ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PART 1: DEVELOPING AN ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORK
Module 1 | Part 1: Developing an Academic and Professional Network
Academic and professional success implores nursing students pursuing advanced nursing programs like the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) to develop a network to assist clarify their vision for success and guide them in their studies (Butts et al., 2021). As such, I have identified two academic and two professional individuals as the foundation of my network as I navigate the program in the nursing school at Walden University. The network will assist me to develop and understand my vision for success and guide me now and in the future throughout my advanced nursing education journey and advanced practice nursing.
NETWORK MEMBER 1
Name: John Doe; MSN, BSN, NP
Title: Nurse educator/ instructor
Organization: University of Maryland, School of Nursing
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:
I selected Mrs. Rubio because of her position as an academic instructor during my BSN program at the University of Maryland, School of Nursing. As an experienced instructor, Mrs. Rubio will guide me on my academic and professional goals; especially the most effective and practical ways to progressively attain my advanced education goals (Grace et al., 2022). She will provide an additional level of support and guidance and assist me connect with different resources at the university and other sources to attain my success. Being an online class, Mrs. Rubio will be instrumental in giving tips and ways to enhance my schedule; especially attaining a balance in my work, life, and education areas.
NETWORK MEMBER 2
Name: Ann Stella, RN, MSN, NP
Title: Nurse Leader
Organization: Oakland Medical Center
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:
I selected my nurse leader at my present workplace because of her immense support and encouragement to take an advanced nursing degree. Mrs. Stokes believes in her team and as a transformational leader, she encourages nurses to advance their education so that they can effectively handle patients. She also supported my decision to further my education, and will be instrumental in offering all resources like time so that I can attain my academic success goals. She will ensure that I need time to focus on school assignments and dedicate myself to the course. She will be part of my future and broader career opportunities within and outside the organization, especially when I specialize in certain areas like mental health or geriatric care.
NETWORK MEMBER 3
Name: Peter Hills, MD
Title: Medical Director
Organization: Oakland Medical Center
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:
I have chosen Dr. Miles because of his experience, knowledge, and encouragement as the head of my current organization. Dr. Miles is another core motivation for me to further my nursing education as he believes that advanced practice nurses are well positioned to enhance care delivery and interact better with patients, their families, and the communities served by the facility. Dr. Miles believes that advanced education is the most practical way to improve care delivery as provides nurses the opportunity to specialize because of the skills and abilities they attain upon completion of such courses. He will provide guidance and necessary resources like time (Wheeler et al., 2022). He will also form a core part of my future network after completing my MSN program by providing more opportunities for professional growth and development.
NETWORK MEMBER 4
Name: Joy Luckua; PhD, MSN, BSN
Title: Student Success Advisor
Organization: Walden University
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:
I selected Mrs. Stower as part of this network because of the critical role that she will play that include helping me formulate my goals. She will advise me on the most appropriate strategies to achieve my goals and track my progress during the program. She will provide an additional support layer and guidance to effectively attain the expected course outcomes. She will also link me with additional resources at the university to ensure that I have the best experience. As an online class, having sufficient resources and support is critical, and I know that Mrs. Stower will help me as I look forward to her being a mentor during my practicum.
Conclusion
Having an academic and professional network is critical for nursing students pursuing advanced education as it guides and supports them attain success in their studies and goals. These individuals support and mentor the advanced nursing students by providing resources and advice to excel and focus on their goals. As such, I believe that the professionals and scholars that I have selected will support, and guide me to attain my set academic and professional goals as I embark on the MSN program at the Walden University.
References
Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2021). Philosophies and theories for advanced nursing practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Grace, P. J., & Uveges, M. K. (2022). Nursing ethics and professional responsibility in advanced practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Walden University (2024). How do I grow my professional network?
https://academicanswers.waldenu.edu/faq/72726
Wheeler, K. J., Miller, M., Pulcini, J., Gray, D., Ladd, E., & Rayens, M. K. (2022). Advanced practice nursing roles, regulation, education, and practice: A global study. Annals of global health, 88(1), 42. DOI: 10.5334/aogh.3698.
Module 2 | Part 2: Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity and Professional Ethics
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program at Walden University requires students to spend a substantial amount of time on assignments and projects. These requirements need extensive research from scholarly sources like journals and databases. As such, academic integrity and adherence to professional ethics become an indispensable part of a student since the temptation to take other people’s work and pass it as their own is high among students (Anil et al., 2021). Academic dishonesty and lack of professional ethics have serious negative implications for nursing students and later on, as healthcare providers or practitioners. As such, 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. This paper shares the results of my efforts on these areas and relationships. The results of these efforts are shared below.
Part 1: Writing Sample: The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity
Academic integrity and writing have a close relationship. Academic integrity is the foundation of academic research and writing the outcomes of the research. Academic integrity means that whatever the student provides when writing their assignments is truthful and responsibly represented by citing sources of the original work and the student taking credit where she uses her ideas and content. Academic integrity and writing involves not just recognizing but also acknowledging the intellectual rights and property of other authors and researchers based on their findings (Cronan et al., 2020). Academic integrity ensures that students do not plagiarize their work but paraphrases, acknowledge sources, and adhere to expected style and format of the paper. Therefore, by maintaining academic integrity in the writing, MSN students prepare to be honest and reliable practitioners who leverage evidence-based practice interventions in their clinical practice settings.
Professional practices and scholarly ethics are intertwined since the nursing profession through entities like the American Nurses Association (ANA) and State Nursing Boards set practice standards for all nurse professionals. A core aspect of these standards adherence to ethical conduct by nurses. Unethical actions demonstrate poor judgment of students and violate the set standards. As such, the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics is that both promote ethical behavior and integrity for nursing professionals. Both professional practice and scholarly ethics seek honesty, responsibility, and respect of rights and interests of all stakeholders. As observed, the nursing professional mandates nurses to act and practice ethics, implying that even in their scholarly activities, nurses should be ethical students who avoid academic misconduct like plagiarism, and produce authentic work by citing properly when borrowing ideas, and other people’s works.
Grammarly, Turnitin, and paraphrasing are critical tools and strategies that students can deploy to enhance academic integrity. Turnitin is a software that checks for plagiarism and helps students to ensure that they produce original work and properly cite when borrowing ideas and other people’s works. Grammarly helps students improve their writing mechanics that include proper punctuation, and sentence structures (Dong et al., 2023). Grammarly also enhances the quality and accuracy of students, lowering the risk of unintentional errors that may compromise academic integrity.
Paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity as it allows students to build new knowledge on the information that is already available. Therefore, paraphrasing conveys the meaning of a certain while also protecting the original work and integrity. Paraphrasing demonstrates an understanding of the source material and enables students to integrate ideas from others while not plagiarizing (Walden University, 2023). Through paraphrasing students contribute to and promote the academic community as they build upon existing knowledge while giving credit to the original works.
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PART 2: Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work
Maintaining integrity and ethics in academic work while a student in the MSN program and professional work as a nurse during my career is essential. The strategies that I intend to use to maintain integrity and ethics as a student include following the ethical policy in the university, submitting assignments on time, ensuring sufficient research on any material provided, and building a network in the school for consultation and guidance on any academic issue (Cronan et al., 2020). For instance, mentorship relationships and interacting with instructors and other students will ensure that I uphold the best standards in academic requirements like avoiding plagiarism. I will also integrate essential resources like the library, indulge in research, and even attend conferences and workshops to enhance skills and knowledge.
As a professional nurse, integrity is a core ethical component that requires one to adhere to the set professional standards by ANA, and state board of nursing through the Nursing Practice Act (NPA). Again, following organizational culture, and adhering to my personal values will also be critical in maintaining integrity in my professional career (Guerrero-Dib et al., 2020). Again, I will also leverage resources and approaches like research evidence, attending training and seminars to improve my abilities, and working with all stakeholders to develop better interventions for quality patient outcomes.
Conclusion
Integrity and professional ethics are core aspects of any profession, including the nursing profession. Integrity and ethical conduct enable nurses to offer reliable care and get trust from all stakeholders, especially in healthcare settings. As an MSN program student and later on, nurse practitioner, maintaining academic integrity and professional ethics leads to a better practitioner who acts in the best interest of the profession and patients.
References
Anil, A., Saravanan, A., Singh, S., Shamim, M. A., Tiwari, K., Lal, H., … & Sah, R.
(2023). Are paid tools worth the cost? A prospective cross-over study to find the
right tool for plagiarism detection. Heliyon, 9(9).
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19194
Cronan, T. P., Mullins, J. K., & Douglas, D. E. (2020). Further understanding factors that
Explain freshman business students’ academic integrity intention and behavior:
Plagiarism and sharing homework. Journal of Business Ethics, 147, 197-220.
Dong, Y., & Shi, L. (2021). Using Grammarly to support students’ source-based writing
practices. Assessing Writing, 50, 100564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2021.100564
Ellis, C., Van Haeringen, K., Harper, R., Bretag, T., Zucker, I., McBride, S., … & Siddiqui, S.
(2020). Does authentic assessment assure academic integrity? Evidence from contract
cheating data. Higher Education Research & Development, 39(3), 454-469.
Guerrero-Dib, J. G., Portales, L., & Heredia-Escorza, Y. (2020). Impact of academic integrity on
workplace ethical behavior. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 16(1), 1-18.
Walden University (2023). Evidence-based arguments: Writing with integrity.
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/formandstyle/writing/arguments/integrit
Module 3 | Part 3: Research Analysis
Family nurse practitioners are critical to expanding access to quality and affordable care for diverse patient populations in the United States, especially in rural settings that require more facilities. Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) can expand healthcare access by improving their competencies and have full practice authority (FPA) in their states. By increasing their competencies in leadership, use of evidence-based practice, and ethical decision-making, FNPs can be at the center of quality care provision for millions of patients who cannot access quality and affordable care. I have identified one topic of interest for further study (Dunbar-Jacob et al., 2025). 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.
Step 1: Research Analysis
Complete the table below
| Topic of Interest: | Role of family nurse practitioners in expanding access to care | |||
| Research Article: Include full citation in APA format, as well as link or search details (such as DOI) | Tower, M., Hyun, A., Denton, M., & Cottle-Quinn, A. (2024).
Implementation of a nurse practitioner service in a rural setting: a qualitative analysis of healthcare practitioners’ experiences. Contemporary Nurse, 60(4): 345-355. https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2024.2316597
|
|||
| Professional Practice Use:
One or more professional practice uses of the theories/concepts presented in the article |
The article presents critical concepts that can be used to enhance professional nursing practice. Firstly, nurse practitioners can enhance their cultural competencies to cater to the diverse needs of patients and health populations in different areas. Secondly, the article demonstrates that FNPs should work in collaboration with all stakeholders, and provide person-centered care continuity to attain positive outcomes in community settings. Thirdly, the article suggests that challenges and limitations persist and hinder fully practice cope and effective leadership for NPs to discharge their duties and obligations. The article also makes recommendations to strengthen alignment of services among the different providers, especially in rural settings. The article shows the significant role that FNPs play in increasing access to healthcare for those underserved or with limited access due to various yet fundamental issues. Additionally, a scoping review by Schlunegger et al. (2022) observed that NPs can use their competencies to enhance care delivery, and promote a shared understanding of their roles to increase inter-professional collaboration in clinical practice settings. | |||
| Research Analysis Matrix
Add more rows if necessary |
Strengths of the Research | Limitations of the Research | Relevancy to Topic of Interest | Notes |
| The first strength of the article is that it offers personalized experiences of the ten participants and this makes it more credible.
|
The sample size was small; only ten NPs were interviewed. | The article demonstrates the benefits of NPs in expanding scope of practice, especially for patients in remote and rural locations. | The authors illustrate importance of nurse practitioners working in rural areas to expand access to care. | |
| The authors underscore the experiences of various nurses and this is critical in ascertaining the impact on the healthcare delivery system.
|
Participants also came from one healthcare facility in Australia. | The article demonstrates that NPs can implement various care models to deliver safe, quality, and personalized yet cost-effective care to patients and health populations. | The article highlights challenges NPs encounter through their care experiences with diverse patients and health populations. | |
| The authors also conducted a credible analysis based on the tools that they used like COREQ.
|
The authors never included the perspectives of the NPs and even clients who enjoyed the services. | The article is relevant to the topic as it shows the competencies that NPs should have to excel in their nursing roles in diverse patient settings. | ||
| The article’s methodology of using semi-structured interviews ensured that they get first-hand experience in improving healthcare access among the communities in rural areas.
|
Limited time to interview more participants in their practice setting | While the study occurred in Australia, it is relevant to the US healthcare system, and nursing as it shows the critical role that nurses play to expand care for all populations and patients. | ||
|
The article’s data analysis approach was commendable as illustrated by the sharing of transcripts between interviewers and the researchers. This approach increased the strength of the article. |
The article’s relevance is also through its study method as it shows that having the right methodology enables researchers to access sufficient data and information that informs their practice environment | |||
| The authors ensured that their study complies with all ethical requirements by concerned entities and organizations.
|
||||
Step 2: Summary of Analysis
Peer-reviewed research forms the foundation of quality and credible journal articles as various experts analyze an inquiry and give their green light for its application in clinical practice settings and to inform stakeholders of new findings or evidence (Fraze et al., 2020). Peer-reviewed articles like empirical studies or original research, meta-analysis and systematic reviews or scoping reviews offer credible and robust evidence for any practitioner. My approach to identifying and analyzing peer-reviewed research entailed certain steps that included using Walden University’s online library and accessing relevant database, PubMed Central which is free access. Once on the database, I developed search terms and got articles. I filtered the articles to remain with those focusing on the topic of interest, leading to only fifteen articles. I started to review the abstracts of the articles based on my topic, and narrowed to three articles before getting the one that supports my areas of interest or topic.
Effective strategies in finding peer-reviewed research are essential for optimal outcomes. The two strategies that I would deploy which were useful included using BOOLEAN operators, and filtering the search using relevant terms. For instance, AND narrows the search leading to results that contain keyword or terms while OR broadens the search, returning results that contain either keyword or term or both. Filtering the search using appropriate terms also ensures that one gets more specific search returns. Using multiple databases was also beneficial during the process but requires more efforts and can create confusion when deciding the most appropriate article.
A resource that I intend to use in the future to find peer-reviewed research is the Cumulative Index on Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) free with full text articles. The CINAHL database indexes top nursing and allied health research and literature from top nursing journals and publications from professional bodies like the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the National League for Nursing (NLN).
Conclusion
Research article analysis is vital to understanding a selected nursing topic and the research process. The selected article has strengths and limitations that practitioners can leverage to improve their competencies and care delivery. The analysis of the selected article allows nurses to demonstrate their roles and ways to expand access to quality care in their practice settings.
References
Dunbar-Jacob, J., & Rohay, J. M. (2025). State health and the level of practice authority
for nurse practitioners. Nursing Outlook, 73(1): 102319.
DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102319
Fraze, T. K., Briggs, A. D., Whitcomb, E. K., Peck, K. A., & Meara, E. (2020). Role of
nurse practitioners in caring for patients with complex health needs. Medical
care, 58(10): 853-860. DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001364
Schlunegger, M. C., Aeschlimann, S., Palm, R., & Zumstein‐Shaha, M. (2023).
Competencies of nurse practitioners in family practices: A scoping review.
Journal of Clinical Nursing, 32(11-12): 2521-2532.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16382
Tower, M., Hyun, A., Denton, M., & Cottle-Quinn, A. (2024). Implementation of a nurse
practitioner service in a rural setting: a qualitative analysis of healthcare
practitioners’ experiences. Contemporary Nurse, 60(4): 345-355.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2024.2316597
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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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 and PMC 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.