At our program, the 1st course for new RN to BSN students is a writing intensive. The goal of the course is to help our RN to BSN students improve their writing skills and their ability to critique their own writing. This course was designed and strategically located in the program to support success in future nursing courses. The teaching strategy we use is to have students write 4 short papers on current nursing topics, using APA format, as the outcome of the course.
Writing-Intensive Courses are those in which writing is used as a central mode of learning as well as of evaluating student performance. Students in these courses are expected to write regularly, and their grades in these courses are linked to the quality and content of their written work.
Another advantage to earning a BSN is that it can improve your job prospects and open new career opportunities. Options include working in a leadership role, a medical specialty role like cardiology or pediatric ICU, a case manager, or a quality assurance or improvement coordinator.
The new UCC program requires that students complete four (4) writing intensive courses, with at least one at the 3000 level or above. The recommendation for implementing that requirement in a meaningful and practical way is:
Ultimately, one focus of a BSN program is on preparing their students to pursue advanced nursing degrees. As a result, BSN programs often focus on interdisciplinary course work, and strengthening their student’s writing and research knowledge so that students have the skills to succeed in graduate school.
Writing-Intensive Courses are those in which writing is used as a central mode of learning as well as of evaluating student performance. Students in these courses are expected to write regularly, and their grades in these courses are linked to the quality and content of their written work.
The writing in the "writing-to-learn" category is designed, primarily, to have students experience the ways in which writing can help them learn something — about what they think, about what they have experienced, about the subject matter of the course, and about critical thinking in the discipline being studied. When instructors use writing-to-learn teaching strategies, they are concerned not primarily with final written products as much as with developing students’ abilities to use writing as a primary method of learning.
Major papers should be assigned in such a way that students have the opportunity to receive timely feedback on drafts of their work. Writing Intensive courses should show evidence in their syllabi to using writing both as a learning and an evaluation tool.
The new UCC program requires that students complete four (4) writing intensive courses, with at least one at the 3000 level or above. The recommendation for implementing that requirement in a meaningful and practical way is:
A significant percentage of the student’s final grade should be based on evaluation of the student’s written work, both formal and informal, in the course . Writing intensive courses may be in languages other than English. A writing intensive course may be a 3 credit course. In some programs, a 2 credit course may be writing intensive ...
Use drafting, revising, editing and other writing processes to develop final writing products appropriate to the discipline , such as thesis-driven essays, formal reports, or professionally formatted manuscripts.
In teaching students to produce end-of-semester papers, major research projects, etc, attention should be paid to the process of writing. Journals, note cards, summaries, reports, reviews, and exploratory prewriting could be used in order to help students move toward producing final projects.
Rather than evaluate progress using multiple choice exams, writing-intensive courses require critical thinking skills and evaluation through written essays and research projects. These courses focus on writing assignments within academic majors rather than gen ed courses, and provide essential practice in writing for students regardless of discipline.
Frequent writing opportunities throughout students’ college careers ensure that they are exposed to different styles of writing and are forced to use written expression to answer questions about their major subject material. Writing courses generally, require students to think more critically and possess a deeper understanding of college material compared to standardized multiple choice or other testing.
Students in writing courses also learn how to give and receive feedback on their writing, and the value of doing so. The process of interacting with their instructor and their peers on this level helps to encourage accountability, interaction, and engagement in the classroom. Fostering these relationships can facilitate brainstorming sessions to ensure students are picking the best topics to write about. Students in writing classes are more likely to get to know their classmates and help each other succeed.
For many students, college means large lecture classes and multiple choice tests. Writing courses offer respite from these often impersonal learning environments by providing smaller courses with better student-to-faculty ratios. Students are better able to get to know their professor and classmates, and receive more individual instruction. Writing courses are almost always taught by faculty rather than graduate students, giving students yet another opportunity to get to know faculty as undergraduates.
Capstone Project: Similar to a thesis (and often synonymous), capstone projects come at the end of a student’s undergraduate degree. Although they vary by discipline, formats require students to summarize and analyze a question while they master writing in their field.
In most classes, students should expect to give and receive peer critiques of their work, and to turn in one or more revisions of the original paper. Each stage of the writing process helps students perfect writing skills and improve student performance in college and beyond.
Freshman Seminar: Many freshman seminars are taught as writing-intensive classes, challenging students who may not have had much writing experience in high school to reflect on the course material through papers and in-class essays, and helping them transition to the level of analysis required in higher education.
Hospitals employing a higher percentage of BSN graduates had patients with lower congestive heart failure mortality, shorter length of stay, fewer decubitus ulcers, and a lower rate of postoperative deep vein thrombosis.
Nurses are a key component of any healthcare facility. As a BSN-prepared nurse, you hold greater autonomy over critical decisions in patient care, which is essential when practicing outside of the hospital. The ability to make swift decisions without requiring another professional's approval benefits patient care and can lower mortality rates and improve patient satisfaction.
BSN nurses can also practice in home health services, community clinics, health maintenance organizations, case management, and leadership roles. Professionals with a BSN in nursing can practice in all healthcare settings, including critical care, public health, and mental health areas. A BSN nurse can provide care outside the structure of a hospital setting where the demand for services is growing.
Hospitals prefer hiring nurses with a BSN as a criterion for achieving Magnet status. The American Nurses Credentialing Center gives this title for nursing excellence, innovations in nursing practice, and quality patient outcomes.
Nursing goes beyond clinical competency skills, which may be similar for ADN and BSN graduates. But a four-year baccalaureate education offers a global perspective and a curriculum that includes preparation in patient education, decision-making, community health, and leadership.
Data from PayScale shows that BSN-earners reported an average annual salary of $87,000, compared to $71,000 for those with an ADN. The salaries reflect the demand for professionals who hold a BSN in nursing, as more hospitals seek to meet the National Academy of Medicine's expectations.
Each medical specialty may offer more than one available certification. For instance, nurses working in critical care include 15 different initial certification options offered by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.