Academic Difficulty

[Timmy]

As you all know Im currently in my finial year of this nursing degree, I only have 4 months to go yet the end is still so far away!

I have no problem what so ever with practicals, I love them, Im happy with my practical skills, I always get full marks in every practical assessment yet Im a hopeless Harry when it comes to academic writing. I recently received feedback from 2 major assignments and what I read was quiet disheartening indeed! To sum it up, my academic writing skills need development and my assignments need more clarity because there hard to follow, just what you need to hear when you have 4 months to graduation.

I know Im the most NON academic person youll ever meet, I freely admit that but Im competent when it comes down to the crunch and my day to day work. Im one of the youngest nurses to work in my hospitals ED and ICU, I always get good feedback from work, I get good feedback from all my placements, I even got a job offer from my last placement and as I said, the practical exams dont phase me at all. Unfortunately in the last year of nursing we have no practical exams, getting full marks in my practicals last year is what got me through. I can stand there in front of an arresting patient, assess the patient, tell you all about the pathophysiology, the rational behind the treatment, the pharmacodynamics of the medications but get me to write a 3000 word assignment on transition problems to residential aged care or care planning for a patient with APO I cant seem to put pen to paper without looking like an incompetent retard.

Im just wondering if you academics can point me in the right direction or offer some advice as I feel Im falling behind and fear I may find myself back at university next year!!

Edited May 25, 2011 by Timmy

[Bernhard]

I can stand there in front of an arresting patient, assess the patient, tell you all about the pathophysiology, the rational behind the treatment, the pharmacodynamics of the medications but get me to write a 3000 word assignment [...]

Both things won't help the arresting patient either.

I'm just wondering if you 'academics' can point me in the right direction

1. Read good stuff (books and academic papers) - beware, there are myriards of bad examples. Ask your teachers for examples. Maybe there exists collections of former exams?
2. Try to analyze the good stuff: what makes it good, what is the inner logic, the specific wording, typical descriptions. Ask for help on this, let someone show you the specific points until you're able to recognize them yourself.
3. Practise writing, if about actual topics or fictive ones. Let someone read it and ask for feedback. Maybe your teachers will help, if not, ask fellow students (good ones) or someone with experience in successful writing.

Four months is not much. But with a little effort you may improve enough until then. Good luck!

[NYCEMS9115]

With Four months to go, you should know where you stand in the Program. This appears to be constructive criticism from your Nursing Professor. Yes, Academia ask students for a lot of things that for the Care of Patients it is unnecessary to know but that is why it is School.

Did you take the Nursing Class on the Role of Nursing Care? The Alphabet Organizations and what each one were responsible for. All the various Nurses. Who help propel Nursing. The Nursing Timeline and all it's high points. This was irrelevant for the Care of the Patient but relevant to Nursing. I guess... Keep your chin up Tim... Get through the Program and pass the NCLEX. Good luck my fellow Nursing Student, I've been hating Nursing School too...

[BEorP]

Bernhard's advice is very good. I have done a fair bit of academic writing and still wish that I could improve on it further. I think one of the big things you need to look at is whether your problem is with your actual writing in terms of grammar or flow or whether the base of the problem is simply trouble setting up the paper.

If it is a grammar and flow issue then it really just seems to be practice in addition to having someone proof your work to give feedback. If it is an issue with actually setting up the paper overall and planning it out to get everything across that you want to say then send me a PM with your email and I will send you something I sent a friend recently who was having trouble with that basically showing how I do it. It might be a strategy that you could adapt for your own use.

[Kiwiology]

See if Uni has a class on academic writing skills or such like ... I know essays are a bastard mate but they are bloody fantastic at opening one's mind and solidifying concepts as well as the ability to write a logical thingamadongledoohockey.

I think I am still on your Facebook, send me a draft and I will have a nosey if not PM me

[Timmy]

Thanks for the advice, appreciate it.

I’m not quiet sure if uni has academic writing classes, I’m guessing that may be aimed at the 1st years rather than the 3rd years but I will investigate that. I’d love to have someone read over my essays but unfortunately I’m a little time poor and rush to submit the assignments before the due date. Example being I’m currently on placement for 2 weeks, we do 40 hours a week on placement, add 2.5 hours driving each day and I’m doing 20 hours at work this week. We have to write a 4000 word case study on a patient we select and this has to be submitted within 2 days of the placement finishing, it’s just so full on. Because were out on placement when most assignments are due I struggle to get back to uni to see the lectures because it’s a 2 hour drive each way, email is ok but its not as beneficial as face to face contact.

But anyway, I guess I’ll just keep chugging along! Thanks again for the advice.

[Lone Star]

Since you're able to explain the rationale behind the treatments, the pharmocodynamics of the drugs you administer, patient assessment and the pathophysiology of the MOI/NOI; maybe you could use that format for your essay.

Start your paper off by describing the patient assessment process from start to finish, move into the pathophysiology of the mechanism of injury (MOI)/nature of illness (NOI). From there progress into the treatments given and the pharmocodynamics of the medications given....

Use the tone of the preceptor talking to the student, (kind of a "How To" narrative type essay)....

Just a suggestion...

As far as the writing class, does the academics of writing change between the first year and the last? I'm going to go out on a limb and think that the mechanics of academic writing is going to remain pretty much a constant thing....