Peri Schaut English 3306 Unit 5 14 April 2014

Reflection

Although face-to-face patient interaction is a critical aspect of nursing, the profession also demands writing. Examples of writing in the nursing profession include emails or letters to other health professionals, patient notes and analyses, care instructions, protocols, cover letters, case studies, recommendations, and literature reviews. This semester, in preparation for writing during my professional career as a nurse, I practiced writing some of these documents: I wrote an analysis of a sample document from the nursing profession, an instructional document and cover letter, an original journalistic article, and a literature review. Throughout the Spring 2014 semester in Advanced Writing in the Health Professions, I have learned the discourse of nursing, the importance of understanding the target audience when arranging and writing a document, and the significance of the revision process. As a member of the nursing discourse community, I must be able to write to a specific audience, articulate my judgments and provide evidence for those judgments, use technical language, and order knowledge appropriately. In Unit 1, I assessed the discourse used in a case study written by two nurses and published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, a source frequently referred to by nurses. Through close reading, I made specific observations of writing techniques and offered judgments based on those observations. I argued that, through technical terminology, facts about complicated pneumonia, and the sequential arrangement of knowledge, the case study provides nurses the knowledge they need if they encounter a patient with a form of complicated pneumonia. In this assignment,

I presented my observations, followed by my judgments, and arguing, in conclusion, that case studies are critical references for nurses as they contain the realistic examples of atypical cases not included in textbooks. In this unit, I explored the typical discourse of writing in the nursing profession, preparing me to write my own professional documents in the subsequent units and in my future nursing career. Another critical component of the discourse of the nursing profession is addressing the target audience appropriately. In Unit 2, given my interest in becoming a neonatal or pediatric nurse, I decided to research sudden infant death syndrome and create a reference document for caregivers on how to safely put an infant to sleep. In the cover letter, I wrote in a professional manner, respectfully addressing Dr. Ciccone, and arranging the document in proper cover letter format. In addition, I organized the content of the letter by addressing the problem of sudden infant death syndrome, proposing my document as a useful tool in preventing SIDS, and giving the reader further direction on how to proceed with the printing and distribution of the document. Furthermore, I created the reference document specifically for my target audience of parents or caregivers of newborns. I proposed the distribution of a door hanger that caregivers can refer to when putting an infant to sleep, as it can be hung anywhere and is therefore a more convenient and accessible document compared to a pamphlet. The door hanger is easy for parents and caregivers to understand and follow, as it presents six simple ways to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome depicted through images and basic captions. This document, in particular, shows my understanding of the importance of the audience in writing and arranging a document, as well as choosing the specific medium of the document itself.

My Unit 3 essay also depicts my understanding of the importance of audience and context through document presentation and content. For this assignment, I wrote an article to be published in a womens health magazine, such as Shape Magazine, discussing the recent research and suggestion that a Mediterranean diet may reduce risk of heart attack, stoke, and sudden cardiac death. Although the audience for this particular magazine is more interested in and knowledgeable of health-related topics, I still had to present technical material in health science to non-specialists. To effectively do so, I began my article with a lead to interest and engage my reader: Its no secret that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, killing about 600,000 people each year (Unit 3). I presented this life-threatening statistic to grasp the readers attention, and then presented a possible solution to reducing ones risk, making my audience curious and intrigued so that they continue reading. The revision process was critical to all of the assignments, as I was able to share and discuss my work with other health professionals and give my own suggestions to my peers. I enjoyed revising my peers work, as displayed in the extensive revisions and letter I wrote for Jeannie on her Unit 3 article on heroin (Supporting Materials). Not only did I feel confident in praising areas of strength and suggesting ways to improve other areas, but revising Jeannies article also gave me ideas as to how I could improve my own document. The process of revision was truly substantial for the Unit 4 literature review assignment. The revisions by both Jenny and Amanda, which can be found under Supporting Materials, display my first draft of my literature review as well as their revisions. I had a difficult time organizing this essay, as there were so many different aspects to each study I was reviewing. However, I was open to and appreciative of the

suggestions of both Amanda, who proposed that I use more visuals and smooth the transition between the topic of cesarean delivery and obesity, and Jenny, who suggested that I organize the research according to age of assessment and define more key terms, such as Apgar score. In revising and finalizing my literature review, I included key terms in the margin, including Apgar score. I also incorporated two more visuals (Figure 2 and Figure 3) to visually present some of the information in the text. In addition, I tried organizing my research by age, as suggested by Jenny; however, through my own continuous revisions, I found that categorizing the studies by confounding variables and influential factors corresponded better with my argument that an association exists between cesarean delivery and obesity, despite arguments that confounding variables are responsible for the association. Throughout this semester, I feel that I have gained more confidence as a writer, especially in the discourse of the nursing profession. I realize that there is more to nursing than daily patient assessments and that I may be proposing the implementation of a reference document or writing a case study on a patient in my future career. I have learned to arrange documents, convey my judgments and messages, and use appropriate technical language to address a specific audience, evident in my Unit 3 journalistic article. I have also become more confident in revising the work of my peers, as well as accepting and applying the suggestions I receive from my fellow professionals. Overall, my writing has transformed from writing analytical essays on literature to writing specific documents relevant to my future profession. In the future, I will continue to use my professional peers as resources for revision, and to maintain an understanding of my target audience in arranging documents and conveying my arguments. Whether I am writing patient notes or

analyzing a case study, I am certain that what I have learned in Advanced Writing in the Health Professions has prepared me for success in my writing as a member of the nursing discourse community.

Acknowledgements: I would like to acknowledge those who have contributed to my success during the Spring 2014 Semester: Nicole Scapicchio, Sul Gi Chae, Shamma Bhanvadia, Grace Innamorato, Jeannie Huh, Hyun Ji Jung, Amanda Schmitt, and Tom Akbari.

Self-assessment Sheet Unit 5: Reflective Essay and Portfolio

Satisfactory

Shows understanding of the genres of writing in her or his academic discipline and/or career path Shows understanding of the discourse of her or his discipline and/or career path Shows an understanding of the importance of audience and context and writes with appropriate style and arranges documents in effective ways Displays confidence and facility with the processes of revision Offers written reflection on her or his writing and strategies for writing.

Excellent

Good

Poor

Low