A Personal Statement

AIMS:

To provide the scaffolding so that students are able to write a Personal Statement that could be incorporated into their CVs for use as a health professional. (Originally this lesson was prepared as part of a project on 'A Future in Healthcare' - Section Three, Task 4 of Project 1, Manukau Institute of Technology, but could be adapted to suit many different scenarios.) Note: This is often a difficult task for students who are self-effacing and lack confidence.

OUTCOMES:

•Construct a list of personal positive qualities and skills

•Write a personal statement for inclusion in a CV (complete Project 1, Section Three, Task 4)

MATERIALS/RESOURCES:

•Student workbook for Project 1 - 'A Future in Healthcare', Manukau Institute of Technology

•Butcher paper & pen sets

•Material envelopes, small pieces of paper, pins

•Link: http://daisyfoundation.org/

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES:

•Activity 1: In groups students think about their own experiences with nurses – what are the qualities a good nurse needs? Represent these on the butcher paper

•Check out some of the inspirational stories on the Daisy Foundation – groups can add to their papers any extra ideas

•Activity 2: Motivational Group Game – each student wears a material envelope on his/her back – each member writes the good qualities he/she sees in every other member of the group & puts the papers in the envelope on the student’s back. Students then read the papers in their envelopes

•Tie the activities together – list qualities they have that others see in them as well as good nursing qualities they see in themselves

•Review a good paragraph & have students write their personal qualities into a statement

EVALUATION:

•Formative checkpoints where groups produce a visual set of good nursing qualities, & where individuals put together lists of personal qualities

•Completed Task 4