Writing Tips for Nursing School Students
This guide provides suggestions on writing for nursing students and covers the various writing styles that aspiring nurses must master during their studies. Writing is a crucial skill for nurses to develop early in their career. It’s an essential part of the profession, as nurses need to communicate effectively with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.
While verbal communication is also important in nursing, strong writing skills enhance a nurse’s ability to provide better care.
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Being able to accurately document a patient’s personal history, symptoms, and diagnosis enables the execution of a precise treatment plan that can be clearly understood by all parties involved, both professionally and personally.
From registered nurses to clinical nurses and beyond, effective and efficient communication is a critical soft skill that benefits nurses in all roles and helps them provide better care for their patients.
This guide offers an overview of the types of writing nursing students will encounter during their educational training. Utilize the following tips and strategies to improve your writing skills, which will ultimately contribute to the development of valuable career skills.
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Types of Writing Nursing Students Will Do in School
Personal Statements for Nursing School
Nursing schools seek candidates who meet academic and professional criteria. They also want candidates who show a genuine passion for patient care and personal connections. Even if the application doesn’t explicitly request it, you should create a personal statement. Personal statements allow you to convey your goals, attributes, credentials, volunteer work, and meaningful life experiences. A well-crafted essay can set you apart from other qualified applicants. And, like any piece of writing, you should take the time to revise.
In your personal statement, you should portray yourself as determined and empathetic, with qualities, goals, work ethic, and healthcare philosophy that align with the program’s values. Some nursing schools ask for a general personal statement, while others provide specific prompts. Common prompts may ask students to describe a challenge they overcame, a difficult task they accomplished, or a professional goal they hope to achieve through the program. Many schools also want to hear about students’ past experiences in healthcare. You might choose to write about how you connect with patients or how you provide practical and emotional support to loved ones.
Exams
You’ll also encounter writing prompts during exams, including standardized tests like the GRE or MCAT, nursing school entrance exams, and course-specific assessments. You might also need to write exams for state licensure or professional certification. In most cases, you’ll have to write one or more long-form essays. Proper preparation is key. While you won’t know the specific prompt in advance, you can expect certain common topics. You can research online or use study guides to find out which prompts usually appear on each test.
On the day of the exam, start by creating an outline that lists three main points in response to the prompt. Use these points to formulate a central thesis that will guide the structure of your essay. Review your writing to ensure it truly addresses the prompt. Make sure to leave time for proofreading for spelling, grammar, and style mistakes.
Research Papers
Similar to essays, research papers have a structured format. However, unlike essays, which often rely on the author’s viewpoint, research papers involve an in-depth exploration of a topic using data, expert opinions, and insights. While essays assess general critical thinking and writing abilities, research papers test your knowledge, research skills, and original contributions. Research papers also demonstrate your understanding of existing arguments and discoveries about a topic. Particularly at the graduate and doctoral levels, research papers require independent research and analysis, sometimes taking months or even years to complete.
To write a successful research paper, select a topic that aligns with your interests and the field of nursing. Potential topics include challenges in elderly care, patient safety and ethics, mental health treatment and regulations in the U.S., and solutions for nursing shortages. Regardless of your choice, planning is essential. Advanced papers like dissertations might need funding or guidance from professors. Research papers usually have sections like abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. Keep this structure in mind as you gather notes and create outlines.
How to Write a Nursing Essay
In nursing school, essay writing includes academic papers, personal narratives, and professional compositions. You should become familiar with each of the five major forms below. There are many similarities between these essay types, such as an overarching thesis and a supportive, logical structure. You should support claims with factual, statistical, anecdotal, and rhetorical evidence. However, each form requires distinct skills to achieve specific results.
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– Narrative
As the name suggests, a narrative essay tells a story from a specific point of view. Successful narratives have a beginning, middle, and end. You’ll likely come across this type of essay in personal narratives or statements. A narrative should have a clear purpose, often centered on a particular subject. Write in the first person, using concise and evocative language.
– Expository
Expository essays usually follow a basic five-paragraph structure. They explain or inform the reader about a specific topic. An expository essay has a clear structure and logical transitions between the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Be prepared to provide substantial evidence to support your claims.
– Persuasive
Sometimes confused with expository essays, which also include argumentative elements, persuasive essays aim to convince the reader to adopt a specific viewpoint or take a particular action. For instance, a persuasive essay could argue for the federal legalization of marijuana in the U.S. due to proven medical benefits and economic gains. Like other essay types, focus on clear arguments, logical transitions, and overall structure.
– Comparative
This essay compares and contrasts two items. You’ll evaluate theories, texts, events, and opinions related to a single issue. You’ll provide an impartial analysis, argue for one side’s superiority, or suggest a synthesis. In any case, pay special attention to structure to connect two different items under a central thesis. One approach is to discuss two points in detail. Another option is to move from one topic to the next, incorporating data from both sides.
– Cause and Effect
Similar to a comparative essay, a cause and effect essay reports on a particular subject or advocates for a specific position. For example, you might discuss the causes and proven effects of climate change, or argue for change through grassroots and legislative actions. Like other essay types, a clear and strong thesis is essential. This form relies heavily on logical transitions. Typically, the body paragraphs describe each cause and its resulting effect.
Citations Guide for Nursing Students
Citations show where information comes from. By citing sources, you avoid plagiarism or using someone else’s ideas, research, language, or analysis without giving credit. Whether intentional or not, plagiarism is a serious mistake. Consequences include failing a course, university disciplinary actions, and even legal consequences. Take special care to properly cite sources.
American Psychological Association (APA) Style
APA is the most commonly used style among natural scientists, social scientists, educators, and nurses. Just like other citation styles, APA focuses on clear font style, font size, spacing, and paragraph structure. APA citations center around the publication date, usually placed right after the author’s name. This arrangement is especially valuable for scientists who want to stay updated with new research. For more information on APA style, you can visit the official website.
Example:
(Author and year of publication, page number)
“Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process” (Foucault, 1977, p. 9).
Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)
CMS, also known as CMOS or Chicago style, offers two citation systems: notes and bibliography, and author and date. Historians mainly use CMS because they care about a text’s origin. Notes and bibliography use a superscript number linked to a footnote or endnote. Author and date citation is a parenthetical system similar to other styles. The CMS official website provides more details, including updates to citation systems in the current edition.
Example:
“Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process”.1
1. Michel Foucault, trans. Alan Sheridan, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (New York: Pantheon Books, 1977), 9.
(Author and year of publication, page number)
“Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process” (Foucault 1977, 9).
Modern Language Association (MLA) Format
MLA format originated in 1951 as a slim booklet. Today, it’s the main format for humanities, English, literature, media studies, and cultural studies. To keep up with new media, MLA updates its citation system. You can learn more about these changes on the MLA Style Center. Generally, in-text citations have the author and page number, or only the page number if the author’s name is already in the text.
Example:
(Author and page number)
“Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process” (Foucault 9).
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Associated Press (AP) Style
The original AP Stylebook came out in 1952 for journalists and professionals linked to the Associated Press. Now, AP style is favored by people in business, public relations, media, mass communications, and journalism. It values being concise and accurate. The style provides specific guidelines for technology terms, titles, locations, abbreviations, and acronyms. Unlike the other styles, AP doesn’t use in-text citations. Instead, sources are cited directly in the writing. You can find more details, along with style-checking tools and quizzes, in the Associated Press Stylebook.
Example:
In the book, “Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison,” published in English in 1977, philosopher Michel Foucault argues that “Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process”.
Which Style Should Nursing Students Use?
Since nurses deal with scientific terms, they usually use APA style. Regardless of your text’s purpose or genre, strive for clear, objective, and evidence-based writing. You’ll learn APA style when you start major courses. Be prepared to learn other styles too during your academic training. For instance, freshman composition classes often focus on MLA guidelines.
Common Writing Mistakes Students Make
Active Vs. Passive Voice
Active and passive voice are different ways to present information. Active voice focuses on the subject doing an action. For instance, the dog bites the boy. This creates clear and engaging writing. Nurses might use active voice, like saying, “I administered patient care at 11:00.” Passive voice, on the other hand, shifts the focus to the object or action being done. For example, the boy was bitten by the dog. Passive sentences often have the verb “to be.” Using passive voice, you might write, “Patient care was administered at 11:00.”
In scientific writing, passive voice can create an objective tone and distance from the author. It can highlight terms, actions, evidence, or research. Nurses also use passive voice when it’s clear that thoughts, actions, and opinions come from them. However, learning how to use active voice is important too.
Punctuation
English has 14 punctuation marks, each with different uses. Some marks are specific and nuanced. To master punctuation, practice and revise your own writing.
For example, colons and semicolons often confuse people. Colons introduce lists, while semicolons link independent clauses. For instance, “I’m bringing three things to the picnic: applesauce, napkins, and lemonade.” Semicolons join independent clauses with a common topic. “It was freezing outside; Ricardo wondered if he’d freeze.” Run-on sentences caused by comma splices are another issue. Learn the difference between independent and dependent clauses to identify comma splices.
Grammar
Grammar is a language’s rule system. It determines how words form sentences with clear meaning. It includes syntax (word arrangement in sentences) and semantics (how words are understood). Most people don’t deeply study English grammar unless they major in writing, literature, or related fields. Native speakers understand how to use the language through years of practice.
Different languages have unique grammar systems. Even within one language like English, different grammatical rules exist. For example, African American Vernacular English has different rules than General American English. Learn grammar terms and definitions. Common errors include subject/verb agreement, sentence fragments, dangling modifiers, and pronoun mistakes. Also, watch out for similar-sounding words (your/you’re, its/it’s, there/their/they’re).
Writing Resources for Nursing Students
Purdue OWL:
Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab offers general grammar guides and subject-specific help. You’ll find writing guides for nurses, APA style workshops, research paper examples, and database research tools.
APA Style CENTRAL:
This resource helps you learn APA style and use citations. You can access guides, tutorials, and infographic handouts. It also assists with original research and publishing findings.
All Nurses:
This site caters to all nursing individuals, from students finding bachelor’s programs to experienced professionals advancing their careers.
EasyBib:
In addition to guides, EasyBib has a citation generator. Just choose the format (APA, CMS, MLA, etc.) and enter the required information.
Grammarly:
Download Grammarly for real-time writing help. The website also has a blog with articles on grammar rules and other writing topics.
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