NURS-FPX4005: Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal

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NURS-FPX4005: Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal

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NURS-FPX4005: Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal

Create a 2-4 page plan proposal for an interprofessional team to collaborate and work toward driving improvements in the organizational issue identified in the second assessment.

Introduction

When creating a project plan, it is important to be cognizant of the significant role that nurses play in strategizing about use of organizational human and financial resources within the organization.

Communication is the key component to beginning and finishing projects, such as a plan proposal. The ability to effectively communicate involves reaching a state of consciousness regarding how others think and feel about something—an awareness of human differences. In addition, being knowledgeable about what type technological advancements exist can greatly enhance a positive project outcome (Harris et al., 2023).

As you work on your assessment, consider the following: How do organizational leaders impact project successes, sustain practice change, and share evidence-based findings? Which technology might help you evaluate the project’s impact within a health care system?

You are encouraged to complete the Budgeting for Nurses activity before you develop the plan proposal. The activity consists of seven questions that will allow you to check your knowledge of budgeting basics and as well as the value of financial resource management. The information gained from completing this activity will promote success with the Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal. Completing this activity also demonstrates your engagement in the course, requires just a few minutes of your time, and is not graded.

Reference

Harris, J. L., Roussel, L. A., Dearman, C., & Thomas, P. (2023). Project planning and management: A guide for nurses and interprofessional teams (4th ed.) (pp. 9–10). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Professional Context

This assessment will enable you to describe a plan proposal that includes an analysis of best practices of interprofessional collaboration, change theory, leadership strategies, and organizational resources, including financial considerations, which can be used to solve the problem identified in the healthcare professional interview you conducted.

Overview

Having reviewed the information gleaned from your professional interview and identified the issue, you will determine and present a plan for an interdisciplinary intervention to address the issue. While you will not be expected to implement the plan during this course, the plan should be evidence based and realistic within the context of the issue and your interviewee’s organization.

The goal of this assessment is to clearly lay out the improvement objective for your interdisciplinary intervention. Be sure to build on the leadership, change, and collaboration research you completed in the previous assessment. Look for specific, real-world ways in which those strategies and best practices could be used to generate buy-in for the plan or improve the implementation of the plan.

Instructions

Use the context of the organization from your interview to develop a viable plan for an interdisciplinary team to address the issue you identified. Define a specific organizational or patient outcome based on the information gathered in your interview.

Using the Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal Template [DOCX] will help you stay organized and concise. As you complete each section of the template, apply APA format to in-text citations for the evidence and best practices that inform your plan, as well as to the reference list at the end. (Because you’re using a template, a title page is optional.)

Be sure that your plan addresses the following, which corresponds to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Please study the rubric carefully so you understand what is needed for a distinguished score.

  • Describe an objective and predictions for an evidence-based interdisciplinary plan to achieve a specific goal related to improving patient or organizational outcomes.
  • Explain a change theory and a leadership strategy, supported by relevant evidence, that is most likely to help an interdisciplinary team succeed in collaborating and implementing, or creating buy-in for, the project plan.
  • Explain the collaboration needed by an interdisciplinary team to improve the likelihood of achieving the plan’s objective. Include best practices of interdisciplinary collaboration from the literature.
  • Explain organizational resources, including financial, needed for the plan to succeed and the impacts on those resources if the improvements described in the plan are not made.
  • Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions; contains few errors in grammar/punctuation, word choice, and spelling.
  • Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references, exhibiting nearly flawless adherence to APA format.

Additional Requirements

  • Length of submission: Use the template. Remember that part of this assessment is to make the plan easy to understand and use, so it is critical that you are clear and concise. Most submissions will be 2–4 pages in length. Be sure to include a reference page at the end of the plan.
  • Number of references: Cite a minimum of three sources of scholarly or professional evidence that support your central ideas. Resources should be no more than 5 years old. See the Bachelor of Nursing (BSN) Program Library Guide.
  • APA formatting: Make sure that in-text citations and reference list follow current APA style. See the APA Module.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

  • Competency 1: Explain strategies for managing human and financial resources to promote organizational health.
    • Explain organizational resources, including financial, needed for a plan to succeed and the impacts on those resources if nothing is done to address the improvements sought by the plan.
  • Competency 2: Explain how interdisciplinary collaboration can be used to achieve desired patient and systems outcomes.
    • Explain the collaboration needed by an interdisciplinary team to improve the likelihood of achieving a plan’s objective. Include best practices of interdisciplinary collaboration from the literature.
  • Competency 3: Describe ways to incorporate evidence-based practice within an interdisciplinary team.
    • Describe an objective and predictions for an evidence-based interdisciplinary plan to achieve a specific goal related to improving patient or organizational outcomes.
  • Competency 4: Explain how change management theories and leadership strategies can enable interdisciplinary teams to achieve specific organizational goals.
    • Explain a change theory and a leadership strategy, supported by relevant evidence, that are most likely to help an interdisciplinary team succeed in collaborating and implementing, or creating buy-in for, the project plan.
  • Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly, evidence-based communication strategies to impact patient, interdisciplinary team, and systems outcomes.
    • Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions; contains few errors in grammar/punctuation, word choice, and spelling.

Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references, exhibiting nearly flawless adherence to APA format.

NURS-FPX4025 Assessment 2: Applying an EBP Model

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NURS-FPX4025 Assessment 2: Applying an EBP Model

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NURS-FPX4025 Assessment 2: Applying an EBP Model

Develop a 3–5 page scholarly paper in which you explain the diagnosis you researched for Assessment 1, and then apply the steps of an EBP model to your search for evidence to address your diagnosis issue.

Introduction

The goal of using evidence-based research findings is to enhance safety and quality of patient care and ensure optimal outcomes are achieved. It is not uncommon to hear a nurse say, “why change it as we’ve always done it this way.” However, this is no longer acceptable in today’s practice environment. The profession of nursing has evolved, and the expectation is that the professional nurse has a scientific foundation to support the care that is provided. As the profession of nursing continues to evolve and engage in healthcare transformation, baccalaureate-prepared nurses are expanding, taking on leadership roles that include incorporating EBPs. To be able to do this, the nurse needs to understand the criteria that make a resource credible, as this is crucial when deciding if the research is valid and reliable for implementation into healthcare settings. The nurse will need to incorporate the use of EBP models.

EBP models are designed to assist the nurse in developing a plan to gather evidence to answer a practice problem or question. It is a systematic approach to direct the user to incorporate scholarly findings into current practice. These EBP models lead the nurse through the decision-making process of evaluating the literature to determine the best practice evidence for the practice issue or question.

Professional Context

As a baccalaureate-prepared nurse, you will be responsible for locating and identifying credible and scholarly resources to incorporate the best available evidence for the purposes of enhancing clinical reasoning and judgement skills. When reliable and relevant evidence-based findings are utilized, patients, healthcare systems, and nursing practice outcomes are positively impacted.

Preparation

Review all resources for this assessment, as well as the scoring guide for details of how this assessment will be graded. You will use the specific diagnosis or health issue you selected for Assessment 1. You can refer to the overview of common EBP models in the Evidence-Based Practice Models media for help in choosing the most appropriate EBP model for your issue.

Instructions

Complete the following:

  • Consider your diagnosis from Assessment 1.
  • Explain an issue associated with this diagnosis that could benefit from an EBP approach.
  • Choose the EBP model you wish to implement.
  • Describe each step of the EBP model of your choice.
  • Apply the steps of the model to your search for evidence for your diagnosis issue, and describe how you applied them.
  • Locate at least three separate resources of evidence to assist with your diagnosis issue.
  • Analyze the credibility and relevance of each resource as it relates to your diagnosis.

This is a paper and should be 3–5 pages, not including the title page or reference page. The paper must be in APA format.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

  • Competency 2: Analyze the relevance and potential effectiveness of evidence when making a decision.
    • Analyze the credibility and relevance of each resource as it relates to a diagnosis.
  • Competency 3: Apply an evidence-based practice model to address a practice issue.
    • Explain an issue associated with a chosen diagnosis that could benefit from an EBP approach.
    • Describe each step of a chosen EBP model.
    • Describe how the steps of a chosen EPB model were applied to search for evidence for a diagnosis issue.
  • Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly communication strategies to lead practice changes based on evidence.
    • Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions; contains few errors in grammar/punctuation, word choice, and spelling.
    • Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references, exhibiting adherence to most aspects of APA format.

Childbirth

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Childbirth

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Yes, I do concur that a significant amount of effort should be made to bring the C-section rate in the United States in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, both of which have consistently advocated for a C-section rate of less than 15%. According to the study’s findings in 2020, the high rate of C-sections was 31.8% (Tontus & Nebioglu, 2020).

An increased rate of cesarean sections can lead to unneeded medical treatments and expenditures associated with those interventions. Although a cesarean section may be necessary in some circumstances, it is still a serious surgical procedure that carries the potential for complications for both the mother and the child (Tontus & Nebioglu, 2020). When the operation is performed when there is no apparent need for it from a medical standpoint, it can automatically result in excessive medical expenses and an increased risk of complications.

The rate at which women undergo c-sections under unplanned circumstances feel inferior, sad, and disappointed is alarming. In most cases, these emotions are brought up by society and a number of unrealistic expectations about natural birth, i.e., vaginal birth. According to society, vaginal birth is regarded as the superior and the right way to give birth. In most cases, this has resulted in mothers feeling inferior who, under unavoidable circumstances, give birth through C-section(Sega et al., 2021). Therefore, it is necessary to deal with this stigmatization and support those who give birth in all experiences, whether vaginal, c-section or any other way.

Regarding scheduling cesarean procedures, because some women believe they are more superficial than giving birth through the vaginal route, it is essential to note that every individual’s experiences and decisions should be respected. Women should be allowed to choose how to give birth, provided they are given accurate information regarding each option’s potential hazards and advantages (Sega et al., 2021). Nevertheless, elective cesarean sections should not be carried out unless it is under established medical protocols and serves the mother and the child’s best interests (Sega et al., 2021).

There are various ways to give birth, and each can be a valid choice depending on the specific circumstances and preferences of the expecting mother. According to Vedam et al. (2019), these choices include giving birth at home, having a midwife present, having natural childbirth, having a C-section, taking pain medication, and giving birth in a water bath. There are no times when a particular encounter is better than another. What matters most is that both the mother and baby stay healthy during the process. These choices should only be made after talking to medical professionals since they are the best ones to give advice based on a woman’s medical background, health, and personal preferences (Vedam et al., 2019).

Conclusively, the United States should take action to lower the number of cesarean sections. It is essential to provide women with the information they need to make well-informed choices about the birthing methods they choose, get rid of the negative ideas people have about C-sections, and put the health and safety of mothers and babies above all else. There should also be no bad feelings about C-sections in society. It is essential to give women the information they need to make well-informed choices about the birthing methods they choose.

 

 

 

 

References

Sega, A., Cozart, A., Cruz, A. O., & Reyes‐Foster, B. (2021). “I felt like I was left on my own”: A mixed‐methods analysis of maternal experiences of cesarean birth and mental distress in the United States. Birth, 48(3), 319–327. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12541

Tontus, H. O., & Nebioglu, S. (2020). Improving the cesarean decision by Robson classification: A population-based study by 5,323,500 Livebirth data. Annals of Global Health, 86(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.2615

Vedam, S., Stoll, K., Taiwo, T. K., Rubashkin, N., Cheyney, M., Strauss, N., McLemore, M., Cadena, M., Nethery, E., Rushton, E., Schummers, L., & Declercq, E. (2019). The Giving Voice to Mothers study: Inequity and mistreatment during pregnancy and childbirth in the United States. Reproductive Health, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-019-0729-2

Childbirth

Paper details

 Rationale:    Instructions: Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have recommended a Caesarean rate of no more than 15% in American hospitals. As of 2020, the C-section rate in the United States is 31.8%. With those facts in mind, write a response addressing the prompts below.     Should there be an imposed limit (in line with WHO and HHS recommendations) on the number of C-sections performed? Why or why not?  Many women who experienced unplanned Caesarean section births have expressed disappointment, sadness, and feelings that they were somehow inferior because they had not been able to deliver vaginally. Where do you think these feelings stem from?  How do you feel about women scheduling a C-section birth because they believe they are easier than a vaginal birth? Should women be allowed to have a choice in their birthing method? If so, under what circumstances?  How do you feel about different birthing experiences, including home births, the presence of a midwife, natural childbirth, and the use of medications to ease the pain of delivery? Is one experience necessarily better than another?  Once you\’ve made your own original post, read and respond to two of your classmates\’ posts. In your responses to your classmates, you should discuss statements you agree or disagree with (and why), other perspectives you think need to be considered, and or other pertinent information. 

Benchmark – Outcome and Process Measures

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Benchmark – Outcome and Process Measures

Outcome and Processes

The CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement) in healthcare is a systematic method of developing a culture of continuous improvements that lead to high-quality care. For this purpose, the healthcare organizations use outcome indicators (measures) for judging either higher level clinical or financial outcomes. Process measures, however, denote process steps within a process which lead either good or bad outcomes (Kampstra et al., 2018). This essay will focus on two process measures and one outcome measure that CQI initiatives routinely implement. It will explore why these measures were chosen, the techniques of collecting and evaluating data, the criteria for assessing success, and data-driven, cost-effective strategies used to deal with the problems related to these measures.
Process Measures for Continuous Quality Improvement

Under the umbrella of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in healthcare, the patient discharge process is evaluated using two important process measures. One of the measures is the Length of Stay (LOS) which is the period of hospitalization of patient from the admission to discharge. An area for improvement in LOS process metrics might concentrate on lessening the interval of time between a medical professional issuing a discharge order and the actual release of the patient. Another important process metric is the time between when the home medication order is started and when the medication gets delivered to the patient on the nursing unit. The delay in dispatch  of the medications by pharmacy to the floor can slow down the discharge procedure, thus indicating a clear avenue for healthcare processes improvement (Kampstra et al., 2018). Such metrics, being essentially process- and outcome-based, furnish important data on healthcare effectiveness. They are meant to just check whether the healthcare teams comply with the standard processes in delivering quality care (Hill et al., 2020). Furthermore, process measures are the means to determine outcome measures, and facilitate assessing the effectiveness of process steps with the goal of sustaining or improving patient care.
Outcome Measures for Continuous Quality Improvement

Outcome measures (OMs) or metrics, like those developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), work as benchmarks for patient outcomes, they quantify healthcare processes and are reported to government and commercial payers on a regular basis. These indicators include mortality rates, readmission rates, and surgical site infections (Kampstra et al., 2018). For example, CQI is concerned with the measure of surgical site infection rates which are directly related to the mortality rates, higher reimbursements and treatment expenses and may lead to loss of reimbursements. Such measures define a paramount role in the evaluation of the procedures or outcomes by the impact and the results achieved (Liss et al., 2020). Despite this, a number of outcome measures are influenced by various factors, some of which lay outside the purview of healthcare providers. Through analyzing outcome rates in different groups of patients, the healthcare institutions can improve the use of these measures.  Whenever the desired outcomes are not obtained due to the inadequate health care performance, the lack of relevant outcomes indicators tends to be reflected.
Justification for Choosing Each Measure

Monitoring surgical site infection rates is crucial as these infections are associated with such adverse outcomes as the prolongation of the hospital stay, increase in mortality rates, and treatment expenses which sometimes cannot be compensated (Storey et al., 2021). Targeting risk factors for these infections like hospital Length of Stay, which is a modifiable factor, would be essential to prevent their incidence. Regular surveillance of surgical site infections in healthcare systems aids in continuous assessment of the efficiency of the quality processes and patient outcomes. Hence, healthcare institutions can identify the areas in need of improvement and ensure the provision of high-quality care (Pandolfi et al., 2022).
Data Collection

The cornerstone of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiatives is primary data sources that are used in order to assess process performance and improvements. Collected systematically from patient’s medical records, this data focuses on key parameters like patient Length of Stay (LOS) and more details about surgical procedures. LOS data covers both preoperative and postoperative time periods. The first method for data collection is manual extraction of patient information, which is considered the traditional method supplemented with automated extraction from electronic medical records via customized reports (Storey et al., 2021).
Success Determination

Measuring and benchmarking are factors that matter in  ensuring the sustainability of healthcare facilities that implement  Continuous Improvement practices (CQI). Benchmarking consists in checking the results of the tested work processes against those of the same types of facilities to see how well they are doing. Information for patient safety benchmarks and quality performance can be taken from facility databases, from governmental agencies like CMS, or national databases that evaluate the healthcare sector. The  quality of benchmarking performance allows facilities to assess and to compare process and outcome performance indicators such as surgical site infection rates or LOS (Willmington et al., 2022). CQI benchmarks are geared towards identifying areas for quality improvement and assisting organizations in achieving the triple aim goals of healthcare: delivering high-quality patient care, improving community health, and lowering healthcare costs (Hill et al., 2020).
Data-Driven Cost-Effective Solution

Utilization of outcome performance metrics enables management team to make an accurate decision and identify cost effective solutions. In order to decrease patient length of stay (LOS) and surgical site infections among the operating patients, an integrated care model helps smooth the process from admission to surgery, inpatient care, and recovery. Through the adoption of transition points in patient care, health care continuity is promoted, making the delivery of care faster and thereby reducing the cost burden for patients (Borsky et al., 2018). Interoperability of diverse healthcare system databases is key to the process and outcomes measurement, as it provides access to the various organizations and entities involved in patient care including physician offices, hospital-affiliated clinics, and other core components of care. This intergration makes it possible for all care providers involved in the treatment of a patient to access electronic medical records and, thus, develop an individualized care plan based on the patient’s condition. If we want to hit the targets we’ve set for ourselves and deliver high-quality care, data exchange throughout the healthcare system is critically important.
Conclusion

CQI in health care means incorporating both outcome and process measures and driving the continuous improvements of care delivery. The process measures are aimed at removing any variability and inefficiencies from the healthcare process by finding the source of the problem and developing solutions to improve the quality and cost effectiveness (Kampstra et al., 2018). Effective data collection and evaluation intended for benchmarking, along with the evaluation of performance metrics, are all practices that are essential for ensuring the success of quality improvement efforts (Hill et al., 2020). The healthcare organizations proficient in the use of CQI, integrating both the process and the outcome measures into patient’s treatment, can smoothen operations, can meet regulatory standards and enhance customer service. Apart from the heightened patient experience, the adoption of CQI for reviewing care processes also leads in the provision of excellent patient care.

References

Borsky, A., Zhan, C., Miller, T., Ngo-Metzger, Q., Bierman, A. S., & Meyers, D. (2018). Few americans receive all high-priority, appropriate clinical preventive services. Health Affairs, 37(6), 925–928. https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1248

Hill, J. E., Stephani, A. M., Sapple, P., & Clegg, A. J. (2020). The effectiveness of continuous quality improvement for developing professional practice and improving health care outcomes: a systematic review. Implementation Science, 15, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-020-0975-2

Kampstra, N. A., Zipfel, N., van der Nat, P. B., Westert, G. P., van der Wees, P. J., & Groenewoud, A. S. (2018). Health outcomes measurement and organizational readiness support quality improvement: a systematic review. BMC health services research, 18, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3828-9

Liss, D. T., Peprah, Y. A., Brown, T., Ciolino, J. D., Jackson, K., Kho, A. N., … & Persell, S. D. (2020). Using electronic health records to measure quality improvement efforts: findings from a large practice facilitation initiative. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 46(1), 11-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2019.09.006

Storey, A., MacDonald, B., & Rahman, M. A. (2021). The association between preoperative length of hospital stay and deep sternal wound infection: A scoping review. Australian Critical Care, 34(6), 620-633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aucc.2020.12.010

Pandolfi, F., Brun-Buisson, C., Guillemot, D., & Watier, L. (2022). One-year hospital readmission for recurrent sepsis: associated risk factors and impact on 1-year mortality—a French nationwide study. Critical Care, 26(1), 371. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-022-04212-9

Willmington, C., Belardi, P., Murante, A. M., & Vainieri, M. (2022). The contribution of benchmarking to quality improvement in healthcare. A systematic literature review. BMC health services research, 22(1), 139. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07467-8

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Benchmark – Outcome and Process Measures

Assessment Traits

Benchmark

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Assessment Description

Sources should not be older than 5 years-2019-2024

In a 1,000-1,250-word paper, consider the outcome and process measures that can be used for CQI. Include the following in your essay:

  1. At least two process measures that can be used for CQI.
  2. At least one outcome measure that can be used for CQI.
  3. A description of why each measure was chosen.
  4. An explanation of how data would be collected for each (how each will be measured).
  5. An explanation of how success would be determined.
  6. One or two data-driven, cost-effective solutions to this challenge.

Use a minimum of three peer-reviewed scholarly references as evidence.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.

Benchmark Information

This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competency:

MSN Leadership in Health Care System

Healing and Autonomy Case Analysis

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Healing and Autonomy Case Analysis

 

Healing and Autonomy Case Analysis

Write a 1,200-1,500 word analysis of “Case Study: Healing and Autonomy.” In light of the readings, be sure to address the following questions:

  1. Under the Christian narrative and Christian vision, what sorts of issues are most pressing in this case study?
  2. Should the physician allow Mike to continue making decisions that seem to him to be irrational and harmful to James?
  3. According to the Christian narrative and the discussion of the issues of treatment refusal, patient autonomy, and organ donation in the topic readings, how might one analyze this case?
  4. According to the topic readings and lecture, how ought the Christian think about sickness and health? What should Mike as a Christian do? How should he reason about trusting God and treating James?

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style.

Important information for writing discussion questions and participation

Welcome to class

Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to

I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.

Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.

If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.

Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.

Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.

I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!

Hi Class,

Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Important information on Writing a Discussion Question

  • Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
  • There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
  • Include in-text citations in your response
  • Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
  • Follow APA-7th edition
  • Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor

  • A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
  • Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
  • Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
  • Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
  • Follow APA 7th edition
  • Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
  • Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
  • Here are some helpful links
  • The is a great resource

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.

Medicine is traditionally considered a healing profession, and modern medicine claims legitimacy to heal through its scientific approach to medicine.1 The marriage of science and medicine has empowered physicians to intervene actively in the course of disease, to effect cures, to prevent illness, and to eradicate disease.2 In the wake of such success, physicians, trained as biomedical scientists, have focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.3 In the process, cure, not care, became the primary purpose of medicine, and the physician’s role became “curer of disease” rather than “healer of the sick.”4,5 Healing in a holistic sense has faded from medical attention and is rarely discussed in the medical literature.

Even so, other disciplines have continued an active contemplation of holistic healing. Anthropological explorations of healing involve an active response to distress and distinguish categories related to healing, such as diagnosis and treatment, medical (scientific and nonreligious) and nonmedical (unscientific and religious), technological and nontechnological, and Western and non-Western.6 Psychological conceptions of healing involve reordering an individual’s sense of position in the universe and define healing as “a process in the service of the evolution of the whole person ality towards ever greater and more complex wholeness.”7,8 These definitions of healing focus on issues of social organization, roles, meaning, and personal growth.

The nursing literature reflects increasing concern with healing and the role of the nurse as healer during the past 25 years.9,10 Healing has been defined as “the process of bringing together aspects of one’s self, body-mind-spirit, at deeper levels of inner knowing, leading toward integration and balance with each aspect having equal importance and value.”11 These conceptions associate healing with complexities of meaning and personal understanding that may be related to curing and reflect the traditional caring role of nurses as patient advocates.

The confusion concerning healing in medicine is evidenced by the lack of consensus about its meaning. Science values operational definitions. Yet, medicine promotes no operational definition of healing, nor does it provide any explanation of its mechanisms, save those describing narrow physiological processes associated with curing disease.12–14 Most medical literature addressing holistic healing and using the word in the title never defines the term.15,16 The MEDLINE electronic database reveals no single MeSH heading for “healing”; instead, it adds qualifiers associated with the spiritual and religious aspects of illness and recovery related to psychology and alternative medicine. It could be surmised that modern medicine considers holistic healing beyond its orthodoxy, leaving the promotion of healing to practitioners of alternative or aboriginal medicine17—the nonscientific, nonmedical practitioners described by anthropologists.

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Productive Conflict

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Productive Conflict

For this assignment, it is especially important to differentiate between constructive and destructive conflict within groups. Substantive conflict deals with disagreements on ideas and issues, while affective conflict looks into personal relationships among group members. If the conflict evolves into personality-based, people may utilize such tactics as avoidance or escalate tensions through hostile behaviors like name-calling and sarcasm. This poisonous atmosphere causes a decrease in teamwork commitment, shying away from the in-depth discussion of problems and disconnection from the decision-making process that results in inferior and sometimes unethical solutions.

In the same way, constructive conflict can result in positive outcomes, but it may turn into affective conflict when people perceive disagreements as personal attacks that lead to anger and defensiveness. Also, unresolved conflicts may lead to some members getting frustrated.

From the options provided, the three major outcomes of a substantive conflict selected are improved self-understanding and self-improvement, stronger and deeper relationships, and increased group cohesion and cooperation.

First, meaningful conflict leads to looking inside one’s self and at the positions of others, which develops self-awareness and self-growth. This results in increased self-understanding and helps individuals to grow within the group (Coleman et al., 2014).

Secondly, members can have in-depth conversations, eventually leading to the establishment of stronger and deeper relationships. Respectful dialogue and cooperation are a foundation for the development of trust and mutual respect, which improves group dynamics (Coleman et al., 2014).

Besides that, a substantive conflict also creates stronger cohesion and cooperation among the members. As the group resolves the conflicts constructively and works toward common goals, members of the group develop a sense of purpose and commitment that is shared among them. Such collective action, as per Coleman et al. (2014), leads to easier communication, cooperation, and problem-solving, which, in turn, results in better outcomes for the group.

Lastly, a well-managed substantive conflict can result in the positive outcomes of self-awareness, better relationships, and group cohesion, which contribute to the overall success and effectiveness of the group. In addition, when groups are effective at resolving conflicts, they also become better at dealing with difficult circumstances in the future. It is this which helps them to grow and develop. It shows how solving conflicts in a positive way can make the team work together better and achieve more.

Reference

Coleman, P. T., Deutsch, M., and Marcus, E. C. (Eds.). (2014). The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.

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Productive Conflict

Paper details

Start Assignment

  • Its important to differentiate between substantive conflict and affective (destructive) conflict, which is centered on the personal relationships between group members. Those caught in personality-based conflicts find themselves either trying to avoid the problem or, when the conflict can’t be ignored, escalating hostilities through name-calling, sarcasm, threats, and verbally aggressive behaviors. In this poisoned environment, members aren’t as committed to the group process, sacrifice in-depth discussion of the problem to get it done as soon as possible, and distance themselves from the decision. The result? A decline in reasoning that produces an unpopular, low-quality, and often unethical solution.

Sometimes constructive conflict degenerates into effective conflict. This occurs when a disagreement about ideas is seen as an insult or a threat and members display anger because they feel their self-concepts are threatened. Others respond in kind. Members can also become frustrated when task-oriented conflicts seem to drag on and on without resolution.

For this assignment, review pages 295-296, Substantive conflict( constructive conflict) produces several positive outcomes; they are listed below, Please choose three of these and explain how these outcomes can produce positive outcomes for a group:

Guided Response: Please choose three of the following; your paper should be 150 words in length.

An accurate understanding of the arguments and positions of others in the groups higherreasoning reasoning through analysis improvedhigher reasoningthrough analysisimproved higherreasoning reasoning through analysis improvedhigher reasoningthrough through analysis improved higherreasoning reasoning through analysis and improved-level moral reasoningThorough problem analysisImproved self-understanding and self-improvementStronger, deeper relationshipsCreativity and changeGreater motivation to solve the problemImproved mastery and retention of informationDeeper commitment to the outcome of the discussionIncreased group cohesion and cooperation.

 

Personality and Perspectives in Education

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Personality and Perspectives in Education

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The assigned readings for the first module of the course “Selected Questions and Issues in Education” have illuminated key ideas on inclusiveness, equity, diversity among educators, and the importance of Indigenous views. “Positionality” is one of these ideas that has a special resonance. Positional awareness focuses on how our backgrounds in society and culture affect our opinions, prejudices, and presumptions. Recognizing how we approach the problems of inclusion, equity, and diversity within education is largely based on this concept.

Sensoy and DiAngelo’s reading from 2017 contains a critical phrase that, in my opinion, best captures the concept of positionality: “Our positions in society shape our perspectives and the perspectives of others.” This quotation effectively conveys the core of positionality by highlighting that our roles in society and origins influence our perspectives and how other people view us. (Sensoy & DiAngelo  2017)

Let us now explore the connections between the texts and the idea of positionality:

Firstly, Sensoy and DiAngelo (2017): Sensoy & DiAngelo integrate the ideas of critical social justice and post-colonial theory in their reading. They emphasize the importance of recognizing our specific positions while talking about equity and justice. The authors contend that comprehending where we stand is essential for effective participation in social justice discourse. This reading encourages us to consider our positions in society and their effects as a starting point for understanding the idea of positionality (Sensoy & DiAngelo (2017).

Secondly, McIntosh (1989) explores the concept of privilege and how it frequently goes unnoticed by people who enjoy it in his article on white privilege. It highlights how crucial it is to acknowledge one’s privilege as a component of positionality. This article challenges readers to examine their sociocultural positions and how they influence their experiences and opinions, particularly those who might have never thought much about their privileges (Mcintosh, 1989).

Thirdly, in their 2018 work, “Potlatch as Pedagogy,” Davidson Davidson explains Traditional learning methods and the significance of comprehending Indigenous views. By encouraging readers to think about how their cultural upbringings and presumptions might vary from Indigenous points of view, this reading connects to positionality (Davidson & Davidson, 2018). It emphasizes the importance of awareness of one’s positionality when interacting with indigenous knowledge and viewpoints.

These texts above emphasize the importance of self-awareness of our cultural positions and backgrounds, which helps us better grasp positionality. Sensoy and DiAngelo establish the foundation for the idea, McIntosh emphasizes the part privilege plays in it, and Davidson and Davidson stress the significance of taking cultural differences in positionality into account. The concept of positionality was exciting to me as I responded to these readings. It got me thinking about how my experiences and background affect how I engage with others of all backgrounds and viewpoints in educational environments. I understand the importance of being conscious of my positionality to promote an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

As I progress through this course, I intend to self-evaluate my positionality regularly to analyze how it influences my relationships and what I think about them. Because of my improved self-awareness, I will be able to contribute more meaningfully to discussions taking place in the classroom regarding issues of inclusivity, equity, and diversity. In addition, it will enable me to comprehend better the myriad of perspectives stemming from various cultural foundations.

In conclusion, the concept of positionality serves as an essential prism through which we may observe how the societal duties and experiences we have had influence the perspectives we hold and the interactions we have with other people working in the field of education. When taken as a whole, the readings by Sensoy and DiAngelo, McIntosh, and Davidson and Davidson underscore how important it is to be aware of our positionality in making the educational environment more accessible and equitable. As I embark on my educational journey, I am resolute in making this concept a part of my approach since doing so is necessary to have meaningful exchanges with the various facets of education.

References

Davidson, & Davidson. (2018). Potlatch as Pedagogy, Introduction and Chapter 1.

Mcintosh,p. (1989). White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack.

Sensoy & DiAngelo (2017), “What is Critical Social Justice” (pp. xix-xxi) and “Prologue: A Parable” (pp. xxv-xxvii).

Personality and Perspectives in Education

Reading Response

The task

  1. Choose one core idea from the assigned texts that were important to you. It may seem like the most central idea, or one that has led to an “aha!” moment for you or one that you find problematic.
  2. Choose a key quote from one of the readings that illustrate this idea for you and explain why.
  3. Then discuss how each of the readings connects to this idea.  Do the authors say similar or different things?  How do they provide different insights on it?

A reading response asks you to examine, explain and reflect on your personal reactions to the reading. Your response is not an opinion piece and should not simply summarize content, but rather are brief reflective educational analyses that question your readings critically.  As you do this over and over, you will develop stronger critical thinking skills, approach educational sources with greater awareness, and understand how educators use such sources to construct educational prompts.

You will be thinking about your positionality throughout this course.  So, in this first reading response, take your first steps at acknowledging that positionality as part of your response.

There is no right or wrong answer to a reader’s response. Nonetheless, it is important that you demonstrate an understanding of the reading and clearly explain and support your reactions.

Submission format

A reading response is a full 2 pages long (double-spaced) and thoroughly proofread for spelling and grammar.

Give your paper a catchy title, i.e. not “Reading response.”

Evaluation

  • Reflection: your ability to meaningfully reflect and examine your own position, relationships, feelings, and responses to the reading[s]
  • Engagement with readings:Your ability to articulate and critique core ideas from the reading[s] as well as make connections and comparisons to other readings

Approaches to Defining Family Graphic Organizer

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Approaches to Defining Family Graphic Organizer

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Structural Approach

The structural Approach is the most common in the definition of family in the United States. It defines family as a group of people related by blood and legal adoption. According to research studies, most families in the United States define family using the structural Approach.

The strength of the Structural family approach is that all the family members are privileged due to the legal ties of a family. Family gives one the value of belonging, and the law protects the right to equality of resources among the members of the structural family. A drawback of being in a structural family is that it limits people from having contradicting beliefs as those of the family members. For example, a married couple is likely to be upheld within a family compared to a cohabiting couple. Thus, a structural family provides its members with the privilege of belonging.

  1. Household Based

According to Burgess and Locke (1945), a family functions from a specific household where resources are distributed equally, and every family member must contribute equally to acquiring the resources. This structure portrays children as the core of the family, whereby parents are responsible for provision despite their differences as a family. The advantage of this setup is that children can choose who they want to spend more time. The drawback of this structure is commitment. One parent may choose to neglect their duties, thus overloading one parent.

  1. Role-Based Approach

The role-based family structure is defined as how the family members interact and behave toward each other. Role-based Approach allows every family member to relate according to their roles as a father, mother, or child. For example, it portrays parents as the family providers, while children undertake their roles of helping their family in every way possible. The advantages of this structure are that while every undertakes their role, the family is deemed fit. But when a member of the family is not available, the family is considered not as a whole.

  1. Interactionist Approach

The interactionist defines family as a social entity that symbolizes the interaction, communication, emotional attachment, and shared activities that make a family. It is a representation of how people relate and how they constantly reciprocate family expectations.  Unlike other family structures, the interactionist approach values the value of love and care tendered in a group of two or more people, except for the legal families tied by blood. This approach is achieved by identifying the people who show up and their value to the relationship.

The drawback of this setup is that no legal privileges are acquired in case the family breaks up. Thus, the need for family security.

The modern definition of family varies from the different setups we grow up. Any approach may define everyone’s type of family regardless of race, ethnicity, and sexuality.

Reference

Saunders, J.M., Dickenson, G.E. and Leming, M.R. (1996) “Understanding families: Diversity, continuity, and change,” Teaching Sociology, 24(3), p. 344. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/1318759.

Klaiss, D.S. (1946) “The family: From institution to companionship. by Ernest W. Burgess and Harvey J. Locke. New York: The American Book Company, 1945. 800 pp. $4.25,” Social Forces, 24(4), pp. 480–481. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/2572240.

Approaches to Defining Family Graphic Organizer

Paper details

As you complete this assignment, keep in mind that the 4 approaches to defining family presented on Pp. 21-26 in your textbook can be considered complimentary. If you defined family using a single approach you would end up excluding many types of families. Also keep in mind Ciabattari\’s statement that there are symbolic (related to how others see families, and how families see themselves) and practical (related to issues like custody, inheritance, and healthcare) implications to how we define family. Keep these implications in mind as you think about the strengths and drawbacks to each approach.

To complete this assignment, download the attached document. It consists of a graphic organizer in which you should fill in a definition, strength, and drawback to each of the 4 approaches to defining family described in chapter 2. Do your best to re-state the ideas from this chapter in your own words.

Critical Thinking/Research Critique

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Critical Thinking/Research Critique

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Critical Thinking/Research Critique

Hi,

I need the attached table to be filled out based on the article i provided. PLEASE answer all questions very carefully, be concise and make sure your answer perfectly cover the question. I had problem to attach article, if you copy and paste the link below in google, you will be able to to see the article, instruction is in the attached table, this assignment is really important and has lots of points, please make sure you can handle it well, before accepting the deal.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tpGg5VUQEI8zxcAkGUwUGiW4vyng1RwB/view?usp=sharing

You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.

Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.

Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.

The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS

Discussion Questions (DQ)

  • Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
  • Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
  • One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
  • I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.

Weekly Participation

  • Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
  • In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
  • Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
  • Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.

APA Format and Writing Quality

  • Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).
  • Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation.
  • I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition.

Use of Direct Quotes

  • I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly.
  • As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content.
  • It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source.

 

LopesWrite Policy

  • For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
  • Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
  • Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
  • Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

Late Policy

  • The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
  • Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
  • If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
  • I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
  • As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

Communication

  • Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: 
    • Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
    • Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.

Discussion:Critical Thinking/Research Critique

Research & PICOT Statement

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Research & PICOT Statement

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Research & PICOT Statement

Prepare this assignment as a 1,500-1,750 word paper using the instructor feedback from the previous course assignments and the guidelines below.

PICOT Question

Revise the PICOT question you wrote in the Topic 1 assignment using the feedback you received from your instructor.

The final PICOT question will provide a framework for your capstone project (the project students must complete during their final course in the RN-BSN program of study).

Research Critiques

In the Topic 2 and Topic 3 assignments, you completed a qualitative and quantitative research critique on two articles for each type of study (4 articles total). Use the feedback you received from your instructor on these assignments to finalize the critical analysis of each study by making appropriate revisions.

The completed analysis should connect to your identified practice problem of interest that is the basis for your PICOT question.

Refer to “Research Critiques and PICOT Guidelines – Final Draft.” Questions under each heading should be addressed as a narrative in the structure of a formal paper.

Proposed Evidence-Based Practice Change

Discuss the link between the PICOT question, the research articles, and the nursing practice problem you identified. Include relevant details and supporting explanation and use that information to propose evidence-based practice changes.

General Requirements

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is not required.

You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.

Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.

Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.

The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS

Discussion Questions (DQ)

  • Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
  • Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
  • One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
  • I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.

Weekly Participation

  • Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
  • In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
  • Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
  • Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.

APA Format and Writing Quality

  • Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).
  • Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation.
  • I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition.

Use of Direct Quotes

  • I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly.
  • As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content.
  • It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source.

 

LopesWrite Policy

  • For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
  • Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
  • Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
  • Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

Late Policy

  • The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
  • Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
  • If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
  • I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
  • As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

Communication

  • Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: 
    • Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
    • Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.