Nurse Selection Criteria Warnings
- nicolejessicacoggan
- Jun 3
- 6 min read
What Not to Do (Unless You Want Your Application Binned)
A survival guide for avoiding the most common application killers
The Death-by-Generic Warnings
⚠️ Stop Writing Like a Robot Every second application starts with "I am a caring and compassionate nurse with excellent communication skills." Panel members see this opener 50 times a day. It's white noise. Be specific or be forgotten.
⚠️ Don't Copy-Paste Your Life Story Your CV lists what you've done. Selection criteria prove how well you did it. Different purpose, different content. Stop recycling the same information.
⚠️ Avoid the "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" Approach Mentioning every course you've ever done doesn't prove competence. It proves you can't prioritise. Pick your strongest examples and go deep, not wide.
The Language Landmines
⚠️ Corporate Speak Will Kill You "I utilised my interpersonal competencies to facilitate optimal patient outcomes." Translation: "I talked to people." Write like a human, not a management consultant.
⚠️ Don't Assume They Know Your Context "Busy medical ward" means nothing. Busy how? 40 beds? 80% occupancy? Three nurses for 30 patients? Paint the picture.
⚠️ Stop Burying the Lead Your strongest achievement shouldn't be hidden in paragraph three. Lead with impact, then explain how you got there.
⚠️ Passive Voice Is the Kiss of Death "Improvements were made to patient outcomes." By who? Passive voice makes you invisible. Use active voice to own your achievements.
The Structure Disasters
⚠️ Wall-of-Text Syndrome One massive paragraph isn't selection criteria. It's punishment. Use paragraph breaks. Panel members' eyes need rest too.
⚠️ Don't Skip the STAR Method Situation, Task, Action, Result. Miss any element and your story falls flat. Set the scene, explain your role, describe your actions, prove the outcome.
⚠️ Chronological Order Isn't Always Best Start with your most impressive point, not the beginning of the story. Hook them first, then fill in details.
The Evidence Failures
⚠️ Claims Without Proof "I'm excellent under pressure." Says who? Based on what? Claims need evidence. Stories beat statements every time.
⚠️ Vague Outcomes Waste Everyone's Time "Patient satisfaction improved." By how much? From what baseline? Specific results prove competence. Vague claims prove nothing.
⚠️ Don't Make Them Guess Your Role "The team reduced infection rates by 30%." What did YOU do? Take credit for your contribution. False modesty kills applications.
The Keyword Catastrophes
⚠️ Wrong Health System Language NSW Health speaks differently from Queensland Health. Victoria has its own vocabulary. Using the wrong terminology marks you as an outsider.
⚠️ Keyword Stuffing Looks Desperate Cramming every buzzword from the job ad into one paragraph fools no one. Weave keywords naturally into genuine examples.
⚠️ Don't Ignore Their Priorities If they mention "patient safety" five times and you don't address it specifically, you're not listening. Match their emphasis.
The Experience Mis-Steps
⚠️ Don't Apologise for Limited Experience "Although I only have two years' experience..." Stop apologising. Focus on what you've achieved, not what you lack.
⚠️ Avoid the Irrelevant Tangent Your retail experience might have taught you customer service, but don't spend 200 words on it for an ICU position. Stay relevant.
⚠️ Don't Oversell Unrelated Experience "My five years in aged care makes me perfect for emergency nursing." No, it doesn't. Different skills, different environments. Be honest about transitions.
The Professional Blunders
⚠️ False Modesty Backfires "I'm just a nurse, but somehow I managed to..." Own your expertise. False modesty suggests lack of confidence or competence.
⚠️ Don't Throw Colleagues Under the Bus "Unlike other nurses who..." Making yourself look good by putting others down reflects poorly on your character and teamwork skills.
⚠️ Avoid Drama and Gossip "The ward was toxic until I arrived..." Focus on positive contributions, not workplace drama. Panel members want solutions, not problems.
The Technical Traps
⚠️ Spelling and Grammar Matter "Patient care" and "medication administration" undermine your credibility. Proofread. Then proofread again. Then get someone else to proofread.
⚠️ Don't Ignore Word Limits 500 words means 500 words, not 750. Following instructions is part of the assessment. Exceeding limits suggests poor judgement.
⚠️ Font Tricks Won't Work Shrinking font size to fit more text just makes your application harder to read. Edit ruthlessly instead.
The Cultural Insensitivity Dangers
⚠️ Don't Assume Universal Healthcare Experiences "All patients want the same thing..." Cultural, religious, and individual differences matter. Show awareness of diversity.
⚠️ Avoid Stereotypes and Assumptions "Elderly patients are always..." "Aboriginal families typically..." Generalisations reveal bias. Focus on individual needs and responses.
⚠️ Don't Ignore Cultural Safety Requirements If they ask about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, address it specifically. Generic "cultural competence" isn't enough.
The Emotional Intelligence Fails
⚠️ Don't Sound Like a Psychopath "The patient died, which gave me an excellent learning opportunity..." Show appropriate emotional responses to difficult situations.
⚠️ Avoid the Saviour Complex "I single-handedly transformed the ward..." Healthcare is teamwork. Solo heroics suggest poor collaboration skills.
⚠️ Don't Minimise Patient Suffering "The patient was fine after I..." Acknowledge the human impact of illness and injury. Show empathy, not just clinical competence.
The Time Management Mistakes
⚠️ Last-Minute Applications Show Rushed applications contain errors, lack depth, and suggest poor planning. Start early. Write well. Submit professionally.
⚠️ Don't Leave Criteria Blank "See resume" isn't a selection criteria response. Address every criterion specifically or lose points automatically.
⚠️ Avoid Application Recycling Without Updates That response from 2019 might not reflect current best practice or your current skill level. Update everything.
The Reference Disasters
⚠️ Don't List Referees Who Don't Know Your Work "Available on request" isn't helpful. List specific people who can vouch for the skills you're claiming.
⚠️ Warn Your Referees Surprised referees give poor references. Brief them on the role and remind them of relevant examples.
⚠️ Choose Relevance Over Seniority A charge nurse who knows your clinical skills beats a director who's never seen you work.
The Follow-Up Failures
⚠️ Don't Bombard with Questions One clarification email is professional. Daily check-ins are harassment. Trust the process.
⚠️ Avoid Desperation "I really, really need this job because..." Personal circumstances shouldn't drive selection decisions. Focus on professional fit.
⚠️ Don't Argue with Rejection "You made the wrong choice because..." Defensive responses burn bridges. Ask for feedback, thank them, move on.
The Reality Check
The Brutal Truth About Panel Fatigue Panel members read 50+ applications for each role. Your application gets 5-10 minutes initial review. Make every word count.
The Keyword Scanner Reality Many organisations use automated screening before human review. Wrong keywords mean no human ever sees your brilliant examples.
The Local Knowledge Factor Insiders have advantages. They know the culture, speak the language, understand the real challenges. Work harder to prove you get it.
The Bottom Line
Selection criteria aren't creative writing exercises. They're professional sales documents with strict rules and brutal competition.
Break these rules at your peril. Your brilliant nursing skills won't matter if your application never reaches human eyes.
Write smart. Write specific. Write to win.
Because somewhere out there is the perfect nursing role for you. Your job is making it easy for them to recognise that you're perfect for it.
Sick of Watching Average Nurses Land Your Dream Jobs?
The harsh reality: Your clinical skills are excellent. Your application writing isn't.
While you're staring at blank pages, wondering how to prove you're competent, other nurses submit applications that make panels think "We need this person yesterday."
What's Really Happening
You spend hours crafting responses that sound like everyone else's. "I am a caring nurse with excellent communication skills..." Panel members see this drivel 50 times per round.
Smart nurses open differently: "During three simultaneous cardiac arrests, I coordinated resuscitation efforts while mentoring a graduate nurse, achieving ROSC in all cases with zero complications."
Spot the difference?
The Solution: Real Nurse Examples That Work
The Nurse Selection Criteria Blueprint delivers 50 battle-tested responses from nurses who actually got hired.
Not theory. Not templates. Real examples that opened doors.
What you get:
✅ Specific situations that prove competence (not vague passion claims)
✅ Clear actions showing clinical thinking (what you did, not what you felt)
✅ Measurable results that grab attention (numbers beat adjectives)
✅ Every specialty covered - ICU, ED, aged care, mental health, paediatrics
✅ All experience levels - new grad through senior positions
✅ Australian health system language - the exact terms NSW Health, Queensland Health, Victoria want
Why This Works
Writer's block is killing your career progression. You know you're good. You just can't prove it on paper.
These 50 examples provide the framework. Pick what matches your experience. Adapt to your story. Submit applications that get noticed.
Written by someone who understands nursing. Not some generic CV writer who thinks triage means sorting mail.
Each example follows proven structure while sounding like real nurses wrote them, not consultants.
Your Three Options
Keep doing what you're doing: Write generic responses. Watch lesser nurses get shortlisted.
Try this blueprint: Spend $5. Get 50 proven examples. Start writing applications that work.
Hire a professional: Pay $500+ for custom writing. Effective but expensive.
Bottom Line
Great nurses shouldn't lose opportunities because of poor application writing. This blueprint levels the field.
50 proven examples. $5. Instant download.
Your next application could change everything.
[GET THE BLUEPRINT NOW]
P.S. Stop overthinking this. Five dollars. Less than a sandwich. Your future self will thank you.
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