NU 500 Full Course Discussions & Assignments (Unit 1-8) Herzing University

Unit 1 Discussion Introduction to Nursing Theory and Certification

Discussion Question
Please complete the following steps for your initial discussion post:
Watch the NU 500 Certification Success Presentation:

This story is a very interesting perspective into the life of Florence Nightingale and one that I have not heard before. Like the British Government covering up her findings, the curriculum of nursing education does not touch on this part of her history when teaching new nurses about the foundation of early nursing practice. Florence Nightingale is a regarded, historic leader in the nursing profession and her obsession and ultimate demise from poor patient outcomes is still a prevalent trend in nursing today. She chose to leave the profession and became a recluse in response to the feeling that she felt that she had betrayed the soldiers and her fellow nurses. I would say that most nurses enter the profession with an intrinsic desire to help people. More and more today, nurses are leaving the profession and reporting lower job satisfaction because they do not feel they are able to provide effective care and promote positive patient outcomes. This was extremely common during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. There have also been several nurses in the past that have committed suicide due to a poor patient outcome that they believe they had caused. Nurses are compassionate, and empathetic, and connect deeply with patients and their families whom they only know for a brief amount of time. We see some of the saddest and most difficult situations from trauma, codes, dying children, cancer, and abuse and are expected to remain a beacon of strength and stability because “we knew what we were signing up for”. Without focusing on the mental health of nurses and providers, healthcare will continue to become a profession that people are leaving. From the earliest times of the nursing profession, we can see that the inability to provide effective patient care has been negatively impacting nurses and is an obstacle for them to overcome.

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Visit the websites of the organizations that offer certification exams for your specialty MSN track- NE, NLA, FNP, or PMHNP by clicking on the links below. (BSN students, choose one specialty track of interest- FNP, NE or NLA, or PMHNP).

FNP: AANP (Links to an external site.) and ANCC (Links to an external site.) (FNP)

Nurse Educator: NLN (Links to an external site.) (CNE) and ANCC (Links to an external site.) (Nursing Professional Development)

Nurse Leader: AONL (Links to an external site.) (Formerly AONE) and ANCC (Links to an external site.) (NLA)

PMHNP: ANCC (Links to an external site.)

Compare and summarize the requirements that are needed to be eligible for the exam(s) in your chosen specialty track.
Describe the value of certification in your chosen specialty track.
How can certification enhance your career goals for professional advancement in nursing?
How can application of nursing theory benefit you personally and empower/advance the nursing profession as a whole?

Responses need to address all components of the question, demonstrate critical thinking and analysis and include peer-reviewed journal evidence to support the student’s position.
Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format and use level headers for each discussion prompt.
Unit 2 Discussion 1 Concept Analysis

Discussion Question
Please complete the following steps for your initial discussion post:

Go to the library nursing database CINAHL and search for a “Concept Analysis” article on a concept of interest and discuss the following:

Briefly, describe the method of Concept Analysis used for this article (ex. Walker and Avant, Rodgers, Meleis, etc.)
Discuss the author’s aim and purpose for doing the concept analysis on this topic.
Describe the defining attributes of the concept examined.

What are the benefits of completing a Concept Analysis for nursing theory development, research, and nursing practice? How can defining nursing concepts strengthen nursing as a profession?
Attach the Concept Analysis article to your initial discussion post.

Unit 2 Discussion 2 Nursing Metaparadigms

Discussion Question
Please read the following introduction and complete the following steps for your initial discussion post:
This discussion question focuses on the four nursing paradigms, which are comprised of person, health, environment, and nursing. Each metaparadigm plays a key role in the nursing process and is essential when providing patient care.

Select one metaparadigm (person, health, nursing, or environment).
Describe the metaparadigm’s significance specific to your nursing practice.
Compare and contrast two nursing theorists’ individual definitions/interpretations of the selected nursing metaparadigm (person, health, nursing, or environment).
Be sure to supplement your discussion with your personal and professional experiences.

Responses need to address all components of the question, demonstrate critical thinking and analysis, and include peer reviewed journal evidence to support the student’s position.

Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.
This topic is valued at 40 points. Please review the rubric to ensure that your response meets the criteria.

Unit 3 Discussion 1 Types of Theory

Discussion Question
Please read the following introduction and complete the following steps for your initial discussion post:
There are a number of methods for classifying theory in nursing. These include classification based on range/scope or abstractness (metatheory, grand, middle-range, or practice theory) and type or purpose of the theory (descriptive, explanatory, predictive, or prescriptive).
For this week’s discussion post, address the following:

Identify one specific nursing theory that relates to your area of practice. Feel free to go to the Currents website or look in your textbook for multiple nursing theories to choose from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/ (Links to an external site.)
Discuss the type of the selected nursing theory according to scope (meta-theory, grand, middle-range, or practice theory) and purpose (descriptive, explanatory, predictive, or prescriptive).
Provide an example of how the selected nursing theory can be applied to your area of practice. The example should include core concepts of the theory and demonstrate its practical application.
Be sure to supplement your discussion with your personal and professional experiences.

Responses need to address all components of the question, demonstrate critical thinking and analysis, and include peer reviewed journal evidence to support the student’s position.
Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.
Please review the rubric to ensure that your response meets the criteria.
Unit 3 Discussion 2 Patterns of Knowing

Discussion Question
Please read the following introduction and complete the following steps for your initial discussion post:
In the Chinn and Kramer (2018) reading, chapter 5, the authors discuss personal knowing and its impact on nursing theory and nursing practice. Consider professional development of nursing and apply the concepts of personal knowing on the development of nursing practice.
Please respond to all of the following:

What is personal knowing; how does your personal knowing affect your personal professional development?
Identify and discuss 2 professional strengths and 2 weaknesses that you have?
How can you apply nursing theory to address your weaknesses and further develop your strengths?
Be sure to supplement your discussion with your personal and professional experiences.

Responses need to address all components of the question, demonstrate critical thinking and analysis, and include peer reviewed journal evidence to support the student’s position.

Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

Please review the rubric to ensure that your response meets the criteria.

Unit 4 Discussion 1 Theory and Leadership

Discussion Question
Please complete the following steps for your initial discussion post:

Choose one leadership, management or organizational theory from your textbook and complete a library search for a peer-reviewed journal article that integrates the chosen theory with a nursing management/leadership topic.
Present the article and discuss the theory used, the benefits of utilizing theory in this management/leadership article, and any weaknesses you identify with using the theory.
Discuss how application of leadership theoretical frameworks and models can benefit nurse leaders personally and advance the nursing profession as a whole.
Responses should be at least 500 words, integrate key concepts from the weekly readings and include specific examples of how the concepts can be applied to your work environment.
Attach a copy of the article to this discussion forum.
Be sure to supplement your discussion with personal and professional experiences.

Please review the rubric to ensure that your response meets the criteria.

Unit 4 Assignment Theory Evaluation Paper

Instructions
The purpose of the Theory Evaluation Paper is to help you critically evaluate a middle-range nursing theory. This assignment will be completed using the three stages of the theory evaluation process: Theory , Theory Analysis, and Theory Evaluation.

Select a Middle-Range Nursing Theory- Select one specific middle-range nursing theory from your textbook that best suits your area of practice. (Ex. Pender’s Health Promotion Model, Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory, Beck’s Postpartum Depression Theory, etc.)
APA Student Title Page– (No Abstract Needed)

Include the following information on the Student title page in 7th APA format:

Assignment name in Bold Font: (Ex. Theory Evaluation Paper: Swanson’s Theory of Caring)
Skip a Line
Your Name
Name of University
Course Number and Name
Instructor’s Name
Date of Submission (Month, Day, Year)

Introductory paragraph Capture the reader’s attention (ex. Grabbing statistics) and discuss the rationale for selecting the specific nursing theory for your area of nursing over other nursing theories (Do not write in first person; Include a purpose/thesis statement of what you will describe in the paper as the last sentence of the introductory paragraph.) Next, begin the Body of Paper.
Theory (Level 1 Header)

Purpose (Level 2 Header); (Designate as Descriptive, Explanatory, Predictive, or Prescriptive; Include Scope-middle-range)
Concepts (Level 2 Header); (Introduce and list main concepts)
Definitions (Level 2 Header); (Define concepts and other important aspects)
Relationship (Level 2 Header); (Describe relationship among concepts)
Structure (Level 2 Header); (Describe; Is there a diagram of structure?)
Assumptions (Level 2 Header); (beliefs, propositions of the theory)

5. Theory Analysis (Level 1 Header)

Theory’s Origin (Level 2 Header); (historical creation and evolution of theory)
Unique Focus (Level 2 Header); (distinctive views)
Content (Level 2 Header); (include definitions of metaparadigm concepts of person, environment, health, and nursing)

6. Theory Evaluation (Level 1 Header)

Significance (Level 2 Header); (usefulness, social significance, cultural significance)
Comprehensiveness (Level 2 Header); (of the content, thoroughness, utility)
Logical Congruence (Level 2 Header); (consistency and clarity of theory; consistent use of concepts throughout the literature)
Credibility (Level 2 Header); (legitimacy, empirical support through research)
Contribution to Nursing (Level 2 Header); (usefulness to nursing practice, education, and research)

7. Conclusion (Level 1 Header) Conclusion paragraph with concluding statements to summarize the content and re-state or re-phrase the purpose/thesis statement.
8. APA Reference Page- Please be sure to support your paper with in-text citations. Please use 5 peer-reviewed resources.
Additional Instructions: Your assignment should be typed into a Word or other word processing document, formatted in APA style. Paper should be a minimum of 4-5 pages in length, excluding the title and references pages. You may increase the number of pages of the body of the paper up to 7-8 pages if needed. This is a scholarly paper and should not be written in first person. Paragraphs should have a minimum of 3 sentences. Paraphrasing should be done using in-text citations. Direct quotes should be rare and used only when the content can be said in no other way. If using direct quotes, you must include page or paragraph number.

Unit 5 Discussion 1 Theory and Education

Discussion Question

Complete a library search for a peer-reviewed journal article that integrates theory with a nursing education topic.
Present the article and discuss the theory used and the benefits of utilizing theory in nursing education
Discuss how nurse educators can use Adult Learning Theory principles to guide teaching practices and curriculum development.
Attach a copy of the article to this discussion forum.

Responses need to address all components of the question, demonstrate critical thinking and analysis and include peer-reviewed journal evidence to support the student’s position.

Unit 6 Discussion 1 Theory, Research, and Practice

Discussion Question

Complete a library search for a nursing research article from a peer-reviewed nursing journal that uses a grand or middle-range nursing theory as the theoretical framework for a research study in the practice setting.
Present the article and describe how the nursing theory was used to guide the research study.
Discuss how application of theoretical frameworks and models can strengthen nursing research studies and promote theory-based practice within the nursing profession.
Be sure to supplement your discussion with personal and professional experiences.
Attach the article to your initial discussion post.

Please review the rubric to ensure that your response meets the criteria.
Unit 6 Discussion 2 Implementing Chaos and Change Theory

Discussion Question
According to Chaos Theory, a very small change can later make a big difference in an organization, both positive and negative. According to Lewin’s Planned Change Theory, when the three phases of Lewin’s process for change are used correctly, effective change is implemented. Kotter expanded upon Lewin’s theory to devise an 8-step model for implementing change.

Describe a problem situation at your institution where a very small change later made a negative impact and how understanding Chaos Theory could have benefited your organization?
Choose Lewin’s Planned Change Theory or Kotter’s 8-Stage Planned Change Model and briefly describe how you would implement each step for planned change to better address the problem situation you described above.

Responses need to address all components of the question, demonstrate critical thinking and analysis and include peer-reviewed journal evidence to support the student’s position.
Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.
Please review the rubric to ensure that your response meets the criteria.

Unit 7 Discussion 1 Theory, Professionalism, and Empowerment

Discussion Question
Please read the following introduction and complete the following steps for your initial discussion post:

Describe how nursing knowledge and theory development defines the profession of nursing.
How can application of nursing theory benefit you personally and empower/advance the nursing profession as a whole? How has your answer changed from your Week 1 discussion board post?
Which nursing theory do you feel will have the greatest impact on your professional practice and why?

Responses need to address all components of the question, demonstrate critical thinking and analysis and include peer-reviewed journal evidence to support the student’s position.
Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format. Please review the rubric to ensure that your response meets the criteria.

Unit 7 Assignment Theory Application Paper

Instructions
The purpose of the Theory Application Paper is to help you apply your selected nursing theory to your specific area of practice.

Select a Nursing Theory- Select one specific nursing theorist and nursing middle-range theory that best fits your area of practice. Ex. Pender’s Health Promotion Model, Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory, Beck’s Postpartum Depression Theory, etc)
APA Student Title Page– (No Abstract Needed)

Include the following information on the Student title page in 7th ed. APA format:

Assignment name in Bold Font: (Ex. Theory Application Paper: Swanson’s Theory of Caring in Obstetrics)
Skip a Line
Your Name
Name of University
Course Number and Name
Instructor’s Name
Date of Submission (Month, Day, Year)

Introductory paragraph – Capture the reader’s attention (ex. Grabbing statistics) and introduce the rationale for selecting the specific nursing theory for your area of nursing over other nursing theories (Do not write in first person; Include a purpose statement of what you will describe in the paper as the last sentence of the introductory paragraph.) Next, begin the Body of Paper.
Theory (Level 1 Header) Briefly describe the theory.Give overview of theory purpose, scope, concepts, structure, and unique focus.
Rationale (Level 1 Header) Discuss the rationalefor selecting the theory for implementation in your specific practice setting. (Do not use first person)
Implementation Plan (Level 1 Header) Describe a plan to implementthe theory in your area of practice for your entire department or organization.
Barriers to Implementation (Level 1 or 2 Header, your choice) Discuss potential barriers or challenges to the implementation plan and how to overcome these barriers and challenges.
Conclusion (Level 1 Header) Conclusion paragraph with concluding statements to summarize the content and re-state or re-phrase the original purpose statement.
APA Reference Page- Please be sure to support your paper with in-text citations. Please use 5 peer-reviewed resources.

Additional Instructions: Your assignment should be typed into a Word or other word processing document, formatted in APA style. Paper should be a minimum of 4-5 pages in length, excluding the title and references pages. (You may increase the number of pages of the body of the paper up to 7-8 pages if needed). This is a scholarly paper and should not be written in first person. Paragraphs should have a minimum of 3 sentences. Paraphrasing should be done using in-text citations. Direct quotes should be rare and used only when the content can be said in no other way. If using direct quotes, you must include page or paragraph number.

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Unit 8 Discussion Reflection

Reflection
Please respond to the following questions based upon these course objectives:

Analyze selected nursing theories using established guidelines.
Research the use of theory to generate scientific knowledge as it relates to creating a road map for professional advancement in nursing.
Demonstrate critical thinking and creativity in the application of theoretical frameworks and models to the advancement of the nursing profession.
Implements chaos and change theory.
Critique holistic nursing concepts, models, and theories that relate to nursing practice, education, management, and research.

Please answer the following questions with supporting examples and full explanations.

For each of the learning objectives, provide an analysis of how the course supported each objective.
Explain how the material learned in this course, based upon the objectives, will be applicable to professional practice and prepare you for certification in your chosen specialty