and Midwifery School, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

Mohammad Nazarianpirdosti

Fatemeh rajati.

3 Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

Mahmoud Rahmati

Arsalan abdi.

Nursing education programs are designed to decrease the gap between theory and practice. It is believed that internship programs can decrease this gap. An internship program has newly been implemented in Kermanshah Nursing School. However, the efficiency of this program has not been assessed. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the challenges related to the internship education of nursing students.

The study was conducted as qualitative research. The participants were eight nursing students who had at least one semester of experience in internship. They were selected through purposive sampling. Data gathering was done through semi-structured interviews, which were recorded and analyzed through a three-stage content analysis approach. For data management, MAXQDA-10 was used.

Out of the eight participants, three were male, and all were in the final year of their education. In total, 423 primary codes emerged after analyses, which were placed in seven categories, including: education before internship, lack of support, planning difficulties, interaction with staff, invisible evaluation, welfare defects, and professional identity.

The study revealed the challenges of the internship program for nursing students in Iran. Some of the problems were related to educational background, others were associated with the shortcomings of the cultural aspects of the context. Therefore, it is recommended to optimize the clinical training of nursing students in the internship program by addressing these challenges.

Nursing is a profession that provides fundamental care to patients, and nurses have to deal with sophisticated and specialized conditions. In order to provide optimal care, nurses need sound theoretical knowledge and perfect practical skills. Research in different countries and ongoing evidence demonstrate a theory–practice gap in nursing. 1 In fact, nursing education should encompass three areas of learning: cognitive, emotional, and psychomotor. 2 Newly graduated nurses are not ready and confident to enter advanced stages of clinical competence or to enter into the clinical field. According to a systematic review in 2015, the main reason for this problem is the allocation of insufficient time for clinical practice. So, the gap between theoretical issues and clinical practice among nurses remains wide open. 3

There are a few programs designed to create a bridge between theory and clinical practice in nursing education. Various approaches have been proposed to address this gap; some researchers have emphasized that simulators are a flexible approach. 4 Dadgaran et al argued that theoretical content is a higher priority than clinical practice, and proposed using case reporting and ongoing review in instructional curricula. 5 Moreover, Jackson et al (2016) showed that the best way to reduce the gap between theory and practice is to create more opportunities for observation and learning in the clinical setting and engage students in interpersonal communications. 6 Having a close connection with clinical settings develops clinical reasoning, critical appraisal, and problem-solving abilities. 7

The internship in clinical education is one of the important approaches to reduce the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge. 8 This strategy is implemented in the final year of education. This practice was first used during the late 19th century in the United States to prepare medical students for post-graduation clinical practice and create maturity in medical students. 9 Internship is a process in which students gain practical experience under the supervision of a faculty member accompanied by experienced nurses, head nurses, and hospital supervisors. 10

It is thought that internship programs have some benefits for students (by engaging in real clinical situations), workplaces, and the staff (assigning some clinical tasks to students). It also initiates creativity and adaptability, greater opportunity to learn skills, increases analytical power, and eventually yields job experience. 11 Furthermore, internship programs for nursing students improve the readiness for accepting roles and enhance individual and professional abilities, 12 , 13 self-development, and work commitment. 14 , 15 Conversely, some studies have noted that internship has little effect on beliefs about health problems such as mental health, 16 and it may lead to health issues such as violence and anxiety. 17

The internship program planned for nursing students, in connection with several Iranian universities, was commenced in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences as a pilot plan (less than two years). At the initial stage, the students spend three days at an orientation workshop and received a booklet guide, then they are introduced to the education center of the hospital. The students are then referred to designated wards and work under the supervision of an expert nurse, head nurse, and supervisor (a faculty member of the school), who also does the final assessment. It is notable that the hospital also pays a monthly salary to the students. Given the lack of studies on the efficiency and challenges of the program, the present study aimed to explore the challenges related to the internship education of nursing students.

Study Approach

This study was conducted as a qualitative content-analysis work in 2018. Qualitative studies originate from the naturalistic paradigm in which knowledge emerges from researcher–participant interactions. 18 In content analysis, as one of the approaches of qualitative research, the researcher reaches a deep understanding of the concepts relevant to the topic of interest and the codes and sentences are systematically subdivided into categories. Through this, the phenomenon is easily understandable through constructing a conceptual model or map. 19 Content analysis is applied in both inductive and deductive methods. In the former, there is little information about the phenomenon, while the latter is undertaken on the previous theories or models. 19 Inductive content analysis was adopted because there is a lack of evidence about students’ experience of the clinical education approach through internship. Content analysis involves three stages of analysis: preparation, organizing, and reporting. 19 , 20

Research Population

The research population included all nursing students in the internship program. The inclusion criteria were passing at least one semester of internship and desire to cooperate in the study. The participants were selected purposefully and the sample size was determined based on data saturation. Saturation means having sufficient data (not complete). 21 Data saturation has to be confirmed by at least two researchers. The researchers must be convinced that no new codes (information) can be found. 22 In this study, the saturation was met after seven interviews; however, to be on the safe side, one more interview was performed.

Data Collection

For data collection, permission was secured from the Research and Technology Vice-Chancellor of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS). Afterwards the researcher referred to the educational hospitals affiliated with KUMS and briefed the participants about the objectives of the study and assured them about the anonymity and confidentiality of their personal information. The participants signed a written informed consent. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants using open questions such as: What are your opinions about internship? What are the pros and cons of this program? Explain your experiences with clinical working in internship. In addition, probing questions (e.g. why? How? Explain more, and give an example) were used for more clarification.

Data Analysis

The interviews lasted about 30 to 90 minutes and were recorded by a cell phone and transcribed verbatim. The semantic units were determined during the preparation phase. For this purpose, the written files were read several times and the sentences and matched codes were determined. In the organizing stage, the extracted codes from the previous stage were consistently compared and categories emerged. After naming the categories, the concept map was determined.

Trustworthiness

The rigor of data was ensured via considering the Guba and Lincoln’s criteria. For credibility, some measures such as long-term engagement and continuous observation by the researcher, use of duplicate questions to assure sample responses, and review of codes and categories by research colleagues (peer debriefing) and participants (member check) were implemented. Dependability of the data was addressed by giving a detailed account of how data were collected, specific measures implemented during the research process, taking notes, data analyses, and determining categories. Through this, external auditors can examine the process. Additionally, to facilitate external audit, the research process was explained thoroughly to ensure confirmability. Eventually, the results were provided to three nursing students in another context, who did not participate in the study, for check transferability. Their experiences were compared with our results and consistency was confirmed. 23 The data were managed in Maxqda-10 software.

Out of the eight participants, three were male and five were female. They all were undergraduate nursing students ( Table 1 ). A total of 423 initial codes were extracted from the analysis, and seven categories emerged that depicted the challenges of the internship program. The seven categories are “education before internship,” “lack of support,” “planning difficulties,” “interaction with staff,” “invisible evaluation,” “welfare defects,” and “professional identity” ( Table 2 , Figure 1 ).

The Characteristics of the Nursing Students with Internship Program

Categories and Examples of Quotations

Conceptual model of the challenges of the internship program.

Education Before Internship

The students declared that most of the educational content was expressed theoretically within the pre-internship semesters. They regarded this as a serious challenge to entering the internship. The participants merely reviewed the scientific materials with no chance to employ them directly in practice. The education courses were completed by only observing the clinical procedures rather than practicing them. In this regard, one participant commented on the pre-internship period:

I was not satisfied with the previous six semesters [...] we had only seen suction [as one of the nursing procedures] in the textbooks and it was for the first time in the internship that we used the suction device. These fields are very flawed [...] about CPR, which is very important, we only had it in the sixth semester in the ICU (critical care credit) [...] All we had was theory. Just imagine that the students had problems implemented CPR when a patient was coding [needed CPR]. [P7].

The students considered the internship plan as a way to cover the weaknesses of the previous educational terms. In this regard, a student said:

The plan is good for me. I was a top student in theoretical course; however, I have stress of practical work because the teachers didn’t allow to do practical work. We have had a little training time, 8 to 12 [am] and most of it was dedicated to teaching the theory. [P2]

Before entering the internship, the students should pass the final exam. This is considered as a way to make the student review the theoretical contents of the previous semesters. In this regard, one of the participants stated: “This final (exam) helped us a lot in the internship. If they (teachers) took it at the end of the eighth semester, it would not be useful for us anymore. But because it was at the end of the sixth semester, we reviewed the basics once more.” (P1). Another student mentioned that:

The final was very good; for example, the exercises we did for intubation helped us a lot. I didn’t really remember anything about bandage, but when we practiced for the final, I remembered everything. [P3]

Lack of Support

Students complained about the lack of a support system for resolving conflicts with staff, handling complaints, and insurance for nursing errors. They were often confused about how to express their problems, and worried about possible errors that might be happened. They also had concerns about insurance and supportive institution. Participant 1 remarked:

The nurse is afraid to leave the patient to the student independently to manage. Because if there is a problem for the patient, it is the nurse that is responsible, not me as a student. I have no money to pay as diyat [blood money]. There is a need for some kind of insurance for us. [P1]

In this regard, another student added “If something goes wrong in the ward, they all would blame the students, so I was very anxious and obsessed with this issue” (P8). Some students complained about the inappropriate behaviors of nurses and caregivers, noting that they were unable to resolve their conflicts reasonably with them. Therefore, they had to work in any circumstances. One of the participants said:

By the way, I told the students that if we had to say anything or protest now, they [the supervisors] would give us a reason. For example we asked [the supervisor] for help, and they replied that the head nurse has his own morals and tastes that he treats you this way, and we cannot change her, we say something, and we have to say nothing …. There was an observer in each hospital from the faculty, but students did not see them as a good support. Some of the observers were always absent and did not have any idea of the students’ problem. [P5]

Planning Difficulties

There were criticisms about the planning, the number of students and staff, the length of work shifts, and training programs in the internship. Some students believed that the number of work shifts was too high so that they had neither time to review the content nor the opportunity to update the information for the postgraduate exam. In this regard, the sixth participant stated:

One of the disadvantages of the internship was that it took all our time to study for a master’s degree because the work shifts did not allow us to spend time studying. Let’s read (the shift schedule), but if the time was the same as before, for example, we were in the mornings until twelve [o’clock] and in the evenings until four or five (it was better), and this makes us not have a master’s degree or very little in our next courses. [P6]

Some participants noted that there was a need for a brief meeting for the staff, because they were unfamiliar with this program. The second participant stated that:

When we went in the morning shift, we took the statistics of all the dressings, we checked all the angio-catheters, we both checked the trolley [CPR trolley), and it took up to half past ten [o’clock] to do this. Because the time of administering medicine was 11:30, there was no work in the ward until then and we left to rest, head nurse and nurses shouted that why you entered the staff’s rest room, the students have no right to rest! …, but we did all the works of ward. [P2]

The students suggested that the focus of the program should be on learning all the tasks of the department, not only doing simple and routine works. For example, working with the hospital information system (HIS) and reporting and delivering the patients were the tasks that nurses barely allowed the students to do.

Interaction to Staff

There were some positive and negative comments on the interaction with staff; the positive comments about the fact that the nurses did not treat internship students like other students in the lower semesters and looked at them as colleagues and treated them with respect. On the other hand, some of the students figured that the nurses would treat them like students and even worse, so they were unable to interact well with the staff. Participant No. 1 had a positive comment:

In previous clinical trainings, they [teachers] said [the students should be at work] from Saturdays to Wednesdays, so-and-so [which] hospital or wards should come to your work, but [in the internship] it was very good to be allowed to sit in the internship with our supervisor and arrange shifts. I was busy afternoon or I couldn’t go on Wednesday morning, I could easily modify my shifts, so it was very good. [P1]

The second student also indicated the staff’s positive interaction with them:

The difference [with previous trainings] is that in internships the student interacts better with the staff. For example, some of them said go for a break in the evenings. [P2] In relation to the negative experiences of students in dealing with the personnel, P4 mentioned:

They do not let us a moment to sit down, if we did, they would overwhelm us with a lot of work … Some nurses and the staff have friendly attitudes, but some do not … Supervisors did not cooperate with us in picking the work shifts, and if we had a problem with a shift, they would not agree to change it, even when there was a good reason. [P4]

Invisible Evaluation

The evaluation system was based on the cumulative opinions of the faculty, hospital supervisors and head nurses’ assessments. The students declared that the supervisors and head nurses did not have full control over students’ work. The fact that the evaluation score was given by a supervisor and head nurse could be used as a tool for abusing students and assigning repetitive tasks. The students requested another assessment system to include the remarkable contribution of nursing staff. The fourth student in connection with this defect stated that:

I didn’t have any problems with the internship, … and I went back and forth in time, and the nurses and patients were happy with me, so that one of the patients wrote my name to give to the nurse. He was happy with the way I treated him and provided him the care. But the head nurse gave me low grade and I asked her about how she gave me that score. She said, I would ask the nurses; but the nurses were all happy with me. I think she did this only because she did not like me. On the other hand, a student who had a very bad record either in theory and practice received 20 out of 20 [highest score]. [P4]

Another participant said:

Another drawback that I think is very important is that now the average score in the undergraduate program has an impact on admittance to an MSc program, and our score has now fallen into the hands of those who have no knowledge of our theoretical and clinical capabilities. They don’t know at all who and how cares about the patient, and I, who am circle around the patient [do appropriate care for patient], and fully support the patient, my score of 16 is noted, because I had a challenge over something with the nurse. If [possible] the score has to be divided more correctly and it’s in the hands of someone who really knows us. [P5]

Welfare Defects

There were no dedicated facilities for students, such as a space for sleep, a locker room, and even extra chairs in the nursing station for students. Therefore, some of the students had to change their clothes in the dorm (it was near the hospital) and wear nursing dress outside of the hospital. They also had no safe place to leave their handbags or precious items. However, providing food was considered as an advantage. The first participant said:

They didn’t give us a locker to put things on it, there was no safe place to leave our precious stuff nor a place to sit in the nurse station. [P1] Student No. 2 expressed: It was good thing that they gave us food … Thank God, we didn’t have to night shifts, and we had the same nurses’ pavilion when we were alone[the morning and evening shifts]. However, but sometimes they would say don’t change your clothes here. It is not for yours. [P2]

Professional Identity

While the students worked as nurses during the internship, they only received student benefits. Therefore, there was a kind of identity ambiguity; whether they were staff or students. Most of the students were treated as students and did the nurses’ duties. This was a cause of dissatisfaction and obscured their identity. Participant No. 5 said:

The difference is that we came out of the teachers’ domination and became independent and work like a nurse. If we are a nurse, they should treat us like one, and if we are a student, they should treat us like a student!! [P5]

One of the students uttered:

When we protested that it was not our duty to take 40 vital signs, the nurse or head nurse told us not to protest, you are a student and you have to do your job, and we did it. I did know if we were a colleague or a student after all?! [P7]

However, some students compared their condition with previous semesters, and argued that their performance was more acceptable to patients and nurses. Furthermore, they covered the shifts like other nurses with the same schedule. They described these things as advantages. In this regard, one of the students stated that:

I was in neurosurgery ward, working with another nurse. I would go and sit in his room, I would talk to him, when I had a problem, they would easily change my shifts, and his attitude was great, and the staff never belittled the students. The head nurse told the staff not to let the student do such things easily … The attitude of the staff was better and even the attitude of the coaches was different. “The coaches handed their students [other students in lower semesters] over to us and said, “You’re with Mr. So-and-so who are interns”. [P8]

In this study, the challenges related to the internship education of nursing students were examined. This program was held for the first time at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences and neither the officials of hospitals nor the staff were fully familiar with its requirements and challenges. The primary challenge was linked to the students’ academic background. They expressed that during the pre-internship study, they were not taught in a practical way and most of the attention was on the theoretical content. It is well documented that the most important issue in nursing education was a delay in the learning process due to the gap between theory and practice. 24 This causes difficulties for students to employ the information in the clinical arena. This gap or separation has created concerns for nursing students and teachers, 25 – 27 which were frequently demonstrated in other similar studies. 25 , 26 , 28 – 30 It is better if the materials are taught in a theoretical and practical way simultaneously. Teachers mostly concentrate on the theoretical part because there are a large number of students in each class (about 70 students). Consequently, the teacher has to assign a short time to a practical procedure for each student. Therefore, the students are deprived of practical lessons, which leads to more difficulties during the internship period.

Another challenge of the internship program was associated with the student support system. While the patient’s health is the major concern for students during the internship, an incomplete education or lack of organization between education and treatment could disturb the viewpoint of patients and society about nurses. 31 In a study by Hassanpour et al on the process of formation of critical thinking in nursing education, insecurity and lack of support were the main threats to critical thinking. 32 In addition, some studies argued that a one-year internship is short to develop self-management in nursing students. 33 However, according to Walsh et al, a supportive supervision relationship was the main element in nursing learning. 34 Owing to a paucity of support in the internship program, it seems that nursing students could not apply all their abilities. They were hampered when setting self-management support into practice through the internship. 33

The students complained about the problems with planning and described it as a challenge. It is believed that the paradigm of nursing courses in Iran, unintentionally directs students to become a physician or physician assistant and not a nurse. 31 In addition, clients are not considered as a whole within the nursing education program; the focus is on disease care instead of patient care. 35 Another study reported about the high volume of non-practical content, predominantly medical, as a weakness of the nursing plan in Iran. 36 Yazdannik et al also stated that students in the nursing education program were led to be “little doctors” instead of nurses. 37 Apparently, all these reasons make nursing students suppose that their work is a routine task; therefore, the internship program in their view appears tedious, long, and of no educational value. There is a need to change the philosophical foundations of the nursing discipline in Iran, and also modify the expectations that systems have from nurses.

The findings signified that the students had interaction challenges with staff. This indicates that asuitable and interactive environment is essential for an optimized education. 38 Furthermore, the clinical education of nursing students is indirectly affected by unsolved conflicts and oppositions between students and other health-care workers. 27 , 39 , 40 Other researchers have concluded that employees’ conflicts and misbehaviors with students interrupt the process of clinical training. 27 , 39 Moreover, as argued by Hanifi et al, the proper communication with students increases their motivation. 41 Mohebbi Noubandegani et al disclosed the existence of discrimination between nursing students and other students in various fields (mostly medical) 42 that may reduce learning desire. Whereas the literature affirms that students’ experiences during the internship could increase their communication skills with other members of the professional team. 8 Although nursing students in the internship education may have no satisfactory organizational position, 43 this issue can be solved along with continuing the program, and the system will benefit from the students’ work because of nurse staff shortage.

The students were dissatisfied with the evaluation process in the internship and complained about unfair grades given to students. This may demand crucial attentions to create more objective assessment tools. Alavi and Abedi emphasized that the lecturers should have the main role of evaluation of nursing students in clinical contexts. 44 However, in this program, this role is delegated to head nurses and supervisors. Another study remarked on the need for an effective, transparent, and objective instrument for evaluation of clinical training. 26 Conversely, some researchers believed that evaluation tools were not applicable for practical skills and have a lack of reliability and visibility. 45 – 47 Willman advised that the similarity, stability, and fairness in the clinical evaluation of nursing students should be maintained. 48

The students were unhappy with the welfare facilities and lack of a place for resting in the hospital. Regarding the role of internship students in clinical affairs, it is fundamental to provide better equipment to them such as access to hospital self-service and a decent space for changing clothes and resting, especially in night shifts. 49 However, most of these are not feasible in Iranian hospitals because of the deficiency of space.

Identity challenge was another problem associated with the internship program. The students did not know whether they were students or staff. The main purposes of nursing schools are to ensure socialization and professional identity. 37 However, literature shows, as a challenge, most of the nursing students do not achieve this. 50 A study confirmed that the perception of professional identity would reduce students’ anxiety during the internship. 51 Some researchers believe that a clear understanding of the nursing profession by students, and not following the medical model, may reduce the identity challenge in nursing students. 36 While the students have a sense of identity problem during the internship, they may act much better after graduation compared to those who do not have this plan.

The internship program has been proven as the main way of creating a great opportunity for education, independence, expertise, proficiency, and confidence for nursing students. 52 , 53 However, it has some pitfalls in Iran. Our results showed some clues about the challenges of the program, and by addressing these shortcomings, the efficacy can be improved. Future research can focus on other elements of internship programs such as satisfaction, expertise, and communication skills through qualitative and quantitative projects.

Although the students accepted to participate in the study, they had a concern about criticizing the school and hospital organizations that might affect their final score. In this regard, the researcher made a strong assurance to them that all the interviews would be confidential and the anonymity of the personal information will be respected.

In this study, the challenges of the internship program for nursing students were examined. The students were not totally pleased with the clinical training within the previous semesters before the internship. They also highlighted some challenges including lack of amenities and a support system, interaction difficulties with staff, ambiguity in the evaluation system, and obscurity in identity. These problems should be addressed in the clinical education of nursing students.

Acknowledgment

This study is based on a research plan approved by the Research and Technology Deputy of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (ID: 96233), and the Research Ethics Committee (ethical code: KUMS.REC.1396.230). We appreciate the nursing students who participated in this study.

Funding Statement

The study was funded by Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences.

Data Sharing Statement

Data are available by contacting the corresponding author.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

The study is confirmed by the research ethics committee of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences.

Consent for Publication

All the authors and the University consented to publish the study in your journal.

Author Contributions

SA, AA, and MR performed the conceptual work and designed the study, SA and AA participated in data collection, and data were analyzed by AA, SA, FR, ARA, and MN. The final report and article were written, read, and approved by all the authors. All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in this work.

Sign up to our Newsletter

How to write a personal statement for nursing school.

Reviewed by:

Jonathan Preminger

Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine

Reviewed: 6/19/23

Writing a personal statement for nursing school can be a daunting task, but we’re here to help! Here’s everything you need to know about writing a personal statement for nursing school.

Writing your personal statement is a nerve-wracking experience, no matter what program you’re applying for . You may be wondering: “what are nursing schools looking for in a personal statement?” or, “how can I make my personal statement for nursing school stand out?” Lucky for you, we’ve got some answers. 

Here we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing a personal statement for nursing school. We’ve included a breakdown of the components to include, examples of nursing school personal statements, and tips to improve your own. 

Let’s get started!

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

What Is a Nursing School Personal Statement?

When applying to nursing schools , you’ll most likely notice that most applications require a personal statement. A personal statement is a short essay, typically no longer than two pages, that tells your target schools a little bit about who you are. 

Each school has different expectations for the length and contents of your personal statement, so make sure to check the specific requirements of your target schools. Some common topics include your personal goals for nursing school and why you want to become a nurse.

Nursing School Personal Statement Format

Before writing your personal statement for nursing school, you should plan out what you want to include. If your school does not ask you to answer a specific question with your essay, here is a list of what you should include in your nursing school personal statement.

An Introduction

The introductory paragraph should focus on what brought you to this point. Your school primarily wants to get to know you as a candidate through your personal statement. Your intro should include things like:

• How you first became interested in nursing
• What inspires you about becoming a nurse
• What you intend to achieve through a nursing degree

In this paragraph, your main goal is to introduce yourself and give the admissions committee a bit of background on your passion for nursing. Perhaps you have a family member who inspired you to pursue nursing, you grew up near a hospital, or you’ve struggled with health issues yourself - these are all great examples of an origin story. 

Think to yourself: “If my journey into nursing school was a movie, how would it begin?”

Body Paragraph(s)

In the body paragraph(s) of your nursing school personal statement, you can include a bit about your achievements. However, this isn’t the place to simply list your achievements. 

Think about how your experiences helped you to develop skills for nursing school . Include things like:

• How you’ve furthered your interest in nursing through experience (both in and out of school)
• How your achievements make you a good fit for the program
• Specific things about the program that interests you

The body portion of your essay should contain the majority of the information you want to include. Make sure to only include accomplishments if they help to explain how you’ll contribute to the program. Your CV will list any other achievements that don’t come into play here.

A Strong Conclusion

Your personal statement should end on a positive note. Think about summarizing your statement by looking toward the future. Include things like:

• Your future ambitions following nursing school
• What you’ll be able to contribute to the program 

The end of your body paragraph(s) should mention what you hope to achieve in the future with your nursing degree and lead into your conclusion. The final sentences of your personal statement should further state your passion for your program and how you’ll be a great fit at your target school. 

What Not to Write in a Personal Statement for Nursing School

Before getting into our tips and examples, let’s go over what not to include in your personal statement for nursing school. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when crafting your personal statement. 

Keep it Simple

Your personal statement should be authentic and genuine, but make sure to keep the brief in mind while you’re writing. As mentioned above, a personal statement is typically no longer than two pages in length. 

You should absolutely include some personal anecdotes; in fact, we encourage it! Just make sure to stick to the relevant parts of your story and not to elaborate too much on areas that are not relevant to your application. 

Do Not Reiterate Your CV

Your personal statement is an essay, not a resume. Keep in mind that your application already contains all of your achievements on your CV, transcripts, and other application materials. 

Your personal statement is about understanding your passion and motivations. You can use examples from your CV to further assert your interest in the program, but only if you can elaborate on how they’ve specifically helped you on your journey to nursing school. 

Tips for Writing a Stellar Nursing Personal Statement

Let’s go over a few tips on how you can improve your personal statement. Using these tips can help to make your personal statement and essays for your nursing school application stand out while remaining authentic and genuine. 

Create A Timeline

When writing your personal statement, your focus should be on telling your story. Creating a clear timeline of events can help to effectively tell the story of how you decided to apply for nursing. 

Start with how you became interested in nursing, develop your story with experiences that have cultivated your knowledge, and conclude by talking about your program and your future goals. A timeline will make your essay easy to read and give the admissions committee a good idea of your journey so far.

Stick To the Brief

If your target school(s) give you a specific prompt for your personal statement, make sure to refer back to the prompt while writing your essay to ensure you’re staying on track. 

For example, if your prompt asks you a question, be sure to answer the question at the beginning, the end, and throughout your essay. Your personal statement shouldn’t be vague or veer too far off course. 

Speak From the Heart

It is crucial in your nursing personal statement to share what makes you unique . This is your chance to show the admissions committee why you’d be a perfect fit in their program and demonstrate what you bring to the table. 

Include genuine experiences that have pushed you toward nursing throughout your life. Conveying your passions and motivations is critical in your personal statement for nursing school.

Do Your Research 

One great way to make your nursing personal statement stand out is to do thorough research on your program and include it in your piece. Showing your passion for the specific program. you’re applying to can give you an edge over others and impress the admissions committee. 

When you include your research, be sure to add it organically into your writing. Use your research as a way to connect your personal experiences to the program rather than simply listing information.

Nursing School Personal Statement Examples

Here are two nursing personal statement examples that were written successfully. We’ve also included explanations of how they are good examples to help you improve your own personal statement. 

*Important note: Do not use our samples in your nursing school application. These examples are meant to serve as a guide when crafting your own original personal statement for nursing school. 

Example #1: Indeed ’s Nursing School Personal Statement Sample

“I walked backward down the hill, my arms supporting the weight of the wheelchair as its wheels rolled slowly in reverse. Sunlight danced through the trees around us and shone in my grandmother's hair as she sat inside the wheelchair. I couldn't see my grandmother's face from that angle, but I could hear her laughing with joy as she enjoyed the outdoors for the first time in weeks. My grandmother came to live with my family two years ago after breaking her hip. Although she completed much of her recovery at our home, Nurse George came by every day to perform my grandmother's personal care tasks, monitor her vital signs and assist with her physical therapy exercises. George also taught me some basic patient care practices, such as how to support a wheelchair correctly while going downhill. I had never considered a career in nursing before, but George helped me see the rewards of helping people with their medical conditions and injuries. I am excited by this opportunity to apply to Fern Hill's College of Nursing because I appreciate your program's specialization in rehabilitation nursing. Being a part of my grandmother's recovery team has inspired me to pursue a nursing career that helps patients recover from injuries or medical conditions. I believe that your school's emphasis on assisting patients in regaining their independent skills can help me achieve these professional aspirations. Since realizing that I want to become a nurse, I have become a regular volunteer at Jefferson Rehabilitation Center. I mentor young people struggling with drug addictions and provide childcare for the children of rehabilitation patients. There is no feeling comparable to when a mentee or outgoing patient offers you a sincere "thank you." I can no longer imagine pursuing a career where I do not get to help people overcome their challenges and navigate their way to recovery. My experiences helping my grandmother and patients at Jefferson have taught me the value of empathy and communication. Frequently, my mentees simply want someone to listen to them. I do my best to give them a judgment-free space in which to share their stories. Whether the medical issue is emotional or physical, patients appreciate working with flexible and considerate people. I believe I embody these qualities by actively listening and letting patients talk at their own pace. I am ready to pursue a nursing career and learn about helping patients in a more professional and technical capacity. Fern Hill's College of Nursing is the ideal place to prepare for my future nursing career.”

Why this is a good example: In this example, the writer has done an excellent job of telling the story of how they became interested in nursing. They also develop a clear timeline of events from when they first thought about nursing to how they began developing their skills through volunteering. 

Most importantly, the candidate mentions specific reasons why they’re interested in the program and how they feel they can contribute to the school and field. 

Example #2: Johns Hopkins University Nursing Personal Statement Sample

“I grew up close to a hospital, where I watched patients go through the double doors for a variety of ailments. From a young age, this drove me to develop a strong interest in the field of medicine. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the future that would allow me to take care of those in need. Through my courses in the natural sciences as well as social studies, I have continued to develop my knowledge in the field in order to be ready to continue my education. Now, I am ready to take the next step in my education by applying for the Nursing program at Johns Hopkins University.  Three years ago I completed a nursing shadowing internship that opened my eyes to many of the daily struggles of being a nurse. During my time in the clinic and on the wards, I had the opportunity to work In the critical care and trauma ward as well as In obstetrics and geriatrics. These various experiences showed me the diverse role that nurses play in a healthcare setting, and emphasized the importance of empathy and dedication to patient care.  Johns Hopkins University Is known worldwide for its focus on patient wellness and medical research. As a nursing student at Hopkins, I hope to not only further the institution's goal of providing exceptional patient care, but also to assist with the many clinical trials ongoing at the hospital that pave the way for new treatments. Through hands-on training with knowledgeable staff, I know that I will be able to make the most of my nursing training at Johns Hopkins and become a nursing professional that is capable of enhancing patient wellness in a healthcare setting.”

Why this is a good example: In this example, the writer develops a clear timeline and clearly defines their relevant information. The writer covers when they first became interested in nursing, courses they’ve taken, and what experiences have made them get serious about the profession. 

Finally, they include why they are specifically interested in the program at Johns Hopkins and conclude by adding what they will add to the program as a student.

FAQs: How to Write a Personal Statement for Nursing School

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about nursing school personal statements. 

1. Do All Nursing Schools Require A Personal Statement?

Almost all nursing schools require a personal statement, which can typically be described as a short essay (2 pages or less) that explains who you are and why you want to attend the school’s nursing program.

2. Is a Personal Statement for Nursing School an Essay?

Yes, a personal statement is a short essay that briefly describes your past, present, and future experiences in relation to nursing.

3. How Long Should A Nursing Personal Statement Be?

Each nursing school has different length requirements, which can typically be found in the prompt. If no length is specified, two pages or less is recommended. 

4. What Should I Include In My Nursing School Personal Statement?

Your nursing personal statement should include:

• Why you want to become a nurse
• What inspires you about nursing
• Elaborate on the experiences you’ve had that have taught you about nursing
• Program-specific reasons for your interest in the school
• How you intend to contribute to the program and the field of nursing

If your school’s personal statement asks a specific question, that question should be answered throughout your essay. 

5. Does Nursing Require Essays?

Yes, most nursing program applications require personal statement essays, and some require secondary (or supplemental) essays as well.

6. When Should I Write My Personal Statement for Nursing School?

You should begin writing your personal statement(s) for nursing school as soon as you receive the prompt. Make sure to give yourself an adequate amount of time to complete all sections of your application before the deadline.

7. How do you Start a Personal Statement for Nursing School?

To start a compelling nursing personal statement, there are a few different writing techniques you can use. You can start by introducing yourself, start by talking about how you became interested in nursing, or you can start “in the action” by cutting right into your story. 

Final Thoughts

Your personal statement for nursing school should be genuine, heartfelt, and express how you will make an excellent addition to your target school’s nursing program through a series of examples. 

Each personal statement you write should be adjusted to suit the individual program you are applying for. Sending a general personal statement with every application you submit is impersonal and not recommended. Make sure to follow your brief closely and map out your essay before writing it to ensure you include all of the relevant information. 

Schedule A Free Consultation

You may also like.

What Is An MD/MPH Degree? And Reasons To Consider One

Best PA School Scholarships (2023)

Clinical Experiences: Personal Reflection Essay

Clinical experience is precious to the practice of medical professionals because it provides an opportunity to immerse myself in my future profession fully. Thus, going through this stage was especially valuable for me, as I learned a lot and increased my efficiency and effectiveness as a professional. During my clinical internship, I had to perform various tasks and assist in treating and providing care to patients. Therefore, I was involved in performing practices such as conducting diagnostic tests. This is of particular value because it enables me to understand how to analyze the patient’s medical situation and determine the correct course of treatment.

In addition, it was my responsibility to help patients with minor injuries of all kinds. Critical in this process is proper communication to give peace of mind and comfort to the individuals. Moreover, as part of my clinical practice, I interacted with and worked with people with chronic health issues and mental concerns. In the latter case, it is essential to circumvent the possibility of stigma about mental issues, as “public knowledge about physical diseases is usually seen as beneficial, knowledge about it is often disregarded” (Mannarini & Rossi, 2019, p. 1). It is also worth noting that biased opinions and personal judgments must be avoided when providing medical care.

During my clinical experience, I encountered several problems and challenges. This allowed me to improve my problem-solving skills and to work collaboratively with other professionals. For example, I often consulted with other doctors and nurses when I had problems with diagnoses in order to understand my situation better and to prescribe the most effective treatment. In addition, I worked with different age groups, which gave me an understanding of the unique characteristics and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults. I realized that each group needs to be approached differently depending on their developmental characteristics, both mental and physical.

Mannarini, S., & Rossi, A. (2019). Assessing mental illness stigma: a complex issue . Frontiers in Psychology, 9 , 2722. Web.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, December 13). Clinical Experiences: Personal Reflection. https://ivypanda.com/essays/clinical-experiences-personal-reflection/

"Clinical Experiences: Personal Reflection." IvyPanda , 13 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/clinical-experiences-personal-reflection/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Clinical Experiences: Personal Reflection'. 13 December.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Clinical Experiences: Personal Reflection." December 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/clinical-experiences-personal-reflection/.

1. IvyPanda . "Clinical Experiences: Personal Reflection." December 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/clinical-experiences-personal-reflection/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Clinical Experiences: Personal Reflection." December 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/clinical-experiences-personal-reflection/.

• Consumer Law: Protecting Digital Information
• The Film "Precious": Claireece Precious Jones' Case
• Doctors' Reluctance to Prescribe Birth Control Pills to Early Adolescents
• Role Transition to Professional Nursing
• Understaffing in Organizations: Quality Improvement Initiative
• Reflection on Pursonal Nursing Progress
• NURS 114 Teaching Project: Teaching Plan for Stroke Patient
• Effects of Individual Career Plan Program on Nursing Students' Career

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Self Reflection — Reflecting on My Internship Experience: Lessons Learned

Reflecting on My Internship Experience: Lessons Learned

• Categories: Internship Self Reflection

About this sample

Words: 628 |

Published: Feb 7, 2024

Words: 628 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, overview of the internship, goals and expectations, learning and professional growth, challenges and lessons learned, interactions and networking, application of classroom knowledge, ethical considerations.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

• Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 1105 words

4 pages / 1682 words

3 pages / 1490 words

1 pages / 507 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Self Reflection

Enright, Robert D., et al. 'The Forgiving Life: Acceptance, Hope, and Resilience.' American Psychological Association, 2012.Clinton, Timothy E., Hart, Archibald D., & Ohlschlager, George. 'Caring for People God's Way: Personal [...]

Plato. (n.d.). Allegory of the Cave. Republic, Book VII. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. Retrieved from https://web.stanford.edu/class/ihum40/cave.pdf

After my mom had her operation, I would reflect on the profound impact this mutation has had on my family. Recovery was protracted; my mom suffered greatly as a huge part of her femininity has been taken away from her. She also [...]

Undertaking a journey of introspection and self-exploration inevitably leads to a captivating exploration of the myriad factors that have contributed to shaping my identity. This essay delves into the intricate web of influences [...]

No one really counts the number of obstacles they face in their lives because as the years go by, they just keep piling on endlessly. I chose to only reflect back on the obstacles that have made the biggest impact on my [...]

Culture is a compound term in itself to commence with; it takes decades to know about the metamorphosis of culture. Though, one can master it by reflecting into oneself; analyzing personal bias, introspecting one’s strengths and [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, difficulty of nursing programs.

Hey everyone! I'm considering becoming a nurse practitioner, and I'm curious about how hard nursing school is. What's the workload like and what should I expect in terms of course difficulty?

Hello! It's great that you're considering a career as a nurse practitioner. Nursing programs can be challenging, but they're definitely manageable if you're passionate about the field and ready to put in the effort. Here's a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of workload and course difficulty:

1. Coursework: Nursing programs generally cover a wide range of topics, such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and microbiology. These courses can be demanding, as they require you to memorize a lot of information and apply it to clinical situations. It's essential to develop strong study habits and time management skills to stay on top of the material.

2. Clinical rotations: Alongside your coursework, you'll complete clinical rotations in various healthcare settings to gain hands-on experience. These rotations can be time-consuming and require a lot of attention to detail, as you'll be learning to perform essential nursing skills and interact with patients. Balancing your clinical commitments with your coursework can be challenging, but it's crucial for developing the skills you'll need as a nurse practitioner.

3. Exams and assignments: Nursing programs often have frequent exams and assignments to assess your understanding of the material. You can expect regular quizzes, papers, presentations, and group projects, in addition to comprehensive final exams. Staying organized and consistent in your study habits will help you manage this workload.

4. Time management: Balancing nursing school with other life commitments, such as work, extracurricular activities, or family can be challenging. Be prepared to prioritize your time efficiently to ensure you dedicate enough time to your studies and clinical rotations. You might need to make some sacrifices in other areas of your life to successfully complete your nursing program.

In conclusion, nursing school can be demanding, but it's also incredibly rewarding. The workload and course difficulty are a result of the high standards required in the medical field to ensure that nurse practitioners can provide excellent patient care. With dedication, good study habits, and proper time management, you can navigate the challenges of a nursing program and be well-prepared for a fulfilling career in healthcare. Good luck!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

• Yekaterinburg
• Novosibirsk
• Vladivostok

• Tours to Russia
• Practicalities
• Russia in Lists

Rusmania • Deep into Russia

Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

Plan your next trip to Russia

Ready-to-book tours.

Your holiday in Russia starts here. Choose and book your tour to Russia.

REQUEST A CUSTOMISED TRIP

Looking for something unique? Create the trip of your dreams with the help of our experts.

• Free Tools for Students
• Harvard Referencing Generator

Free Harvard Referencing Generator

Generate accurate Harvard reference lists quickly and for FREE, with MyBib!

🤔 What is a Harvard Referencing Generator?

A Harvard Referencing Generator is a tool that automatically generates formatted academic references in the Harvard style.

It takes in relevant details about a source -- usually critical information like author names, article titles, publish dates, and URLs -- and adds the correct punctuation and formatting required by the Harvard referencing style.

The generated references can be copied into a reference list or bibliography, and then collectively appended to the end of an academic assignment. This is the standard way to give credit to sources used in the main body of an assignment.

👩‍🎓 Who uses a Harvard Referencing Generator?

Harvard is the main referencing style at colleges and universities in the United Kingdom and Australia. It is also very popular in other English-speaking countries such as South Africa, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. University-level students in these countries are most likely to use a Harvard generator to aid them with their undergraduate assignments (and often post-graduate too).

🙌 Why should I use a Harvard Referencing Generator?

A Harvard Referencing Generator solves two problems:

• It provides a way to organise and keep track of the sources referenced in the content of an academic paper.
• It ensures that references are formatted correctly -- inline with the Harvard referencing style -- and it does so considerably faster than writing them out manually.

A well-formatted and broad bibliography can account for up to 20% of the total grade for an undergraduate-level project, and using a generator tool can contribute significantly towards earning them.

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's Harvard Referencing Generator?

Here's how to use our reference generator:

• If citing a book, website, journal, or video: enter the URL or title into the search bar at the top of the page and press the search button.
• Choose the most relevant results from the list of search results.
• Our generator will automatically locate the source details and format them in the correct Harvard format. You can make further changes if required.
• Then either copy the formatted reference directly into your reference list by clicking the 'copy' button, or save it to your MyBib account for later.

MyBib supports the following for Harvard style:

🍏 What other versions of Harvard referencing exist?

There isn't "one true way" to do Harvard referencing, and many universities have their own slightly different guidelines for the style. Our generator can adapt to handle the following list of different Harvard styles:

• Cite Them Right
• Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)
• University of the West of England (UWE)

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

FMC Eurasia LLC

Legal entity identifier (lei) details.

Popular Search Resources for

Admission Requirements

A baccalaureate degree in any discipline from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) such as the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, North Central Association, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Basic computer programming and statistics courses are highly recommended but not required for admission.

Program Graduation Requirements

All students must complete at least 39 credits (with a minimum of B or better grade) which include:

• Thirty-three credit hours of core courses
• Three credit hours of internship (click here for detail link- to internship page)
• Three credit hours of master's essay (click here for detail link- to current student page)

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be awarded the Master of Science in Medical Informatics degree.

Students completing a full-time course load may complete the program in two years. Part-time students may take three to four years to complete the program depending on the number of courses completed each semester.

Academic Regulations and Good Standing: Academic good standing in graduate programs is based on the following criteria:

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better must be maintained each semester
• No more than one course failure (a grade below B-) for the duration of the program
• Adherence to the policies of the SOHP  (link to SOHP handbook) and Medical Informatics (link to MI Handbook) program. Please review the Medical Informatics Handbook for detail.

Please visit the Course Curriculum and Advising and Registration pages for more information.

Gregory Heinselman named dean of students at UW-Eau Claire

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Gregory Heinselman has been named permanent dean of students at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire after serving as interim dean since August 2022.

Gregory Heinselman, dean of students

The move is effective immediately.

“Gregg has been an invaluable campus leader and student advocate during the past two years in his role as interim dean of students,” Chancellor James Schmidt says. “His desire to remain a member of the Blugold community demonstrates his commitment to our students’ success.”

The dean of students determines policies and practices that promote a safe environment for students, including overseeing and responding to student behavior issues. The dean of students communicates with students and colleagues to promote student success and development.

Teresa O’Halloran, interim assistant chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion and chair of the search and screen committee, says she has enjoyed working with Heinselman during his time as interim dean of students.

“Gregg is a highly skilled, experienced and empathetic leader who understands that the needs of our students come first,” O’Halloran says. “I was pleased but not surprised that the campus community responded so positively to Gregg as a candidate for the permanent position.”

Heinselman has more than 30 years of higher education experience in student affairs, including roles at UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls and Central Washington University. He has worked in leadership positions across the Universities of Wisconsin for 24 years.

“My philosophy of education as the dean of students is that all students are unique and have their own lived experience,” Heinselman says. “The university should provide a stimulating educational environment where students can grow mentally, physically, emotionally and socially.”

UW-Eau Claire is a unique place for teaching and learning, Heinselman says, where faculty are engaged and truly care about student success, and students are empowered to shape their own educational journey.

“I am excited to continue to serve UWEC students, the campus and the Universities of Wisconsin in this permanent role,” Heinselman says. “I look forward to what our incoming students want to experience and achieve, and will continue to collaborate with faculty, administration, staff and students to advance the mission of the university.”

Heinselman holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree in education from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas.  

Departments + Programs

• Dean of Students
• Chancellor's Office
• Campus Life
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

For the Media

• Image Download

You may also like:

Commencement speakers urge graduates to work together toward success

Saturday, may 18, 2024.

Two Mayo Clinic physicians told University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire graduates on Saturday that their dreams can be realized if they embrace the transformative power of partnerships.

Sign language interpreter retiring after more than 170 commencement ceremonies

Rachel Kohn started signing at commencement in 1988 and interpreted more than 170 commencement ceremonies for 72,000 Blugolds, including three ceremonies on her final day.

All things commencement May 2024: Ceremonies, graduates, honorees and more

Thursday, may 16, 2024.

Find all the details and feature stories about commencement in one place. Get to know the our featured graduates form each college and our Barron County campus, and find out who the special honorees will be on May 18.