Week 1 - Discussion Top of Form Preparing for Professional Transitions Consider the following scenario: Marcus recalls the beginning of his career, when he started as a nurse at Grand View Hospital. He had heard the organization was soliciting proposals from various companies so they could weigh the pros and cons associated with adopting a new health information technology system. He has been curious about the request for proposal (RFP) process ever since. Now, as he looks forward to new professional opportunities, he would like to ensure that he develops the skills and expertise needed to formulate an RFP. What are your professional aims? How can you apply what you have learned in your coursework to your practicum setting? How will you leverage your experiences in the practicum to facilitate your development as a nurse leader-manager or informaticist? In this Discussion, you reflect on your aspirations and consider the transitions that may be required to achieve them. You identify professional development objectives and evaluate opportunities for achieving them through your experiences in the practicum. Think about the professional role changes you have been undergoing or that you may undertake following completion of this MSN program. Review the information related to professional development and role change in the Learning Resources, and conduct additional research as necessary to address any questions or concerns you may have. Consider the following questions: What types of professional positions interest you? Are they significantly different from the types of positions you have held in the past? If so, how? What challenges are you likely to encounter as you transition into a new role? What resources could help you to manage this change? Consider your inner resources (e.g., drawing on previous experiences, stress management), resources available to you through your relationships with others, and institutional supports. Consider how you could use this Practicum Experience to apply what you have learned and enhance or acquire specialization skills and knowledge, regardless of whether you intend to change roles or stay in your current position for the time being. Review the NURS 6600 Course Outcomes listed in the Syllabus. Determine how your experiences in the practicum could help you to achieve one or more of these outcomes. Review the information in the Introduction to the Practicum (in this week’s Practicum area) and the School of Nursing Practicum Manual as necessary to ensure you have a clear understanding of the practicum requirements. Review the suggestions for developing effective learning objectives provided in the Learning Resources. Think of two or three objectives that could help guide your professional development during your practicum. These objectives, referred to as your practicum professional development objectives, must be: Specific Measurable Attainable Results-focused Time-focused Reflective of the higher-order domai.

1. Week 1 - Discussion
Top of Form
Preparing for Professional Transitions
Consider the following scenario:
Marcus recalls the beginning of his career, when he started as a
nurse at Grand View Hospital. He had heard the organization
was soliciting proposals from various companies so they could
weigh the pros and cons associated with adopting a new health
information technology system. He has been curious about the
request for proposal (RFP) process ever since. Now, as he looks
forward to new professional opportunities, he would like to
ensure that he develops the skills and expertise needed to
formulate an RFP.
What are your professional aims? How can you apply what you
have learned in your coursework to your practicum setting?
How will you leverage your experiences in the practicum to
facilitate your development as a nurse leader-manager or
informaticist?
In this Discussion, you reflect on your aspirations and consider
the transitions that may be required to achieve them. You
identify professional development objectives and evaluate
opportunities for achieving them through your experiences in
the practicum.
Think about the professional role changes you have been
undergoing or that you may undertake following completion of
this MSN program.
Review the information related to professional development and
role change in the Learning Resources, and conduct additional
research as necessary to address any questions or concerns you
may have.
Consider the following questions:

2. What types of professional positions interest you? Are they
significantly different from the types of positions you have held
in the past? If so, how?
What challenges are you likely to encounter as you transition
into a new role?
What resources could help you to manage this change? Consider
your inner resources (e.g., drawing on previous experiences,
stress management), resources available to you through your
relationships with others, and institutional supports.
Consider how you could use this Practicum Experience to apply
what you have learned and enhance or acquire specialization
skills and knowledge, regardless of whether you intend to
change roles or stay in your current position for the time being.
Review the NURS 6600 Course Outcomes listed in the Syllabus.
Determine how your experiences in the practicum could help
you to achieve one or more of these outcomes.
Review the information in the Introduction to the Practicum (in
this week’s Practicum area) and the School of Nursing
Practicum Manual as necessary to ensure you have a clear
understanding of the practicum requirements.
Review the suggestions for developing effective learning
objectives provided in the Learning Resources.
Think of two or three objectives that could help guide your
professional development during your practicum. These
objectives, referred to as your practicum professional
development objectives, must be:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Results-focused
Time-focused
Reflective of the higher-order domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy
(i.e., Application level and above)
Select one or more practicum professional development
objectives to focus on for this Discussion. (You may continue to
hone these objectives as you work on this week’s Application

3. Assignment.)
Reflect on how you could achieve each objective through your
Practicum Experience.
By 02/28/2017 post
a minimum of 550 words in APA format and least 3 references
from the list provided below. Apply the level one headings as
numbered below:
1)
An explanation of your professional aspirations and how you
intend to use the Practicum Experience to promote career
change and/or enhance your performance.
2)
Describe at least one objective to facilitate your professional
growth, and explain the steps you could take to achieve the
objective(s) during your Practicum Experience. Support your
response with examples from the literature.
Required Readings
Cipriano, P. F., & Murphy, J. (2011). The future of nursing and
health IT: The quality elixir.
Nursing Economic$, 29
(5), 286–289.
Note:
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
“Technology tools will continue to revolutionize how we plan,
deliver, document, review, evaluate, and derive the evidence
about care” (p. 289). This article examines how nurses can use
information technology to transform nursing and redesign the
health care system. It focuses on the use of technology to
promote quality and notes that technology can also be used to

4. address challenges in education, research, leadership, and
policy.
McKimm, J., & Swanwick, T. (2009). Setting learning
objectives.
British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 70
(7), 406–409.
Note:
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article clarifies the terminology associated with learning
objectives and explains how learning objectives relate to
professional development and the transformation from novice to
expert. It also introduces common pitfalls when setting learning
objectives and provides suggestions for avoiding them.
Murphy, J. (2011). The nursing informatics workforce: Who are
they and what do they do? Nursing Economic$, 29(3), 150–153.
Note:
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The author examines the nursing informatics workforce,
explaining that professionals in this well-established specialty
area can play an integral role in transforming health care.
Sørensen, E. E., Delmar, C., & Pedersen, B. D. (2011). Leading
nurses in dire straits: Head nurses' navigation between nursing
and leadership roles.
Journal of Nursing Management, 19
(4), 421–430.
Note:
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
“Successful nursing leaders navigate between nursing and
leadership roles while nourishing a double identity” (p. 421). In
this article, the authors examine how individuals in key

5. professional roles negotiate between and apply nursing and
leadership skills.
Warm, D., & Thomas, B. (2011). A review of the effectiveness
of the clinical informaticist role.
Nursing Standard, 25
(44), 35–38.
Note:
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The authors investigate the application of specialized
knowledge and expertise to facilitate the appropriate use of
emerging technologies in clinical settings. They argue for
informaticists’ involvement in strategic development and
delivery of information management and technology initiatives
to promote patient-centered outcomes.
Wilkinson, J. E., Nutley, S. M., & Davies, H. T. O. (2011). An
exploration of the roles of nurse managers in evidence-based
practice implementation.
Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 8
(4), 236–246.
Note:
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
In this article, the authors examine the role nurse managers
should play in leading and facilitating evidence-based practice.
Armstrong, P. (2013). Bloom's taxonomy. Retrieved from
http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/pedagogical/blooms-
taxonomy/
Vanderbilt University provides this overview of Bloom’s
taxonomy. This site also presents the original and updated
versions of the taxonomy along with verb suggestions for each

6. level.
Clark, D. (2013). Bloom’s taxonomy of learning domains.
Retrieved from
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html
This article addresses three domains of learning: cognitive,
affective, and psychomotor.
University of Central Florida, Office of Experiential Learning
(n.d.). Writing SMART learning objectives,
Retrieved from http://explearning.ucf.edu/registered-
students/tips-for-success/writing-smart-learning-objectives/195
This blog post focuses on the distinction between learning
outcomes and objectives. Consider this information as you
develop your practicum professional development objectives
this week.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Center for
Teaching & Learning. (2013). Writing objectives using Bloom's
taxonomy
. Retrieved from http://teaching.uncc.edu/articles-books/best-
practice-articles/goals-objectives/writing-objectives-using-
blooms-taxonomy
This resource outlines elements of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2012a). Professional behavior
in the practicum setting [Interactive media].
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
In this audio presentation, Dr. Jeanne Morrison discusses topics
that demonstrate professional behavior in the practicum setting,

7. such as dressing professionally, punctuality, and
communication.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2012b). Professional best
practices [Interactive media].
Note
: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
In this audio segment, Dr. Jeanne Morrison provides an
overview of best practices and tips for students engaged in the
Practicum Experience. She discusses what activities are
included in practicum hours, the importance of staying in touch
with your Preceptor, and strategies for dealing with stress.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2012c). Professionalism and
the practicum experience [Interactive media].
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
What is the Practicum Experience all about? What are the roles
of the Faculty Member and the Preceptor? In this media
presentation, Dr. Jeanne Morrison discusses these and other
critical aspects of the Practicum Experience. She also provides
an overview of the professional demeanor expected of all
students throughout the Practicum Experience.