NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 1 Discussion
Networking Opportunities
This week you begin to lay the foundation for your academic and professional success. Your efforts begin with a vision, which 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 members of the professional community can also help you to clarify your vision.
This week’s Discussion asks you to think about how the Walden mission and vision and the College of Nursing mission and vision apply to your professional and academic goals. You will also begin to identify individuals and teams that can help you along the way, as you begin to design the “blueprint”—your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan—that will guide you toward your own vision for academic and professional success.
To Prepare:
Review the Walden and the College of Nursing mission and vision statements, Walden’s goals and University Outcomes, and the MSN Program Learning Outcomes presented in this week'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 that you may collaborate with in support of your efforts as a student at the University and as a professional within your organization and career.
By Day 3
Post a brief post introducing yourself to your colleagues. Include an explanation for 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.
Support main post with 3 of more current, credible sources and cite source within content of posting and on a reference list in proper APA.
By Day 6
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, by suggesting additional individuals and/or teams with whom to collaborate or by offering additional networking strategies.
Be sure to offer support from at least 2 current, credible sources in each required response to classmates’ main post and cite per APA.
NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 2 Discussion
Strategies for Addressing Questions
In Week 1 you began building a foundation for your success by considering a network; individuals and teams that can help you to clarify and execute on the vision. A network is most helpful when you are comfortable asking questions. Chances are other members of your network have experienced similar questions and may have helped guide others toward resolutions that can be helpful now.
In this Discussion, focus on the questions you are ready to ask as your journey begins. Keep in mind that sharing questions is often a great way to help others who have similar questions—even if they do not realize it!
To Prepare:
Reflect on questions or concerns you might have as you begin the MSN program.
Consider the individuals, teams, and departments you previously considered in Week 1 and how they may provide support to address these questions and concerns. Then, identify potential individuals, teams, or departments within Walden or your network that you can turn to for assistance in answering these questions and/or concerns.
By Day 3
Post any questions or concerns that you are willing to share with the group. The Discussion Board represents an opportunity to network with your course colleagues, and others may have the same questions or concerns.
Support main post with 3 of more current, credible sources and cite source within content of posting and on a reference list in proper APA.
By Day 6
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, by offering a possible resolution to their question/concern with supporting documentation, if possible, or expanding on their thinking and providing an example as support.
Be sure to offer support from at least 2 current, credible sources in each required response to classmates’ main post and cite per APA.
NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 4 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.
To Prepare:
Review the information presented in the 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 is of particular interest to you.
By Day 3
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
Support main post with 3 of more current, credible sources and cite source within content of posting and on a reference list in proper APA.
By Day 6
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, by offering suggestions/strategies for working with this database from your own experience, or offering ideas for use of alternative resources.
Be sure to offer support from at least 2 current, credible sources in each required response to classmates’ main post and cite per APA.
NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 5 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 week’s Discussion asks you to consider and share strategies for building your portfolio.
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
Post an explanation of at least two strategies for including academic activities and accomplishments into your professional portfolio.
Support main post with 3 of more current, credible sources and cite source within content of posting and on a reference list in proper APA.
By Day 6
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, by offering additional ideas regarding academic achievements to include or offering alternative ways of presenting the current achievements.
Be sure to offer support from at least 2 current, credible sources in each required response to classmates’ main post and cite per APA.
NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 6 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.
Often decisions are 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.
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
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.
Support main post with 3 of more current, credible sources and cite source within content of posting and on a reference list in proper APA.
By Day 6
Be sure to offer support from at least 2 current, credible sources in each required response to classmates’ main post and cite per APA.
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, by sharing your thoughts on their specialty, supporting their choice or offering suggestions if they have yet to choose.
NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 1 Assignment
Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 1: Developing an Academic and Professional Network
When was the last time you read Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions and Several Steps in my Sickness—Meditation XVII?
Unless you are a student of 17th-century poetry, you may not be all that familiar with this piece by author John Donne. 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 you need to collaborate with to be successful 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 to collaborate with to help you be successful 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:
Clearly and accurately identify at least two academic individuals or teams to collaborate with to be successful in the MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
Clearly and accurately identify at least two professional individuals or teams to collaborate with to be successful in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
Clearly and thoroughly explain in detail why the academic and professional individuals/teams were selected to support success in the MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
Clearly and accurately explain how the academic and professional individuals/teams will support success in the MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
By Day 7
Submit Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
Remember to include an introduction paragraph which contains a clear and comprehensive purpose statement which delineates all required criteria, and end the assignment Part with a conclusion paragraph.
NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 2 Assignment
Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 2: Academic Resources and Strategies
New construction projects begin with a design phase, where architects blueprint the vision complete with design details. They work in collaboration with builders who use the designs to prepare the appropriate strategies, tools, and materials to bring the vision to reality. You are both architect and builder of your success. You have started to blueprint your vision in your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan. You have identified others with whom you will collaborate. Now you can begin to prepare the appropriate strategies, tools, and materials
How will you approach your studies? What types of resources are available to you, and how will you access and utilize them? Taking the opportunity to prepare these strategies, tools, and materials will help ensure you can “break ground” without incident and successfully move to the phase where you begin building your vision.
To Prepare:
Consider your goals for academic accomplishments while a student of the MSN program.
Reflect on the strategies presented in the Resources for this week.
The Assignment:
Clearly identify and accurately describe in detail at least three academic resources or strategies that can be applied to the MSN program.
Clearly identify and accurately describe in detail at least three professional resources that can be applied to success in the nursing practice in general or in a specialty.
Clearly and thoroughly explain in detail how you intend to use these resources, and how they might benefit you academically and professionally.
Note: Add your work for this Assignment to the original document you began in the Week 1 Assignment, which was built off the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
By Day 7
Submit your completed Assignment.
Remember to include an introduction paragraph which contains a clear and comprehensive purpose statement which delineates all required criteria, and end the assignment Part with a conclusion paragraph.
NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 3 Assignment
Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 3: 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 quickly erode…or worse.
Fortunately, there are strategies and tools that can help ensure integrity in academic and professional work. This Assignments asks you to consider these 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 week in support of academic style, integrity, and scholarly ethics.
Also reflect on the connection between academic and professional integrity.
The Assignment:
Part 3, Section 1: Writing Sample: The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity
Using the Academic and Professional Success Development Template you began in Week 1 and continued working on in Week 2, write a 2- 3-paragraph analysis that includes the following:
Clearly and accurately explains in detail the relationship between academic integrity and writing.
Clearly and accurately explains in detail the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics.
Accurately cite at least 2 resources that fully support your arguments, being sure to use proper APA formatting.
Use Grammarly and SafeAssign to improve the product.y
Clearly and accurately describe in detail how Grammarly, SafeAssign, and paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity. Include sufficient evidence that Grammarly and SafeAssign were utilized to improve responses.
Part 3, Section 2: Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work
Expand on your thoughts from Section 1 by:
Clearly identifying and accurately describing strategies you intend to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of your 1) academic work while a student of the MSN program, and 2) professional work as a nurse throughout your career.
Include a clearly developed 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 Week 1 Assignment, which was built off the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
By Day 7
Submit both Section 1 and Section 2 of Part 3.
Remember to include an introduction paragraph which contains a clear and comprehensive purpose statement which delineates all required criteria, and end the assignment Part with a conclusion paragraph.
NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 4 Assignment
Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 4: 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. Hence research analysis skills are 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 week in support of locating and analyzing research.
Use the Walden Library to identify and read one peer-reviewed research article focused on a topic of interest to you in your specialty field.
Review the article you selected and reflect on the professional practice use of theories/concepts as described by the article
The Assignment:
Using the ‘Week 4 | Part 4’ 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:
Clearly identify the topic of interest you have selected.
Provide an accurate and complete APA formatted citation of the article you selected, along with link or search details.
Clearly identify and describe in detail a professional practice use of the theories/concepts presented in the article.
Provide a clear and accurate analysis of the article using the Research Analysis Matrix section of the template.
Write a 1-paragraph justification that clearly and accurately explains in detail whether you would recommend the use of this article to inform professional practice. Note: You can use the CARP method as presented in the Resources for this week on evaluating resources.
Write a 2- to 3-paragraph summary that you will add to your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan that includes the following:
Clearly and accurately describe in detail your approach to identifying and analyzing peer-reviewed research.
Clearly identify and accurately describe in detail at least two strategies that you would use that you found to be effective in finding peer-reviewed research.
Provide a complete, detailed, and specific synthesis of at least one resource you intend to use in the future to find peer-reviewed research.
Integrate at least one outside resource and 2-3 course specific resources to fully support your summary.
Note: Add your work for this Assignment to the original document you began in the Week 1 Assignment, which was built off the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template
By Day 7
Submit your analysis, including your competed section of the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template sections including your matrix and summary.
Remember to include an introduction paragraph which contains a clear and comprehensive purpose statement which delineates all required criteria, and end the assignment Part with a conclusion paragraph.
NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 5 Assignment
Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 5: Professional Development
In this week’s Discussion you were introduced to the concept of an academic portfolio to begin building your own brand. Portfolios have value that go beyond brand-building however. An academic and professional portfolio can also help you to build your own vision and mission and establish your development goals. In this regard, a portfolio becomes yet another tool in your toolbox as you build your success.
In this Assignment you will continue developing your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan by developing the fifth component: a portfolio for your academic and professional efforts.
To Prepare:
Consider your goals for academic accomplishments while a student of the MSN program.
The Assignment:
Using the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template in which you began to work on in Week 1, and have continued working on through this course, in Part 5, you will create a fully developed and accurate curriculum vitae (CV) based on your current education and professional background.
Clearly identify and accurately state in detail your professional development goals.
Clearly and accurately state in detail how to accurately and appropriately align one or more of your professional development goals with the University’s emphasis on social change.
Note: Add your work for this Assignment to the original document you began in the Week 1 Assignment, which was built off of the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
By Day 7
Submit Part 5.
Remember to include an introduction paragraph which contains a clear and comprehensive purpose statement which delineates all required criteria, and end the assignment Part with a conclusion paragraph.
NURS6002 Foundations for Graduate Study
Week 6 Assignment
Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 6: 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 put a great deal of thought into 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 specialty. 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 1–5.
To Prepare:
Review the scope and standards of practice or competencies related to your chosen specialty.
Download the Nursing Specialty Comparison Matrix.
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.
Write a paragraph that provides a detailed comparison at least two nursing specialties, including your selected specialization and second-preferred specialization.
Write a clear and accurate 2- to 3-paragraph justification statement identifying your reasons for choosing your MSN specialization. Provide sufficient evidence of incorporating feedback you received from colleagues in this week’s Discussion Forum.
Clearly identify and accurately describe in detail the professional organization related to the specialization you have chosen to focus on 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. Make all corrections to each part based on faculty feedback and submit a final and edited copy of the template (Part 1-Part 6) in correct APA format.
By Day 7
Submit Parts 1-6 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan.
Remember to include an introduction paragraph which contains a clear and comprehensive purpose statement which delineates all required criteria, and end the assignment Part with a conclusion paragraph.
