• Develop a 4-5 page analysis of your experience with gender socialization. In doing so, analyze how gender is created by society, specifically looking at children’s toys and/or clothing.
  Culture is the glue that holds a society together—it is what encourages the members of that society to cooperate with each other as much as possible. We learn culture through socialization, the lifelong social experience. From birth we are taught how to be members of our society.
  The most common agents of socialization are our family, peers, school, and media. The family, for example, influences a child’s development by such things as the way the parents hold the baby, look at it, talk to it, and respond to its needs. We take on typical gender roles from the beginning as girls are given pink clothes while boys are given blue. Family socialization is reinforced or modified by experiences at school and with peers, by the mass media, and by interaction with others. Socialization, the lifelong social experience through which we learn culture, is vital to becoming members of a society.
  In this assessment, we look at the sociological concepts of culture and socialization and how they impact our behavior and attitudes.
  Demonstration of Proficiency
  By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
  • Competency 1: Examine how theory and sociological concepts apply to everyday life. 
    • Identify gender-specific childhood clothing and/or toys.
  • Competency 2: Explain the basic tools of sociological inquiry. 
    • Summarize gender socialization sources. 
    • Explain the validity and helpfulness of gender socialization sources.
  • Competency 4: Analyze the influence of culture on both the individual and society. 
    • Describe the impact of gender-specific messages towards one’s self.
    • Analyze how gender-specific messages of childhood clothing and/or toys reflect larger societal expectations.
  • Competency 6: Compose text that articulates meaning relevant to its purpose and audience. 
    • Develop text using organization, structure, and transitions that demonstrate understanding of cohesion between main and subtopics. 
  • For this assessment, you analyze how gender is created by society, specifically looking at children’s toys and/or clothing. The purpose of this assessment is twofold: 
  • It helps you to start thinking about the impact of socialization on your life as a starting point.
  • This first analysis will be used again for Assessment 6.
  • It also requires you to locate and evaluate resources on socialization and these resources may be used in Assessment 6.
    Deliverable
    Write an essay in which you complete all of the following:
    PART 1
    Examine the toys and clothing you had as a child.
  • Describe the clothing and toys from your childhood and identify which were gender-specific.
  • PART 2  
    Examine your experience with gender socialization.
  • Describe the message your toys and clothing sent you about gender. ​​​​​​
  • Analyze how gender-specific messages that arise from childhood clothing and toys reflect larger societal expectations.
  • Reflect on the impact these messages had on you. Describe how you feel about your experience with gender socialization.
  • PART 3
    Analyze and then include outside sources.
  • Your analysis should also include information from two additional outside resources regarding gender socialization—one from a popular source and one from a scholarly source. A critical component of this assessment involves evaluating these outside resources.
  • Summarize your outside articles (one scholarly and one popular) and explain how they helped you better understand your experience with gender socialization.
  • Explain the validity (quality) of each source and how helpful each was. What conclusions can you draw about the difference in these types of sources (popular versus scholarly)?
  • Additional Requirements  
  • Written communication: Develop text using organization, structure, and transitions that demonstrate understanding of cohesion between main and subtopics. Written communication needs to be free of errors that detract from the overall message. Write in a professional style using references and correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.
  • Sources: Cite at least three scholarly sources.
  • Length: 4–5 pages, not including title and reference pages.
  • Format: Include a title page and reference page. Use in-text citations to cite your sources. [Example: Writing becomes better as the child matures (Britton, Thomas, & Miller, 1996).]
  • Font and size: Times New Roman, 12-point.

Advanced practice nurses should be able to critique, evaluate, and use theory.  They should be able to integrate and apply a wide range of theories from nursing and other sciences into a comprehensive and holistic approach to care.
After reflecting on the readings, discussions, and the concepts you have learned in this course address the following:

1. Discuss three concepts that you learned during this course.

2. How can you apply these concepts to your existing or future practice?

3. Supplement your discussion with personal and professional experiences.

Responses need to address all components of the question, demonstrate critical thinking and analysis, and include peer reviewed journal evidence to support the student’s position.

Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

    Respond one of your colleagues’ posts by offering a possible resolution to their  questions/concerns with supporting documentation, if possible, or  expanding on their thinking and providing an example as support.  

 at least 2 references in each peer responses!  You must do this to receive  maximum points! 

The most difficult question for me to answer when starting a master’s program was – did I make the right choice? After being accepted and following through with the admission process, it became clear that advancing my career was necessary in order to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to fulfill my aspirations in life. Although after being accepted to Walden, a whole new bundle of questions arose. How do I manage my personal life, time for self-care, work, and now reserving time for academics? Aside from the time management aspect, I question my strength at writing papers, especially when it comes to writing in APA format.

After posing these questions, I began searching for ways in which to be successful at both time management and successful writing tips. I gained insight by asking colleagues that I had listed in my academic success plan about time management and tips for APA writing. I also researched ways in which to be successful in an online Master’s program. According to Kelsey Sheehy, a contributor to US News, success in online programs “requires discipline, commitment, and organization” (2012). Sheehy went on to suggest that planning and setting aside time for course work helps to maintain a balance between work, family, and course work (2012). Having persistence and self- efficacy will also be imperative in maintaining success as an online learner alongside my ability to plan each week (“10 Traits of a Successful Online Learner” 2019). It is evident that to maintain a healthy balance of all areas of my life, I must prioritize planning as part of my success.

When it came to my concern about whether I could be successful at writing, I was relieved to find that Walden University offers a writing center. The writing center provides support when it comes to writing APA papers. Being able to utilize this resource before becoming overwhelmed will give me better control over my learning (Kauffman, 2015). The school writing center offers live webinars, as well as the ability to schedule appointments to address questions I have regarding APA allows me to feel more confident about my writing abilities. Having resources and support with my writing questions ultimately helps me feel more confident that I can be successful within my Master’s program.

Realtors rely on detailed property appraisals—conducted using appraisal tools—to assign market values to houses and other properties. These values are then presented to buyers and sellers to set prices and initiate offers.

Research appraisal is not that different. The critical appraisal process utilizes formal appraisal tools to assess the results of research to determine value to the context at hand. Evidence-based practitioners often present these findings to make the case for specific courses of action.

In this Assignment, you will use an appraisal tool to conduct a critical appraisal of published research. You will then present the results of your efforts.

To Prepare:

• Reflect on the four peer-reviewed articles you selected in Module 2 and the four systematic reviews (or other filtered high- level evidence) you selected in Module 3.
• Reflect on the four peer-reviewed articles you selected in Module 2 and analyzed in Module 3.
• Review and download the Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template provided in the Resources.

The Assignment (Evidence-Based Project)

Part 4A: Critical Appraisal of Research

Conduct a critical appraisal of the four peer-reviewed articles you selected by completing the Evaluation Table within the Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template. Choose a total of four peer-reviewed articles that you selected related to your clinical topic of interest in Module 2 and Module 3.

Note: You can choose any combination of articles from Modules 2 and 3 for your Critical Appraisal. For example, you may choose two unfiltered research articles from Module 2 and two filtered research articles (systematic reviews) from Module 3 or one article from Module 2 and three articles from Module 3. You can choose any combination of articles from the prior Module Assignments as long as both modules and types of studies are represented.

Part 4B: Critical Appraisal of Research

Based on your appraisal, in a 1-2-page critical appraisal, suggest a best practice that emerges from the research you reviewed. Briefly explain the best practice, justifying your proposal with APA citations of the research.

 Submit Part 4A and 4B of your Evidence-Based Project. 

Accurately diagnosing depressive disorders can be challenging given their periodic and, at times, cyclic nature. Some of these disorders occur in response to stressors and, depending on the cultural history of the client, may affect their decision to seek treatment. Bipolar disorders can also be difficult to properly diagnose. While clients with a bipolar or related disorder will likely have to contend with the disorder indefinitely, many find that the use of medication and evidence-based treatments have favorable outcomes.

To Prepare:

• Review this week’s Learning Resources. Consider the insights they provide about assessing and diagnosing mood disorders.
• Download the Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation Template, which you will use to complete this Assignment. Also review the Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation Exemplar to see an example of a completed evaluation document. 
• By Day 1 of this week, select a specific video case study to use for this Assignment from the Video Case Selections choices in the Learning Resources. View your assigned video case and review the additional data for the case in the “Case History Reports” document, keeping the requirements of the evaluation template in mind.
• Consider what history would be necessary to collect from this patient.
• Consider what interview questions you would need to ask this patient.
• Identify at least three possible differential diagnoses for the patient. 

Complete and submit your Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation, including your differential diagnosis and critical-thinking process to formulate a primary diagnosis. Incorporate the following into your responses in the template:

• Subjective: What details did the patient provide regarding their chief complaint and symptomology to derive your differential diagnosis? What is the duration and severity of their symptoms? How are their symptoms impacting their functioning in life? 
• Objective: What observations did you make during the psychiatric assessment?  
• Assessment: Discuss the patient’s mental status examination results. What were your differential diagnoses? Provide a minimum of three possible diagnoses with supporting evidence, listed in order from highest priority to lowest priority. Compare the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for each differential diagnosis and explain what DSM-5 criteria rules out the differential diagnosis to find an accurate diagnosis. Explain the critical-thinking process that led you to the primary diagnosis you selected. Include pertinent positives and pertinent negatives for the specific patient case.
• Reflection notes: What would you do differently with this client if you could conduct the session over? Also include in your reflection a discussion related to legal/ethical considerations (demonstrate critical thinking beyond confidentiality and consent for treatment!), health promotion and disease prevention taking into consideration patient factors (such as age, ethnic group, etc.), PMH, and other risk factors (e.g., socioeconomic, cultural background, etc.).