Student Support and Calendar Information
So you have all key information available to you off-line, it is highly recommended that you print the following items for your reference:
- This Syllabus, including the Course Schedule that is linked on this page as a PDF
- Course Calendar
- Support, Guidelines, and Policies
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. Part 4: Research Analysis Assignment
Course Description
In 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. Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 4: Research Analysis
Course Learning Outcomes
By the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:
- Develop networks for academic and professional success.
- Identify strategies for academic and professional success.
- Apply strategies to promote academic integrity and professional ethics.
- Analyze peer-reviewed research related to issues in nursing practice.
- Create academic success and professional development plans.
- Justify selection of MSN specializations using standards and scope of practice.
College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes
Click on the following link to access the College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes:
Document: NURS 6003 College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes (PDF)
Course Materials
Please 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 Text
American 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.
Media
Assigned 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. Part 4: Research Analysis Assignment
Course Readings List
The Course Readings List contains all of the required Walden Library resources for this course. Please click on the following link to access the list:
NURS 6003 Course Readings List
Dedicated Support for Course Media
You may use the following e-mail address and toll-free number for any questions or concerns you have about media in the course.
Primary and Secondary Sources
Review 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. Part 4: Research Analysis Assignment
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
- Participation in weekly Discussions: The exchange of ideas among colleagues engaged in scholarly inquiry is a key aspect of learning and is a requisite activity in this course. You are expected to participate each week by posting a response to a prompt or question in the weekly Discussion area. In addition, you are expected to respond to your fellow students’ postings. To count as participation, responses need to be thoughtful; that is, they must refer to the week’s readings, relevant issues in the news, information obtained from other sources, and/or ideas expressed in the postings of other class members. You may ask questions or offer further information or links about the subject. Please pay attention to grammar and spelling, as consistently poorly written posts will receive grade penalties. In grading the required Discussion postings, your Instructor will be using the Discussion Posting and Response Rubric, located in the Course Information area.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.
- Assignments: The Assignments provide you with the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge gained through the Learning Resources and the practicum experience. See the Assignment area of specific weeks for detailed descriptions of the assignments. In grading the required Assignments, your Instructor will be using rubrics located in the Course Information area.Note: The course Assignments 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 Assignment responses.
- Portfolio Assignment: Each course in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program for the following specializations includes a Portfolio Assignment: Nursing Education, Nurse Executive, Nursing Informatics, and Public Health Nursing. The Portfolio Assignment is designed to measure specific professional knowledge and skills as outlined in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Master’s Essentials. Students submit the Portfolio Assignment in the online classroom and a criterion-based scoring rubric is used to grade the assignment. The rubric is aligned with American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Master’s Essentials and provides specific and informative feedback on your performance. The Portfolio Assignment is evaluated by the course Instructor.
Rubric Detail
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Content
Name: NURS_6003_Module03_Week05_Assignment_Rubric
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List View
Excellent Good Fair Poor
Using the Module 3 Part 3 section of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template presented in the Resources, conduct an analysis of the elements of the research article you identified. Be sure to include the following:
· The topic of interest you have selected.
· Correctly formatted APA citation of the article you selected, along with link or search details.
· Identify a professional practice use of the theories/concepts presented in the article.
Points Range: 18 (18%) – 20 (20%)
The response clearly identifies the topic of interest selected.
The response accurately and completely provides a citation of the article selected, including an accurate and complete link or thorough search details.
The response clearly identifies and describes in detail a professional practice use of the theories/concepts presented in the article.
Points Range: 16 (16%) – 17 (17%)
The response partially identifies the topic of interest selected.
The response provides a partial citation of the article selected, including a partial link or search details.
The response partially identifies and describes a professional practice use of the theories/concepts presented in the article.
Points Range: 14 (14%) – 15 (15%)
The response vaguely identifies the topic of interest selected.
The response vaguely or inaccurately provides a citation of the article selected, including vague or inaccurate search details.
The response vaguely or inaccurately identifies and describes a professional practice use of the theories/concepts presented in the article.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 13 (13%)
The response vaguely and inaccurately identifies the topic of interest selected, or is missing.
The response vaguely and inaccurately provides a citation of the article selected, including vague and inaccurate search details, or is missing.
The response vaguely and inaccurately identifies and describes a professional practice use of the theories/concepts presented in the article, or is missing.
Analysis of the article using the Research Analysis Matrix section of the template.
· Write a one-paragraph justification explaining whether or not you would recommend the use of this article to inform professional practice.
Points Range: 18 (18%) – 20 (20%)
The response clearly and accurately provides a detailed analysis of the article using the Research Analysis Matrix section of the template.
The response clearly and accurately explains in detail the justification of whether or not to recommend the use of the article to inform professional practice.
Points Range: 16 (16%) – 17 (17%)
The response provides a partial analysis of the article using the Research Analysis Matrix section of the template.
The response partially explains the justification of whether or not to recommend the use of the article to inform professional practice.
Points Range: 14 (14%) – 15 (15%)
The response provides a vague or inaccurate analysis of the article using the Research Analysis Matrix section of the template.
The response vaguely or inaccurately explains the justification of whether or not to recommend the use of the article to inform professional practice.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 13 (13%)
The response provides a vague and inaccurate analysis of the article using the Research Analysis Matrix section of the template, or is missing.
The response vaguely and inaccurately explains the justification of whether or not to recommend the use of the article to inform professional practice, or is missing.
Write a 2-3 paragraph summary that you will add to your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan 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.
Points Range: 41 (41%) – 45 (45%)
The response clearly and accurately describes in detail the approach to identifying and analyzing peer-reviewed research.
The response clearly identifies and accurately describes in detail at least two strategies used to be effective in finding peer-reviewed research.
The response provides a complete, detailed, and specific synthesis of at least one outside resource that may be used in the future to find peer-reviewed research. The response fully integrates at least 1 outside resource and 2-3 course specific resources that fully supports the summary provided.
Points Range: 36 (36%) – 40 (40%)
The response partially describes the approach to identifying and analyzing peer-reviewed research.
The response partially identifies and describes at least two strategies used to be effective in finding peer-reviewed research.
The response provides an accurate synthesis of at least one outside resource that may be used in the future to find peer-reviewed research. The response integrates at least 1 outside resource and 2-3 course specific resources that support the summary provided.
Points Range: 32 (32%) – 35 (35%)
The response vaguely or inaccurately describes the approach to identifying and analyzing peer-reviewed research.
The response vaguely or inaccurately identifies and describes at least two strategies used to be effective in finding peer-reviewed research.
The response vaguely or inaccurately synthesizes at least one outside resource that may be used in the future to find peer-reviewed research. The response minimally integrates resources that may support the summary provided.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 31 (31%)
The response vaguely and inaccurately describes the approach to identifying and analyzing peer-reviewed research, or is missing.
The response vaguely and inaccurately identifies and describes at least two strategies used to be effective in finding peer-reviewed research, or is missing.
The response fails to integrate any resources that may be used in the future to find peer-reviewed research to support the summary provided, or is missing.
Written Expression and Formatting – Paragraph Development and Organization:
Paragraphs make clear points that support well developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused–neither long and rambling nor short and lacking substance. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement and introduction is provided which delineates all required criteria.
Points Range: 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity.
A clear and comprehensive purpose statement, introduction, and conclusion is provided which delineates all required criteria.
Points Range: 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity 80% of the time.
Purpose, introduction, and conclusion of the assignment is stated, yet is brief and not descriptive.
Points Range: 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)
Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity 60%- 79% of the time.
Purpose, introduction, and conclusion of the assignment is vague or off topic.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)
Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity < 60% of the time.
No purpose statement, introduction, or conclusion was provided.
Written Expression and Formatting – English writing standards:
Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation
Points Range: 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation with no errors.
Points Range: 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Contains a few (1-2) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
Points Range: 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)
Contains several (3-4) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)
Contains many (≥ 5) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors that interfere with the reader’s understanding.
Written Expression and Formatting – The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings, font, spacing, margins, indentations, page numbers, running head, parenthetical/in-text citations, and reference list.
Points Range: 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Uses correct APA format with no errors.
Points Range: 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)
Contains a few (1-2) APA format errors.
Points Range: 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)
Contains several (3-4) APA format errors.
Points Range: 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)
Contains many (≥ 5) APA format errors.
Total Points: 100
Name: NURS_6003_Module03_Week05_Assignment_Rubric