<p>I am applying to the school of nursing. When i visited UVA, the admissions officer said that volunteering at a hospital/shadowing a nurse was key to be competitive for the nursing school (because it shows genuine interest) But... it is a more recent decision & I honestly have not been able to shadow a nurse or volunteer since I made the decision. Will showing interest in my essays be good enough? Or should i not even bother applying?</p>
<p>bump, anybody please?</p>
<p>bumpity bump..does anyone have an answer for this?</p>
<p>I'm not in the school of nursing, so I can't really answer your question, but I'm fairly logical, I think.
AnyHoo. I would encourage you to apply and even though it was a late decision, as you state, I'm sure that you have good reasons to back up this decision to pursue nursing. Those reasons are what you should consider writing about in your essay.
You may not have shadowed a nurse, one one one, but I bet you have a good idea of what nursing entails. Right?
Also, it's not too late to try to get some first-hand exposure. Just take a weekend day to try to get this experience. Ask your family doctor, or other medical professional you might know, for advice in getting your foot in the door. I come from a medical family and I'm aware of many students visiting hospitals for exactly this purpose. You really don't need too much shadowing time-just a few hours, just enough to show you went that extra step.
Not being in the nursing school, mind you, I can tell though that the school really seems to be quite good and they take a lot of pride in it's history and expertise.
Good luck</p>
<p>You know, the more I think about it, if the admissions officer specifically told you that they are looking for the candidate to have some exposure to the field of nursing I'd definitely do it if I were you. Do it today.
Find some friend of the family who is in medicine, it doesn't have to be a nurse specifically. All you need to do is get your foot in the door. Hospitals don't want just anyone running around. But, if you have someone who will sort of serve as your ambassador to get you some exposure, then you'll have that advantage.
Maybe your family's: family doctor, pediatrician or such has a nurse practitioner who works in their office and you could hang out for an afternoon or so. You don't need much exposure.</p>