Anglia Ruskin University: Mental Health Nursing Application Statement

This personal statement outlines the applicant's journey towards pursuing a career in mental health nursing. The author's interest was sparked at a young age by a family member's diagnosis and further fueled by 13 years of diverse work experience, including roles as a child care educator, healthcare assistant, and security officer. These experiences provided opportunities to develop crucial skills, such as communication, empathy, and problem-solving, which are essential for mental health nursing. The applicant details their desire to attend Anglia Ruskin University, highlighting the university's reputation and the course's potential to equip them with the knowledge and skills to support individuals with mental health issues. The statement emphasizes the rewarding nature of the profession and the applicant's commitment to making a positive impact on patients' lives, with plans to work in a healthcare organization after graduation.

Personal Statement for Mental
Health Nursing Application
Form
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CONTENTS
PERSONAL STATEMENT............................................................................................................3
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PERSONAL STATEMENT
In the society, people generally find it easier to talk regarding being physically unwell
instead of regarding mental ill health. Growing up, I had an interest in mental health and it was
first sparked when I was 11 years old and one of my relatives was diagnosed with depression and
bipolar disease. By that time, I attended high school and I wanted to become a mental health
nurse. My deep interest in the mental health is a motivational factor that leads me to take
decisions to undertake mental health nursing course. However, at that time, I was not able to
pursue that course due to some circumstances and did only graduation. After then, I decided to
do job and join the organisation as child care and education teacher.
I worked in an organisation for around 5 years as a child care and education teacher or
deputy manager, 4 years as a healthcare assistant and another four years as a security officer. In
each job role, I have to perform several responsibilities through which I have learnt so many
things. By gaining this overall 13 years of work experience, my knowledge base and skills are
improved and the confidence is developed within me due to which I am able to perform many
job responsibilities effectively in the workplace and contributing in accomplishing the personal
as well as professional goals. When I worked in an organisation for 5 years as a child care and
education teacher, I have several responsibilities to perform like developing and following
complete schedule of activities as well as discover appropriate teaching material, providing basic
care along with care giving activities and balancing the teaching between social and logical
exercises.
As a child care educator, I encourage healthy psychological and intellectual growth of child
and teach, supervise and motivate them to exercise their imagination and utilize their mental
capabilities. Apart from this, in order to teach effectively to children, I utilized various teaching
methods including media, games, stories, drawings etc. so as to improve the abilities of children.
I also have the responsibility to evaluate the performance of children to ensure that they are on
suitable learning track. I also communicate with parents constantly and update them about
progress of their child. Moreover, identify behavioral issues, observing interactions of children,
identify the right path of action, collaborate with others, adhere to teaching standard as well as
safety regulations etc. are all the responsibilities that are performed by me as a child care and
education teacher.
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While working as a Health Care assistant for 4 years, I had to perform numerous duties. I
had to serve meals and assessed to feed patients, assisting people to move around, making beds,
communicate with patients and make them feel comfortable, monitoring the condition of patient
by taking pulse rate, respiratory rate, temperature and weight, preparing them for therapy,
improving their mobility, taking blood glucose level of patient etc. All these responsibilities are
performed as a healthcare assistant in the organisation. I also worked as a security officer for 4
years where I had the responsibility to meet security needs of organisation. The responsibilities
that I performed as a security officer includes adhere to all service and operating standards of
company, respond to emergency to administer the required assistance to customers and
employees, render effective customer service, prevent losses and damage through reporting
entities etc. For performing all the jobs responsibilities, I need to possess various skills including
communication, interpersonal, integrity, professionalism, reporting skills, team working skills,
management skills etc. By performing all such roles and responsibilities, my knowledge base and
skills are enhancing.
I worked in the healthcare organisation as health care assistant for over 4 years. During this
tenure, I have assisted distinct individuals. I have looked after individuals with substance abuse,
alcohol abuse, drug abuse issues and individuals who suffered from depression. My duties
involve writing care plans, escorting patients, observation, interacting with patients and their
family members, ward rounds with healthcare panel, helping patients with personal care, serving
food, encouraging some of the patient on withdrawal to communicate with others for Group
Therapy, assist nurse with observation on medication of patients. This has provided me with an
opportunity to realise the way my services are required in healthcare industry and inspired me to
further study in the particular area of interest.
I want to become a mental health nurse as I feel the need to assist individuals in society to
overcome from the mental health issues they suffer. I would like to pursue mental health because
I feel that it will provide me a path to help individuals and contribute to improving their lives. It
directly leads me to the more emotionally fulfilling careers and provide me with the chance to
improve mental wellbeing and physical health of people. It would render me with the
opportunity to undertake such study that includes practical and academic knowledge which
according to me would suit me the best. Mental health nursing is one of the study areas in which
I am more interested. It is a career that requires empathy and patients and it could be rewarding
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in terms of the assistance I could give. Some of my friends who are working as social care
workers has provided me with the knowledge about what work in this specific area really entails.
I have also interested in contrasting portrayals related to mental health issues within the media as
well as enjoyed reading both Ken Kesey's portrayal of mental health institution and take on
psychotherapy in 'Against Therapy' of Jeffrey Masson.
The experience that I get by working with different organisation although challenging at
times, but I found that extremely rewarding. It shows a passion to work with individuals who are
involved in providing care to individuals suffering from mental health issues. I have good
communication skills which will help me in communicating with the patients effectively and my
strong mathematical knowledge has provided me with logical and problem solving skills which I
feel that it will be important for nursing. Apart from this, my good logical and problem solving
skills will also provide me with good understanding of issues involved in nursing. I will be able
to apply variety of methods in order to resolve a particular issue with no obvious solution as well
as to implement logical and mathematical techniques to issues arise in day to day working.
Anglia Ruskin University is one of the leading public University of United Kingdom. It is
located in the East Anglia and has its origin in Cambridge school of art. The university was
established in 1992 and has its campuses in Peterborough, Cambridge, Chelmsford and London.
To mark its presence in United Kingdom and globally, it is partnered with different institutions
in the nation and across the world. In United Kingdom, it partnered with University centre
Peterborough and University Centre West Anglia, while internationally, it has its partnership
with colleges of distinct Nations like Mauritius, Malaysia, India etc. It offers both undergraduate
and postgraduate courses in distinct study areas by keeping in mind diverse needs.
One of the courses offered by university is Mental Health Nursing. I choose to undertake
this course as I realised that much of the population experience mental health issues at some
point and if I undertake this course, then the skills and learning that I get from it will help means
supporting those individuals and make a real difference in their lives. Nursing associated with
mental health is a challenging, yet rewarding stream. This study will enable me to identify the
needs of people so that appropriate care can be provided to them. The experience that I get by
working as a healthcare assistant relates to the mental health nursing course as I have the
responsibility to look after people with drug abuse issues, alcohol abuse issues and individuals
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suffering from depression. While providing care to the patient suffering from depression, I
realise that I need to undertake further studies specifically in this area.
Mental health nurse is a part of professional medical team that includes social workers,
psychiatrist, therapist and doctors. The support people to overcome the issues associated with
depression and anxiety to personality as well as eating disorders. The main roles and
responsibilities of Mental Health nurse includes assessing and planning the care needs, visiting
patients at home, organising workload, developing relationships with patient by listening and
talking to them, administering medication to them, arranging support and giving advice for
carers, patients and relatives, writing and updating the records of patients, agreeing and
reviewing the plans for care and monitoring progress, listening with social workers, doctors and
other professionals, combating stigma as well as assist patients and family members to deal with
it and encouraging patients to take participation and therapeutic activities like role play etc. All
the data several roles which are performed by mental health nurses while working in the hospital.
After completing the degree of mental health nursing course, I will also able to perform all such
roles and responsibilities in an effective way and delivering best care services to the patients and
contributing in improving their lives.
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I choose to study in Anglia Ruskin University for numerous reasons. the nursing course of
the University has good reputation and lecturers in the faculty achievable and bring wealth of
knowledge and experience to course. Apart from this, I heard that the facilities that boasts by the
department are world class and provide the students with the opportunity to stimulate the
environment of hospital without leaving the campus. The university is well known for breeding
well trained in dedicated nurses. This help in developing myself as a nurse and make me able to
provide effective care services to those people who are suffering from mental health issues and
support them in improving their lives.
As the mental illness needs much care in comparison to physical illness, being a mental
nurse will help me in assisting individuals with mental health issues to get their lives back into
the track. Mental health nursing course will provide me an opportunity lead my career towards
growth and enable me to get good employment. It makes me able to take important decisions by
looking after the patient and design appropriate strategy to provide them care help patients in
overcoming from mental health issues. It will also help me in improving my delivery of care. By
undertake the course from Anglia Ruskin University, I will be able to develop my skills and
being employable to good position.
After completing the course, I have plan to apply in a reputed healthcare organisation as a
mental health nurse and provide effective care to the patients that will help in improving their
lives. This course will provide me with the opportunity to get growth and success in my career
and make me able to get good employment. By applying my skills and knowledge, I will support
individuals with mental health issues to overcome them and live their life well. I will be able to
initiate my career as a registered nurse in mental and adult health nursing. The course provided
me with excellent opportunities to enlighten my career path and allow me to acquire invaluable
experience in higher education setting.
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