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 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 1–5.

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.

 Using the Reflective Conflict Guide for the APN (Word), think back to a clinical or practice situation in which a conflict arose. This can be an event that was recent or many months ago. After reading the required readings, including the conflict resolutions steps article, begin to apply what you have learned to that situation, by following the prompts in the conflict guide. This will not be shared with your classmates, as the goal of this exercise is to have you truly reflect on a situation that was unethical, immoral, negligent, etc., so that you can identify appropriate actions if put in the same position in the future. 

Search the GCU Library and find two new health care articles that use quantitative research. Do not use articles from a previous assignment, or articles that appear in the Topic Materials or textbook.

Complete an article analysis for each using the “Article Analysis: Part 2” template.

Refer to the “Patient Preference and Satisfaction in Hospital-at-Home and Usual Hospital Care for COPD Exacerbations: Results of a Randomised Controlled Trial,” in conjunction with the “Article Analysis Example 2,” for an example of an article analysis.

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

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 hard hats 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 1–5.

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 the school website by viewing the module resource, 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 your MSN specialization (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) and other Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) specializations 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. 

Instructions: Carefully read, summarize, and appraise your group’s assigned article.  The discussion board for this week should cover the following concepts in order to have a complete draft by the end of the week. As you provide input to your peers, be sure to state a rationale for your claims. 

1. Identify and discuss the broader importance of the topic of the study as it applies to patients and organizations.
2. Discuss the nursing implications of the findings of the research.  Consider the following questions:
   • Were the results statistically significant, if reported?   
   • What is the clinical significance of the findings? 
   • What are the risks vs. benefits to practice of the findings?  
   • Are the findings feasible to implement?