A narrative essay tells a vivid story from a first-person point of view. Unlike other essay forms, it allows writers to creatively share their experiences in an engaging style similar to storytelling. The most essential element of writing a successful narrative essay is developing an interesting personal story that reveals a specific message or moral.
In a five-paragraph narrative essay, the writer aims to complete their story and make their key point within only five paragraphs. This adds pressure to make every section focused and meaningful. But when done well, a five-paragraph narrative has the virtue of being succinct and impactful.
This guide will walk you through the key steps to planning, structuring, and writing a compelling five-paragraph narrative essay.
A narrative essay gives writers a platform to convey real or imagined experiences in a personal, custom-tailored style. The writer should use sensory details and vivid descriptions to tell a story and invite the reader into their perspective of the moment. The story should have emotional resonance and reveal something meaningful about the writer or their view of the world.
Unlike standard essays, narrative essays don’t rely heavily on facts and figures to illustrate key points. Instead, a compelling storyline carries the content, with the writer’s reflections and conclusions embedded fluidly within. This creative flexibility gives students and professional writers alike the license to share their tales expressively. Yet it still requires skill in connecting scenes together logically and sticking to the central theme.
There are a few main styles of narrative essays, including:
This allows the writer to share a meaningful event from their life. It relies wholly on the writer’s recollection of the moments described in the first person. The essay should reveal something personal about the writer’s past.
This type of narrative essay involves the writer imagining or fabricating a story with fictional characters and events. Although fiction, the story should be logical and reveal something about the writer’s perspective on a theme or broader message about society overall.
A memoir recalls specific moments from the writer’s past. It is similar to a personal narrative but focuses on a suite of memories around a person, place, or period of significance rather than a single event.
This focuses on the writer’s relationship with reading, writing, and language learning. It explores how those skills developed in an interesting way.
Narrative writing offers many benefits:
But there are some common pitfalls:
Follow these central steps to producing a compelling five-paragraph narrative essay:
Ideally, pick a distinct moment from your life rather than a vague theme. Focused stories are richer. Your topic should connect to a personal experience that has some meaning, emotion, or point of reflection behind it. Refer to the sample nursing narrative essay topics above for inspiration.
Every captivating story needs a thoughtful narrative essay structure. This ensures your scenes, characters, transitions, and takeaway lessons all flow logically. Outline the key moments in your story that convey the details, drama, emotion, and conclusions you intend to share.
Put readers right into your shoes in the midst of the memory you’re conveying. Describe the surrounding sights, textures, smells, and sounds immersed in that moment. First-person narration makes it vivid.
Your word choices, descriptors, and sensory details should shape an engaging reading experience for your audience. Reading a narrative essay should feel like stepping into a moment captured in time.
Refine and polish your descriptions, organization, and grammar until you have a compelling five-paragraph story arch. This is your chance to share a personal memory colorfully!
Structure your narrative paper around key moments using this essay writing outline as a guide:
The “Hook”
Grab the reader instantly by referencing something intriguing, funny, or impactful in the scene you’re describing. Pose an interesting question or drop them into the peak of action straight away.
Set the Scene
Where does this memory take place? Use vivid sensory details to describe the location. Help readers visualize and make inferences.
Thesis Statement
In one commanding sentence, summarize the overall significance this moment from your past holds. What did it mean to you in a broader context? This hooks readers into why your story matters.
“Show, Don’t Tell”: Let descriptive details of sights, textures, and dialogues drive the story without excessive explanations. Trust readers to infer significance through dramatized action.
Supporting Evidence: Weave descriptive details into successive paragraphs that advance the action and reveal more about the meaning. This carries your story arc towards an epiphany.
Passage of Time: Use transitional phrases to indicate time passing as needed. Flashbacks or flashforwards can reveal backstories. Occasional reflections at the moment add perspective.
Transitions: The action should unfold fluidly using varied transition words and phrases that maintain chronological logic.
The Moral of the Story
What was the great revelation or lesson you ultimately learned from this memory? How did it shape your personal views or identity? End by resolving the deeper meaning of your essay.
Use this handy template to structure your five-paragraph narrative essay:
Introduction:
Begin your paper with a “hook”
Background information
State your thesis statement
Body paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: Beginning Action
Topic sentence:
Detail 1.
Detail 2.
Detail 3.
Paragraph 2: Middle Action
Topic sentence:
Detail 1.
Detail 2.
Detail 3.
Paragraph 3: End Action
Topic sentence:
Detail 1.
Detail 2.
Detail 3.
Conclusion:
Restate the key details/events in summary form
Share insights, lessons learned
Discuss broader significance
Make a meaningful, reflective closing statement
Narrative essays offer nurses a creative outlet to share their most compelling patient memories. By combining vivid storytelling with self-reflection, nurses can craft personal essays that reveal the triumphs and challenges of healthcare experiences that mattered. This hones their broader life insights. With practice, nursing narratives can eloquently capture pivotal clinical moments in succinct yet moving essays.
Follow the key steps like choosing a distinct personal experience topic, having a clear essay format, outlining the key scenes in sequence, using captivating descriptive details in first-person, and revealing the deeper significance your story holds by the meaningful conclusion.
The 5 key parts are the introduction hook to build intrigue, background details establishing context, an engaging storyline revealing events chronologically, fluid transitions tying scenes together, and a personal reflection on the experience’s lasting impacts or lessons learned.
5 impactful examples are:
The 5 paragraphs are:
The five-paragraph essay is one of the most common writing assignments in elementary and high school. This type of short, structured essay helps teach young students key skills for making arguments in a clear way while still allowing for some creativity. However, coming up with interesting ideas for topics that fit this specific essay format can be hard for many beginning writers.
This article will explore ideas for writing outstanding five-paragraph essays, given the strict space limits.
Here are various essay topics that can serve as a starting point for your next writing assignment.
Coming up with good topics for five-paragraph essays can be tricky. Here are some easy ways students can get ideas and prompts for topics to write these short essays:
Research papers written by past scholars: Peruse papers published in scholarly nursing journals for intriguing health services research questions to dissect from a distinct training level or demographic lens.
Explore News media: Follow news media stories highlighting evolving policies, regulations, and technologies influencing care delivery models.
Browse social media: Monitor social media threads where practicing nurses convene to spotlight self-care needs amplified by the pandemic like managing anxiety or preventing chronic musculoskeletal injuries from repeated strain lifting patients.
Do research into an issue you are familiar with: Tap personal connections through informational interviews with nurses across specialties about eye-opening case studies or misconceptions needing clarification from a healthcare marketing perspective.
Ask your professor: Inquire with course professors about controversial medical scenarios debated recently to argue an alternative outlook citing classroom ethical frameworks.
View online forums: Explore relevant online forums that provide inspiration by revealing current issues and debates people are passionately conversing about.
Beyond settling on a compelling topic, authors praise other consistent strategies for acing five paragraph essays:
A 15-year-old male reports dull pain in both knees. Sometimes one or both knees click, and the patient describes a catching sensation under the patella.
In determining the causes of the knee pain, what additional history do you need? What categories can you use to differentiate knee pain? What are your specific differential diagnoses for knee pain? What physical examination will you perform? What anatomic structures are you assessing as part of the physical examination? What special maneuvers will you perform?
With regard to the case study you were assigned:
Note: Before you submit your initial post, replace the subject line (“Discussion – Week 8?) with “Review of Case Study ___.” Fill in the blank with the number of the case study you were assigned.
Post an episodic/focused note about the patient in the case study to which you were assigned using the episodic/focused note template provided in the Week 5 resources. Provide evidence from the literature to support diagnostic tests that would be appropriate for each case. List five different possible conditions for the patient’s differential diagnosis and justify why you selected each.
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.
500 words is 1 page single-spaced or 2 pages double-spaced when formatted with standard margins and 12-point Arial or Times New Roman font.
Typical 500-word documents include high school and college essays, short blog posts, and news articles. 500 words takes about 2 minutes for an average reader to complete.
The exact page and word count may vary slightly depending on specific formatting choices – but you can use 1 page single-spaced or 2 pages double-spaced as a reliable benchmark for 500 words.
Factors like margin width, font style, and paragraph spacing can result in small differences in output. For instance, Calibri font may condense content down slightly compared to Arial and Times New Roman.
But when using typical academic formats and fonts like Arial or Times New Roman 12 point, 500 words will be around 1 single-spaced page or 2 double-spaced pages in length. Keep these page estimates in mind when planning and structuring 500-word scholarship essays or papers.
When an essay is single-spaced, 500 words will take up approximately 1 page. This assumes using normal margins (1 inch) and 12 pt Arial font or Times New Roman font.
Slight deviations can occur if using more exotic formatting like extra narrow margins or particularly spacious fonts, but in most cases, adhering to conventional academic styling formats, 500 words can be reliably expected to produce a document length of right around 1 single-spaced page.
However, in most single-spacing cases with a standard 12-point font with normal 1-inch margins all around, 500 words will be close to 1 page long.
Specifically, using standard 1-inch page margins all around and typical academic fonts like 12-point Arial or Times New Roman, 500 words will take up 1 full page single-spaced. In contrast, that same 500-word essay content will extend to 2 pages when teachers request double spacing between lines for editing purposes.
For a standard double-spaced essay, 500 words will usually fill between 1 to 2 pages, depending on whether you use Arial, Times New Roman or Calibri fonts.
Specifically:
This accounts for 1-inch page margins all around as well. If you use narrower margins, then the page count for 500 words could be reduced slightly. Equally, with wider margins of 1.5 inches or 2 inches, you may reach closer to 3 pages.
A double-spaced 500-word essay will be between 1 and 2 pages, depending on the font and margin widths chosen.
If writing out an essay by hand, 500 words would fill around 1 page, assuming you are using college-ruled paper (standard spacing between lines) and average handwriting size.
Allowing for wider spacing between lines on handwritten essays, 500 words could take closer to 2 pages if using extra spacing. But on average, 500 written words is approximately 2 handwritten pages.
An essay of 500 words will likely comprise between 4-6 paragraphs depending on the average paragraph length used.
According to guidelines from writing resources like the Purdue OWL, a paragraph should be at least 3 sentences long. However, a length between 100 to 200 words per paragraph is recommended.
So for a 500-word limit essay:
Therefore, when writing 500 words, look to have between 4-6 paragraphs, depending on the preferred paragraph length. Remember that an introduction and conclusion paragraph are helpful in structuring any effective essay!
Since the average sentence is 15 to 20 words long, a 500-word essay is typically about 25 to 35 sentences. However, this can vary significantly based on your sentence length.
Longer 30+ word sentences mean reaching a 500-word count with fewer total sentences compared to using short 10-15 word sentences.
Either way, aim for a sentence length that varies and fits with the context rather than sticking rigidly to averages. A mix of long sentences combined with short, impactful ones often works well in essays.
The average number of words per page differs depending on spacing, font size, and type:
Verdana tends to generate the longest page count when used in essays and documents. On average, Verdana creates 1.1 pages in Microsoft Word or Google Docs for every 1 page written in the popular Arial font. Compared to even more compact options like Times New Roman and Calibri, Verdana produces approximately 0.9 pages per 1 page created in these fonts.
So if aiming to meet page number minimums with lower overall word counts, Verdana can be strategically used by college students to extend length where format flexibility exists. However, many instructors mandate standard fonts like Roman 12-point font and conventional margins in their writing style. When no font guidance is given, Arial delivers reliable clarity and density.
The format of a 500-word essay may contain anywhere between 25 to 35 sentences over 4-6 paragraphs.
The average typing speed for writers is 40 words per minute when writing. This means in one minute, the average writer can type 40 words on a keyboard. To calculate the time needed, you take the total number of words that need to be typed and divide by the words per minute rate (Average writing speed). Therefore, it will take them approximately 12.5 minutes to finish typing 500 words.
Here are some useful tips on how to write a 500-word essay:
Here is a quick reference of average word counts per page in your writing process:
WORD COUNTPAGES (SINGLE-SPACED)PAGES (DOUBLE-SPACED)FONT SIZE250 WORDS½ PAGE1 PAGE12 POINT300 WORDS? PAGE1? PAGES12 POINT400 WORDS? PAGE1? PAGES12 POINT500 WORDS1 PAGE2 PAGES12 POINT600 WORDS1? PAGE2? PAGES12 POINT750 WORDS1½ PAGES3 PAGES12 POINT800 WORDS1? PAGES3? PAGES12 POINT1,000 WORDS2 PAGES4 PAGES12 POINT1,200 WORDS2? PAGES4? PAGES12 POINT1,500 WORDS3 PAGES6 PAGES12 POINT2,000 WORDS4 PAGES8 PAGES12 POINT2,500 WORDS5 PAGES10 PAGES12 POINT3,000 WORDS6 PAGES12 PAGES12 POINT3,500 WORDS7 PAGES14 PAGES12 POINT4,000 WORDS8 PAGES16 PAGES12 POINT5,000 WORDS10 PAGES20 PAGES12 POINT6,000 WORDS12 PAGES24 PAGES12 POINT7,500 WORDS15 PAGES30 PAGES12 POINT8,000 WORDS16 PAGES32 PAGES12 POINT10,000 WORDS20 PAGES40 PAGES12 POINTKeep these words per page estimates handy for whenever you need to plan the length of your next essay or paper!
Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their capacity to execute specific plans of action in prospective situations (Lopez-Garrido, 2020). Generally, it is an individual’s belief in their ability to succeed in a particular case. The self-efficacy theory was developed in 1977 by a psychologist known as Bandura. It postulates that an individual’s self-efficacy can influence motivation, achievement, and self-regulation.
The internal and external criticism evaluation process involves the accuracy and originality of information (Vitolla, Raimo, & Rubino, 2019). Internal criticism is trying to establish an author’s meaning and making a judgment as to the intention and prejudices of the writer. External criticism determines the validity by verifying the authenticity of a source. This paper presents a comprehensive critique of self-efficacy theory, using the internal and external evaluation process.
Bandura’s self-efficacy theory is a social-cognitive theory that suggests that self-efficacy plays an integral role in influencing the achievement outcomes through its dynamic interplay of behavioral determinants and the environment. According to Klassen and Klassen (2018), the theorist believes that whereas self-efficacy affects an individual’s well-being, motivation, and achievements, the factors that influence behavior also influence the beliefs. People tend to be involved in things in which they are confident they can succeed as opposed to the ones they are not sure about success. The robustness of the theory provides enough evidence that the concept of behavior and environment cannot be ruled out when it comes to self-efficacy.
The theory’s constructs also maintain that four factors develop efficacy. These include performance outcomes, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and physiological feedback. However, other researchers after have proposed more factors that determine and develop self-efficacy. James Maddux, for instance, a psychology researcher, proposes the fifth factor, visualization or imaginal experiences (Lopez-Garrido, 2020). He believes that someone who tries to portray their goals as achievable is more likely to achieve the goals, which contributes to a higher self-efficacy.
The first step in establishing the originality of a theory is by identifying if the theory is authentic, then the level of authenticity. In their analysis, Dammann et al. (2021) note that the model of authenticity proposed by Lehman stipulates that authenticity is determined by the consistency, conformity, and connection of a piece to the body of knowledge. The theory of self-efficacy has been used constantly in research and practice in various fields. Most researchers agree with the theory, and even some apply the theory’s framework in their work. The relationship between the theory and its contribution to the body of knowledge over time clearly shows that the theory is authentic.
The self-efficacy theory has been applied in education, economics, and, more importantly, nursing. For instance, the theory has been applied in nursing to develop patient education programs for illnesses that require behavioral and self-management, such as diabetes (Jiang et al., 2019). Studies show that self-efficacy-focused programs have been considered effective in the patients. Therefore, it is worth noting that the self-efficacy theory is reliable and valid for application in research and practice that involves cognitive behavior.
As seen in the critique above, the self-efficacy theory is valid and reliable for application in research and practice. The use of external and internal evaluation of the theory has depicted its accuracy and originality. The theory’s constructs have influenced the understanding of human behavior in different experiences.
Also Read:
Scholarly Assignment: Theory of Chronic Sorrow
Dammann, O., Friederichs, K. M., Lebedinski, S., & Liesenfeld, K. M. (2021). The essence of authenticity. Frontiers in Psychology, 4021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.629654
Jiang, X., Wang, J., Lu, Y., Jiang, H., & Li, M. (2019). Self-efficacy-focused education in persons with diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychology Research And Behavior Management, 12, 67. https://doi.org/10.2147%2FPRBM.S192571
Klassen, R. M., & Klassen, J. R. (2018). Self-efficacy beliefs of medical students: a critical review. Perspectives On Medical Education, 7(2), 76-82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-018-0411-3
Lopez-Garrido, G. (2020). Self-efficacy Theory. Simply Psychology. Accessed 6th June 2022 from https://www.simplypsychology.org/self-efficacy.html
Vitolla, F., Raimo, N., & Rubino, M. (2019). Appreciations, criticisms, determinants, and effects of integrated reporting: A systematic literature review. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 26(2), 518-528. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1734
Self-efficacy theory explains that the strength and level of self-efficacy are altered by psychological procedures. Self-efficacy, in its explanation, refers to the capacity and belief to show behaviors that lead to attainments through specific performances. It is a matter of believing in oneself using parts of self like abilities, attitude, and cognitive skills. Self-efficacy theory acknowledges the different forms of human abilities and how their beliefs, thoughts, and emotions impact their behavior (Ebrahimi Belil et al., 2018).
People have a great influence on how they feel, do, and think, which is a key role as the theory emphasizes. Notably, the theory’s initial development undertook psychological procedures to determine the expectations of self-efficacy in a person and the ultimate leaf to behavior change. Moreover, self-efficacy has various expectations, from the person’s ability to execute many tasks. The beliefs lead to developing critical human competence. Being competent depends highly on one’s feelings, actions, thoughts, and source of motivation. The efficacy is thus a predictor of certain or continued behavior in contentious times.
The theory of self-efficacy postulates that an individual’s self-efficacy can be developed. Self-efficacy means the confidence a person has in their belief that they can achieve, thus influencing their performance (Marsh et al., 2019). Self-efficacy is developed through personal success, observation, comparison of performance when given similar tasks, encouragement of others, and emotional states that enhance accomplishments. Self-efficacy determines how a person handles difficult tasks, how they persevere, and whether they will achieve the desired outcomes.
The theory emphasizes that psychological processes determine an individual’s level of self-efficacy. The way individuals process information determines how they judge their capabilities (Laurencelle and Scanlan, 2018). Self-efficacy is altered by the perception of an individual’s responses to a certain situation. However, an individual’s belief in the implications of certain psychological responses alters self-efficacy. For instance, fear before entering an interview may lead to a person believing that they cannot make it, thus decreasing self-efficacy. Another person may interpret it as a challenge to face the panel and believe they can make it, increasing self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy not only determines behavior and human competence but also influences an individual’s quality of life. According to Banik et al. (2018), self-efficacy form modifiable personal characteristics that determine how they respond to illness management, rehabilitation participation, and health outcomes related to the quality of life. Liu et al. (2018) also argue that self-efficacy contributes to the quality of life through the emotions a person has when faced with a difficult situation. Improved self-efficacy can help curb negative emotions by minimizing anxiety and depression, thus improving the quality of life, especially for patients. Therefore, high self-efficacy levels could contribute to a good quality of life and vice versa.
References
Banik, A., Schwarzer, R., Knoll, N., Czekierda, K., & Luszczynska, A. (2018). Self-efficacy and quality of life among people with cardiovascular diseases: A meta-analysis. Rehabilitation Psychology, 63(2), 295–312. https://doi.org/10.1037/rep0000199
Laurencelle, F., & Scanlan, J. (2018). Graduate students’ experiences: Developing self-efficacy. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2017-0041
Liu, N., Liu, S., Yu, N., Peng, Y., Wen, Y., Tang, J., & Kong, L. (2018). Correlations among psychological resilience, self-efficacy, and negative emotion in acute myocardial infarction patients after percutaneous coronary intervention. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 1. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00001
Marsh, H. W., Pekrun, R., Parker, P. D., Murayama, K., Guo, J., Dicke, T., & Arens, A. K. (2019). The murky distinction between self-concept and self-efficacy: Beware of lurking jingle-jangle fallacies. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(2), 331. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/edu0000281
The idea of one’s own capacity for self-sufficiency may be traced back to the Social Learning Theory, which places a strong focus on the theories of learning through observing of others. According to Bandura’s definition, Self-efficacy may be described as the conviction in one’s ability to shape and carry out the procedures of action necessary to generate specific accomplishments (Eller et al., 2018).
To put it another way, self-efficacy may be defined as an individual’s perception of the degree to which they influence their capacity to carry out desired behaviors and achieve desired outcomes (Eller et al., 2018). A person’s unique belief system is what makes up their self-efficacy and determines how well they can carry out a strategy when faced with new challenges.
Also, self-efficacy may be defined as an individual’s confidence in their capacity to achieve their goals in a given circumstance. Although Bandura is credited with popularizing the term ”self-efficacy,” psychologists have long been researching the topic from a range of viewpoints.
A 60 year old woman with angina is prescribed 135mg Verapamil
Patient Y is prescribed Furosemide 70mg i.v to be added to 40mL of Normal Saline 0.9%. Stock strength available is Furosemide 20mg/2mL. How many … A 60 year old woman with angina is prescribed 135mg Verapamil
Patient Demographics
Age:65 yearsBiological Sex:FemaleRace:CaucasianInsurance:MedicareReferral:Referred by her primary care physicianClinical InformationTime with Patient:45 minutesConsult with Preceptor:NoType of Decision-Making:Moderate complexityStudent Participation:Shared (50-50)Reason for Visit:Follow-upChief Complaint:The patient has multiple ongoing health issuesEncounter #:2Type of HP:ComprehensiveSocial Problems Addressed:NoneICD-10 Diagnosis Codes#1 –I20.9 – Unstable Angina#2 –E78.0 – Pure Hypercholesterolemia#3 –J44.9 – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, UnspecifiedCPT Billing Codes#1 –99214 – Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, moderate complexity, 25 minutesMedications# OTC Drugs taken regularly:0# Prescriptions currently prescribed:3# New/Refilled Prescriptions This Visit:2Types of New/Refilled Prescriptions This Visit:Pulmonology – Albuterol inhaler PRN
Atorvastatin 20 mg OD
Adherence Issues with Medications:Time: 9:30 am
Vital Signs: Height: 5’5?, Weight: 160 lbs, Temp: 98.1°F, B/P: 148/80 mm Hg, Pulse: 75 bpm, Respiratory rate: 19 breaths per minute
Subjective
History of Present Illness symptoms: Ms. Smith, a 65-year-old Caucasian female, presented for a follow-up appointment with a history of unstable angina, characterized by recurring chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue, and concerns about its increased frequency. She also has a diagnosis of pure hypercholesterolemia, managing it with occasional concerns about statin-related muscle aches. Additionally, she reported ongoing respiratory difficulties due to her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including nighttime shortness of breath and occasional forgetfulness in using her prescribed albuterol inhaler. These comorbidities have significantly impacted her daily life, and she is motivated to improve her management strategies for better symptom control and quality of life.
Current Medications: Aspirin 81mg daily, orally; Albuterol inhaler PRN; Atorvastatin 20 mg OD orally
Medication allergies: NKDA
Social History: She is married, has a family, and is currently not working, likely retired, as there is no mention of occupation. She is an immigrant from Mexico, which may have cultural and language implications for her healthcare. She reports no alcohol consumption, smoking, or illegal drug use, and her hobbies and exercise routines are not detailed, possibly suggesting limited leisure activities. Her social history highlights her familial and cultural background, as well as her lack of engagement in certain health-risk behaviors.
Family History: Ms. Smith’s family history reveals a significant cardiovascular risk on her paternal side, with her father experiencing a heart attack and her paternal grandfather suffering from a stroke. On her maternal side, there’s a history of type 2 diabetes, as her mother and maternal grandmother both had the condition. Additionally, there is a family history of cancer, with her paternal aunt having breast cancer and her mother’s sister being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Review of systems:
General: The client is obese and presents with difficulties in breathing and abnormal heart sounds.
Eyes: She is myopic and uses eye aids
Ears: Reports tinnitus in her right ear
Nose: Denies any nose conditions
Mouth/Throat: She cannot remember the last time she visited a dentist. She has lost two of her teeth in the upper jaw.
Cardiovascular: Reports chest pain and palpitations. There is easy fatiguability with minimal exertion or activity
Respiratory: Reports difficulties in breathing, shortness of breath, cough, and wheezing
Gastrointestinal: Denies stomach pain. No recent stomach upsets.
Genitourinary: Reports frequent urination, with no pain on urination
Musculoskeletal: Reports pain in the right leg joints
Skin: Denies skin rashes or any skin conditions
Breasts: Denies breast pain or discharge
Neurological: Reports intermittent mild headaches
Psychiatric: Denies depression anxiety, reports trouble sleeping
Endocrine: Denies thyroid disease and heat intolerance.
Objective
General: The client is cooperative and talkative
Skin: Dry skin, warm, no scars visible
Hair: Dry, well-groomed
Nails: Nails are cut short and well-kempt
HEENT:
Head: Normocephalic and atraumatic noted
Eyes: No discharge, redness, or abnormalities observed
Ears: shape bilateral equal, no inflammation, tympanic membranes pearly grey, poor external hygiene
Teeth/Gums: Two missing teeth visualized in the upper jaw
Pharynx: Mucosa non-inflamed, posterior pharynx is normal
Neck: No lesions observed. No distended veins were noted.
Heart: There is an apparent murmur heard.
Lungs: Wheezing, rhonchi, and decreased lung sounds auscultated.
Abdomen: Regular bowel movements are heard on all the four quadrants
Back: The patient has kyphosis
Rectal: Not examined
Extremities: Edema noted on the right lower limb
Musculoskeletal: Normal range of motion, no misalignment
Neurologic: Alert and oriented x 3, normoreflexia
Psychiatric: The patient is in a euthymic mood
Pelvic: Not examined
Breast: No masses, discharge, or abnormalities noted
Assessment:
Recurring chest pain
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
ICD-10 Codes
I20.9 – UNSTABLE ANGINA
E78.0 – PURE HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA
J44.9 – CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE, UNSPECIFIED
CPT Codes:
99203 – OFFICE/OP VISIT, NEW PT, MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE HX/EXAM; MODERATE LEVEL MED DECISION; 30-44 MIN
Plan:
Regularly monitor vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation, to assess the patient’s cardiovascular and respiratory status.
Conduct lipid profile tests and adjust statin therapy as necessary to achieve target cholesterol levels.
Assess respiratory function with pulmonary function tests (spirometry) to guide COPD treatment decisions.
Ensure patient adherence to prescribed medications, including antiplatelet agents, bronchodilators, and statins.
Educate the patient on recognizing angina and COPD exacerbation symptoms and encourage lifestyle modifications.
Periodically conduct blood tests to assess liver function, creatinine levels, and inflammatory markers to monitor the patient’s overall health and treatment safety.
Follow-up:
Follow up in two weeks to discuss lab results and review medications in case adjustments are needed.
Imagine that your law was enacted by the state or federal government and is now being challenged in court. Whether you support/defend your law or oppose/attack your law, you would be required to cite precedent for either cause. In this assignment, I want you to make your case using a previous decision from the court.
Start a new thread (discussion topic) and title it (in the ‘subject’ line) with the name of your law.
Begin the body (message) with the name of the case that you are applying for.
Use the rest of the message area to describe how the case supports or opposes your law.
Submit.
The assignment will be graded on how well you apply the case to your law.
I will be judging 3 things:
1) What aspect of your law that you are addressing
2) The applicability of the case to that aspect
3) Your writing, explanation, and overall thoroughness in applying the law properly
Extra credit will be awarded for the following:
1) addressing multiple aspects of your law with multiple cases
2) responding to others with comments that criticize or elaborate on their application
3) creative application that is logical and correct
4) exceptional writing or analytical explanation
Also Read:
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, 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, having a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors is advantageous. 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. Letting your essay run over the recommended number of pages is better than compressing 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 and double-spaced with a one-inch margin on each page’s top, bottom, and sides. When submitting a hard copy, use white paper and print it out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument. GCU Journal Of Health Care Organization Provision And Financing
Abnormal brain development or damage at an early age can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. Within this group of disorders, some are resolvable with appropriate and timely interventions, either pharmacological or nonpharmacological, while other disorders are chronic and need to be managed throughout the lifespan.
For this Assignment, you will develop a study guide for an assigned disorder and share it with your colleagues. In sum, these study guides will be a powerful tool in preparing for your certification exam.
Create a study guide for your assigned disorder. Your study guide should be in the form of an outline with references, and you should incorporate visual elements such as concept maps, charts, diagrams, images, color coding, mnemonics, and flashcards.
Be creative! It should not be in the format of an APA paper. The DSM-5 should inform your guide but also be supported by at least three other scholarly resources.
Areas of importance you should address, but are not limited to, are:
NOTE
Create a study guide for your assigned disorder. Your study guide should be in the form of an outline with references, and you should incorporate visual elements such as concept maps, charts, diagrams, images, color coding, mnemonics, and flashcards.
Be creative! It should not be in the format of an APA paper. The DSM-5 should inform your guide but also be supported by at least three other scholarly resources.
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, 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 apparent 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. Letting your essay run over the recommended number of pages is better than compressing 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 each page’s top, bottom, and sides. When submitting a hard copy, use white paper and print it out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.
Team nursing as a health care delivery model has been widely adopted by several healthcare facilities. In this model, patient care is distributed amongst a group of workers led by a team leader who works together for quality patient care. Kwiatkowski (2019) defines a team leader as an individual who provides guidance, direction, instruction, and leadership to a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. It is crystal clear that a good team leader is a prerequisite for effective teamwork in team nursing. In this particular speech, I will inform my audience who are nurses preparing to take up future leadership roles on some of the most important qualities of a team leader such as effective communication, emotional intelligence, and integrity.
Effective interpersonal communication is a priority when it steps down to the building and functioning of a team. Influential leaders can communicate a vision to the staff and drive the staff towards the achievement of the target. As future nurse leaders, effective communication forms the foundation of the success of any team. The current multidisciplinary treatment environment requires that team leaders spell out directions and make the right decisions. A team leader can acquire these communication skills by listening effectively, communicating messages clearly, and by providing feedback in a supportive manner (Kwiatkowski, 2019). Team leaders go beyond listening to really hear their staff. Good team leaders furthermore seek and listen to the feedback provided by their team to cultivate their self-esteem as well as that of the team. Effective communication is an ability that few are born with but many can learn and therefore in preparation for future leadership roles, nurses should learn this particular quality using all available means even if it means through training.
The emotional quotient is the ability of a team leader to read and comprehend the social context of others, to detect nuances in emotional reactions, and to utilize that knowledge to support others through emotional regulation and control (Edelman & van Knippenberg, 2018), is a critical quality of an effective nurse team leader. A good nurse team leader should understand the challenging environment in which nurses work and train them to manage work-related stress. Edelman and van Knippenberg (2018) for instance, discovered that appropriate response to subordinate’s emotions was associated with effective leadership. Nurses preparing to take up future leadership roles should thus assist their colleagues in handling issues and other counterproductive influences that cause emotional exhaustion and poor collaboration.
Integrity and honesty are central qualities of a good team leader. The perceived integrity of leaders affects the attitudes of their staff which in turn has an impact on the overall efficiency and productivity. Integrity is utilized by leaders to make the right choices during dilemmas in patients’ treatment plans. According to Engelbrecht et al. (2017), reliable team leaders increase the satisfaction of their staff consequently leading to quality care. The link between integrity and trust cannot be overemphasized in the leader-employee relationships. Similarly, leaders with this quality have good intentions, unlike self-motives. Nurses preparing to take up leadership roles should act per their words and own up to their mistakes instead of blaming others.
In conclusion, the nursing practice provides a lot of leadership opportunities as far as team nursing is concerned. Despite all these opportunities, nurses should train to be leaders. This training involves acquiring the necessary qualities of an effective nurse team leader such as effective communication, emotional intelligence, and integrity as well as other vital qualities which were beyond the scope of this speech.
When was the last time you read Meditation XVII of John Donne’s Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions?
Unless you are a student of seventeenth-century poetry, you may not be all that familiar with this piece. However, you may be much more familiar with one of its well-known phrases: “No man is an island…”.
As you begin your journey toward achieving your academic and professional goals, you have a great opportunity to network with academics and professionals who can help ensure you do not travel alone. This network can help to clarify your own vision for success and can help guide you now and in the future. To paraphrase Donne, no one is an island.
Begin creating an academic and professional network by identifying which academic and professional connections and resources with which you need to collaborate to succeed in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
To Prepare:
Complete Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template. Be sure to address the following:
By Day 7 of Week 1
Submit Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
Submission and Grading Information
To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2018). Academic and Professional Integrity [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2018). The Walden Journey to a Masters in Nursing: Academic and Professional Integrity [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Students will:
Required Readings
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/coe-view-only
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Alba, B. (2018). Factors that impact on emergency nurses’ ethical decision-making ability. Nursing Ethics, 25(7), 855–866. https://doi.org/10.1177/096973301667476
Glasper, A. (2016). Does cheating by students undermine the integrity of the nursing profession? British Journal of Nursing, 25(16), 932–933.
NLN Ethical Principles for Nursing Education. (2012). Nursing Education Perspective, 33(1), 65.
Walden University Academic Skills Center. (n.d.). ASC success strategies: Plagiarism. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
Walden Office of Student Affairs. (n.d.). SafeAssign tutorials.
Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.). APA style: Overview.
Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.). APA style: APA basics checklist.
Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.) Grammarly: Overview.
Document: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template (Word document)
Document: Citing a Discussion Posting in APA Style (PDF)
Document: Common APA Style and Formatting Challenges (PDF)
Document: Introduction to Scholarly Writing: Plagiarism and Academic Integrity (PDF)
Required Media
Walden University (Producer). (2020). APA tutorial [Interactive media].
As a nurse embarking on an advanced degree, you are developing the characteristics of a scholar-practitioner, which include strong communication skills. Writing in a scholarly manner involves supporting your thoughts with evidence from the literature and appropriately using APA formatting.
One of the challenges of scholarly writing is paraphrasing the thoughts of others in your work. Paraphrasing, and correctly citing the original author for his or her ideas, allows you to take the ideas of others, summarize them, and incorporate them into your own writing. When summarizing the ideas of others, it is important to avoid plagiarizing (i.e., copying the words and ideas of others as though they were your own). In addition to expanding your knowledge of APA Style, this modules’ Learning Resources help you distinguish between paraphrasing and plagiarizing.
This Quiz will help you determine how your understanding of these concepts and preparedness to reflect them in your work. The questions presented on the Quiz are derived from the Resources related to APA writing standards, plagiarism, and academic integrity.
To Prepare:
Click on the “Week 2 Quiz” link to begin.
By Day 7 of Week 2
Complete the Quiz.
Note: To view the questions you answered correctly and incorrectly, click on your score in the “My Grades” area.
During your program, you will be required to submit your practicum application. You are responsible for applying on time and for the information that is outlined in the practicum manual. Applications are due the first day of the term before you intend to start practicum. For exact dates and for an overview of the requirements, please review our website.
It is important that you find a suitable preceptor. There is information in the Practicum manual and on our website about the requirements for preceptors. Each course has specific requirements and you are responsible for ensuring your preceptor meet the requirements. If you have questions about preceptor requirements, you may schedule a phone appointment by contacting Field Experience.
Where can you find evidence to inform your thoughts and scholarly writing? Throughout your degree program, you will use research literature to explore ideas, guide your thinking, and gain new insights. As you search the research literature, it is important to use resources that are peer-reviewed and from scholarly journals. You may already have some favorite online resources and databases that you use or have found useful in the past. For this Discussion, you explore databases available through the Walden Library.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.
To Prepare:
By Day 3 of Week 4
Post the following:
Using proper APA formatting, cite the peer-reviewed article you selected that pertains to your practice area and is of particular interest to you and identify the database that you used to search for the article. Explain any difficulties you experienced while searching for this article. Would this database be useful to your colleagues? Explain why or why not. Would you recommend this database? Explain why or why not.
By Day 6 of Week 4
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by offering suggestions/strategies for working with this database from your own experience, or offering ideas for using alternative resources.
The article that I chose was a review of a digital style of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in adolescents with depression. The article highlights the advantages and disadvantages of using digital CBT in adolescent therapy and its effect on depression treatment. (Ivlev et al., 2022). I chose this article because it is something that I plan on investigating closer during my studies to achieve my PMHNP.
My interest in treatment is in the adolescent age group and the effects of mental health on their life as well as treatments that benefit them. The database I used to find this article was APA PsycInfo and EBSCOhost via the Walden University library resource.
When using APA PsycInfo and EBSCOhost I did not encounter any specific difficulties during my search. I think the only difficulties others may have is the amount of information on the topics searched. For instance, while I have used these types of resources before, it can sometimes be overwhelming to research topics because there are so many options to choose from. It may be difficult to comb through the amount of information given at one time. In an article by GreenBook, the writer explains that “professionals are now often overwhelmed with organizing the vast amounts of data they get” (GreenBook, 2022).
I believe that these databases would be extremely helpful to my colleagues. I recommend the use of the databases to anyone doing or involved with scholarly research. These scholarly search engines are filled with a plethora of information pertaining to anything. It can keep scholars up to date with the latest in research.
As advanced practitioners, they can increase our knowledge of the latest treatments for patients and any developments in current treatments. By doing this, it can increase the quality of care given to the patient as well as maintain a higher level of knowledge to advance one’s practice. As a student, it is very beneficial to our success by providing quality information and credible sources (H, 2021).
Ivlev, I., T.L., Haynes, J.S., & Patnode, C. D. (2022). Rapid evidenct review of digital cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescents with depression. Journal of Adolescent Health, 71(1), 14-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadhohealth.2022.01.220
GreenBook. (2022, August 1). Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.greenbook.org/mr/insights/manage-the-overwhelming-chaos-of-qualitative-research-data/
Walden University Library. (n.d.). Databases A-Z: Nursing.
Why use databases? – H-B woodlawn. H. (2021, October 5). Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://hbwoodlawn.apsva.us/library-home/research/why-use-databases/
Architect Daniel Libeskind is credited with saying “To provide meaningful architecture is not to parody history, but to articulate it.” The suggestion is that his work does not copy the efforts of others but relies on it.
Understanding the work of others is critically important to new work. Contributions to the nursing body of knowledge can happen when you are able to analyze and articulate the efforts of previous research. Research analysis skills are therefore critical tools for your toolbox.
In this Assignment, you will locate relevant existing research. You also will analyze this research using a tool helpful for analysis.
To Prepare:
The Assignment:
Using the “Module 3 | Part 3” section of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template presented in the Resources, conduct an analysis of the elements of the research article you identified. Be sure to include the following:
Note: Add your work for this Assignment to the original document you began in the Module 1 Assignment, which was built from the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template.
By Day 7 of Week 5
Submit your analysis, including your completed section of the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template sections and your matrix and summary.
You have probably seen one or more of the many inspirational posters about decisions. A visual such as a forked road or a street sign is typically pictured, along with a quote designed to inspire.
Decisions are often not so easily inspired. Perhaps you discovered this when choosing a specialty within the MSN program. This decision is a critical part of your plan for success, and you no doubt want to get it right. This is yet another area where your network can help, as well as other sources of information that can help you make an informed choice.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.
Reflect on your decision to pursue a specialty within the MSN program, including your professional and academic goals as they relate to your program/specialization.
By Day 3 of Week 10
Post an explanation of your choice of a nursing specialty within the program. Describe any difficulties you had (or are having) in making your choice, and the factors that drove/are driving your decision. Identify at least one professional organization affiliated with your chosen specialty and provide details on becoming a member.
By Day 6 of Week 10
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by sharing your thoughts on their specialty, supporting their choice or offering suggestions if they have yet to choose.
At some point in every construction project, efforts turn from design and the focus moves to actual construction. With the vision in place and the tools secured, the blueprint can be finalized and approved. Then it is time to put on hardhats and begin work.
Throughout the course you have developed aspects of your Academic and Professional Development Plan. You have thought a great deal about your vision and goals, your academic and professional network of support, research strategies and other tools you will need, the integrity of your work, and the value of consulting the work of others. With your portfolio in place, it is now time to finalize your blueprint for success.
Much as builders remain cognizant of the building standards as they plan and begin construction, nurses must remain mindful of the formal standards of practice that govern their specialties. A good understanding of these standards can help ensure that your success plan includes any steps necessary to excel within your chosen specialty.
In this Assignment you will continue developing your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan by developing the final component–a review of your specialty standards of practice. You will also submit your final version of the document, including Parts 1–4.
Note: For students in Nursing Education, Executive Nursing, Nursing Informatics, or Public Health Nursing, this Assignment is the first Portfolio Assignment in your program. You will have one Portfolio Assignment in each of your courses. You will need to save these Assignments for inclusion in your portfolio that you will submit in your Capstone course.
Complete the following items and incorporate them into the final version of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan.
Note: Your final version of the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan should include all components as presented the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan template.
By Day 5 of Week 11
Submit your final draft of Parts 1-4 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan.
Also Read: Strategies For Academic Portfolios NURS 6003