Academic and Professional Success Plan Template
MODULE 1: COMPLETED
Module 2 | Part 2: Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity and Professional Ethics
I have analyzed the relationship between academic integrity and writing, as well as the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics. I have also identified strategies I intend to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of my academic work while a student of the MSN program, as well as my professional work as a nurse throughout my career. The results of these efforts are shared below: Academic and Professional Success Plan Template.
Directions: In the space below craft your analysis/writing sample, including Part 1 (The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity) and Part 2 (Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work).
Part 1: Writing Sample: The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity
In the space below write a 2- 3-paragraph analysis that includes the following:
- Explanation for the relationship between academic integrity and writing
- Explanation for the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics
- Cite at least 2 resources that support your arguments, being sure to use proper APA formatting.
- Use Grammarly and Turnitin to improve the product.
- Explain how Grammarly, Turnitin, and paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity
Academic integrity and professional ethics serve as the backbone of nursing education and practice. Academic integrity refers to the commitment to honest and responsible scholarship, requiring originality, proper attribution, and adherence to established ethical standards in writing and research, as noted by Stone (2022).
It reflects a student’s respect for intellectual property and dedication to producing credible, high-quality work. Scholarly writing must uphold these principles through accurate citations, paraphrasing, and compliance with formatting standards such as APA. Failing to do so undermines the credibility of academic efforts and, consequently, the nursing profession itself.
The relationship between academic integrity and professional ethics is both profound and essential. Nurses rely on evidence-based practice (EBP) to provide safe, effective care, and this practice is grounded in credible, ethical research, as stated by Mohamed et al. (2024). When scholarly ethics are compromised, whether through plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification, the integrity of evidence used in clinical decision-making is jeopardized.
Ethical scholarship ensures that the nursing profession continues to grow with reliable knowledge, ultimately benefiting patients and communities. For example, the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses highlights the importance of accountability and respect for intellectual contributions, emphasizing that ethical behaviour is central to professional practices (American Nurses Association, 2015).
Furthermore, the issue of professional ethics and academic integrity can also be applied to decisions made within the clinical domains. Alba (2018) believes that ethical decision-making in nursing involves critical thinking and following nursing ethics. For instance, it is not uncommon for nurses to come across certain conditions that require them to use material based on sound research in order to address the needs of their patients.
Unfortunately, if the knowledge above is developed using unethical practices, the scholarly way, the nurse is crippled in making proper decisions. Therefore, an effort towards the realization of academic integrity is commendable since it deters and discourages all forms of dishonesty within the nursing profession.
For this reason, technological tools, including Grammarly, Turnitin, and paraphrasing, are central to maintaining integrity in any academic activity. It helps to improve the organization and cohesiveness of the writing since it points out grammatical mistakes and ways to correct them. Courses like Turnitin highlight instances of plagiarism by checking the submitted papers against a database, where users must make corrections in source citations.
In the same vein, another vital instrument is paraphrasing, which enables scholars to reword some statements and convey the same thoughts at the same time. Altogether, these tools promote ethical writing and uphold principles of academic responsibility in writing among scholars (Mulenga & Shilongo, 2024).
PART 2: Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work
Expand on your thoughts from Part 1 by:
- Identifying and describing strategies you intend to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of your 1) academic work while a student of the MSN program, and 2) professional work as a nurse throughout your career. Include a review of resources and approaches you propose to use as a student and a professional.
Scholars maintain the ethical practice of academic honesty as part of professionalism as MSN students. To preserve the integrity of my educational and professional writing, I will follow proper writing procedures: researching my work properly, writing my work properly and proofreading my writing correctly. Writing and manuscript preparation tools that would be used include those that the university has approved; they include Grammarly and Turnitin, which will help improve the grammatical components of the work, work clarity, and originality by avoiding plagiarism where necessary.
Often, visits to the student academic services, including the writing centre, will assist me in getting proper knowledge of the APA writing style and citation methods, enabling me to acknowledge the sources used in my studies to meet intellectual property rights. Also, I will attend webinars and workshops on academic writing and plagiarism to enhance my knowledge of ethical writing and practice and the newest developments. With these resources and a dedication to honest, hard work, I shall strive to produce only genuine and accurate work that reflects the ethical high ground in academic and professional fields.
Ethical principles must underpin a strong commitment to professional nursing practice. Based on the Code of Ethics for Nurses (American Nurses Association, 2015), nurses ought to practice professional integrity in their dealings with patients, practice mates, colleagues, and the public at large. Notably, I will attend ethical conferences and practice-based training on moral decision-making daily. These continuing educational courses will allow me to update myself on current practices and handle clinical problems effectively.
Consistently, peer review and teamwork are also crucial for establishing an accountability system in the given sphere of professionalism. I will ensure that I participate in the peer review so that my work gets reviewed on the ethics and professionalism required, encouraging a culture of responsibility and support. Besides, I will borrow resources from beneficial sources such as the National League for Nursing (National League for Nursing, 2022) to help me make ethical decisions. All these will not only enhance my professional recognition but will also expand the overall progress of the nursing profession.
Undeniably, ethical integrity goes beyond mere adherence to guidelines and involves a mentality of lifelong learning and reflection. This includes regular re-evaluation of personal practice with openness to improvement areas and seeking feedback from others, whether colleagues or mentors (Abulibdeh et al., 2024). I can only nurture the essence of excellence and accountability for the nursing profession if ethical concerns become paramount in every step of the academic and professional path that I am undertaking.
Module 3 | Part 3: Research Analysis
I have identified one topic of interest for further study. I have researched and identified one peer-reviewed research article focused on this topic and have analyzed this article. The results of these efforts are shared below.
Directions: Complete Step 1 by using the table and subsequent space below identify and analyze the research article you have selected. Complete Step 2 by summarizing in 2-3 paragraphs the results of your analysis using the space identified.
Step 1: Research Analysis
Complete the table below
Topic of Interest: | Ethical decision-making in nursing practice | |||
Research Article: Include full citation in APA format, as well as link or search details (such as DOI) | Al-Jundi, A., & Sakka, S. (2019). Critical appraisal of clinical research. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 11(5), 1–5. PubMed Central. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2017/26047.9942
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Professional Practice Use:
One or more professional practice uses of the theories/concepts presented in the article |
The author presents this article to help the reader acquire a logical approach to evaluating clinical research, which is critical to evidence-based nursing practice. The mentioned approaches enable nurses to assess the validity and relevance of the results for practice purposes and provide appropriate and rightful treatment to the patients (Al-Jundi & Sakka, 2019). | |||
Research Analysis Matrix
Add more rows if necessary |
Strengths of the Research | Limitations of the Research | Relevancy to Topic of Interest | Notes |
Provides a detailed appraisal framework |
Limited to clinical research contexts | Highly relevant to evidence-based practice | Focus on improving ethical decision-making | |
Includes practical examples for application |
It does not address all research methodologies | Useful for developing critical analysis skills | Emphasis on ethical standards in research | |
Well-supported by references to established research standards
|
Focuses mainly on theoretical applications, less on practical implementations | Directly ties into the appraisal of ethical considerations in nursing | Highlights specific criteria for evaluating study reliability and validity. | |
Clearly outlines the steps involved in critical appraisal
|
Limited to the appraisal of research design, excluding implementation | Provides tools for improving decision-making in clinical settings | Emphasizes the importance of research quality for evidence-based care. | |
Includes a user-friendly structure for appraising research |
Lacks diversity in research examples, focusing heavily on specific case types | Highly applicable to nursing education and practice | Suggests the potential for improving patient outcomes through better appraisal. | |
Encourages integration of critical thinking with research evaluation |
It does not account for regional or cultural differences in research contexts | Supports ethical and evidence-based decision-making | Aligns with professional standards such as the ANA Code of Ethics. | |
Demonstrates relevance to interdisciplinary collaboration
|
Insufficient focus on advanced statistical evaluation techniques | Promotes a collaborative approach to evidence-based practice | Offers insights into the importance of cross-disciplinary research contributions. | |
Provides a foundation for ongoing professional development |
Limited discussion on evolving appraisal tools or frameworks | Supports continuous improvement in clinical and academic settings | Recommends iterative learning to refine appraisal skills over time. | |
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Step 2: Summary of Analysis
Craft a summary (2-3 paragraph) below that includes the following:
- Describe your approach to identifying and analyzing peer-reviewed research
- Identify at least two strategies that you would use that you found to be effective in finding peer-reviewed research
- Identify at least one resource you intend to use in the future to find peer-reviewed research
The identification and the critical appraisal of peer-reviewed articles also form part of the evidence-based practice (EBP) competencies, as Chien (2019) explained. As much of my strategy was based on academic databases like PubMed and the Walden University Library, the plethora of reliable sources was easily tapped into. I specialized in search terms such as ethical decision-making and clinical research appraisal to get articles most relevant to my topic. With this specific kind of search strategy, I was able to evaluate the relevance and reliability of sources more effectively, and only the best sources were taken into consideration for analysis.
Advanced filters enhanced my research process in two significant ways: by conducting research from peer-reviewed sources and examining references from the identified articles. Thus, these tools enabled me to filter slender numbers of resources of high quality and academic importance, both of which are inherent to focused research and analysis. Using filters like publication date and peer-reviewed, it was possible to sort through the staggering amount of research available and choose the ones that were suitable for my topic and that were recent.
Consequently, this enabled me to follow targeted and thorough research that effectively established the necessary details. Moreover, reviewing the reference lists of specific articles also offered an excellent chance to locate other articles associated with my work. Using this method, I could follow the scholarly conversation on my topic and gain a more in-depth understanding of the subject. Such steps not only ease the research process but also improve the richness and quality of the studies retrieved for analysis, as pointed out by Shellenbarger (2016).
In the future, I shall use synthesis tools from the Writing Center of Walden University to analyze articles and more efficiently integrate the results into my work. These tools will aid me in finding relationships between the two studies, emphasizing significant ideas, and developing a coherent argument for my academic and professional papers. Thus, this way of structuring the information will be constructive in making a comprehensive conclusion based on evidence-based practice in nursing.
Walden University (2024) defines all these skills as crucial in developing coherent and meaningful academic content. Also, Tomotaki et al. (2023) explain that the evaluation of the research and its integration forms the core of ethical and evidence-based practice. These competencies will help me improve the quality of my papers and the quality of services I will deliver when I become a professional nurse in the real world. Their incorporation into my writings will prepare me for using robust research findings in my daily practice as a nurse in the real world.
Module 6 | Part 4: Finalizing the Plan
I have considered various options for my nursing specialty, including a close look at my selected (or currently preferred) specialty and second-preferred specialty. I have also developed a justification of my selected (or preferred) specialty. Lastly, I have examined one professional organization related to my selected or preferred specialty and considered how I can become a member of this organization.
The results of my efforts are below.
Directions: Complete Step 1 by writing 2-3 paragraphs in the space below comparing the nursing specialty you have selected – or the one you prefer if your choice is still under consideration – to your second preference. Identify each specialty and describe the focus and the role that graduates are prepared for. Identify any other differentiators you feel are significant, especially those that helped or may help you reach a decision.
Complete Step 2 by writing a paragraph identifying and justifying your reasons for choosing your MSN specialization. Be sure to incorporate any feedback you received from colleagues in this week’s Discussion Forum.
Complete Step 3 by examining and identifying one professional organization related to your selected or preferred specialty. Explain how you can become a member of this organization.
Step 1: Comparison of Nursing Specialties
Use the space below to write 2-3 paragraphs comparing the nursing specialty you have selected – or the one you prefer if your choice is still under consideration – to your second preference. Identify each specialty and describe the focus and the role that graduates are prepared for. Identify any other differentiators you feel are significant, especially those that helped or may help you reach a decision.
Step 2: Justification of Nursing Specialty
Use the space below to write a paragraph identifying and justifying your reasons for choosing your MSN specialization. Be sure to incorporate any feedback you received from colleagues in this week’s Discussion Forum.
Step 3: Professional Organizations
Use the space below to identify and examine one professional organization related to your selected or preferred specialty. Explain how you can become a member of this organization.
References
Abulibdeh, A., Zaidan, E., & Abulibdeh, R. (2024). Navigating the confluence of artificial intelligence and education for sustainable development in the era of industry 4.0: Challenges, opportunities, and ethical dimensions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 437(3), 140527–140527. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652623046851
Alba, B. (2018). Factors that impact on emergency nurses’ ethical decision-making ability. Nursing Ethics, 25(7), 855–866. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733016674769
Al-Jundi, A., & Sakka, S. (2019). Critical Appraisal of Clinical Research. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 11(5), 1–5. PubMed Central. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2017/26047.9942
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of Ethics for Nurses. American Nurses Association. https://www.nursingworld.org/coe-view-only
Chien, L.-Y. (2019). Evidence-based practice and nursing research. Journal of Nursing Research, 27(4). https://doi.org/10.1097/jnr.0000000000000346
Mohamed, R. A., Alhujaily, M., Ahmed, F. A., Nouh, W. G., & Almowafy, A. A. (2024). Nurses’ experiences and perspectives regarding evidence‐based practice implementation in healthcare context: A qualitative study. Nursing Open, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.2080
Mulenga, R., & Shilongo, H. (2024). Academic Integrity in Higher Education: Understanding and Addressing Plagiarism. Acta Pedagogia Asiana, 3(1), 30–43. https://doi.org/10.53623/apga.v3i1.337
National League for Nursing. (2022). NLN home. Default. https://www.nln.org/
Shellenbarger, T. (2016). Simplifying Synthesis. Nurse Author & Editor, 26(3), 3. http://naepub.com/reporting-research/2016-26-3-3/
Stone, A. (2022). Student perceptions of academic integrity: A qualitative study of understanding, consequences, and impact. Journal of Academic Ethics, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-022-09461-5
Tomotaki, A., Sakai, I., Fukahori, H., Tsuda, Y., & Okumura‐Hiroshige, A. (2023). Factors affecting the critical appraisal of research articles in Evidence‐Based practices by advanced practice nurses: A descriptive qualitative study. Nursing Open, 10(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1628
Walden University. (2024). Academic guides: Evaluating resources: Journals. Waldenu.edu. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/evaluating/resource-types/journals
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Question
For Module 2
Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 2: Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity and Professional Ethics
Nurse-scholars have a significant obligation to their community as well. Their work must have academic and professional integrity. Their efforts are designed to add to the body of knowledge, advance the profession, and ultimately help in the care of patients. Work that lacks integrity is subject to erode quickly or worse.
Fortunately, there are strategies and tools that can help ensure integrity in academic and professional work. This Assignment asks you to consider these tools and how you might apply them to your own work.
In this Assignment, you will continue developing your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan by appending the original document you began in the previous assignment.
Reading Resources( your citation should have at least 2 sources from here)
- American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statementsLinks to an external site.. 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
- Chapter 1, “Scholarly Writing and Publishing Principles”
- Section 1.17, “Implications of Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism” (p. 21)
- Chapter 4, “Writing Style and Grammar”
- Chapter 8, “Works Credited in the Text”
- Section 8.2, “Plagiarism” (p. 254)
- Section 8.3, “Self-Plagiarism” (p. 256)
- Chapter 10, “Reference Examples”
- Chapter 1, “Scholarly Writing and Publishing Principles”
- Alba, B. (2018). Factors that impact on emergency nurses’ ethical decision-making abilityLinks to an external site.. Nursing Ethics, 25(7), 855–866. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733016674769
- Glasper, A. (2016). Does cheating by students undermine the integrity of the nursing profession?Links to an external site.British Journal of Nursing, 25(16), 932–933.
- NLN Ethical Principles for Nursing EducationLinks to an external site.. (2012). Nursing Education Perspective,33(1), 65.
- Walden University Academic Skills Center. (n.d.). ASC success strategies: PlagiarismLinks to an external site.. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/ASCsuccess/ASCplagiarism
- Walden Office of Student Affairs. (n.d.). SafeAssign tutorialsLinks to an external site.. Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/studentaffairs/academicintegrity/safe-assign-turn-it-in
- Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.). APA style: OverviewLinks to an external site.. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa
- Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.). APA style: APA basics checklistLinks to an external site.. Retrieved May 3, 2021, https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa/checklist
- Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.)Grammarly: OverviewLinks to an external site.. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammarly
The Assignment module 2:
Part 2, Section 1: Writing Sample: The Connection Between Academic and Professional Integrity
Using the Academic and Professional Success Development Template you began in Module 1, write a 2- to 3-paragraph analysis that includes the following:
- Explanation for the relationship between academic integrity and writing
- Explanation for the relationship between professional practices and scholarly ethics
- Cite at least two resources that support your arguments, being sure to use proper APA formatting.
- Use Grammarly and Turnitin to improve the product.
- Explain how Grammarly, Turnitin, and paraphrasing contributes to academic integrity.
Part 2, Section 2: Strategies for Maintaining Integrity of Work
Expand on your thoughts from Section 1 by identifying and describing strategies you intend to pursue to maintain integrity and ethics of your:
- academic work as a student of the MSN program and
- professional work as a nurse throughout your career. Include a review of resources and approaches you propose to use as a student and a professional.
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.
MODULE 3 INTRODUCTORY READING
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.

Academic and Professional Success Plan Template
RESOURCES(USE ATLEAST 2 SOURCES FROM THIS REFERENCE)
- Al-Jundi, A., & Sakka, S. (2017).Critical appraisal of clinical researchLinks to an external site..Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research: JCDR, 11(5), JE01–JE05. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2017/26047.9942
- Shellenbarger, T. (2016). Simplifying synthesisLinks to an external site.. Nurse Author & Editor, 26(3). Retrieved from http://naepub.com/reporting-research/2016-26-3-3/
- Walden University Library. (n.d.). Databases A-Z: NursingLinks to an external site.. Retrieved October 4, 2019 from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/az.php?s=19981
- Walden University Library. (n.d.). Evaluating resources: JournalsLinks to an external site.. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/evaluating/resource-types/journals
- Walden University Library. (n.d.). Instructional media: Fundamentals of library researchLinks to an external site.. Retrieved October 4, 2019 from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/instructionalmedia/researchfundamentals
- Walden University Writing Center.Links to an external site.(n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/home
- Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.). Common assignments: Synthesizing your sourcesLinks to an external site.. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/assignments/literaturereview/synthesizing
- Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.). Scholarly writing: OverviewLinks to an external site.. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarly
- Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.). Webinars: Technical informationLinks to an external site.. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/webinars/technical
The Assignment MODULE 3:
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:
- Your topic of interest.
- A correctly formatted APA citation of the article you selected, along with link or search details.
- Identify a professional practice use of the theories/concepts presented in the article.
- Analysis of the article using the “Research Analysis Matrix” section of the template
- Write a 1-paragraph justification stating whether you would recommend this article to inform professional practice.
- Write a 2- to 3-paragraph summary that you will add to your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan that includes the following:
- Describe your approach to identifying and analyzing peer-reviewed research.
- Identify at least two strategies that you would use that you found to be effective in finding peer-reviewed research.
- Identify at least one resource you intend to use in the future to find peer-reviewed research.