Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan

When was the last time you read John Donne’s Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions’ Meditation XVII?

You probably aren’t familiar with this piece unless you are an expert on poetry from the eighteenth century. However, one of its most well-known quotes, “No man is an island,” may be more familiar to you.

You get a great chance to network with academics and professionals before you start your academic and professional trip so they can help make sure you don’t go alone. This network can help you define your own idea of success and serve as a source of inspiration for the present and the future. Donne asserts that nobody is an island.

Identify the contacts and resources you will need to work with in order to succeed in your MSN degree and as a practicing nurse before you start building your academic and professional network.

Also Read: NURS 6003 Part 1: Developing an Academic and Professional Network

To Prepare:

1. Consider individuals, departments, teams, and/or resources within Walden University and within your profession that you believe can support your academic and professional success.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

• Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK1Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
• Click the Week 1 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
• Click the Week 1 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
• Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK1Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
• If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
• Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Nurse.org. (n.d.). List of nursing organizations. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://nurse.org/orgs.shtml

Schmidt, K. (n.d.). 5 reasons nurses should engage in professional networking [Blog post]. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://blog.bluepipes.com/5-reasons-nurses-should-take-professional-networking-seriously/

Walden University. (n.d.). Connect to Walden. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://www.waldenu.edu/connect

Walden University. (n.d.). College of Nursing. Retrieved October June 5, 2020, from https://www.waldenu.edu/about/colleges-schools/college-of-nursing

Review the College of Nursing’s vision and mission.

Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University catalog. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://catalog.waldenu.edu

Select College of Nursing, then Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Review the MSN Learning Outcomes on this page.

Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University catalog. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://catalog.waldenu.edu

Select Introduction, then the link “Vision, Mission, and Goals” under the Introduction header. Review Walden’s vision, mission, and goals.

Walden University. (n.d.). Writing center. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter

Wofford, P. (2018). 10 networking tips for nurses who hate networking. Retrieved from https://nurse.org/articles/tips-for-nurse-networking/

Document: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template (Word document)

Document: Discussion Posting Exemplars (PDF)

Discussion Posting Exemplars

SAMPLE POST: Use this as a guide for writing and formatting posts

My Goals and University Vision and Mission

As a nurse for over ten years, and with technological advances in the health care arena, I’ve become more interested in the role of a nurse within informatics. My professional ambition is to work full-time in nursing informatics. Unfortunately, I knew that in order to obtain this position, I would need to further my education. I began researching colleges and universities that could provide me with the education I needed to pursue an advanced degree in nursing informatics.

I discovered Walden University after months of research. I was initially drawn to Walden because it provided the flexibility I required. However, as I dug deeper into the university, Walden’s mission and vision statement struck a chord with me. I knew I’d made the right decision. The vision and mission statements of the College of Nursing expressed what I felt and thought but couldn’t put into words. The Walden University College of Nursing (2011a) envisions graduates who will transform nursing to meet the needs of communities. Technology is transforming health care, and the degree I will earn at Walden will prepare me to help my organization with this transition.

Another reason I was drawn to Walden University was their high expectations of all students. According to the College of Nursing’s mission, their program is “academically rigorous…contextually relevant…” 4 (Walden University, 2011a).

This statement corresponds to my academic goal. I’m not looking for a piece of paper at the end; I want to gain the knowledge I need to make an impact within my organization.

Positive social change, according to Walden University (2011b), is a “deliberate process of developing and implementing ideas, strategies, and actions to promote the worth, dignity, and development of individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, cultures, and societies” (para. 4). I’ve always felt that I want my life to have meaning and to have an impact on those around me, whether directly or indirectly. The desire to help others is at the heart of why I became a nurse in the first place. I intend to combine my knowledge from Walden University with social change by “putting that knowledge into practice” (Walden University, 2010b, para. 3). When I graduate, I intend to contribute to my field by guiding my coworkers and my organization through computerized changes and technological advancements at work. While assisting others, I will be a member of the clinical informatics team as the organization transitions to new computerized programs.

Credit hours are assigned by Walden University based on the number and type of assignments that students complete in order to meet the course learning objectives. In general, one semester credit equals approximately 42 hours of total student work, while one quarter credit equals approximately 28 hours of total student work. This time requirement is an approximate average for undergraduate work and the bare minimum for graduate work. The number and type of activities estimated to fulfill time requirements will differ depending on the degree level and student learning style, as well as student familiarity with the delivery method and course content.

Course Information

This course introduces students to Walden University and online learning. Students investigate methods for successfully participating in an online curriculum. Students will also be given a solid foundation for academic and professional success as scholar-practitioners and agents of social change. Course assignments introduce students to success resources, the development of graduate-level writing skills and the use of APA Style, academic integrity, and the development of a professional development plan based on each student’s chosen specialization.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:

• Develop networks for academic and professional success.
• Identify strategies for academic and professional success.
• Apply strategies to promote academic integrity and professional ethics.
• Analyze peer-reviewed research related to issues in nursing practice.
• Create academic success and professional development plans.
• Justify selection of MSN specializations using standards and scope of practice.

College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes

Click on the following link to access the College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes:

Document: NURS 6003 College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes (PDF)

Course Materials

Please visit the University bookstore via your Walden student portal to ensure you are obtaining the correct version of any course texts and/or materials noted in the following section. When you receive your materials, make sure that all required items are included.

Course Text

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Note: If the print edition of these books are referenced here, electronic versions also may be available and may be acceptable for use in this course. If an electronic version is listed, no print version is available.

Note: Please keep this text as it will be used in subsequent courses in your MSN program.

Other readings (journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned throughout the course and may be found within each Module.

Media

Assigned course media elements may be found in one or more modules of the course and are available via a streaming media player or a hyperlink to the individual item.

Course Readings List

The Course Readings List contains all of the required Walden Library resources for this course. Please click on the following link to access the list:

NURS 6003 Course Readings List

Dedicated Support for Course Media

You may use the following e-mail address and toll-free number for any questions or concerns you have about media in the course.

Primary and Secondary Sources

Review the following information prior to selecting resources for assignments.

Primary: A primary source is an original document that is the first account of what happened. A research report is primary, and you can tell because it includes materials and methods demonstrating how the research was done. Some creative work is also primary, such as poetry, novels, and interviews of people who experienced something firsthand. In nursing, which is an evidence-based discipline, we strive to use primary research that is published in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals.

Scholarly, peer-reviewed journal: Scholarly journals publish papers by professional authors and experts in the field using a peer-review process to review the work and assure quality before publishing. The focus of a scholarly journal is to provide accurate information for scholars and other researchers. The focus is on content rather than advertising, a direct contrast to popular media. Scholarly journals publish both primary and secondary papers, the former usually noted as original research and the latter as reviews and commentaries. Letters to the editor may also be published but should be recognized as opinion pieces.

Note: When selecting articles for course assignments, you are advised (unless you are referencing seminal information) to focus on work published within the past five years.

Secondary: A secondary source is one step removed from the original source. This work interprets and often compiles other work, and it includes review articles, textbooks, fact sheets, and commentaries about a topic. It also includes news reports of original research. Secondary work is more prone to error and bias than primary work because it is being filtered through an additional person or persons. Review papers can be useful to glean information about a topic and to find other sources from the reference list, but it is the original, primary research that should be relied on most heavily in demonstrating scholarship, depth, and validation of factual information.

Course Assignments

1. Participation in weekly Discussions: The exchange of ideas among colleagues engaged in scholarly inquiry is a key aspect of learning and is a requisite activity in this course. You are expected to participate each week by posting a response to a prompt or question in the weekly Discussion area. In addition, you are expected to respond to your fellow students’ postings. To count as participation, responses need to be thoughtful; that is, they must refer to the week’s readings, relevant issues in the news, information obtained from other sources, and/or ideas expressed in the postings of other class members. You may ask questions or offer further information or links about the subject. Please pay attention to grammar and spelling, as consistently poorly written posts will receive grade penalties. In grading the required Discussion postings, your Instructor will be using the Discussion Posting and Response Rubric, located in the Course Information area. 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.
2. Assignments: The Assignments provide you with the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge gained through the Learning Resources and the practicum experience. See the Assignment area of specific weeks for detailed descriptions of the assignments. In grading the required Assignments, your Instructor will be using rubrics located in the Course Information area.Note: The course Assignments will require that you completely and accurately demonstrate critical thinking via assimilation and synthesis of ideas when using credible, outside and course specific resources (i.e. video, required readings, textbook), when comparing different points of view, highlighting similarities, differences, and connections, and/or when lending support to your Assignment responses.
3. Portfolio Assignment: Each course in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program for the following specializations includes a Portfolio Assignment: Nursing Education, Nurse Executive, Nursing Informatics, and Public Health Nursing. The Portfolio Assignment is designed to measure specific professional knowledge and skills as outlined in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Master’s Essentials. Students submit the Portfolio Assignment in the online classroom and a criterion-based scoring rubric is used to grade the assignment. The rubric is aligned with American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Master’s Essentials and provides specific and informative feedback on your performance. The Portfolio Assignment is evaluated by the course Instructor.
4.  

Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 1: Developing an Academic and Professional Network SAMPLE

INTRODUCTION

Academic and Professional network are important in attaining career goals. “Professional networking for nurses allows professionals to explore the field and develop a strong support system within the medical community.” (Professional networking in Nursing,” 2019).

Professional network emphasize on the development of relationships and interaction among nurses and scholar practitioners. This type of networking among medical practitioners can be attained by attending in seminars, conferences, and joining professional bodies with other specialists in higher positions in the field of healthcare. (Nursing. Org, 2019). ). According to Wofford, there are different ways one can network with others of same interest or disciplines. Majority of people tend to lean towards social media networking for easy accessibility. It involves forums that are mentioned above. Coworkers, friends and family can serve as support system/network. It is most likely that someone you know will be the link between you and your next job (Wofford, P). I was able to get my first job through my preceptor because she put in good word for me.

In conclusion, professional and academic network provide opportunities to nurses to gain experience, learn new ideas, and knowledge in ongoing nursing practices. In order for me to reach my goal and be successful in the MSN Program as a practicing nurse, I have identified at least two academic individuals and two professionals to collaborate with me in this academic success and professional development plan assignment. This networking foundation will guide me to attain my goal to succeed in my MSN/NP program and other endeavors.

References

Nursing.Org. (2019). Professional Networking in Nursing. Retrieved from https://www.nursing.org/resources/nurse-networking/

Professional Networking In Nursing. Retrieved from nursejournal.org/articles/networking/

Wofford, P. (2018, May 24). 10 networking tips for nurses who hate networking.  Retrieved from https://nurse.org/articles/tips-for-nurse-networking/

Walden University MSN Core Nursing courses – Generic information for success:

1. Being graduate level adult learners – It is very unlikely that you will experience the quantity of or detailed guidance as in the announcements received in this course. Being so: Read the course announcements thoroughly and completely. Read the course announcements at least daily for any updates. Going forward the Instructors may post items at any time throughout the day or night. I have unfortunately received emails throughout this course with questions for which the information was previously addressed within the announcements. Again, reading the course announcements is imperative for your success.
2. The utilization requirement of APA within assignments will increase as you progress to courses that are considered “writing intense”. The APA requirement within discussions will remain as you experienced within this course. This course is not considered writing intense. Familiarize yourself with the correct usage of APA 7^th edition. It is within every graded item, within every Nursing course going forward. Familiarize yourself and utilize the Walden resources for APA assistance. I have diligently posted links to those resources several times during this course.
3. Use ONLY your Walden student email for communication with any Walden University representative. When communicating with your Instructor ALWAYS include your course number and section. Within this course I posted in the announcements numerous times your specific course number and section, as well asked that you include that information when emailing me. Sadly, I received emails that did not include this information, this delayed my assisting you as I had to request your course number and section. This alerts me that course announcements were not being thoroughly and completely reviewed. Going forward it is highly unlikely Instructors will respond to any email other than your Walden student email as email not in Walden origin routinely gets flagged as spam then deleted. Also be fully aware that Instructors required to respond to any email other than your designated Walden Student email.
4. Be mindful if you do not participate in any Walden course during the 1^st week (Day 1 through Day 7) – you will be removed from the course by Walden University regardless of your excuse. Your Instructor has no control over this – it is university policy!
5. The grading of any assignment cannot proceed by your Instructor unless you submit your assignments via SafeAssign, then in BlackBoard. Traditionally a -0- score will be awarded, with no resubmission availability. At the Graduate level, you are responsible for your work being submitted per instructions AND grading rubric parameters and due date/time. Again, I strongly encourage you to submit your assignments before Day 7 to ensure yourself sufficient time to seek assistance and correct the issue. Remember SafeAssign Drafts and SafeAssign are different!
6. For Discussions – There is a six (6) day period (Monday, Day 1 through Saturday, Day 6) allowed for the Discussion participation. No allowances for participation will be made outside of the six (6) Discussion active period. Any submitted post outside of the 6-day active discussion period will not be graded and you will receive a -0- score.
7. Faculty cannot accept or grade any assignment or discussion through email.
8. Do not wait until Day 7 to begin or submit your assignment. Assignments are due Day 7. At the Graduate level, you are responsible for your work being submitted per instructions, grading rubric parameters and due date and time. Being so = I strongly encourage you to submit your assignments well before Day 7 to ensure yourself sufficient time to seek assistance and correct any issue encountered. I have purposely made myself available to you each day including weekends and responded to you within 12 to 24 hours. Be mindful, Instructors are not required to respond to you on a daily basis. Going forward your Instructors will respond to your Contact the Instructor communications and emails within the required 48 hours’ time period.
9. As a graduate level student, Instructors will not reach out to you to ensure your assignments/discussions are completed and submitted correctly. As a graduate level adult learner, it is your responsibility to ensure that your discussions and assignments are completed and submitted timely and correctly. As an adult learner, you need to take the initiative and reach out to your Instructor immediately when you encounter an issue. You were offered an online orientation by Walden University – Did you participate in that orientation? If not, I strongly suggest you contact your advisor and make arrangements.
10. If you experience technical issues, please utilize your resources and contact the Walden Customer Care Team or Walden IT for assistance. Going forward you will encounter several PowerPoint presentations, Walden Templates within your future courses at Walden University, as well be required to submit multiple items with a single submission.
11. Understand the Time Zones at Walden University and the applicable conversion. Your course calendar is in Eastern Time as is the time/date stamp of submission/participation for your discussions and assignments. Going forward all of your future Nursing courses require that your Discussions, any Quiz or Assignment will continue to be due submitted in Mountain Time.
12. Have a computer and Internet backup plan. What will you do if your computer crashes or your Internet is not working?  Computer/Internet/work issues are your responsibility. Allowances will not be made due to these issues causing a lack of participation or missed deadline, rather a -0- score will be awarded. Save your work on a flash or hard drive. Know where you can go to access the Academic Skills Center as it is an excellent resource to assist in your success.
13. For Assignments – Only prior communication with AND Instructor approval will late assignments be considered for grading. Assignments submitted late will be deducted 4% daily until Day 5 OR may deduct the entire 20% regardless of time/day of late submission. This is at the discretion of each Instructor and will vary course-by-course. After Day 5, in any course, the assignment will be scored a -0-.
14. Be familiar with how to access and utilize the Walden resources. I posted the most useful and frequently utilized resources numerous times within the course announcements.
15. Ensure your discussions have a substance, depth and breadth, critical analysis, and reflection element within the grading rubric. In short – if your discussion Main Post does not closely compare to the discussion exemplar located within the course resources and announcements posted within this course your grade will be drastically reduced.
16. Know who and where to submit any documentation if necessary, for allowances for any late or missed assignments. Remember Instructors are not permitted to accept any medical documentation.
17. Know who your advisor is and how to contact them.
18. Know where and how to locate your student feedback. This course is 6 weeks in duration – In Week 5 I received emails inquiring as to “I see my grade but don’t know why points were deducted” – It was sadly apparent the feedback being provided was not being reviewed by those students. Your numeric score and student feedback are in different locations – this was addressed in the course announcements. If you cannot locate or have not located your student feedback for discussions and assignments – I strongly encourage you to contact the Customer Care Team as you have missed a tremendous amount of information.

Student Resources: Here is a partial listing of Walden University resources that have been shared with you during this course. You will frequent these as you progress throughout your future courses. Again, I strongly recommend that you bookmark each of these for your future courses.

• SafeAssign
• library
• Walden Customer Care Team
• Walden IT
• Time Zones at Walden University
• Academic Skills Center
• Writing Center
• Walden Student Resources
• Integrity and Writing At Walden University
• Scholarly Ethics at Walden University
• APA citation at Walden University
• Peer-Reviewed Research
• Walden Library Databases
• Walden University Library Databases dedicated to Nursing
• Phi Nu
• http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/assignments/nursing
• http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarly
• http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/assignments/nursing
• http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/tone
• http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/academicdiction
• http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/writingconcisely
• http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/assignments/discussionpost/writing
• https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/paperreviews
• https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/multilingual
• https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/ask
• https://www.waldenu.edu/experience/support-services

NURS_6003_Module01_Week01_Assignment_Rubric

Name: NURS_6003_Module01_Week01_Assignment_Rubric