NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing | Module 1

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze relationships among Walden’s vision, mission, goals, and social change initiatives to professional and academic goals
• Analyze the relationship between MSN program outcomes and perspectives to professional and academic goals
• Identify academic and professional collaborators for academic and professional success
• Identify concepts for Walden student readiness
• Identify individuals or teams to collaborate with for success in the MSN program and as a practicing nurse

 

Due By	Assignment
Week 1, Days 1–2	Read the Learning Resources. Compose your initial Discussion post. Begin to compose your draft of Part 1 of your Assignment.
Week 1, Day 3	Post your initial Discussion post. Begin to check your knowledge with the Quiz. Continue to compose your draft of Part 1 of your Assignment.
Week 1, Day 4	Deadline to submit your draft of Part 1 of your Assignment. Continue to check your knowledge with the Quiz. Begin to compose your final draft of Part 1 of your Assignment
Week 1, Day 5	Review peer Discussion posts. Compose your peer Discussion responses. Continue to check your knowledge with the Quiz. Continue to compose your final draft of Part 1 of your Assignment.
Week 1, Day 6	Post two peer Discussion responses. Continue to check your knowledge with the Quiz. Continue to compose your final draft of Part 1 of your Assignment.
Week 1, Day 7	Wrap up Discussion. Final day to complete Quiz. Deadline to submit your final draft of Part 1 of your Assignment.

Discussion: 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 School of Nursing (SON) 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 SON’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.

To Prepare:

• Review the Walden and SON 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.

By Day 3 of Week 1 – NURS 6003 Module 1: Networking for Academic and Professional Success

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.

Then, post a draft of Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template, indicating at least two academic and at least two professional individuals or teams with whom you wish to collaborate to be successful in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse along with an explanation for your selections.

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.

Quiz: Walden’s Student Readiness Orientation

You probably have a lot of questions (and perhaps some hesitation) about the journey you are undertaking. How do I navigate the online classroom? How can I have access to a library in this environment? The Student Readiness Orientation (SRO) minicourse available on your MyWalden page provides answers to such questions and helps ensure you understand how to navigate the online classroom and utilize the many resources available to you as a student at Walden.

The Readiness Check will help you determine your prepardness for navigating the online classroom.

The questions presented on the Quiz are derived from the readiness check presented in the SRO.

Click on the Week 1 Quiz link after you have read the directions carefully.

The readiness check includes 15 questions in various formats including true/false and multiple choice. If you score 12 or below, please retake the exam. You may retake the exam as many times as you would like in order to achieve your desired score. Your highest score will be recorded. To retake the Quiz, click on “Take Test Again” (this does not appear as a hyperlink but works as a hyperlink when you click on the area).

To view the questions you answered correctly and incorrectly, click on your score in the “My Grades” area.

To Prepare:

• Review the Walden’s SRO found on your MyWalden page.

By Day 7

Complete the quiz.

Assignment: 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 seventeeth-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.

ORDER INSTRUCTION-COMPLIANT PAPERSTo 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 4 of Week 1

Submit a draft of Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template to the Discussion board.

Make any revisions to your draft of Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template based on the feedback you receive in the Discussion.

By Day 7 of Week 1

Submit Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.NURS 6003 Module 1: Networking for Academic and Professional Success

 

ADDITIONAL INFO 

Networking for Academic and Professional Success

Introduction

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You are who you know.” It’s not just a saying. It’s an important truth we can all take advantage of. We have to network our way through life in order to succeed, whether it’s finding new opportunities or just getting through each day. The key is having a strong relationship with those around us—and that starts by making connections at work and school!

Intellectual stimulation

Networking can help you expand your knowledge and intellectual stimulation. You’ll meet people with different backgrounds and experiences, who can offer advice or guidance on projects or research. They may even become friends or colleagues as well!

In addition to learning from others, networking is also an excellent way for students to gain access to information about careers in their field of interest.

Collaboration

Collaboration is an essential part of academic and professional success. The ability to work with others on a problem, idea or project can lead you down new paths that might otherwise never have been explored. Collaboration can also be a great way to learn new things! For example, if you’re working on an assignment with someone else and they know more than you do about the topic at hand—or vice versa—you’ll be able to ask questions and explore ideas together that would’ve never come up in solo work.

Collaboration can also help build your network: If someone else has done something similar before (and maybe even published their results), then it’s likely they will share information freely when asked; this could include access to research materials and contacts who could help solve problems outside of what’s typically available through traditional channels like search engines or databases.

Career opportunity

Networking can lead to job opportunities. When you’re looking for a new position, networking is an important tool in your arsenal. You can use it to meet people who work at companies that interest you and ask them about their jobs, or even ask if they know of any openings where they might be able to help make the hiring process easier on both sides. Not only will this lead to introductions with people who actually have power over hiring decisions (and thus more power than most other employees), but also give yourself an opportunity for some face time with existing colleagues—which may lead directly into future employment opportunities!

Personal support

• It’s important to have a support network.

• How do you find the support you need?

• Who can be your mentor?

Building a network requires a certain amount of time and effort, but the benefits are worth it.

Building a network is a long-term process. It takes time and effort to start building your network, but the benefits are worth it.

A good way to start building your professional network is by joining an organization that has similar interests or goals as you do. For example, if you’re interested in becoming a lawyer or doctor, join local associations for those professions so that you can meet people who share similar interests and learn about what kind of work opportunities might be available for them in the future when they graduate from school or medical school respectively. You’ll also want to consider attending conferences related specifically towards these fields (e.,g., “The American Society of Legal Writers Annual Conference”).

Start right where you are.

Start right where you are. Don’t start networking with your family and friends, because they’re already busy. Your current job is a good place to be social, but it’s not necessarily the best place to network. If you have any friends at school who are in similar fields as you, ask them if they know anyone who would be interested in talking with you about networking opportunities—or even just catching up on each other’s lives!

If there aren’t any people at work or in school that can help out when it comes time for professional development workshops or job interviews (or both!), then start looking elsewhere: online forums like LinkedIn; Facebook groups dedicated specifically towards career advancement; Meetup groups for professionals of all kinds…the list goes on!

Seize opportunities to meet people.

Seize opportunities to meet people.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for introductions. A simple, “Hey, I’m new here and I’ve heard good things about you,” can get you off on the right foot with someone you’d like to work with later. If they’re busy or not interested in meeting at first, try again later or offer up your own time instead of waiting around for them all day like a puppy dog that’s been left out in the rain!

• Take advantage of social media (e-mail lists) as well as other tools like MeetUp or LinkedIn Groups—there are tons available at no cost! You’ll be able to find colleagues from other institutions who may have similar interests/goals so it’s easier for them to connect with one another outside of class/work situations too…and if none exists yet then maybe start one yourself!

Build relationships.

• Build relationships. The best way to build relationships is by connecting with people in your field of study and those who share similar interests, such as the people you meet at conferences or professional organizations. It can also be helpful to find mentors who have been successful in their careers, whether they are professors or alumni from your school’s career center.

• Find a community that shares your interests and goals: If there isn’t one yet, create one yourself! You could start by creating an online forum where students connect with other students interested in the same things (and maybe even get paid for it). You could also look into starting up a group on Facebook or Instagram so that everyone can see what everyone else is doing at once—and maybe even get paid for it!

You can start building your network today.

You can start building your network today. Start with people you know, and then extend the reach. Reach out to those who are more successful than you, who are doing things that interest you.

It’s also important to keep in mind that networking is about more than just making new connections; it’s about learning from other people and passing along what they’ve learned so that others can benefit from it as well.

Conclusion

We hope these tips have helped you to feel more confident in your networking efforts. Remember, the most important thing is to start building relationships with people who can help move you forward. If someone offers you a job or internship, don’t turn it down just because they aren’t from where you are! Do some research about them and their organization before accepting the offer—you might be surprised by what you find out.