Transition from Enrolled Nurse to Registered Nurse

Assignment 2  Transition to Nursing

 NUR3020

Assignment 2: Topics for Professional Practice

Contents

Objectives: Assignment two: ...................................................................... 1

Overview .................................................................................................. 1

Topics (each must have an Australian and ‘new graduate’ focus): ................. 2

Aims/Pitch/Audience: ............................................................................... 2

Process ..................................................................................................... 3

Guidelines ................................................................................................. 3

Objectives: Assignment two:

After successfully completing this assignment students will:

1. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a topic pertinent to the practice of a new graduate Registered Nurses in Australia

2. Develop an essay with an appropriate/effective theme and supporting evidence/theory on an assigned topic.

3. Apply published theory and evidence-based-practice to a theme.

4. Synthesise published material with the student’s own critical analysis to demonstrate appropriate discussion/conclusions.

5. Demonstrate professional communication at an exit level (final semesters of third year) in the accepted form of an Academic Assignment.

6. Develop life-long learning by the student and their colleagues by presenting their scholarship to their community on study desk (optional).

Overview

The student is to write a journal article (for mock publication) about a topic of relevance to Registered Nurses, particularly those beginning their practice. The topic is to be selected from the list below. The essay is expected to have a theme (i.e. a ‘point’, a statement or an argument) and then be supported from appropriate and current literature. USQ NUR3020 s-2 2014 Assignment two(2)

The purpose of the essay is to accomplish the learning objectives. To give it a context it is to be considered as an article for a mock Australian journal which is to be published for New Graduates (Beginning Practitioners, new Registered Nurses).

Students will then present their topic and answer questions related to it within their individual Community of Practice on Study Desk. This can be done by posting a short ‘abstract’. This attracts no marks but would be a good way for students to learn about each other’s chosen topics. (Please do not post your full assignment).

Topics (each must have an Australian and ‘new graduate’ focus):

1. The registered nurse’s scope of practice in delegating duties to other personnel including non-licensed workers

2. The experience of practice for new graduate registered nurses compared to their prior learning at university (theory/practice, ?gap, ? benefit)

3. Acquiring a professional identity as a registered nurse (the process of becoming a professional and/or socialisation into the profession for new graduate registered nurses).

4. Transition from Enrolled Nurse to Registered Nurse

5. The experience of Overseas Registered Nurses transitioning to practice in Australia

6. Workplace behaviours and the impact on newly registered nurses

Aims/Pitch/Audience:

1. Essay conventions are expected (introduction/conclusion). An Abstract, if included is NOT part of the work count. It may be a good mechanism though to report to the Community of Practice (optional).

2. The aim is to write current and pertinent information targeted for novice Registered Nurses in the Australian Environment.

3. Although writing ‘to’ this audience – the essay should be in third person and not second (i.e. ‘the nurse’ rather than ‘you’)

4. A high level of scholarship (researching the literature, using the literature and writing the paper) is expected. To these ends, 12 pertinent and current resources is the minimum. Current means in this course 8 years ‘young’ unless a seminal (classic) work. Sometimes secondary citations in a current article will be older (please check in a timely manner with the examiner if in doubt).

5. The essay is to be published as assignment – there are NO marks for spending time ‘publishing’ and formatting it for a journal (with attractive columns, pictures, fonts etc.) This is not a good use of student time as it

USQ NUR3020 s-2 2014 Assignment two(2)

is the content, writing skills and referencing skills which are being assessed.

Process

1. Due Date: October 27 Word limit is 2200 – 2500 words

2. Assignment represents 50% of the work in the course – Marking guide is out of 25 marks – will be transposed to out of 50 on gradebook.

3. This piece of assessment is an individual submission; it is not group work – it must be the student’s own and it will be electronically tracked against other submissions from this semester, from previous semesters and from assignment writing sites on the internet.

4. Submitted via EASE (only) - no emailed copies or hard copy accepted

5. Please submit Marking Guide as a separate document (in WORD).

6. Please note which referencing system was used in the assignment (Harvard or APA).

7. Negative marking will occur for: a) word count beyond or below parameters; b) late submissions; c) the omission of a marking guide

8. Request for extensions are for extenuating circumstances and must be negotiated with the examiner. The examiner will request a ‘work in progress’ at the point of request. Clinical practice or being internet-challenged (i.e. away from resources) is NOT an acceptable reason for an extension. Nearly ALL students in this course have clinical practice and students need to plan accordingly. In addition many students are graduating this semester and the timeframe is tight to have marking/moderation and grade moderation done for grades release.

Guidelines

1. Use strong themes and support these well – write clearly to the audience (the reader).

2. Students may use Harvard AGPS or APA6 but must state which one they are using and use only one (consistently).

3. Achieving correct referencing formatting is just one aspect of referencing. More important is how to a) use someone else’s published material, b) correctly synthesise it into the student’s own work – and c) correctly

USQ NUR3020 s-2 2014 Assignment two(2)

acknowledge that it is either a published author’s work – or ascribed to someone else within their work (a secondary citation).1

4. The use of ENDNOTE is encouraged and some allowance for MINOR punctuation anomalies will be allowed if the student uses ENDNOTE (i.e. capitalisation in the title).

5. Academic staff assistance is provided to answer questions, look at themes or student outlines or assist with resources. We are not in a position to review drafts – but we will help with specific questions or help with clarifying either the assignment instructions or the individual student’s plans for their writing! For this assignment students are encouraged to submit their THEME to the examiner (well ahead of the due date).

6. Students ‘tick’ when they turn assignments into EASE that it is their own work. Any breach of this is a breach of professional ethics (which is what is studied in this course) and this will be penalised appropriately. The assignment will be electronically tracked against other submissions and against published work.

Turning in work that someone else has done for you and stating that it is your own is considered fraud. It does not reflect well on a student who is soon to be a Registered Nurse in Australia and it is a reportable offence to AHPRA. It does not reflect well on the profession.

7. The version that the student submits to EASE by the due date (or an approved extension) is the ONLY VERSION which will be marked. This is

the student’s responsibility to ensure it is correct. Stating later that it was ‘just a draft’ or an assignment for another course will be treated the same as a late assignment with penalties. The reference list is expected at the time of submission and will incur late penalties if offered or submitted after the due date.