Academic and Professional Development Plan

Academic and Professional Success Plan Template

Prepared by:

Laura Quintans

This document is to be used for NURS 6003 Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing to complete Assessments 1-4. Just as importantly, the document serves to organize your thoughts about planning for your academic and professional success.

For specific instructions see the weekly assessment details in the course or ask your instructor for further guidance.

Module 1 | Part 1: Developing an Academic and Professional Network

I have identified and secured the participation of the following academic (at least two) and professional (at least two) individuals and/or teams to form the basis of my network. This network will help me to clarify my vision for success and will help guide me now and in the future.

Directions: Complete the information below for each member of your network. For more than four entries repeat the items below with details of your additional network member(s) in the ‘ADDITIONAL NETWORK MEMBERS’ section.

NETWORK MEMBER 1

Name: Dr. Olivia Carter Title: MSN Program Director Organization: HCA Healthcare Academic Division Academic or Professional: Academic

Why I selected this individual and/or team and how they will support my success in the MSN program or Post-Master’s Certificate (PMC) and as a practicing nurse:

Notes:

With extensive leadership experience in nursing education, Dr. Carter is ideal. She is both academically and clinically experienced in advanced nursing education. I have selected Dr. Carter because she can provide academic counsel, be a guide as a mentor, as well as advice on balancing work with studies. Her leadership expertise in academia and healthcare makes her a wonderful MSN curriculum resource for academic and professional growth. Wynn et al. (2021) affirm that academic leadership mentorship fosters academic success as well as graduate student resiliency.

NETWORK MEMBER 2

Name: Hellen Martinez Title: Clinical Nurse Educator Organization: HCA Florida Hospital Academic or Professional: Professional

Why I selected this individual and/or team and how they will support my success in the MSN program or Post-Master’s Certificate (PMC) and as a practicing nurse:

Notes:

Hellen Martinez is a Clinical Nurse Educator specializing in mental health and psychiatric care. Her dedication to educating and mentoring nurses aligns with my career goals in psychiatric nursing. With her strong background in clinical practice and staff development, she will serve as a crucial mentor in clinical decision-making, evidence-based practice, and the integration of advanced nursing theories in psychiatric care settings. Her guidance will help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical application.

NETWORK MEMBER 3

Name: Dr. Benjamin Harris Title: Professor of Psychiatric Nursing Organization: University of South Florida Academic or Professional: Academic

Why I selected this individual and/or team and how they will support my success in the MSN program or Post-Master’s Certificate (PMC) and as a practicing nurse:

Notes:

Dr. Benjamin Harris is a respected academic advisor with psychiatric research and nursing experience. Dr. Harris's mental health nursing work and interest in psychiatric nursing make him a top academic advisor. His suggestions will help me conduct investigations, write academic papers, and comprehend mental nursing philosophy. Dr. Harris' advice will also help me practice evidence-based care, which will help me succeed in psychiatric nursing and the MSN program.

NETWORK MEMBER 4

Name: Michael Thompson Title: Clinical Nurse Educator Organization: Cleveland Clinic Academic or Professional: Professional

Why I selected this individual and/or team and how they will support my success in the MSN program or Post-Master’s Certificate (PMC) and as a practicing nurse:

Notes:

Michael Thompson is a Clinical Nurse Educator with a mental health background in psychiatric care. The passion for guiding nurses in education is parallel with my ambition in psychiatric nursing. He will guide clinical judgments, evidence-based care, and advanced theories in mental care units due to his clinical and staff development experience. His mentorship will aid in eliminating the gap between theory and application in practice. A study by Hansen and Dysvik (2022) highlights that a critical role in eliminating the theory-practice gap is played by clinical educators in making nurses competent practitioners.

References

Hansen, B. S., & Dysvik, E. (2022). Expanding the theoretical understanding in advanced practice nursing: Framing the future. Nursing Forum, 57(6), 1593–1598. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12827

Wynn, S., Holden, C., Romero, S., & Julian, P. (2021). The importance of mentoring in nursing academia. Open Journal of Nursing, 11(04), 241–248. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojn.2021.114021

Module 2 | Part 2: Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity and Professional Ethics

I have analyzed the relationship between academic integrity and writing, as well as the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics. I have also identified strategies I intend to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of my academic work while a student of the MSN program or PMC, as well as my professional work as a nurse throughout my career. The results of these efforts are shared below.

Directions: In the space below craft your analysis/writing sample, including Part 1 (The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity) and Part 2 (Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work).

Part 1: Writing Sample: The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity

Academic integrity and writing are fundamentally linked because it ensures the integrity and dependability of academic work. Academic integrity involves presenting authentic creation, accurately referencing sources, and preventing plagiarism, all of which are essential in building and maintaining confidence in academic work (Davis, 2023). Academic integrity is founded on values including honesty, respect, and responsibility and plays an important role in building a culture of accountability and confidence in academic work. Through such values, scholars and students foster the advancement of knowledge and respect the intellectual work of others.

Similarly, professional practices and scholarly ethics are intertwined such that professionals in all professions, including nursing, operate in an accountable and transparent manner. Ethical scholarly work ensures evidence-based practice where professionals apply rigorously researched information in real-life situations. In nursing practice, for example, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice are values that guide clinical practice and decision-making (Cheraghi et al., 2023. These values are almost identical to the scholarly ethics of precise documentation, adherence to study protocols, and evidence-based practices. Following scholarly ethics empowers nursing students to maintain professional standards and demonstrate excellence in ethics in their careers.

Grammarly and Turnitin are fundamental tools in maintaining academic integrity. Grammarly improves work clarity and grammar to avoid unintended errors likely to compromise the originality of work (Perdana et al., 2021). Turnitin helps to identify potential plagiarism incidents and encourages rewording and citing sources accordingly. Paraphrasing is a key competence that confirms comprehension and maintains the use of ideas in an ethical way by providing due credit to original authors. These tools help students develop original, well-presented work, demonstrating academic integrity.

PART 2: Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work

I will maintain honesty and ethical standards in my professional nursing practice by adhering to the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics as my standard in making professional and ethical decisions. In addition to this, I will pursue continuing education in the shape of workshops and professional development courses to stay up to date with evolving best practices and standards of ethics (Mlambo et al., 2021). In addition to this, I will be responsible for my actions and decisions and learn from my errors as a source of growth to improve my practice. Through the use of these practices, I will uphold the utmost standards of ethics in my academic pursuits and professional life.

To support such activities, I will draw upon different resources. As a learner, I will utilize university libraries, academic writing centers, and peer reviews to enhance the quality of my work. These resources will assist me in upholding academic rigor and honesty. As a professional in my career, I will seek advice, adhere to policies in place at an institution, and actively participate in professional organizations such as the ANA. These practices will sustain my commitment to upholding the values of integrity and excellence in all my professional endeavors.

References

Addis, B. A., Gelaw, Y. M., Eyowas, F. A., Bogale, T. W., Aynalem, Z. B., & Guadie, H. A. (2023). “Time wasted by health professionals is time not invested in patients”: time management practice and associated factors among health professionals at public hospitals in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia: a multicenter mixed method study. Frontiers in Public Health, 11(11), 1159275. NCBI. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1159275

Cheraghi, R., Valizadeh, L., Zamanzadeh, V., Hassankhani, H., & Jafarzadeh, A. (2023). Clarification of ethical principle of the beneficence in nursing care: An integrative review. BMC Nursing, 22(89). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01246-4

Davis, A. (2023). Academic integrity in the time of contradictions. Cogent Education, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2023.2289307

Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a metasynthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20(62), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2

Perdana, I., Manullang, S. O., & Masri, F. A. (2021). Effectiveness of online Grammarly application in improving academic writing: review of experts experience. International Journal of Social Sciences, 4(1), 122–130. https://doi.org/10.31295/ijss.v4n1.1444

Module 3 | Part 3: Research Analysis

I have identified one topic of interest for further study. I have researched and identified one peer-reviewed research article focused on this topic and have analyzed this article. The results of these efforts are shared below.

Directions: Complete Step 1 by using the table and subsequent space below identify and analyze the research article you have selected. Complete Step 2 by summarizing in 2-3 paragraphs the results of your analysis using the space identified.

Step 1: Research Analysis

Complete the table below

Step 2: Summary of Analysis

I employed a systematic strategy to identify and analyze peer-reviewed research using academic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Embase. Using well-defined search terms like telehealth and hypertension management, I applied Boolean operators (AND, OR) to limit the search results. I prioritized articles published in the recent decade to ensure the ease of applicability of findings to contemporary healthcare practice. After identifying potential research, I filtered them through abstracts, study methods, and relevance to professional practice. For the review, I selected the scoping review of Idris et al. (2024) as it provided a broad and detailed description of telehealth’s use in hypertension management in primary healthcare centers. The study adhered to PRISMA-ScR guidelines, ensuring a high-quality literature synthesis, and included data from various countries. This factor enhanced its applicability to diverse healthcare systems.

Two methods proved especially helpful in identifying quality peer-reviewed research. First, I employed advanced search filters, restricting results by publication date, peer review, and subject-specific indexing terms. This strategy allowed me to have access to only credible and relevant research. Second, I employed citation tracking, locating articles citing or cited by pertinent research, which identified additional research supporting my topic. These approaches increased efficiency in locating well-documented and scientifically sound studies. In addition, using a reference management tool like Mendeley allowed for the simple organization of selected articles and removing duplicates.

In my future research, I will utilize the Cochrane Library, a database of systematic reviews and evidence-based studies. As it addresses healthcare interventions, the Cochrane Library would provide comprehensive reviews on telehealth and blood pressure management (Puga & Atallah, 2020). I will also utilize Google Scholar alerts to notify me of new publications on my research topic. These databases will keep me updated with the latest studies, so my research will be evidence-based and aligned with the current innovations in healthcare.

References

Idris, H., Nugraheni, W. P., Rachmawati, T., Kusnali, A., Yulianti, A., Purwatiningsih, Y., Nuraini, S., Susianti, N., Faisal, D. R., Arifin, H., & Maharani, A. (2024). How is telehealth currently being utilized to help in hypertension management within primary healthcare settings? A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(1), 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21010090

Puga, S., & Atallah, Á. N. (2020). Cochrane Library: the best evidence within everyone’s reach. Sao Paulo Medical Journal, 138(5), 355–358. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-3180.2020.138527102020

Module 6 | Part 4: Finalizing the Plan

I have considered various options for my nursing specialty, including a close look at my selected (or currently preferred) specialty and second-preferred specialty. I have also developed a justification of my selected (or preferred) specialty. Lastly, I have examined one professional organization related to my selected or preferred specialty and considered how I can become a member of this organization.

The results of my efforts are below.

Directions: Write a 2-3 paragraph justification statement identifying your reasons for choosing your MSN specialization or PMC. Incorporate feedback you received from colleagues in this week's Discussion Forum.

Complete Step 2 by writing a paragraph identifying and justifying your reasons for choosing your MSN specialization. Be sure to incorporate any feedback you received from colleagues in this week’s Discussion Forum.

Complete Step 3 by examining and identifying one professional organization related to your selected or preferred specialty. Explain how you can become a member of this organization.

Step 1: Comparison of Nursing Specialties or Post Master’s Certificate

Use the space below to write 2-3 paragraphs comparing the nursing specialty you have selected – or the one you prefer if your choice is still under consideration – to your second preference. Identify each specialty and describe the focus and the role that graduates are prepared for. Identify any other differentiators you feel are significant, especially those that helped or may help you reach a decision.

Step 2: Justification of Nursing Specialty

Use the space below to write a paragraph identifying and justifying your reasons for choosing your MSN specialization or PMC. Be sure to incorporate any feedback you received from colleagues in this week’s Discussion Forum.

Step 3: Professional Organizations

Use the space below to identify and examine one professional organization related to your selected or preferred specialty. Explain how you can become a member of this organization.

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