Academic and Professional Success Plan

This document outlines an academic and professional success plan for nursing students. It includes identifying academic and professional network members, utilizing academic resources and strategies, maintaining integrity in academic and professional work, analyzing research articles, and setting professional development goals.

Academic and Professional Success Plan
Prepared by:
Name
Academic and Professional Success Plan
NURS 6003: Transition to
Graduate Study for Nursing

Week 1 | Part 1: My 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.
NETWORK MEMBER 1
Name: Dr. Victor Candida
Title: FNP-C
Organization: Nor Lea General Hospital
Academic or Professional: Professional
Candida was not only my guidance counselor during the nursing program I received my
Associates through, he was also one of the first FNP’s I worked for shortly after graduating when
he completed his degree. He has been there for me through all of the ups and downs I have
experienced in my nursing career and knows how to motivate me to do my very best.
NETWORK MEMBER 2
Name: Tina Hudson
Title: FNP-C
Organization: Big Country Healthcare
Academic or Professional: Professional

Hudson was my cardiac teacher in nursing school and has since become an FNP. She has
no problem telling it like it is, and holding me responsible for completing goals I have set for
myself.
NETWORK MEMBER 3
Name: Tiffany Martin, RN, BSN
Title: Charge Nurse
Organization: Hendrick Hospital
Academic or Professional: Academic
Martin has been nothing short of amazing with staying in touch with me and addressing
any questions or issues I have had. She is supportive and has made my enrollment smooth. I feel
like she will be here for me for any needs I may have.
NETWORK MEMBER 4
Name: Jennifer Williams
Title: Student Success Advisor
Organization: Walden
Academic or Professional: Academic
Williams has remained a constant contact for me as I have prepared myself for the MSN
program. She is available for me to reach out to, and have provided me helpful information so far
to help make this experience easier.

Week 2 | Part 2: Academic Resources and Strategies
ACADEMIC RESOURCE/STRATEGY 1
Academic Tutor- While this is an internet program, I intend to take advantage of Walden
University's excellent internet instructional tutoring facilities. My strategy will be to reach out to
a tutor as soon as possible whenever I have any class issues; of course this will vary from class to
class.
ACADEMIC RESOURCE/STRATEGY 2
Another academic resource that I plan to use for this program is the resources provided
by Walden. The Walden library is a great resource and nurse.org is listed on the Walden resource
page and this website has many resources available such as scholarly websites that are great to
utilize for generalized areas and also/or specialties. The resources on the Walden not only
provide assistance with clinical information, there is a lot of resources for assistance with writing
a paper in APA format, among many other things.
ACADEMIC RESOURCE/STRATEGY 3
The last academic resource that I plan to utilize throughout this course and other course
in this program are the required textbooks. In this course in particular, American Psychological
Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.).
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association the book that will be very instrumental in
guiding me through this course.
PROFESSIONAL RESOURCE/STRATEGY 1
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) - I intend to engage actively in the
International Nurses Council because it has values that I live by. The ICN is a coalition of more
than 130 organizations of national nurses representing the millions of nurses worldwide

(CGFNS, 2019).Since it is recognized on a national level, it would offer significant information
depending on the information needed.
PROFESSIONAL RESOURCE/STRATEGY 2
Another professional resource that I plan to utilize is the Commission for Case Manager
Certification (CCM) website. I am currently in the process of obtaining my CCM through this
website, and I have found it to be very useful for my day to day work activities.
PROFESSIONAL RESOURCE/STRATEGY 3
Nicole Russell, MD- My best friend graduated from Walden a few years ago with her
MD in psychology. I intend on reaching out to her for any additional information needed while
completing assignments or discussions. She is one of the most knowledgeable people I know and
is a mentor to many.
Week 3 | Part 3: 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, as well as my professional work as a nurse throughout my career. The results of
these efforts are shared below.
Part 1: Writing Sample: The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity
Explanation for the relationship between academic integrity and writing
Academic dishonesty happens when there are incidents such as plagiarism, and academic
forgery, which can occur in any setting, this is exceptionally unethical. The most critical aspect
of writing is academic integrity, as it shows the element of academic intellectuality (Cook,

2016). If using someone else's information, then referencing them is mandatory to prevent
plagiarism.
Explanation for the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics
Scholarly research and writing consists of a combination of the writer’s research and
ideas and research of other scholars (ANA, 2015). In nursing, one’s professional practice is
directly related to scholarly ethics. A nurse must research scholarly information and use this in
their practice. The clinician must have good ethics and morals to take the time to research rather
than treating someone based on their own opinion and not one that is something that has been
research, tested, and likely with studies performed. Non ethical practioners try to take the easy
route and this most often ends in patients being treated incorrectly and could cause them major
detriment.
How Grammarly, Safe Assign, and paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity
Grammarly and safe assign allow the graduate student to check their work prior to
submitting an assignment. Paraphrasing is a great way to complete a writing assignment without
plagiarizing. It allows the student to utilize research to back work while also adding in their own
thoughts as well.

References
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretivestatements.
Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org.
Piascik, P., & Brazeau, G. A. (2010). Promoting a culture of academic integrity. American
journal of pharmaceutical education, 74(6), 113.doi:10.5688/aj7406113

PART 2: Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work
Identify strategies you intend to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of your academic
work while a student of the MSN program
As a graduate student, I have knowledge about maintaining integrity and ethics with
academic work. As with my other programs, I plan to use the resources provided to me by the
weekly lessons. I plan to use the book for this course. The online library via the Walden site is
always a great way to locate scholarly articles to use for academic work.
Identifying strategies you intend to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of your
professional work as a nurse throughout your career
I plan to continue on that path of maintaining integrity and ethics. I will continue to
educate myself on how I can improve to maintain what I have learned. Another great way to stay
educated and also as a reminder is to get some of our required CUE’s that are based on integrity
and ethics. Lastly, in my current position, I am required to completing computer based learning
activities yearly that are must include these topics.
Week 4 | Part 4: 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
Topic of Interest: Effective Pain Management and Improvements in Patients.
Research Article:
Include full citation
in APA format, as
well as link or
search details (such
as DOI)
Glowacki, D. (2015). Effective Pain Management and Improvements in
Patients Outcomes and Satisfaction. Critical Care Nurse,35(3), 33-41.
doi:10.4037/ccn2015440
Professional
Practice Use:
One or more
professional
practice uses of the
theories/concepts
presented in the
article
 Professional practice use is for collaborative
pain management team that can lead to improvements in the
therapy and evaluation of patient pain management. Pain
management team can use it to aid in pain management
strategies, resulting in better outcomes and satisfaction scores
 Professional practice use for pain management education for
patients and their families.
 Professional practice use to reduce the number of signs and
symptoms, and improve functional status.
Research Analysis
Matrix
Add more rows if
Strengths of
the Research
Limitations of
the Research
Relevancy to
Topic of
Interest
Notes

necessary Information
gathered directly
from patients
EMRs and
charts
Some outdated
sources
referenced
Positive patient
outcomes
Proof for aiding
in pain
management
Certain pain
management
techniques not
effective for all
patients
New ways to
manage pain for
nurses and
interdisciplinary
team
Direct access to
patients
Lack of
participants
Allows nurses to
practice
effectively
Method used for
analyzing and
collecting
information is
backed by proof
and other
resources
Could have used
a different
approach to
research such as
systematic
review of pain
and how it is
effectively
Pain reduced for
patients

managed.
Multifaceted
team approach
Links between
pathophysiology
of pain and ways
to control it
understood and
effective in
reducing it.
Large
participation in
the study
Method used
validated info

Step 2: Summary of Analysis
Craft a summary (2-3 paragraph) below that includes the following: Describe your approach to identifying and analyzing peer-reviewed research Identify at least two strategies that you would use that you found to be effective in finding
peer-reviewed research Identify at least one resource you intend to use in the future to find peer-reviewed
research
Identifying and Analyzing Peer-Reviewed Research
The method by which scholars critically assess each other's research article before
publication in an academic journal is how information becomes peer-reviewed (Bow Valley
College, 2019). To identify and analyze peer research, I first look for credentials behind the
author's name or names. I then move on to see if the name of the article focuses on the
information I am researching. The title is a good indicator, and you can narrow this information
down in the search bar. Also, scholarly articles usually have an abstract, a summary of contents;
these are listed before the main body of the item (Cornell University, 2018).
Strategies in Finding Peer-Reviewed Research
Finding a credible peer-reviewed article does not have to be complicated. Some strategies
I use include limiting the database search to peer-reviewed journals only. Another approach is to
examine the publication to see if it is peer-reviewed. I use the database through Walden's library

of Journals to determine if the journal is peer-reviewed. If I am ever unsure after doing these
things, then I would reach out to my instructor for guidance.
Future Resource for Information
In the future, I plan on using Google Scholar to help me find peer-reviewed articles. I
also came across Ulrich’s Web while in the Walden Library, this is another way to verify if an
article is peer-reviewed or not. I will utilize this when in doubt for future assignments. After
completing my paper, I always use Grammarly to help with grammatical errors as well. The
more tools and resources used the better chance you have of receiving a passing grade for
assignments.

Week 5 | Part 5: Professional Development
I have developed a curriculum vitae to capture my academic and professional accomplishments
to date. I have also developed a statement identifying one or more professional development
goals, and a statement proposing how I might align one or more of these professional
development goals with the University’s emphasis on social change.
The results of my efforts are below.
Directions: Complete Step 1 by developing (or copying and pasting) a curriculum vitae (CV) in
the space provided. Complete Step 2 by completing a statement identifying your professional
development goals space identified. Complete Step 3 by writing a statement proposing how you
might align one or more of your professional development goals with the University’s emphasis
on social change.

Step 1: Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Use the space below to write your CV based on your current education and professional
background. Alternatively, you may write this in a separate document and copy/paste the results
below.
NOTE: If needed there are a variety of online resources available with tips and samples of
graduate nurse CVs.
Curriculum Vitae
Name
OBJECTIVE
To be a Registered nurse with extensive experience in providing patients with quality care
EDUCATION
Walden University, Minneapolis Minnesota August 2015- Current
 Bachelors of Science – Nursing Cum Laude
New Mexico Junior College, Hobbs, NM August2009- December 2013
 Associate of Science Degree, Nursing
CREDENTIALS
New Mexico Registered Professional Nurse (Compact Lisensure)
American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS), Certified
American Heart Association Advance Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Certified

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Care Transition Coordinator
Encompass Health - Hobbs, NM
August 2017 to Present
• Assess, plan, implement, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate options and services with a
primary goal of providing a safe transition from acute care to home for home health or
hospice services.
• Integrate evidence-based clinical guidelines, preventative guidelines, protocols in
development of transition plans that are patient-centered, promoting quality and
efficiency in the delivery of post-acute care.
Registered Nurse/Drug Testing Supervisor/OSHA & HIPPA officer
Eunice Industrial Center - Eunice, NM
August 2016 to August 2017
• Perform all drug and alcohol screens as required by company policy for a multiple offices
in the area.
• Perform Lab draws and other lab tests as need to assist other nurses in providing patient
care.
MDS Coordinator/Nurse Manager
Lea Regional Medical Center - Hobbs, NM
March 2016 to August 2016

• Responsible for coordinating the RAI process assuring the accuracy, timeliness and
completion of the MDS for all residents in the facility in accordance with all federal and
state certification guidelines
• Monitor and document the management of the Medicare and Managed Care residents in
collaboration with facility team members
Registered Nurse
Nor Lea Hobbs Medical Clinic - Hobbs, NM
October 2015 to March 2016
• Supervise Medical Assistant’s, their performance and care provided to patients during
office visits.
• Administer medications and treatments as prescribed and ordered by a provider, ensuring
patient understood all education pertaining to their diagnosis.
References are Available upon Request.

Step 2: Professional Development Goals
Use the space below to write a statement identifying your professional development goals.
My personal goals are to accomplish as much as I can personally and professionally by
completing my MSN with a focus on Family Nurse Practitioner. As my career development plan
begins to advance, it is an essential step in my life to have my family’s support while doing so.
I also plan to become a well-established Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). I’ll do this by
obtaining my Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and moving on to be licensed by the state. I
plan on earning my Doctorate and establishing my practice after working as an FNP for a couple
of years.
Step 3: Alignment with Social Change
Use the space below to write a statement proposing how you might align one or more of your
professional development goals with the University’s emphasis on social change.
Being organized is one of the traits I intend to use to my advantage while furthering my
education (Nesbitt & Mccaslin, 2018 P. 478). As society evolves daily, I want to incorporate my
knowledge to better my community; I have the benefit to help others for the better with the
constant changes in society.

Week 6 | Part 6: 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: Complete Step 1 by writing 2-3 paragraphs in the space below 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.
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
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.
My specialty is FNP which deals with caring for the sick in families and homes in the
villages and my second choice is Substance Abuse Nurse who deals with caring for patients
suffering the effects of substance abuse. Both involve community service.

Step 2: Justification of Nursing Specialty
Use the space below to write 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.
My plan is to establish myself as a FNP licensed by the state and to do this; I needed to
specialize in by taking an MSN. Ultimately, I plan to do my PHD and become a professor later
on.
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.
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) – I can join ICN by registering and applying
for membership which upon approval I become a member.

- END -