NURS 6003 PhinterMaurice Discussion Networking Opportunities
NURS 6003 PhinterMaurice Discussion Networking Opportunities
NURS 6003 Module 1 (Week 1): Networking for Academic and Professional Success
Discussion: Networking Opportunities
In this module, you begin laying the foundation for your academic and professional success. Your efforts begin with a vision that includes your own definition of success. Your vision may vary from those of your colleagues, but this does not mean you have to take these first steps alone.
Walden University and the College of Nursing also have a vision and mission, which include helping you to make your own vision a reality. Members of your new academic community, such as faculty, support teams, and fellow students, can also be helpful. Current practitioners and other member of the professional community can also help you to clarify your vision.
This Module’s Discussion asks you to consider how the Walden mission and vision as well as the College of Nursing’s mission and vision apply to your professional and academic goals. You will also begin to identify individuals and teams who can help you along the way as you begin designing the “blueprint”—your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan—that will guide you toward your own vision for academic and professional success. Finally, you will explain the importance of networking and how it can help you achieve your professional and academic goals.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.
To Prepare:
- Review the Walden and College of Nursing mission and vision statements, Walden’s goals and University Outcomes, and the MSN Program Learning Outcomes presented in this Module’s Learning Resources.
- Reflect on your professional and academic goals as they relate to your program/specialization.
- Consider how the information in these resources fit with your own goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner.
- Also consider academic and professional individuals and teams with whom you may collaborate in support of your efforts as a student at the university and as a professional within your organization and career.
- Consider the importance of networking and how it may help you achieve your professional and academic goals.
By Day 3 of Week 1
Post a brief introduction of yourself to your colleagues. Include an explanation as to how Walden’s vision, mission, goals, and social change initiatives relate to your professional and academic goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner. Also include an explanation for how the Walden MSN Program Outcomes and perspectives relate to your professional and academic goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner. Finally, explain why networking is important and how it may help you achieve your professional and academic goals.
By Day 6 of Week 1
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by suggesting additional individuals and/or teams with whom you wish to collaborate or by offering additional networking strategies.
NURS 6003 PhinterMaurice Discussion Networking Opportunities Example Discussion 1
Nursing Goals Vision and Mission
Introduction
My name is Yaa Wiafe. I am currently an ICU nurse and have been working in an ICU for many years now. I also have a master’s degree already, but I wanted to change to Acute care. When I first decided to further my education, I was torn between FNP and acute care. I decided on the FNP route initially, but since I am an ICU nurse, I later found that I am interested in the acute care route. Multiple schools came to mind when choosing a school to complete this goal. In the end, Walden stuck out more to me.
The mission, vision, and goals of Walden are pretty much self-explanatory, and these goals, vision, and mission aligned with my goals. Walden School of Nursing’s vision is for the graduate professionals to transform nursing services and the continuum of care to meet the needs of the local and global individuals in the communities (Walden University, 2022b). Diversity in healthcare is crucial, and being able to provide care for all is imperative.
I also found Walden’s program to be very flexible for me in becoming a great nurse practitioner. The Adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program has practical outcomes that can be applied within my professional goals and development. Advancing my career is very important to me, and choosing the right school is essential as well. Walden’s goals and outcome align with my desire to become the best advanced practitioner who can change the community.
Incorporating Social Change
While enrolled as a student in this program, I plan to commit myself to learning and applying new skills, acquiring more knowledge, and adapting various perspectives to identify practical problems at an individual, state, and national level (Walden University, 2022b). My plan to promote change is to continue acquiring all the knowledge, educating, and caring for everyone I come into contact with to improve the quality of care and health outcomes for the community.
Networking
Experts agree that the most connected people are often the most successful. When you invest in your relationships both professionally and personally, it can pay you back in dividends throughout the course of your career (Goolsby & Knestrick, 2020). Networking is important because it helps one develop and improve one’s skill set and stay on top.
One can meet mentors, clients and keep and gain access to resources that are important. Furthermore, connections that an individual makes broaden list of contacts that can keep you informed, refer you to job openings, suggest volunteer opportunities, nominate you for professional honors, or help you expand your leadership skills.
As a nurse, I come in contact with different people daily, and one thing that I have learned in my many years of nursing is that, the nursing world is very small. In all, one must always keep have a great attitude because you will never know whom you will need and meet in the long run. As I navigate this program, I will always network daily, especially during clinical rotations. I believe this will help me in the end.
NURS 6003 PhinterMaurice Discussion Networking Opportunities References
Goolsby M. J., Knestrick J. M. (2020). Effective professional networking. Journal of American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 29(8):441-445. https://doi.org/10.1002/2327-6924.12484
Walden University. (2022b). Mission, vision, and goals. Retrieved from Walden University website
Mario Owens Sample 2 NURS 6003 PhinterMaurice Discussion Networking Opportunities
My name is Mario Owens, FNP. I am from Loíza, Puerto Rico, and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. I currently work at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia. I have been an FNP for three years and want to continue my acute care nurse practitioner studies.
The vision, mission, goals, and social change initiatives of Walden University will assist me in achieving my goals of medical mission work around the world. This small feat can lead to the betterment of the community.
I believe that advanced care providers will be the driving force to provide the social change lacking in today’s world. These values and teachings will allow me to continue being current on the latest advancements in healthcare and how healthcare has evolved to unbelievable heights. This can provide the change necessary to help protect our friends, families, communities, and world.
As of now, health disparities are one of the biggest problems I see in the news daily. This program can assist us in changing that narrative. The knowledge will be instrumental in the fight for equality for all. The need for information is critical to positive change so that our patients receive the correct information instead of reading misinformation that is not peer-reviewed.
This is crucial to prevent unnecessary deaths from occurring. We live in the era of social media, where anyone can post misinformation, which can spread in seconds. This is why the vision, mission, goals, and social change initiatives must be so vital, and I hope to contribute in a positive way (Walden University).
The outcomes and values of Walden University can, have, and will continue to help create the change needed to help extend the lifespan and health of the community. The enrichment of knowledge will help elevate the healthcare system to greater heights. The teachings can lead me to increase my knowledge to help my patients with health and positive outcomes.
The world is evolving, and a solid foundation will prepare for that challenge. Cases are becoming more complex daily, and critical thinking is monumental to solving these cases head-on. These outcomes and values will assist me in bettering myself as a role model and a voice for change. I plan to use and apply these outcomes and values in my practice (Walden University).
Networking has more value than I could have ever imagined. This definitely hits home for me as I am an introvert. Luckily, I could meet some great people who were instrumental in helping me with my development as a provider. I cannot thank them enough. If I knew what I know now, I would be so much further, but experience is the best teacher. They continue to help me to this day. I can always ask them questions if I feel stuck or need advice. This also allows me to expand and volunteer.
Volunteering is so much fun. This allowed me to meet new friends and discuss and share stories about our journeys in healthcare. Networking allows you to learn and grow. It is incredible how much information one can learn. The books will provide you with a base, but the experience will take your learning to the next level.
Medicine is not an exact science because every case does not follow the book, and this is where critical thinking comes in. There have been many days where I needed my mentor to assist me with, and over time, I began to see things in a different light. Networking is an amazing tool for my growth. I am still learning, so hopefully, I will continue improving (Wofford, 2018).
NURS 6003 PhinterMaurice Discussion Networking Opportunities References
Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University catalog.
Wofford, P. (2018). 10 networking tips for nurses who hate networking. Retrieved from https://nurse.org/articles/tips-for-nurse-networking/
Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University catalog.
Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 1: Developing an Academic and Professional Network
When was the last time you read Meditation XVII of John Donne’s Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions?
Unless you are a student of seventeenth-century poetry, you may not be all that familiar with this piece. However, you may be much more familiar with one of its well-known phrases: “No man is an island…”.
As you begin your journey toward achieving your academic and professional goals, you have a great opportunity to network with academics and professionals who can help ensure you do not travel alone. This network can help to clarify your own vision for success and can help guide you now and in the future. To paraphrase Donne, no one is an island.
Begin creating an academic and professional network by identifying which academic and professional connections and resources with which you need to collaborate to succeed in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
To Prepare:
- Consider individuals, departments, teams, and/or resources within Walden University and within your profession that you believe can support your academic and professional success.
- Identify at least two academic and at least two professional individuals, colleagues, or teams that might help you succeed in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
- Download the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
The Assignment:
Academic and Professional Network
Complete Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template. Be sure to address the following:
- Identify at least two academic and at least two professional individuals or teams to collaborate with to be successful in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
- Explain why you selected these individuals and/or teams and how they will support your success in the MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
By Day 7 of Week 1
Submit Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 2: Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity and Professional Ethics
Nurse-scholars have a significant obligation to their community as well. Their work must have academic and professional integrity. Their efforts are designed to add to the body of knowledge, advance the profession, and ultimately help in the care of patients. Work that lacks integrity is subject to erode quickly or worse.
Fortunately, there are strategies and tools that can help ensure integrity in academic and professional work. This Assignment asks you to consider these tools and how you might apply them to your own work.
In this Assignment, you will continue developing your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan by appending the original document you began in the previous assignment.
To Prepare:
- Reflect on the strategies presented in the Resources for this Module in support of academic style, integrity, and scholarly ethics.
- Reflect on the connection between academic and professional integrity.
The Assignment: Part 2, Section 1: Writing Sample: The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity
Using the Academic and Professional Success Development Template you began in Module 1, write a 2- to 3-paragraph analysis that includes the following:
- Explanation for the relationship between academic integrity and writing
- Explanation for the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics
- Cite at least two resources that support your arguments, being sure to use proper APA formatting.
- Use Grammarly and SafeAssign to improve the product.
- Explain how Grammarly, Safe Assign, and paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity.
Part 2, Section 2: Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work
Expand on your thoughts from Section 1 by identifying and describing strategies you intend to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of your:
- academic work as a student of the MSN program and
- professional work as a nurse throughout your career. Include a review of resources and approaches you propose to use as a student and a professional.
Note: Add your work for this Assignment to the original document you began in the Module 1 Assignment, which was built from the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
By Day 7 of Week 3
Submit both Section 1 and Section 2 of Part 2.
NURS 6003 Module 3 (Weeks 4–5): Scholarship and Nursing Practice
Discussion: Using the Walden Library
Where can you find evidence to inform your thoughts and scholarly writing? Throughout your degree program, you will use research literature to explore ideas, guide your thinking, and gain new insights. As you search the research literature, it is important to use resources that are peer-reviewed and from scholarly journals. You may already have some favorite online resources and databases that you use or have found useful in the past. For this Discussion, you explore databases available through the Walden Library.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.
To Prepare:
- Review the information presented in the Learning Resources for using the Walden Library, searching the databases, and evaluating online resources.
- Begin searching for a peer-reviewed article that pertains to your practice area and interests you.
By Day 3 of Week 4
Post the following:
Using proper APA formatting, cite the peer-reviewed article you selected that pertains to your practice area and is of particular interest to you and identify the database that you used to search for the article. Explain any difficulties you experienced while searching for this article. Would this database be useful to your colleagues? Explain why or why not. Would you recommend this database? Explain why or why not.
By Day 6 of Week 4
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by offering suggestions/strategies for working with this database from your own experience, or offering ideas for using alternative resources.
Using the Walden Library Example 1
Matyas, N., Keser Aschenberger, F., Wagner, G., Teufer, B., Auer, S., Gisinger, C., Kil, M., Klerings, I., & Gartlehner, G. (2019). Continuing education for the prevention of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s-type dementia: a systematic review and overview of systematic reviews. BMJ Open, 9(7), e027719. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027719
Dementia and other cognitive impairment disorders are an area of interest to me as a nursing practitioner. I have been deeply moved by this condition’s significant impact on patients and their families while caring for older people. Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating and degenerative neurological condition that threatens patients’ cognitive and physical well-being and causes major emotional and physical distress to caregivers.
Nurses play a critical role in delivering compassionate, specialized care to Alzheimer’s patients, promoting their dignity, comfort, and quality of life while providing much-needed support and education to family members through the difficult caregiving journey. This article from PubMed has provided me with much-needed knowledge about preventing cognitive impairment, which I will apply in practice to improve results for this vulnerable demographic.
PubMed is a database with many papers from various fields of medicine, which gives it an advantage in terms of the amount of material available but can also make searching difficult for users. The key challenge is creating relevant search queries and filters to locate the relevant article. Multiple variations of the same article appear with each search, so necessary skills are required to obtain a quality article. Seeking advice from librarians and watching tutorials on utilizing search databases simplifies the search. One must also be familiar with the ever-changing features of PubMed.
My nursing colleagues and anyone interested in peer-reviewed healthcare papers would benefit greatly from the PubMed database. Because of its extensive collection of peer-reviewed publications in healthcare, this database is an excellent resource for nurses. PubMed gives healthcare practitioners quick access to up-to-date information, evidence-based practice, and the most recent breakthroughs in healthcare, allowing them to keep up with quickly changing medical knowledge. Nurses can also use PubMed to conduct literature reviews in research to improve patient care through well-informed clinical decisions.
I would strongly suggest PubMed to healthcare practitioners. The database contains a large and diversified collection of peer-reviewed publications spanning many medical specialties, particularly nursing, making it an excellent resource for staying up to date on the newest developments in healthcare. PubMed’s user-friendly design and advanced search features allow users to personalize their searches to specific research interests, ensuring they find relevant, high-quality literature as quickly as possible.
PubMed is well-known for its dedication to evidence-based medicine. It features an abundance of clinical trials and systematic reviews to help healthcare practitioners make informed judgments about patient care. The extensive database also aids in disseminating research findings, encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing throughout the medical community.
PubMed also includes other National Library of Medicine resources, such as MEDLINE, strengthening its reputation as a reliable and authoritative source. As a result, this database is a vital resource for anyone looking for trustworthy, peer-reviewed medical literature and an essential recommendation for all individuals involved in medical research or practice.
Sample Week 4 Discussion By Lauren West
The article that I chose was a review of a digital style of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in adolescents with depression. The article highlights the advantages and disadvantages of using digital CBT in adolescent therapy and its effect on depression treatment (Ivlev et al., 2022). I chose this article because it is something that I plan on investigating closer during my studies to achieve my PMHNP. My interest in treatment is in the adolescent age group and the effects of mental health on their life as well as treatments that benefit them. The database I used to find this article was APA PsycInfo and EBSCOhost via the Walden University library resource.
When using APA PsycInfo and EBSCOhost I did not encounter any specific difficulties during my search. I think the only difficulties others may have is the amount of information on the topics searched. For instance, while I have used these types of resources before, it can sometimes be overwhelming to research topics because there are so many options to choose from. It may be difficult to comb through the amount of information given at one time. In an article by GreenBook, the writer explains that “professionals are now often overwhelmed with organizing the vast amounts of data they get” (GreenBook, 2022).
I believe that these databases would be extremely helpful to my colleagues. I recommend the use of the databases to anyone doing or involved with scholarly research. These scholarly search engines are filled with a plethora of information pertaining to anything. It can keep scholars up to date with the latest in research.
As advanced practitioners, they can increase our knowledge of the latest treatments for patients and any developments in current treatments. By doing this, it can increase the quality of care given to the patient as well as maintain a higher level of knowledge to advance one’s practice. As a student, it is very beneficial to our success by providing quality information and credible sources (Woodlawn, 2021).
References
Ivlev, I., T.L., Haynes, J.S., & Patnode, C. D. (2022). Rapid evidenct review of digital cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescents with depression. Journal of Adolescent Health, 71(1), 14-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadhohealth.2022.01.220
Manage the overwhelming chaos of qualitative research data. GreenBook. (2022, August 1). Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.greenbook.org/mr/insights/manage-the-overwhelming-chaos-of-qualitative-research-data/
Walden University Library. (n.d.). Databases A-Z: Nursing.
Woodlawn. H. (2021, October 5). Why use databases? Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://hbwoodlawn.apsva.us/library-home/research/why-use-databases/
Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 3: Research Analysis
Architect Daniel Libeskind is credited with saying “To provide meaningful architecture is not to parody history, but to articulate it.” The suggestion is that his work does not copy the efforts of others but relies on it.
Understanding the work of others is critically important to new work. Contributions to the nursing body of knowledge can happen when you are able to analyze and articulate the efforts of previous research. Research analysis skills are therefore critical tools for your toolbox.
In this Assignment, you will locate relevant existing research. You also will analyze this research using a tool helpful for analysis.
To Prepare:
- Reflect on the strategies presented in the Resources this Module’s Learning Resources in support of locating and analyzing research.
- Use the Walden Library to identify and read one peer-reviewed research article focused on a topic in your specialty field that interests you.
- Review the article you selected and reflect on the professional practice use of theories/concepts described by the article.
The Assignment:
Using the “Module 3 | Part 3” section of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template presented in the Resources, conduct an analysis of the elements of the research article you identified. Be sure to include the following:
- Your topic of interest.
- A correctly formatted APA citation of the article you selected, along with link or search details.
- Identify a professional practice use of the theories/concepts presented in the article.
- Analysis of the article using the “Research Analysis Matrix” section of the template
- Write a 1-paragraph justification stating whether you would recommend this article to inform professional practice.
- Write a 2- to 3-paragraph summary that you will add to your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan that includes the following:
- Describe your approach to identifying and analyzing peer-reviewed research.
- Identify at least two strategies that you would use that you found to be effective in finding peer-reviewed research.
- Identify at least one resource you intend to use in the future to find peer-reviewed research.
Note: Add your work for this Assignment to the original document you began in the Module 1 Assignment, which was built from the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
By Day 7 of Week 5
Submit your analysis, including your completed section of the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template sections and your matrix and summary.
NURS 6003 Module 4 (Weeks 6–7): Master of Science in Nursing Practicum
Practicum Assignment: Meditrek and the Practicum Plan
One of the requirements you must successfully complete for the Master of Science in Nursing is the Practicum(s). Everything you need to know about the Practicum requirements can be found in the Practicum Manual. It is important for you to be familiar with the Practicum Manual and the Practicum Requirements.
In preparation for the Practicum, you must identify your Preceptor(s), qualified nurses within a practicum site who are responsible for guiding students’ practicum experiences. There are specific qualifications for Preceptors. Once you find a person who is interested in serving as your Preceptor, you must also find out whether this individual meets the qualifications to serve as your preceptor. It is never too early to begin looking for a Preceptor.
For this Assignment, you will first login to Meditrek, the application the College of Nursing uses to track all Practicum information and documentation. You also will identify potential Preceptors and Practicum Sites and indicate when you plan to take the Practicum course(s) by completing the Practicum Plan in Meditrek.
Note: Make sure to start on this assignment early just in case you have problems logging into Meditrek.
To Prepare – Locate your Meditrek Credentials (Username and Password):
- Your credentials have been emailed to your Walden student email address. Search your Walden student issued email to locate the email from support@meditrek.info. (NOTE: Do not email Meditrek directly, please use the following methods if you are unable to locate your Meditrek credentials.)
- If you are unable to find your email, you may request your credentials emailed to you online by requesting a password reset online: https://edu.meditrek.com/public/ForgotPassword.aspx
- If you are unable to obtain your username and password for Meditrek, complete the Meditrek Credential Request form.
- If you are unable to reset your password online, call the Customer Care Team Support at 800-925-3368 or live chat via your student portal.
- Within Meditrek, click the “Search Affiliation Agreements” link to review the database of affiliation agreements that Walden has with potential field sites in your specialty and area.
The Assignment:
Part 1:
- Login to Meditrek.
- Once you are logged into Mediatrek, utilize the following tutorial to create a PDF of the home screen.
- How to save a webpage as a PDF
Note: Tutorials for this assignment can be found on the following webpage. Look for the header labeled “Planning for Practicum” on the webpage
Part 2:
- Using the affiliation agreement database search within Meditrek, identify potential Practicum Sites that are in your area.
- Complete the Practicum Plan form found in Meditrek.
- Once you have submitted the Practicum Plan, you will receive a confirmation email. Use the following tutorials to create a PDF of your confirmation email.
- Windows – Save an email as a PDF file
- Mac – Save an email as a PDF file
By Day 7 of Week 7
Submit the PDF of the Meditrek Home Screen and the email confirmation you received after submitting your Practicum Plan form in Meditrek
NURS 6003 Module 5 (Weeks 8–9): Professional Development Plan
Discussion: Strategies for Academic Portfolios
In the realm of marketing, a successful branding strategy is one of the most important contributors to organizational success. A solid branding strategy can help add visibility and credibility to a company’s products.
Similarly, nurse-scholars can build a personal brand to add visibility and credibility to their work. You can begin building your brand by developing and maintaining an academic portfolio. Such an activity can help share the results of your efforts and contribute to your success. This Module’s Discussion asks you to consider and share strategies for building your portfolio.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.
To Prepare:
- Reflect on strategies that you can pursue in developing portfolios or portfolio elements that focus on academic achievements.
- Review one or more samples from your own research of resources focused on portfolio development.
By Day 3 of Week 8
Post an explanation of at least two strategies for including academic activities and accomplishments into your professional development goals. Then, explain how those goals may align with the University’s emphasis on social change. Be specific and provide examples.
By Day 6 of Week 8
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by offering additional ideas regarding academic achievements to include or offering alternative ways of presenting the current achievements.
Example Discussion on Strategies for Academic Portfolios
Professional development through training and training has immense value. In particular, Havea and Mohanty (2019) agree that training and education the capabilities of individuals and improve the level of productivity. In part, education and training provide the respective profession with the required capabilities, which is further reflected in the quality of work and the overall quality of the rendered services (Havea & Mohanty, 2019).
Thus, some of the strategies put in place to advance and develop the academic portfolio are through engaging in training and education. In this approach, attaining the required skills and competence was enhanced through completion of the curriculum and within a given time duration also has a positive impact on the quality of services rendered to the patient and the health care users. Thus, the entire academic activities required to achieve certification will be included in the professional development goals.
In this case, in adherence to the academic domain, the goal of engaging in professional development would be to increase technical skills and competence through continuous education. The second strategy that is incongruent with continuous education is to engage in Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) competence and gain the ability and new knowledge from others and also be part of the greater efforts to disseminate knowledge and information. Continuous education and engagement in professional practice have been cited as having positive impacts on professional development.
The aforementioned goals focus on the need to engage in education and training as part of the professional development goals. The goals are also incongruent with the University’s social change. In particular, social change is defined as the deliberate process of creating and applying ideas, actions, and strategies to promote worth and dignity. In this regard, professional development contributes to the process of creating ideas and applying the ideas to actual practice to promote worth and dignity (Raymond, 2020).
For instance, through CE, a professional has the ability to stay up to date with current information and develop new skills which can be implemented in the practice setting to provide quality care. Secondly, engaging in nursing competence is also part of the greater efforts, which also allowed for the application of ideas to improve the dignity and worth of the patient, families, and other health care stakeholders. Thus, the professional goals support the university’s social change through the advancement of practice.
References
Havea, P. H., & Mohanty, M. (2019). Professional development and sustainable development goals. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69902-8_53-1
Raymond, L. (2020). Academic guides: Center for social change: Walden and social change. Academicguides.waldenu.edu. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/social-change/mission
NURS 6003 Module 6 (Weeks 10–11): Standards of Practice
Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties
You have probably seen one or more of the many inspirational posters about decisions. A visual such as a forked road or a street sign is typically pictured, along with a quote designed to inspire.
Decisions are often not so easily inspired. Perhaps you discovered this when choosing a specialty within the MSN program. This decision is a critical part of your plan for success, and you no doubt want to get it right. This is yet another area where your network can help, as well as other sources of information that can help you make an informed choice.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.
To Prepare:
Reflect on your decision to pursue a specialty within the MSN program, including your professional and academic goals as they relate to your program/specialization.
By Day 3 of Week 10
Post an explanation of your choice of a nursing specialty within the program. Describe any difficulties you had (or are having) in making your choice, and the factors that drove/are driving your decision. Identify at least one professional organization affiliated with your chosen specialty and provide details on becoming a member.
By Day 6 of Week 10
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by sharing your thoughts on their specialty, supporting their choice or offering suggestions if they have yet to choose.
Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 4: Finalizing the Plan
At some point in every construction project, efforts turn from design and the focus moves to actual construction. With the vision in place and the tools secured, the blueprint can be finalized and approved. Then it is time to put on hardhats and begin work.
Throughout the course you have developed aspects of your Academic and Professional Development Plan. You have thought a great deal about your vision and goals, your academic and professional network of support, research strategies and other tools you will need, the integrity of your work, and the value of consulting the work of others. With your portfolio in place, it is now time to finalize your blueprint for success.
Much as builders remain cognizant of the building standards as they plan and begin construction, nurses must remain mindful of the formal standards of practice that govern their specialties. A good understanding of these standards can help ensure that your success plan includes any steps necessary to excel within your chosen specialty.
In this Assignment you will continue developing your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan by developing the final component–a review of your specialty standards of practice. You will also submit your final version of the document, including Parts 1–4.
Note: For students in Nursing Education, Executive Nursing, Nursing Informatics, or Public Health Nursing, this Assignment is the first Portfolio Assignment in your program. You will have one Portfolio Assignment in each of your courses. You will need to save these Assignments for inclusion in your portfolio that you will submit in your Capstone course.
To Prepare:
- Review the scope and standards of practice or competencies related to your chosen specialty in the resources for this module.
- Review the MSN specializations offered at Walden by viewing the module resource, Walden University. (n.d.). Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
- Examine professional organizations related to the specialization you have chosen and identify at least one to focus on for this Assignment.
- Reflect on the thoughts you shared in the Discussion forum regarding your choice of a specialty, any challenges you have encountered in making this choice, and any feedback you have received from colleagues in the Discussion.
The Assignment:
Complete the following items and incorporate them into the final version of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan.
- With the resources specific to the MSN specialization and the, Walden University. (n.d.). Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), shared in this module, write a paragraph or make a Nursing Specialty Comparison table, comparing at least two nursing specialties that include your selected specialization and second-preferred specialization.
- Write a 2- to 3-paragraph justification statement identifying your reasons for choosing your MSN specialization. Incorporate feedback you received from colleagues in this Module’s Discussion forum.
- Identify the professional organization related to your chosen specialization for this Assignment, and explain how you can become an active member of this organization.
Note: Your final version of the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan should include all components as presented the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan template.
By Day 5 of Week 11
Submit your final draft of Parts 1-4 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan.
