NURS-6003 Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan — Part 1: Developing an Academic and Professional Network
Assignment Overview
This assignment marks the first step in building your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan for NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing. You will identify and document the individuals, teams, and organizations that will form your support network throughout the MSN program and into your professional practice. The plan you begin here will expand across subsequent weeks as you add academic resources, integrity strategies, research analysis, a curriculum vitae, and a finalized specialty review.
The underlying principle is captured in John Donne’s Meditation XVII: “No man is an island.” Graduate nursing education demands collaboration, mentorship, and professional connection. Research on nursing student success consistently demonstrates that students who cultivate strong academic and professional networks report higher persistence rates and greater satisfaction with their graduate experience (Akinla et al., 2018). The network you build now can clarify your vision for success and provide guidance long after this course concludes.
Learning Objectives
- Identify academic and professional individuals, teams, and resources that support MSN program success.
- Articulate the rationale for each network selection and how each member will contribute to academic and professional growth.
- Begin constructing a living document that will evolve into a comprehensive professional development plan.
Assignment Instructions
To Prepare
- Reflect on individuals, departments, teams, and resources within Walden University and within the broader nursing profession that can support your academic and professional success.
- Identify at least two academic and at least two professional individuals, colleagues, or teams to collaborate with throughout your MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
- Download the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template from the course resources area.
The Assignment: Part 1 — My Academic and Professional Network
Complete Part 1 of the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template. For each network member, provide the following:
- Name, Title, and Organization — Clearly identify each individual or team.
- Academic or Professional designation — Indicate whether the member represents an academic or professional connection.
- Rationale for selection — Explain why you selected this individual or team and describe, in detail, how they will support your success in the MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
Submission Format: One completed template document. Save your file as MD1Assgn_LastName_Firstinitial and upload by Day 7 of Week 1.
Grading Rubric
NURS_6003_Module01_Week01_Assignment_Rubric
| Criteria | Exemplary (40–36 pts) | Proficient (35–31 pts) | Developing (30–26 pts) | Incomplete (25–0 pts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network Identification Identify at least two academic and at least two professional individuals or teams with full name, title, and organization. |
Response clearly and accurately identifies names, titles, and organizations of at least two academic AND at least two professional individuals or teams. | Response clearly identifies two academic and two professional individuals or teams with complete details. | Response includes fewer than two academic or two professional entries, or one or more entries lack full name, title, or organization. | Response is missing, identifies only one category, or provides insufficient detail across all entries. |
| Rationale for Selection Explain why each individual or team was selected and how they will support MSN program success and professional practice. |
Response provides a detailed, insightful explanation for each network member, clearly connecting their role to specific academic and professional goals. | Response provides a clear explanation for each network member with a logical connection to academic and professional success. | Response provides a general or vague explanation for one or more network members, or the connection to success is unclear. | Response lacks meaningful rationale for most or all network members. |
| Writing and APA Format Clarity, organization, grammar, and adherence to APA 7th edition formatting. |
Writing is exceptionally clear, well organized, and free of grammatical errors. APA formatting is correct throughout. | Writing is clear and organized with minor grammatical or APA errors that do not detract from readability. | Writing contains several grammatical or APA errors that affect clarity or organization. | Writing contains significant errors that impede understanding of the content. |