Department of Nursing Admission Application

Thank you for your interest in the applying to the UVA Wise Nursing Program.  Our Pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is designed for individuals like you—motivated, compassionate, and ready to make a difference.

Whether you're a recent high school graduate, changing careers, or pursuing your passion for healthcare, our program provides the essential foundation in clinical knowledge, hands-on skills, and professional development needed to become a Registered Nurse (RN).

If you are a potential transfer student from another institution, please contact our Nursing Department Recruiter, Ms. Machelle Mullins, eub9yz@uvawise.edu or 276-376-3436. Transfer Students must be admitted to the College before admission decisions for nursing can be made. Learn more about applying.

Application deadline is November 1

Instructions to apply: 

  1. Gather the following items: Campus ID Number (located on Cavs Card) and UVA Wise Email address.
  2. Compose a resume (sample resume)
  3. Create a writing sample for faculty to review
  4. Complete the Department of Nursing Admission Application for Pre-licensure.  (You will be required to enter your UVA Wise email address and password to complete the application.)

Student Resume Instructions

Creating a professional and well-organized resume is essential for showcasing your skills, qualifications, experience, and commitment to a career in nursing. Follow these steps to create an effective nursing student resume.

View a Sample Resume

1. Start with Contact Information
Include at the top of your resume:

  • Full Name
  • Phone Number
  • Professional Email Address
  • Mailing Address (optional)
  • LinkedIn profile (optional but recommended)
  • A professional uncopyrighted photo (optional)

2. Write an Objective (Optional)
Include 2–3 concise sentences highlighting:

  • Your current status (e.g., sophomore student)
  • Key strengths or clinical interests
  • Career goals or what you bring to a clinical or work setting
  • Unique personal characteristics
  • Commitment to nursing and lifelong education

3. Education
List in reverse chronological order (most recent first):

  • High School Name, City, State
  • Dates Attended or Graduation Date
  • GPA (optional, include if 3.0 or above)
  • Honors
  • Awards

(Include college course work and dual enrollment with any degrees already attained.)

4. Certifications and Licenses

  • Basic Life Support (BLS) – American Heart Association
  • CPR Certification
  • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
  • Other healthcare-related certifications
  • Windows, macOS, Microsoft Office, etc.

5. Information Technology Proficiency

  • Windows, macOS, Microsoft Office, etc.

6. Skills and Trainings

  • Time management
  • Teamwork
  • Healthcare related trainings
  • Vital signs
  • Literature searching
  • Databases you are familiar with
  • Survey software you have used
  • Statistical software use
  • Reference manager use

7. Research Skills
List skills such as:

  • Literature searching
  • Databases you are familiar with
  • Survey software you have used
  • Statistical software use
  • Reference manager use

8. Work and Leadership Experience
Include any healthcare-related work, as well as non-healthcare jobs that demonstrate transferable skills (teamwork, communication, leadership).

  • Job Title
  • Organization Name, City, State
  • Dates of Employment
  • 2–4 bullet points with accomplishments or responsibilities

9. Community Service and Activities

  • Back to school event
  • Church events
  • Clubs
  • Student Government
  • Significant presentations you have done in college or community

10. Publications and Presentations

  • Significant presentations you have done in college or community

Final Tips:

  • Be sure the resume is current
  • Review the resume example provided
  • Capture all accolades, skills, and accomplishments for faculty to review (e.g., home address, experience serving rural areas, healthcare experience, leadership experience, certifications, volunteer experience, veteran status, teamwork, awards, honors, research, and presentations).
  • Keep it to one-two pages (especially if you have less than 5 years of experience)
  • Use professional, easy-to-read fonts (e.g., Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)
  • Avoid using first-person (e.g., "I" or "my")
  • Proofread for grammar and formatting consistency

Save & Submit:

  • Save as YourFullName_Resume.pdf or YourFullName_Resume.doc
  • Submit as a PDF or DOC with your application

Writing Sample Instructions

Please share a writing sample of the life experiences that influenced your interest in becoming a BSN-prepared registered nurse and choose one additional topic to expand upon, following the writing criteria given. 

  1. Discuss a person, incident, or experience that prepared you the most to care for a diverse population of patients as a future registered nurse.
  2. Reflect on how your personal attributes, cultural background, life experiences, or behaviors have shaped your journey. How do you believe these qualities will enable you to positively contribute to the UVA Wise BSN nursing program and its community?
  3. Describe how your strengths, experiences, and aptitude will contribute to your success in the nursing program and the BSN nursing role.
  4. Obtaining a BSN degree requires persistence and staying focused on the result.  What are your long-term goals as a registered nurse, what steps do you plan to take to achieve those goals, what facilitators and obstacles do you anticipate, and how do you plan to prepare for success? 

Writing Criteria

Format: APA or MLA

Font: Times New Roman, 12-point font

Spacing: Double Spaced

Title Page
Reference Page

Word Limit: 300-500 words, excluding title and reference page

Save as YourFullName_WritingSample.pdf or YourFullName_WritingSample.doc

Submit as a PDF or DOC with your application

Example student writing sample.