Networking Opportunities Discussion

Who I am and What I Want to Be: based on Walden University’s Mission and Vision

I have been an RN for almost 11 years. As an RN, I have worked in Mental Health and then went to nursing homes. I tried a pediatric practice as a triage nurse (those women made my crazy people look sane), but I have always returned to Mental Health (MH) no matter what I tried. I am currently the RN Supervisor at an inpatient MH facility that opened only six months ago. I have worked in MH on and off for 20 years in various capacities, from a crisis worker to the psych intake coordinator in a very busy ER. No matter how hard I try, I can’t help but return to the MH field. That is why I am currently working on my PMHNP through Walden.

I decided on Walden because they are one of the very few online schools that offer the PMHNP program and they also came highly recommended by several of my colleagues. Two of my coworkers are attending Walden currently but are much further in their studies than I am, and one is an NP here at the facility. While these people did have some influence on my choice of Walden, it was Walden’s SON vision and mission that pulled me in. The idea of serving a diverse community of professionals to allow them to become scholar-practitioners was intriguing. I also liked that Walden is interested in how they can provide their students with the knowledge to go out into the world and make a positive change (Walden University, 2019). The SON seems to take a positive vision that their students will impact social change. I had started my journey toward my PMHNP at Aspen University, and after only two classes realized that it wasn’t for me. When my coworker suggested I check out Walden, I figured I had nothing to lose because I wanted to get on with my education to go out and practice as an NP. The RN-MSN program with a PMHNP track was exactly what I was looking for to further my education. I did not need another BS degree since I already have one in Forensic Science (a past life). The bridge courses from RN to get into the MSN program seemed feasible, so I joined up. Now that I have completed that portion of the curriculum, I am excited to start this new journey.

My student advisor has been beneficial in this process, guiding me through the program and explaining how to balance school and work (Walden, 2019). I also have a Facebook group that has managed to help each other through these first classes. When we started, there were 10-12 of us in the group, and now, we are down to five, but the five of us have been there for each other through everything. Not just supporting each other academically but also personally. We have established a network amongst ourselves that genuinely are there for one another. Since day one, we have said that we will be able to get through this if we do it together, and so far, we have. As described by Schmidt, n.d., we are a group of people with a common interest who help each other and share knowledge.

Since I have worked in the MH field, I have noticed that these patients don’t have many opportunities as other patients. One of the things that I have always wanted to do was open a transitional housing facility for MH patients. It has always bothered me throughout my career that many MH patients are discharged back to their homes with no assistance or, worse, discharged to the street with no place to go. These individuals tend to be readmitted to our facility frequently. If there was a place they could go that would continue to help them with their medication, give them some job skills and life skills training, they might have a better chance of caring for themselves. Even patients discharged home with family support do not always receive the type of support they need. These homes’ goal is to help these individuals learn how to go back to living a productive life through management of their illness, goal setting, and assisting with education or employment (communityhope-nj.org, 2020). To start this type of housing, there needs to be a licensed master level professional involved for licensure of the facility. I hope that when I complete my PMHNP program, I can be that person. I have spoken to other professionals who want to help, and they have their networks of individuals who they feel will also be able to help. Again, this shows how important networking can be.

I look forward to starting this journey with this course as a stepping stone for my professional goals. I also hope that throughout this process, Walden University helps me to continue to grow and develop into a scholarly-practitioner.

References

Introduction. (2019, September). https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=168&navoid=58167.

Restoring Hope and Changing Lives Since 1985. (2020, November 24). https://www.communityhope-nj.org/.

Schmidt, K. 5 Reasons Nurses Should Engage in Professional Networking. https://blog.bluepipes.com/5-reasons-nurses-should-take-professional-networking-seriously/.

Vision, Mission, and Goals. Vision, Mission, and Goals – Walden University – Acalog ACMS™. (2019, September). https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=153&navoid=49950.

Discussion: Networking Opportunities
This week you begin to lay the foundation for your academic and professional success. Your
efforts begin with a vision, which includes your own definition of success. Your vision may vary
from those of your colleagues, but this does not mean you have to take these first steps alone.
Walden University and the College of Nursing also have a vision and mission, which include
helping you to make your own vision a reality. Members of your new academic community, such
as faculty, support teams, and fellow students, can also be helpful. Current practitioners and
other members of the professional community can also help you to clarify your vision.
This week’s Discussion asks you to think about how the Walden mission and vision and the
College of Nursing mission and vision apply to your professional and academic goals. You will
also begin to identify individuals and teams that can help you along the way, as you begin to
design the “blueprint”—your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan—that will
guide you toward your own vision for academic and professional success.

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To Prepare:
 Review the Walden and the College of Nursing mission and vision statements, Walden’s
goals and University Outcomes, and the MSN Program Learning Outcomes presented in
this week's Learning Resources.
 Reflect on your professional and academic goals as they relate to your
program/specialization.
 Consider how the information in these resources fit with your own goals and to your
becoming a scholar-practitioner.
 Also consider academic and professional individuals and teams that you may collaborate
with in support of your efforts as a student at the University and as a professional within
your organization and career.

By Day 3

Post a brief post introducing yourself to your colleagues. Include an explanation for how
Walden’s vision, mission, goals, and social change initiatives relate to your professional and
academic goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner. Also include an explanation for how
the Walden MSN program outcomes and perspectives relate to your professional and academic
goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner.

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Hi, it is interesting to know that you have been a registered nurse for 12 years. You joined the Electroconvulsive Therapy Department in your institution. Having a professional team is important since it ensures that one is committed to the healthcare delivery values supported by the institution as well as proving an opportunity for growth. The Walden University mission statement promotes a culture of collaboration and diversity. Also, the institution aims at equipping the graduates to provide the best healthcare services to their patients (Litchfield et al., 2021). However, nurses cannot operate independently and this means that they must collaborate with other professionals and teams. In this case, I would recommend that you join the American Nursing Association because the group allows its members to interact, and advances in their professional practice (Professional networking for nurses, n.d.).

The nursing profession is dynamic and this means that they must constantly update their knowledge to offer the best care to their patients. The scope and clinical guidelines may change from time to time due to the changes in the severity of the diseases, treatment approaches, and quality improvement initiatives. I agree with you that nurses should maintain a healthy relationship through social networking. The interactions and networking allow the nurses to develop clinical experiences to handle patients from different backgrounds with unique illnesses. One must be proactive and determined to join professional organizations and teams to have a successful professional networking experience. The professional contacts may not always lead to the actual jobs; however, could provide a better opportunity for advancements academically and professionally (Wei et al., 2019). For example, one may get the opportunities to engage in research and evidence-based practice which can be difficult to achieve as an individual.

Support main post with 3 of more current, credible sources and cite source within content of
posting and on a reference list in proper APA.
By Day 6
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, by suggesting additional
individuals and/or teams with whom to collaborate or by offering additional networking
strategies.
Be sure to offer support from at least 2 current, credible sources in each required response to
classmates’ main post and cite per APA.
Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:
Week 1 Discussion Rubric

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 6

To participate in this Discussion:
Week 1 Discussion

Quiz: Walden's Student Readiness
Orientation
You probably have a lot of questions (and perhaps some hesitation) about the journey you are
undertaking. How do I navigate the online classroom? How can I have access to a library in this
environment? The Student Readiness Orientation (SRO) mini-course available on your
MyWalden page provide answers to such questions and helped ensure you understand how to
navigate the online classroom and utilize the many resources available to you as a student at
Walden.

The Readiness Check will help you determine how well prepared you are for navigating the
online classroom.
The questions presented on the quiz are derived from the Readiness Check presented in the
Student Readiness orientation.
Click on the Week 1 Quiz link after you have read the directions carefully.
The Readiness Check includes 15 questions in various format: true/false and multiple choice. If
you score 12 or below, please retake the exam. You may retake the exam as many times as you
would like to achieve the desired score. Your highest score will be recorded. To retake the quiz,
click on “take test again” (this does not appear as a hyperlink but works as a hyperlink when you
click on the area).
To view the questions you answered correctly and incorrectly, click on your score in the My
Grades area.
To Prepare:
 Review the Walden’s Student Readiness Orientation found on your MyWalden page.
By Day 7
Complete the quiz.
Submission and Grading Information
Submit Your Quiz by Day 7

To submit your Quiz:
Week 1 Quiz

Learning Resources
Required Readings

Nurse.org. (n.d.). List of nursing organizations. Retrieved October 12, 2018, from
https://nurse.org/orgs.shtml

Schmidt, K. (n.d.). 5 reasons nurses should engage in professional networking [Blog post].
Retrieved October 12, 2018, from https://blog.bluepipes.com/5-reasons-nurses-should-take-
professional-networking-seriously/

Walden University (n.d.). Connect to Walden. Retrieved October 12, 2018, from
https://www.waldenu.edu/connect

Walden University. (n.d.). College of Nursing. Retrieved October June 5, 2020, from
https://www.waldenu.edu/about/colleges-schools/college-of-nursing
Review the College of Nursing's vision and mission.

Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University catalog. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from
https://catalog.waldenu.edu
Select College of Nursing, then Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Review the MSN Learning
Outcomes on this page.

Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University catalog. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from
https://catalog.waldenu.edu
Select Introduction, then the link "Vision, Mission, and Goals" under the Introduction header.
Review Walden's vision, mission, and goals.

Walden University. (n.d.). Writing Center. Retrieved October 12, 2018, from
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter

Wofford, P. (2018, May 24). 10 networking tips for nurses who hate networking. Retrieved from
https://nurse.org/articles/tips-for-nurse-networking/

Document: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template (Word document)

Document: Discussion Posting Exemplars (PDF)

Optional Resources

Walden University. (n.d.). Subject Research: Nursing. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/subject/nursing

My Goals and University Vision and Mission

I have been a nurse for seven years and in these seven years I have become interested in advancing my career. The only way to do so, is by achieving my Master’s degree. In order to achieve my goal in the next five to ten years of a nursing leader, I have decided on the educational path of Nurse Executive. I began my search for the right program last year to help achieve this goal.

When I came across Walden University I was at first skeptical. I didn’t know if this was the right school for me. My first inquisition of the program gave me a different insight after speaking to an admissions recruiter. Walden University’s Mission states “The College of Nursing envisions recognition as a preeminent 21st-century school of nursing in which the contributions of nursing, health, and related sciences will transform the provision of nursing services along the continuum of care and across the human life span to meet the needs of individuals and local and global communities.” (Walden University, 2020, para. 4). This statement helped my decision of choosing this University to help me gain my professional growth. The words “the contributions of nursing, health and related sciences will transform the provision of nursing services” (Walden University, 2020, para. 4) explains what a Nurse Executive is and what the goal of the program entails. I wanted a school that would be more than just a degree but would show a different insight by the words of their Mission and Vision.

Outcomes and Perspectives

Sue Subocz, PhD states in her message “Throughout your journey toward graduation, please remember that you are never alone.” (Subocz, PhD, S., 2020) and this is more than words to myself. The online catalog page on the Walden University website is an excellent guide for academic growth. The catalog helps direct students to different online resources to help guide and grow personal academic growth. In my current role, I am able to utilize these resources to help grow in leading teams and develop leadership relationships. My goal is to be a Nurse Leader and Walden University has shown different ways to help grow me academically and professionally throughout the program outcomes and perspectives. I want to grow into a Leader that transforms nursing to another level. Receiving my Master’s degree from Walden University will help achieve this goal.

Bibliography

College of Nursing | Walden University. (2020). Walden University. https://www.waldenu.edu/about/colleges-schools/college-of-nursing.

History | About Us | Walden University. (2020). History. https://www.waldenu.edu/about/who-we-are/history.

Subocz, PhD, S. (2020). A Message for Students. 2020–2021 Walden University Catalog (September 2020). https://catalog.waldenu.edu.

Professional networking opportunities emphasize development of relationships and interactions among nurse practitioners and scholars. I have been a registered nurse (RN) with a BSN and my intent is to specialize as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. Having a family and trying to advance one’s education can be complex but I believe that my resolve to go back to school is critical in changing my career advancement and attaining requisite qualifications to improve the quality of care outcomes. My goal is to specialize in psychiatric mental health as nurse practitioner to help individuals, households, and communities as well as the health system deal with the opioid epidemic and associated mental health issues. Through this, I can bring social change to families and patients. After reflection on furthering my education in nursing, I realized that getting a master’s degree as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) will offer the education, knowledge and skills that I require to serve the population (ANCC, n.d). Therefore, my academic and professional goals entail getting a master’s degree and probably getting a terminal degree like Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to position myself as a psychiatric-mental nurse practitioner who can practice independently. Through the incorporation of personal and professional values like compassion, empath, integrity and hard work, I will offer patient-centered care for better outcomes.

Getting the right school is essential to meet my professional goals. The Walden University’s School of Nursing (SON) (n.d) vision and mission statement inspires me to understand that I can attain these goals. The school’s vision is having a unique learning community where knowledge is considered valuable when it allows graduates to develop solutions to critical society problems to advance the greater global good. As a master’s student, the knowledge and skills I acquire in through this university and its nursing school should be applied to effect change in communities in different areas of healthcare provision.

The MSN program outcomes and perspectives relate to my professional and academic goals as they expect one to acquire skills as an advanced nurse practitioner to implement change in their communities. The program’s perspectives include having social change and deployment of skills to generate local solutions to local challenges (Walden University, n.d b). These relate to my goals of providing quality care to families and developing interventions based on evidence-based practices. As I become a scholar-practitioner, it implies that I should show more dedication and commitment because of the challenges of the combination. As such the MSN program outcomes and perspectives will help me understand what is expected and what lies ahead for effective adjustments.

Networking is important as it allows one to interact with goals, share best practices in care, and get the motivation and inspiration to pursue professional and career development paths. Networking will help me achieve my professional and academic goals through interaction with colleagues to develop inter-professional and multidisciplinary collaborations (AANP, n.d). Through the collaborations I will enhance approaches to patient situations and offer the best optimal care interventions.

References

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) (n.d). Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse

Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) Certification (PMHNP-BC). https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-practitioner/

American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) (n.d). The Importance of NP Networking

and How to Get Involved. https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/the-importance-of-np-networking-and-how-to-get-involved

Walden University (n.d.) Social Change. https://www.waldenu.edu/why-walden/social-change

Walden University (n.d.b). Walden and Social Change.

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/social change/mission

Rubric Detail

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Content
Name: NURS_6003_Module01_Week01_Discussion_Rubric

Grid View
List View

Excellent Good Fair Poor
Main Posting
Points Range: 45 (45%) – 50 (50%)
Answers all parts of the discussion question(s) expectations with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources.

Supported by at least three current, credible sources.

Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.

Points Range: 40 (40%) – 44 (44%)
Responds to the discussion question(s) and is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.

At least 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth.

Supported by at least three credible sources.

Written clearly and concisely with one or no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.

Points Range: 35 (35%) – 39 (39%)
Responds to some of the discussion question(s).

One or two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed.

Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis.

Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.

Post is cited with two credible sources.

Written somewhat concisely; may contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors.

Contains some APA formatting errors.

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 34 (34%)
Does not respond to the discussion question(s) adequately.

Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria.

Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis.

Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.

Contains only one or no credible sources.

Not written clearly or concisely.

Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors.

Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style.
Main Post: Timeliness
Points Range: 10 (10%) – 10 (10%)
Posts main post by day 3.

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Does not post by day 3.
First Response
Points Range: 17 (17%) – 18 (18%)
Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings.

Responds fully to questions posed by faculty.

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources.

Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives.

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed.

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

Points Range: 15 (15%) – 16 (16%)
Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings.

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed.

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources.

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

Points Range: 13 (13%) – 14 (14%)
Response is on topic and may have some depth.

Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication.

Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed.

Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 12 (12%)
Response may not be on topic and lacks depth.

Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication.

Responses to faculty questions are missing.

No credible sources are cited.
Second Response
Points Range: 16 (16%) – 17 (17%)
Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings.

Responds fully to questions posed by faculty.

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources.

Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives.

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed.

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

Points Range: 14 (14%) – 15 (15%)
Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings.

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed.

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources.

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

Points Range: 12 (12%) – 13 (13%)
Response is on topic and may have some depth.

Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication.

Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed.

Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 11 (11%)
Response may not be on topic and lacks depth.

Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication.

Responses to faculty questions are missing.

No credible sources are cited.
Participation
Points Range: 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Meets requirements for participation by posting on three different days.

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Does not meet requirements for participation by posting on 3 different days.
Total Points: 100
Name: NURS_6003_Module01_Week01_Discussion_Rubric

Networking Opportunities Discussion