Teaching Professor Deanna Jenkins’ Advice to Nursing Writers
March 22, 2023
Hello, Nursing students!
Teaching Professor Deanna Jenkins joined Xavier’s ABSN faculty in 2021 as the Course Lead for Xavier’s Accelerated Bachelor Degree in Nursing Program. In her post below, she shares some tips and resources to aid writers in the Nursing majors:
Professor Jenkins’ Advice:
Writing for nurses warrants questions about not only writing content but also regarding APA format. This blogpost offers not only advice but also recommendations of valuable resources for nursing students who are required to write for every level or degree achievement.
Writing is a crucial part of the nursing profession as well as an essential skill that will be introduced early in nursing education. Nurses are expected to be effective communicators with patients, families, peers, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals. Communicating verbally is vital to providing care, but the ability to write well will further enhance your quality of care.
It does not matter which area of nursing you choose for your career path; writing efficiently will play a critical role.
You will experience writing assignments during your education and beyond that require you to follow APA guidelines. This blogpost is meant to provide you with an overview of resources and tips that will be most beneficial as you complete your education. I recommend that you utilize the following tips to help you strengthen your understanding of APA and the writing skills that will serve you throughout your nursing career as another transferable skill.
Where do I begin?
Xavier Nursing Librarian—McDonald Library offers a library liaison for each major. Work with the librarian for research assistance wherever you are in the research process:
Jeff Grossman -(513) 745-2998 grossmanj2@xavier.edu McDonald Library 203E
(Available to meet in person or via Zoom!)
Library Lib Guide - https://libguides.xavier.edu/nursing_research
Where in the world is evidence?
Xavier Library--Access to Recommended Databases, e.g., CINAHL Complete, Health-EBSCOhost Collections, MEDLINE Complete, PubMed, etc.
CDC: Diseases & Conditions --Part of the CDC website, this page provides an A-Z list of web pages information about diseases and conditions including definitions, populations affected, treatments, and references to data and research.
Merck Manuals --An advertising-free medical portal supplying medical news, scientific learning resources, and diagnostic tools specifically for U.S. healthcare providers all with no access fees.
Help, I’ve fallen and can’t get APA!?
APA Style website offers sample student and professional papers, including a free annotated student sample paper that can give you a good visual of the format and layout. It’s a very user-friendly site, and provides general style and grammar guidelines as well.
Student Paper Setup Guide, 7th Edition. This guide will help students set up an APA style student paper. Annotated diagrams illustrate major sections set up for a student paper including the title page, the text body, and the reference list. Visit: https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/student-paper-setup-guide.pdf
For more APA questions, go to the APA Blog which gives quick answers to common questions https://apastyle.apa.org/blog
