UNCW RN-BSN Program
NSG 316
Discussion Assignment Guidelines
Consider a discussion forum as an online conference room table. Each student sits at the
table and the entire group discusses the assigned topic. The discussion assignments will
help you to find your professional voice as it relates to issues and concepts covered in
this class. The discussion assignments are 25% of your course grade.
The following course objectives will be addressed with the discussion assignments:
2. Differentiate associate degree and baccalaureate degree program outcomes.
4. Discuss the use of health models and evidence-based practice in professional
nursing.
5. Demonstrate cognitive abilities required of the baccalaureate nurse for
professional nursing practice.
6. Identify various roles of the professional, baccalaureate nurse for management of
quality patient care within the health care delivery system and community.
7. Analyze issues in the health care system that influence professional nursing
practice.
After these assignments, you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate thoughtful consideration of ideas and concepts related to
baccalaureate nursing practice.
2. Explain new ideas and insights related to baccalaureate nursing practice.
3. Illustrate your professional voice in written form.
4. Engage in professional discussion with nursing colleagues.
5. Utilize experiential and/or literature-based evidence to support your professional
voice.
6. Reflect on your personal nursing practice to facilitate transition to the
baccalaureate-prepared nurse role.
You are expected to actively participate in the assigned online discussions. This means
posting your response to the discussion questions, reading others’ postings, and
responding to your colleagues’ posts. You should also respond to all questions posed to
you whether in a primary or response post from your colleagues.
Each discussion assignment notes a minimum number of response posts required; be sure
to view this as a minimum and engage with your classmates as much as you can within
the forum. The more ideas and insights posted and the more interaction generated among
colleagues, the more meaningful and dynamic the learning experience will be for all.
Discussion postings and responses must be submitted as early as possible within the
assigned week. Your primary post is due by Wednesday no later than 11:30pm of the
assigned week and your required response post(s) is/are due by Friday no later than
11:30pm of the same week. Be sure to reply to all responses to your primary post by
Sunday no later than 11:30pm – this will ensure true dialogue rather than mere postings.
The discussions in this course have been structured to build on the comments of others,
and timely participation is important to ensure that everyone has the necessary input from
others to complete their own work. Timeliness will also allow for the broadest degree of
collaboration and will help cultivate a sense of community.
It is not possible to make up missed submissions to the discussions. Students who do not
complete the assigned activities, for whatever reason, will not meet the course
requirement for that week.
All discussion postings and responses should reflect baccalaureate-level writing standards
and have few, if any, spelling, grammar, or syntax errors (remember, this is not a blog)
nor should the assigned discussion be used as a personal forum for venting. Please
remember to be courteous in your interactions with your colleagues. Inappropriate
behavior in a discussion will adversely affect your grade. Review the netiquette
guidelines included in the syllabus.
The discussion/reflection assignments are graded but there is not a right or wrong answer.
However, you must support your answers with evidence, whether literature-based or
experiential. Be sure to cite your resources appropriately in APA format within your post.
You can earn a maximum of 100 points for each module’s assignment (see grading
rubric). There are specific criteria for each week’s assignment; be sure to review these
criteria carefully.
Grading Rubric for Discussion Assignment
Criteria Possible
Points
Scoring Matrix Points
Excellent Good Fair Poor Earned
Primary Post
Quality of
Information
& Critical
Thinking
40
Exemplary;
Information
clearly relates to
the discussion
topic and adds
new concepts &
information;
includes several
supporting
details and/or
examples.
(37-40 points)
Proficient;
Information
clearly relates to
the discussion
topic; provides
some supporting
details or
examples.
(33-37 points)
Incomplete;
Information
moderately
relates to the
main topic;
minimal details
and/or examples
are provided.
(30-33 points)
Incomplete or
absent;
Information has
little or nothing to
do with the main
topic; no
supporting details
and/or examples
are provided OR
no primary post is
provided.
(0-30 points)
Professional
Language
and Citation
10
Both
professional
vocabulary and
writing style are
used
consistently
throughout the
discussion; uses
correct APA 7
th
ed. formatting
when resources
are provided.
(9-10 points)
Both professional
vocabulary and
writing style are
used frequently
throughout the
discussion; some
errors noted in
APA 7
th ed.
formatting when
resources are
provided.
(8-9 points)
Both
professional
vocabulary and
writing style are
used
occasionally
throughout the
discussion;
several errors
noted in APA
7
th ed.
formatting
resources are
provided.
(7-8 points)
Professional
vocabulary and
writing style are
not used; resources
are referenced in
APA 7
th
ed. OR no
post is provided.
(0-7 points)
Response Post(s)
Quality of
Information
& Critical
Thinking
40
Exemplary;
Information
clearly relates to
the discussion
topic and adds
new concepts &
information;
includes several
supporting
details and/or
examples.
(36-40 points)
Proficient;
Information
clearly relates to
the discussion
topic; provides
some supporting
details or
examples.
(32-36 points)
Incomplete;
Information
moderately
relates to the
main topic;
minimal details
and/or examples
are provided.
(30-32 points)
Incomplete or
absent;
Information has
little or nothing to
do with the main
topic; no
supporting details
and/or examples
are provided OR
no primary post is
provided.
(0-30 points)
Professional
Language
and Citation
10
Both
professional
vocabulary and
writing style are
used
consistently
throughout the
discussion; uses
correct APA 7
th
ed. formatting
when resources
are provided.
(10 points)
Both professional
vocabulary and
writing style are
used frequently
throughout the
discussion; some
errors noted in
APA 7
th ed.
formatting when
resources are
provided.
(9 points)
Both
professional
vocabulary and
writing style are
used
occasionally
throughout the
discussion;
several errors
noted in APA
7
th ed.
formatting
resources are
provided.
(8 points)
Professional
vocabulary and
writing style are
not used; resources
are referenced in
APA 7
th ed. OR no
post is provided.
(6 points)
TOTAL POINTS:
Discussion
PRIMARY POST. Identify the at-risk population groups in your community. Relate at least two Healthy People 2030 objectives to their health status. For more information on the Healthy People 2030 Objectives and Data, go to https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives. (Links to an external site.)Describe how nurses could be better utilized within your community to support the health of your at-risk community members. Discuss specific roles for the BSN RN in the community setting related to your specific identified health issues in your community. Identify both advantages and challenges to your application. Exploring the Healthy People ′Tools for Action′ resources may help you complete your primary post. https://health.gov/healthypeople/tools-action/browse-evidence-based-resources https://health.gov/healthypeople/tools-action/use-healthy-people-2030-your-work
