To put in a mum on my personal statement?

[Beesandhoneys]

Have 2 kids and I'll be a 'mature student'. I want to apply for nursing and I thought that me putting that I'm a mother could actually benefit my application but I don't want to look silly. Would it help or should I leave it off? TIA.

I'm a current student midwife (and mum of 3) and I didn't mention it at all in my personal statement, but I think its personal choice and how you refer to it. The best advice I got when writing mine was think "so what?" after each statement. So you're a mum....so what? How does that help with the reality of being a nurse? You could say you're able to prioritise and manage your time well, which will benefit you when completing the degree because...xyz. Dont just say "I'm a mum so I'm caring" as you will be exposed to many situations you'll never have experienced as a mum. Show then you are able to deal with the stresses of training, how you'll deal with potential burn out and show your knowledge of the 6 C's and how you've demonstrated these currently in your life and give examples. Good luck!

As for placements it is very much up to the individual university. At mine we have no say in where we go and placements can be up to 40 miles away for some of us.

I've raised it in my nursing application (VERY mature student!). I did because I've been through extremely significant, life changing illnesses with two of my now AC. Mental and physical disorders. Severe and fatal in one case.
I really did have to become something of an expert in varied and complex medication/treatment over the years and I felt this was very relevant as it was certainly not your typical "well I look after my kids when they're ill and organise their lives" stuff which is what all mothers sign up to. Over the years, a couple of doctors have m assumed I'm already a nurse and asked, but it was simply because I've had to educate myself so thoroughly. No formal qualifications!!
Time will tell but I've been selected for the entrance exam and interview.

Literally no say @steamboatwilly123 ??

I believe from friends that health placements can be at any setting within quite a wide geographic area and students get no say

Nope none at all. You're told about it at interview stage so you know what you're signing up for. But like I say it's up to individual university and would be something you could ask about at their open days.

I'd mention it. You'll have loads of transferable skills and experience from parenting that should stand you in good stead in nursing. Good luck with your application.

I did, but it was relevant as my child has SEN and my degree is relevant to that. It’s something I’m passionate about as a result of having my son and therefore was important to me. You can mention it, but you need a reason why. IMO.

Of course you can add it if it's in the right context, and inspired you to pursue your dream. Please dont listen to all the people saying dont.

I did, and I applied for a course where there were more applicants than spaces, and I got a place. Just dont overdo it.

You need to make the skills you have relevant we have been told. So organising multiple people, time keeping, budgeting etc. Not once have we been advised not to put on our UCAS forms whether we have kids or not, not one parent I know of left it off and they all got offers. Good luck getting an offer

A pal of mine who was a single mum surviving domestic violence.... She applied to a very competitive doctorate....

She mentioned she had a toddler but literally 2 lines... . Viz... I have fabulous time management/ multi skills... Researching complex ideas for uni while helping my toddler son with thomas the tank engine..

It was mentioned positively at interview

Last question, I promise! Just as there seem to be people in the field; my friend and I have both done an access course to nursing but she thinks she wants to do midwifery. Is this access course suitable or does she need to do a midwifery one?

I briefly mentioned it, and I got in.
I weighed more on the fact that I had lots of experience in caring for disabled children but they really respect those with other life skills.

Something they are severely lacking since the bursary was abolished.

You get almost no say at all in where you placements are, you just have to get on with it.

I got admitted to the ward where I had my management placement whilst still on there as a student. Like I literally started my shift that morning, became unwell, went to ED and they admitted me under that speciality, so I had to go and get into a bed I’d made myself that morning.
In those very extreme circumstances I was off sick for 4 weeks and was given a new management placement on a different ward to go back to, but it wasn’t without a lot of hassle and negativity from uni, and I had to start my 12 weeks of management placement from scratch on the new ward, despite the 6 weeks I’d already done on the other speciality.

To answer the second the last message, you get little to no say at our uni (Brighton). I've done all my placements at the hospital I take my kids.

Several times I've worked along the same consultant that saw my child just days before in a planned appointment.

Your friend would need to look at the entry requirements for the midwifery courses she wants to apply for. Midwifery is so competitive and very oversubscribed thanks to its current popularity with TV producers, so some courses ask for very high A-Level results (AAB in some cases) and access courses might not even get a look in.

I suppose it depends how you write it, if you write it as "give me a place cos I've got some kids", then no.

If you casually mention it to explain where you were in various parts of your life then yes.

Just to be clear, being a mother is not a unique skill set, many people have carried out this role over thousands of years! I don't think it's clear that being a mother would actually make you a better nurse.

It didn’t work well for Andrea Leadsome!

With regards to midwifery it will depend on each institution's entry requirements. Where I work we accept health or science based access with certain grades plus GCSEs.

I put the fact I’m a mum in my nursing UCAS application. Caring is a huge part of nursing and of motherhood- having experienced nappies and sickness and poop of children does actually prepare you for the personal care aspects of nursing over younger people or those with no kids. Experiencing the nhs for pregnancy and birth also can be relevant.

I don’t think caring for your own children is comparable to the kind of caring you need to do as a nurse. Front line Nursing often involves caring for people at their absolute unthinkable worst, and to think that is any way comparable to the unconditional, innate love a mother feels for her children is fluffy and naive at best.

What is far more respectable on an application is demonstration that you have have respect and empathy for all humans regardless of their circumstances, and that you can remain professional and decent even when your personal views and tolerances are challenged by the situation in front of you.

I’ve been in a situation as a nurse where I’ve had to nurses prisoners, baby killers, people fresh from car accidents in police custody who are laughing and joking, not yet realising that they child they hit on the bike has died in the back of the ambulance. It’s really bloody hard sometimes, and you will be doing yourself and the profession a disservice if you include too much fluff about rearing your perfect offspring.

I couldn't disagree more QueenofPain.

I'm a student children's nurse in my last year and I feel I can empathise with parents who's children are enduring procedures or undergoing anaesthetics or having to leave them with us because I know how it feels.

That's not to say non-parents don't empathise before anyone jumps on that.

I also have skills as a student nurse that I wouldn't have bought with me as a non-parent.

Several students have had babies during the course and two have said it would make them better nurses because they can understand the worry and pain of their child unwell and/or in hospital.

I also think this caring nature can translate to adult nursing.
Whilst you don't treat adults as a child, they are still vulnerable and are often parents themselves having left their children at home.

It's a very transferable skill indeed.

I could go on, but my baby needs me 😂

It's also really patronising to refer to being a mother as innate and fluffy.

It's fucking hard, it can also be harrowing, painful and a bunch of other awful crap that comes with it.

I’m sure it can be both harrowing and painful, but talking too much about it in your personal statement or interview will not be what they want to hear.

HowDoIhelp321
It can be all of those things, but they aren't relevant for professional training most of the time.
Adopting the 'as a mother...' approach has a danger of getting into the misplaced view that to be a successful professional in a field you have to have first hand experience of something, or that motherhood gives some special boost and relevant skills that a non parent wouldn't have.