NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan

NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan

Module 2 | Part 2: Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity and Professional Ethics

I have looked at how being honest in writing connects to academic integrity, and how professional ethics relate to professional practices. I’ve also found ways to keep my work honest and ethical in my studies and future nursing career. Here’s what I learned:

Directions: Below, I’ll write about what I found in Part 1 (Academic and Professional Integrity Connection) and Part 2 (Work Integrity Strategies).

Academic Success and Professional Development Plan

Part 2 Section 1

Being honest is a big part of academic integrity. When we write, we need to give credit to people whose work we use. This is important for school research. We should also use research to learn and connect school stuff with real-world things (Emmerich, 2019). People work hard to do research, and we need to give them credit. This helps us learn from them. Being honest in writing also helps us be objective. This means we look at things from different sides. When we use others’ work, it helps us see different views.

Professional practices and scholarly ethics go together. If we are ethical in our studies, we learn to be good in our job too. For example, if we always give credit to others in our school work, we’ll do the same at work. Teachers also play a part. If they’re good at what they do, they help students learn to be ethical. Teachers can ask students to use others’ work in assignments, and this helps students learn to be honest.

Part 2 Section 2

In the MSN program, I’ll use good sources for my research and give them credit in my work (Akyurek & Afacan, 2018). I’ll learn different ways to give credit. I’ll also get better at searching for good sources. Tools like PlagScan or TurnitIn will help me check my work for copying from others. I’ll make sure I read and understand what I find, so I don’t copy it. When I work as a nurse, I’ll use research to do my job better. I’ll also learn about nursing ethics to be a good nurse and take care of my patients. This will help me in my job and keep my career safe.

References

Akyürek, E. & Afacan, Ö. (2018). Problems Encountered During the Scientific Research Process in Graduate Education: The Institute of Educational Sciences. Higher Education Studies, 8(2), 47-57. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1175347.pdf

Emmerich, N. (2019). Professional ethics for researchers? Handbook of Research Ethics and Scientific Integrity, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76040-7_34-1

Pickler R. H. (2018). Honoring the past, pursuing the future. Nursing Research, 67(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000255

NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan

Module 3 | Part 3: Research Analysis

I picked a topic to study more. I found a research article about this and checked it out. Here’s what I found:

Step 1: Research Analysis

Topic of Interest: Effects of Psychotropic Medication

Research Article: Valdovinos, M. G., Schieber, E., McMahon, M., Beard, L., Wilkinson, A., & Carpenter, J. (2017). Adverse Side Effects of Psychotropic Medication and Challenging Behavior: Pilot Work Assessing Impact. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 29(6), 969–982. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-017-9570-0

Professional Practice Use: This study looks at bad side effects of psychotropic meds in people with mental issues. This helps healthcare workers make good choices when giving these meds. It also shows how these meds can affect people’s lives. It helps us learn about how these meds might work in people with different issues.

Research Analysis Matrix

Strengths of the Research

Limitations of the Research

Relevancy to Topic of Interest

Notes

The study found possible bad effects of psychotropic meds, like hunger and aggression.

The study didn’t use a control group, so we’re not sure about the results.

This study helps us understand how these meds might affect people with mental issues.

 

Step 2: Summary of Analysis

To find this article, I used a health research database like NIH. I typed in keywords about the topic and refined my search to find the newest articles. I read the article to see what it’s about, its strengths, and weaknesses. I think using different databases and Google Scholar can help find good articles. I want to use Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory for future searches.

Module 6 | Part 4: Finalizing the Plan

I looked at different nursing specialties and why they’re cool. I picked Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) as my top choice. Here’s why:

Step 1: Comparison of Nursing Specialties

PMHNP is for mental health. They help people with mental issues. They check, diagnose, and treat them. They’re trained to know the mind and how it works (Boyer et al., 2019).

Step 2: Justification of Nursing Specialty

I like PMHNP because it’s important. Mental health issues are more common now. Being a PMHNP means I can help people with mental issues get better. I’ll learn a lot about how the mind works and how to help. This will make me a better nurse and let me help more people (Kverno & Frosch, 2022).

Step 3: Professional Organizations

I want to join the American Psychiatric Association. They help psychiatrists with research and guidelines. They care about patients and want to improve mental health care (Keepers et al., 2020). I can be part of it when I become a PMHNP.

NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan

Module 2 | Part 2: 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.

Directions: In the space below craft your analysis/writing sample, including Part 1 (The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity) and Part 2 (Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work).

Academic Success and Professional Development Plan

Part 2 Section 1

One of the major tenets of academic integrity is honesty. This translates into writing by giving due credit to the owner of any work cited in academic writing by attributing the information to them. As a student, it is critical to engage in scholarly research and use it to learn and connect academic ideas with real-world scenarios, or application (Emmerich, 2019). The research that students utilize to learn is often done by hardworking scholars who value research and education. Including the work in academic writing and citing it as their work is crucial. Otherwise, the student should demonstrate where they found information should it go unnoticed. Integrity in academic writing is also important because it introduces the concept of objectivity in learning. Citing other scholars’ works in an academic paper allows the learner to understand objective standpoints from other scholars, and its relevance in their learning process.

Professional practices and scholarly ethics are enmeshed concepts considering they are contingent upon the development of each other. A student who observes scholarly ethics is likely to develop strong and desirable skills that are transferrable to professional practice. For instance, a student who often cites the scholarly works included in their academic paper is likely to have integrity which would reflect in the work environment. Similarly, professional practices determine the level of scholarly ethics especially from the teachers or instructors who interact with students. A tutor who is professional in their role will encourage scholarly ethics by making it a requirement in their assignments to the students to cite works from other scholars.

 

Part 2 Section 2

As a student in the MSN program, a strategy I intend to apply so as to maintain my integrity and ethics of my academic work is to ensure that I always use scholarly resources as references in my research work, and to ensure that I cite the work in the recommended referencing style (Akyurek & Afacan, 2018). I plan to remain well-versed with the different referencing styles available for scholarly learning. Another strategy I plan to utilize is to hone my research skills especially in databases so as to find credible sources of academic information so that when I cite it, it is reliable and credible. I also intend to use tools such as PlagScan or TurnitIn to ensure that my work is not plagiarized even as I reference other scholarly authors. I believe that I will avoid plagiarism by reading and understanding the academic material I research on, and paraphrase it in a manner that avoids plagiarism. NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan .

Throughout my professional work as a nurse, I intend to intensify my research efforts so that I can apply evidence-based practice in my work. I believe that EBP is crucial in nursing because it promotes integrity in the profession, and increases the chances of positive health outcomes on patients since the interventions used are evidence-based (Pickler, 2018). Additionally, I plan to always prepare well for my examinations and seek training in professional ethics in nursing. I would like to increase my knowledge in nursing ethics not only to ensure that my patients achieve their desired health outcomes, but to also ensure the longevity of my career as a nurse. I believe that violations of the ethical codes in nursing could jeopardize my career; which is an outcome I intend to avoid.

References

Akyürek, E. & Afacan, Ö. (2018). Problems Encountered During the Scientific Research Process in Graduate Education: The Institute of Educational Sciences. Higher Education Studies, 8(2), 47-57. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1175347.pdf

Emmerich, N. (2019). Professional ethics for researchers? Handbook of Research Ethics and Scientific Integrity, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76040-7_34-1

Pickler R. H. (2018). Honoring the past, pursuing the future. Nursing Research, 67(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000255

NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan

Module 3 | Part 3: 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:

Research Article: Include full citation in APA format, as well as link or search details (such as DOI)

 

Professional Practice Use:

One or more professional practice uses of the theories/concepts presented in the article

 

Research Analysis Matrix

Add more rows if necessary

Strengths of the Research

Limitations of the Research

Relevancy to Topic of Interest

Notes

 

Module 3: 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 analyzed this article. The results of these efforts are shared below.

Step 1. Research Analysis

Complete the table below

The topic of interest:

Psychotropic Medication Side Effects

Research Article:

Valdovinos, M. G., Schieber, E., McMahon, M., Beard, L., Wilkinson, A., & Carpenter, J. (2017). Adverse Side Effects of Psychotropic Medication and Challenging Behavior: Pilot Work Assessing Impact. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 29(6), 969–982. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-017-9570-0

Professional Practice Use

This study examines the adverse side effects of psychotropic medication use in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), often involving off-label drug use (i.e., not for FDA-approved purposes) in managing challenging behavior. Healthcare organizations and workers have used the concepts of this research to inform decisions regarding the appropriate use and prescription of psychotropic medications. Physicians have also used it to identify the adverse effects of the drugs and develop an appropriate treatment plan for managing the patients to alleviate the harmful effects and facilitate recovery. The study introduces a method that can be used to evaluate the motivating operation function of psychotropic medication’s adverse side effects and has, therefore, been used to advance further research on the effects of the drugs on children, adolescents, and adults with intellectual disabilities, as well as develop human-centered dietary decision support systems for use by people living with diabetes and using psychotropic medications.

Research Analysis Matrix

Strengths of the Research

Limitations of the Research

Relevancy To the Topic of Interest

Notes

 

The research successfully identified some potential adverse effects of psychotropic medications, such as increased hunger, tardive dyskinesia, aggression, and headache.

The study did not run control conditions for adverse side effects, making it challenging to assess accounting for the observed responses.

This study is relevant to the study topic as it identified some potential impacts of psychotropic medications on the functional capacity of patients and developed measures to manage the adverse effects.

Psychotropic medications may have some adverse effects that may affect the functional capacity of patients. Identifying these effects and developing appropriate interventions is essential in ensuring better patient management and improving their health outcomes.

 

It enabled a functional analysis to be conducted on each participant before and after exposure to the conditions of adverse side effects to make conclusive decisions.

The adverse side effect conditions were tested only once before the functional analysis, which may have left out some information regarding the impacts of the adverse side effects.

The use of an experimental approach to monitor the impacts of adverse side effects on challenging behaviors informed better prescriptive practices and behavioral interventions to serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities better.

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

In identifying my peer-reviewed research, I logged in to the National Institute of Health (NIH) database and keyed in the keywords from my research topic. For example, I used the keywords “psychotropic medications” and “Adverse side effects” to bring out related articles. I further refined these articles by customizing the year range from 2017 to 2022 so that I could find the most current article for the analysis. Finally, in analyzing the article, I focused on identifying the purpose of the article, the study design, its strengths and limitations, and its relevance to my study topic. This enabled me to identify a relevant peer-reviewed article based on unbiased scientific research for my study NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan .

Some of the strategies I have found to be effective in identifying peer-reviewed research include visiting numerous online library databases and using different search engines such as Google, among others. In the library databases, I use keywords and key terms of my research and PICOT questions to identify the most relevant articles. I refine these articles by customizing the year ranges to get the most recent articles. I can also find research articles using the Google search engine by identifying appropriate databases such as NIH, SAGE Journals, and ScienceDirect. Google Scholar has also proved effective in identifying the articles.

Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory is one resource I intend to use in the future to find peer-reviewed articles. This bibliographic database provides detailed, authoritative, and comprehensive information on serials and journals produced worldwide. It covers all subjects, including regular or irregularly published publications, free of charge or at a cost through paid subscriptions.

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. NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan .

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

Psychiatric And Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

A psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner PMHNP is a registered nurse with further training in mental health and psychiatry. They assess, diagnose, treat, and follow up on patients with psychiatric and mental health disorders. The PMHNP is educationally and professionally equipped to perform a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and identify the risks attributed to the mental illness (Boyer et al., 2019). According to the American psychiatric association, the diagnosis of a psychiatric patient is based on the mental health status and assessment. The assignment is a description of psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, its comparison with other specialties, the reasons for selecting PMHNP, and psychiatric professional organization NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan .

The Comparison Between PMHNP And Family Nurse Practitioner

The PMHNP nurses are equipped with the knowledge of psychodynamic and psychopharmacology techniques to guide them in treating patients. The essential skills and attributes a PMHNP learn at a higher level include analytical skills, professionalism, and problem-solving skills. The roles and responsibilities of a psychiatric nurse are physical assessment, designing treatment plans, educating communities on mental health, and following up on the patient. A family nurse practitioner specializes in physical ailments, acute illnesses, infections, and injuries (Herbert & Sibley, 2022). Family, psychiatric, and mental health nurse practitioners have a unique strain in their scope of practice. The difference in the PMHNP is that they make diagnoses based on diagnostic assessment questionnaires or tools and diagnostic statistics manual criteria.

Step 2: Justification of Nursing Specialty

Reasons For Choosing Psychiatric And Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

A psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner specializes in physical health assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology, health promotion and maintenance, and psychotherapy. Pmhnp is a prestigious specialty because it broadens the scope of practice in mild to severe mental health illnesses. It offers an opportunity to learn and interpret patients’ behavioral patterns during the assessment and daily interactions (Kverno & Frosch, 2022). In modern society, there is an increase in mental health issues due to technological advances, urbanization, childhood abuse, social isolation, social disadvantages, and long-term stress. The role of a nurse practitioner is to create awareness, treatment, and follow-up on patients with mental health issues. The achievements the PMHNP have made in their practice is developing an understanding of healthy coping mechanisms in traumatic situations. They have identified and reduced the cases of suicide and depression among young adults and adolescents. They have identified and treated substance use disorder and its effects on behavioral and cognitive function. Moreover, PMHNP is a rewarding course, especially in helping needy patients.

Step 3: Professional Organizations

Psychiatric Professional Organization

American psychiatric association is a medical specialty society that represents psychiatrists across the states in america. The organization supports the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients with mental health issues. Additionally, it influences the funding of studies and research in psychiatry and the provision of practicing guidelines (Keepers et al., 2020). They ensure the provision of high-quality care for individuals and serve the professional needs of their members. Their values are to provide the best standards of clinical practice, have the highest ethical standards of professional conduct, and offer patient-focused treatment decisions. The increase in the number of pumps has led to the accessibility of psychiatric and mental health services, the promotion of the rights and interests of psychiatric patients, and the prevention and treatment of psychiatric disorders. The American psychiatric association members are psychiatric nurses, residents, and students training in psychiatry.