NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
In this module, you begin laying the foundation for your academic and professional success. Your efforts begin with a vision that 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 member of the professional community can also help you to clarify your vision.
This Module’s Discussion asks you to consider how the Walden mission and vision as well as the College of Nursing’s mission and vision apply to your professional and academic goals. You will also begin to identify individuals and teams who can help you along the way as you begin designing the “blueprint”—your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan—that will guide you toward your own vision for academic and professional success. Finally, you will explain the importance of networking and how it can help you achieve your professional and academic goals.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
To Prepare:
- Review the Walden and College of Nursing mission and vision statements, Walden’s goals and University Outcomes, and the MSN Program Learning Outcomes presented in this Module’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 with whom you may collaborate in support of your efforts as a student at the university and as a professional within your organization and career.
- Consider the importance of networking and how it may help you achieve your professional and academic goals.
BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 1
Post a brief introduction of yourself to your colleagues. Include an explanation as to 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. Finally, explain why networking is important and how it may help you achieve your professional and academic goals.
BY DAY 6 OF WEEK 1
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by suggesting additional individuals and/or teams with whom you wish to collaborate or by offering additional networking strategies.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PART 1: DEVELOPING AN ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORK
When was the last time you read Meditation XVII of John Donne’s Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions?
Unless you are a student of seventeenth-century poetry, you may not be all that familiar with this piece. 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 with which you need to collaborate to succeed in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
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 that might help you succeed 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:
- Identify at least two academic and at least two professional individuals or teams to collaborate with to be successful in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
- Explain why you selected these individuals and/or teams and how they will support your success in the MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 1
Submit Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Before submitting your final assignment, you can check your draft for authenticity. To check your draft, access the Turnitin Drafts from the Start Here area.
- To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as MD1Assgn_LastName_Firstinitial
- Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.
- Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.
Rubric
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Complete Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template. Be sure to: · Identify at least two academic and at least two professional individuals or teams to collaborate with to be successful in the MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
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Explain why these individuals and/or teams were selected. Explain how these individuals and/or teams will support success in the MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
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Written Expression and Formatting—English Writing Standards:Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation.
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Total Points: 100
SYLLABUSSTUDENT SUPPORT AND CALENDAR INFORMATIONSo you have all key information available to you off-line, it is highly recommended that you print the following items for your reference:
CREDIT HOURS
Walden University assigns credit hours based on the number and type of assignments that enable students to achieve the course learning objectives. In general, each semester credit equals about 42 hours of total student work and each quarter credit equals about 28 hours of total student work. This time requirement represents an approximate average for undergraduate work and the minimum expectations for graduate work. The number and kind of activities estimated to fulfill time requirements will vary by degree level and student learning style, and by student familiarity with the delivery method and course content. COURSE DESCRIPTIONIn this course students are introduced to Walden University and online learning. Students explore strategies for the successful participation in an online curriculum. Students also will receive a foundation for academic and professional success as scholar-practitioners and social change agents. Course assignments introduce students to resources that support success, development of graduate-level writing skills and use of APA Style, academic integrity, and the creation of a professional development plan based on each student’s chosen specialization. Additionally, information and requirements for the MSN Practicum are introduced. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMESBy the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:
COLLEGE OF NURSING ALIGNMENT OF LEARNER OUTCOMESClick on the following link to access the College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes: Document: NURS 6003 College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes Download NURS 6003 College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes(PDF) COURSE MATERIALSPlease visit the university bookstore via your Walden student portal to ensure you are obtaining the correct version of any course texts and/or materials noted in the following section. When you receive your materials, make sure that all required items are included. COURSE TEXTAmerican Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000 Note: If the print edition of these books are referenced here, electronic versions also may be available and may be acceptable for use in this course. If an electronic version is listed, no print version is available. Note: Please keep this text as it will be used in subsequent courses in your MSN program. Other readings (journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned throughout the course and may be found within each Module. MEDIAAssigned course media elements may be found in one or more modules of the course and are available via a streaming media player or a hyperlink to the individual item. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCESReview the following information prior to selecting resources for assignments. Primary: A primary source is an original document that is the first account of what happened. A research report is primary, and you can tell because it includes materials and methods demonstrating how the research was done. Some creative work is also primary, such as poetry, novels, and interviews of people who experienced something firsthand. In nursing, which is an evidence-based discipline, we strive to use primary research that is published in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. Scholarly, peer-reviewed journal: Scholarly journals publish papers by professional authors and experts in the field using a peer-review process to review the work and assure quality before publishing. The focus of a scholarly journal is to provide accurate information for scholars and other researchers. The focus is on content rather than advertising, a direct contrast to popular media. Scholarly journals publish both primary and secondary papers, the former usually noted as original research and the latter as reviews and commentaries. Letters to the editor may also be published but should be recognized as opinion pieces. Note: When selecting articles for course assignments, you are advised (unless you are referencing seminal information) to focus on work published within the past five years. Secondary: A secondary source is one step removed from the original source. This work interprets and often compiles other work, and it includes review articles, textbooks, fact sheets, and commentaries about a topic. It also includes news reports of original research. Secondary work is more prone to error and bias than primary work because it is being filtered through an additional person or persons. Review papers can be useful to glean information about a topic and to find other sources from the reference list, but it is the original, primary research that should be relied on most heavily in demonstrating scholarship, depth, and validation of factual information. COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ORIGINALITY POLICYWalden encourages students to use critical thinking to produce original thoughts in discussion posts, assignments, and other scholarly work. This “…will require that you completely and accurately demonstrate critical thinking via assimilation and synthesis of ideas when using credible, outside and course specific resources (i.e., video, required readings, textbook); when comparing different points of view, highlighting similarities, differences, and connections; and/or when lending support to your responses.” Using too many direct quotes or ineffective paraphrasing does not demonstrate originality. To demonstrate originality requires the use of paraphrasing. According to the Walden Writing Center (n.d.), “Paraphrasing in academic writing is an effective way to restate, condense, or clarify another author’s ideas while also providing credibility to your own argument or analysis” (“Introduction to Paraphrasing”). “As you discuss those sources, paraphrasing allows you to use your own words and sentence structure to talk about the information you gleaned from those sources.” (Walden Writing Center, n.d., “Introduction to Paraphrasing”). “Ineffective paraphrasing occurs when authors paraphrase a source but do not use their own sentence structure or vocabulary to effectively reword that source. The issue here is often that the student’s paraphrase simply uses synonyms for the source’s original wording and is not different enough from the original source’s wording. Ineffective paraphrasing can occur when an author does not use his or her own wording or voice to paraphrase entire paragraphs or individual sentences.” (Walden Writing Center, n.d., “Examples of Paraphrasing,” slide 10). For more information, refer to the Writing Center’s Introduction to Plagiarism & Intellectual Property at https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/modules/plagiarism#s-lg-box-8548804Links to an external site. Assignments, discussion posts, or other scholarly work that does not demonstrate originality and/or lacks proper citation to credit original sources/authors will receive a grade reduction amounting up to 10%. GRADING CRITERIA AND TOTAL COMPONENTS OF A GRADECourse grades will be based on participation (postings) and completion of assignments listed below. Letter grades will be assigned as follows: 90%–100% = A Please see below for the policy on Incomplete (I) grades.
* Each Discussion requires that you make one initial posting and at least two response postings to colleagues. See the Discussion Posting and Response Rubric for posting details. INCOMPLETE GRADE POLICYPer University policy, Incomplete grades can be granted only to students who have already met the minimum criteria for active weekly participation in a course (including weekly postings in online courses) and have completed at least 80% of other coursework. Incompletes can be awarded when, because of extenuating circumstances, a student has not met additional course requirements, including but not limited to written assignments, group projects, and research papers, as applicable. All Incomplete grades are awarded at the discretion of the course faculty. (Reproduced from Student Catalog) Students who are eligible for an Incomplete must contact the Course Faculty to request the grade as soon as possible. Students who do not meet the criteria listed above will not be allowed to earn an Incomplete. If the Incomplete is approved, the Faculty Member will work with the student to outline the due date(s) for remaining work. Under no circumstances will the new due dates extend beyond 50 days from the last day of the term. Faculty will then have 10 days to assess the work and post the permanent grade before the University-allotted Incomplete time limit of 60 days expires. All Incomplete grades not resolved within the time allotted will convert to permanent grades of F. INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK SCHEDULEThe Instructor will log in to the course during the week to monitor the weekly Discussion area. Feedback will be provided via the My Grades area, the Discussion area, and/or the Announcements page. Instructor feedback and explanation is provided whenever full credit is not achieved. Depending on the nature of the feedback, Instructor responses may be posted to the Discussion area or included in the My Grades area. The goal of your Instructor is to act as a discussion and learning facilitator rather than a lecturer. The Instructor will not respond to every posting by every individual, so please feel free to ask your Instructor if you would like some personal feedback on a particular assignment posting or any time you have any questions regarding your assignments or your grade. For most assignments, you can expect your grades and/or feedback to be posted within five calendar days after the due date. Some assignments may require more than five days for your instructor to provide you with quality feedback. COURSE PROCEDURES
Note: There are Optional Readings located within the Learning Resources section of each week in the course. You are encouraged to explore these readings, as needed, in order to enhance your understanding of the course content. PREFERRED METHODS FOR DELIVERING ASSIGNMENTS
LATE ASSIGNMENT POLICYStudents are expected to submit assignments by the due dates noted in the course. In extenuating circumstances, such as illness, the student must contact the Instructor as soon as possible to discuss the situation. In those circumstances, Faculty will determine the appropriate course of action for the student. Depending on the situation, these actions may include recommendations to drop the course (if within the university drop/withdrawal period), acceptance of some or all of the overdue assignments with or without penalties, or failure to accept assignments. Assignments submitted late without the prior agreement of the Instructor, outside of an emergency absence, or in violation of agreements for late submission, will receive a grade reduction for the assignment amounting up to 20%. Each day late with result in a 4%-point deduction up to day 5. After 5 days, the assignment will be graded a zero. Students should be aware that late assignments may not receive the same level of written feedback as do assignments submitted on time. KEEPING YOUR COURSEWORKYou will have access to the course and your coursework from the course start date until 60 days after the course ends. After this time, you will no longer be able to access the course or related materials. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you retain copies of your completed assignments and any documents you wish to keep. The university is not responsible for lost or missing coursework. COURSE EVALUATIONAt or near the end of the course, you will receive an email inviting you to submit an online evaluation of the course and instruction. All submitted course evaluations are confidential, and only aggregate data and comments will be shared with the Instructor and Program Director. Your feedback is vitally important to Walden University in its efforts to continuously improve programs. OFFICE OF STUDENT DISABILITY SERVICES (OSDS)The OSDS are committed to providing equal access to educational opportunities for qualified students with disabilities in accordance with government, state, and local laws as applicable to the student’s program and location. All accommodations requested are reviewed on an individual basis to determine what is reasonable and appropriate. The student should understand the process is an interactive one that takes time. If you are looking to receive services through the OSDS, we want to support you. To start the process, email disability@mail.waldenu.edu. You may also reach the office by phone to schedule an appointment at 855-229-0848. International students may request a meeting through Teams. You may also fax your request to 630.596.1651. If you require other accessibility needs to experience the call, please indicate that in your email. CLASSROOM PARTICIPATIONIn accordance with U.S. Department of Education guidance regarding class participation, Walden University requires that all students submit at least one of their required Week 1 assignments (which includes posting to the Discussion Board) within each course(s) during the first 7 calendar days of class. For courses with two-week units, posting to the Discussion Board by Day 7 meets this requirement. The first calendar day of class is the official start date of the course as posted on your myWalden academic page. Assignments submitted prior to the official start date will not count toward your participation. Financial Aid cannot be released without class participation as defined above. Students who are taking their first class with Walden and do not submit at least one of their required Week 1 assignments (or at least one Discussion post) by the end of the 7th day will be administratively withdrawn from the university. Students who have already taken and successfully completed at least one or more class(es) with Walden, and who do not participate within the first 7 days, will be dropped from that class. If you have any questions about your assignments, or you are unable to complete your assignments, please contact your Faculty Member. TIME ZONEFor complete details on discussions and assignments, please refer to each week of the course. Walden University has established 10:59pm Central Time (CT) as the official submission time for all courses. All assignments and discussions are due by 10:59pm CT on the day indicated in the assignment or discussion instructions. The time stamp in Canvas will show Central Time as the default. You may choose to adjust the settings in Canvas to reflect your local time zone for submission time. For example, if you reside in Pacific Time (PT), you can adjust the settings in Canvas to show what time in your local area the assignment or discussion is due. If the discussion is due Wednesday at 10:59pm CT, then you can adjust your settings to show the discussion is due Wednesday at 8:59pm PT. Course Summary:
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