APRN Interview Assignment

APRN Interview Assignment

Sample Answer for APRN Interview Assignment Included After Question

A Sample Answer For the Assignment: APRN Interview Assignment

Title: APRN Interview Assignment

I interviewed Kathyrn Maistros, a Certified Nurse Midwife at Cleveland Clinic’s Fairview Hospital located in Cleveland, Ohio. The interview took place on June 18, 2019 at Voinovich Bicentennial Park situated at 800 E 9th Street Pier. She has more than 6 years’ diverse experience, particularly in nurse midwifery. She has worked professionally in this area since 2013. She collaborates with many physicians and specialists. Since she is busy in her practice, I requested at most 45 minutes of her time for the interview. In her practice, Maistros attends to an average of 30 patients every day, most of which are childbearing women aged between 20 and 41. Cleveland Clinic has 27 clinic locations, Fairview Hospital being one of them. The group has more than 3000 physicians and 11,889 nurses (Cleveland Clinic, 2019). The group has many examination rooms. Fairview Hospital has an on-site laboratory, as well as x-ray capability provided by its Imaging and Radiology Services section. This assignment provides the summarized responses to the questions and ends with a critical reflection on the entire interview.

Discuss how you became interested in becoming a nurse practitioner (or CNM) and what university did you attend?

Maistros said she was inspired to be a certified nurse midwife by her mother, who took great care of her and her siblings, as well as other people in general. She realized that it is very rewarding to help people in crisis. When people are happy of one’s services as a nurse, the gratification from it is invaluable. As a CNM, Maistros envisioned an opportunity of either starting her own private practice, which ensures more autonomy, or working for an organization. Certified nurse midwives can also work in healthcare settings. Maistros graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2013. She then began practicing the same year. Currently, she is a member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, which represents certified nurse-midwives professionally. It promotes quality in midwifery clinical practice, research, and education. Besides this interview question, I wanted to know whether Maistros had any specific reason for choosing Case Western Reserve University. She responded that the institution has an established history in nursing education and knew she would make a positive contribution to nursing practice after graduating.

In keeping up to date with current information regarding guidelines, political issues, etc. what conferences do you attend and which professional organizations have you joined?

Maistros said that she keeps up to date with political issues and nursing guidelines by attending symposiums. In 2018, she attended the National Nurse Practitioner Symposium in Keystone, Colorado. This symposium took place at Keystone Conference Center. This symposium centered upon professional development and continuing education for nurse midwives and nurse practitioners (TSNN, 2019). She is planning to attend the 26th World Congress on Nursing and Healthcare Conference on September 17 and 18, 2019 in Osaka, Japan. Maistros is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the International Council of Nurse Practitioners, which help keep her updated at all times in her practice.

At your practice site what are your most common reference sources used for daily decision making? What resources would you recommend a new APRN utilize in the practice setting?

The most commonly used reference sources come from the American College of Nurse-midwives library, particularly on Basic Practice of Midwifery and the Standards for the Midwifery Practice. Maistros would recommend these resources to a new APRN to use in the practice setting, as well as the ACNM Code of Ethics.

Identify and describe your personal scope of practice as compared to your professional scope of practice. What are the differences?

Maistros’s taxonomy code is 176B00000X, a professional nurse-midwife. Her scope of practice includes the provision and management of intrapartum, antepartum, gynecological, and postpartum care consistent to her training and education. She provides these professional services in collaboration with at least one physician. In addition, Maistros performs several roles categorized under the professional scope of practice. These include performing episiotomies, repairing vaginal tears, and performing normal vaginal deliveries (Edqvist, Hildingsson, Mollberg, Lundgren & Lindgren, 2016). She performs several roles under personal scope of practice, including encouraging women to take part in decision making, using intervention and technology appropriately, determining women’s and newborns’ risk status, as well as writing progress notes and inpatient orders. She collaborates, consults, and refers appositely when her role cannot allow her to perform particular roles. Another role that falls under personal scope of practice is maintenance of statistics relating to practice outcomes, as well as applying internal fetal monitoring devices and managing emergencies or complications until the physician arrives.

What is your biggest challenge professionally as a NP?

Maistros says she finds it challenging to work with multiple supervising physicians. For each shift of her work, she is assigned a supervising physician. She has to consult a different physician regarding particular issues almost every day. Different supervising physicians have varying attitudes toward medicine and styles of practice.  Maistros finds it very challenging to adjust to every physician’s preferences.  For instance, some physicians opt for steroid injections while others prefer oral steroids.  While she tries to keep up with the preferences of these physicians, these differences might influence patient outcomes. Nevertheless, these differences have an advantage in that Maistros has learned multiple methods of practice and leadership styles. Learning from several physicians has enabled her to acquire great leadership and decision-making skills. The second challenge of a nurse practitioner is the expectation to know as much as a physician, which has its limitations because schooling levels might be different.  Thus, Maistros has to keep consulting most of the time, even though she has become more proficient over the years. Third, she has to cope with the challenge of adhering to hospital regulations and laws even though they may not apply to all situations (Vincent, Niezen, O’Kane & Stawarz, 2015). After answering this interview question, I asked Maistros whether she thinks she is better than six years ago in addressing these challenges, which she affirmed.

The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties has developed competencies for nurse practitioners as a whole and the have developed population specific competencies, except for nurse midwifery, neonatal nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetists. Which three (3) of the competencies do you feel you best meet in your practice?

Three of the competences that Maistros meets in her practice relate to the hallmarks of midwifery, midwifery care of women, as well as the midwifery care of the newborn. Maistros considers these three competences critical to her practice because they contribute to better health outcomes and are applicable on a day-to-day basis. Regarding the hallmarks of midwifery, Maistros says it is critical to incorporate scientific evidence into clinical practice. Her role is the promotion of family- and woman-centered care. She has to support continuity of care and facilitate healthy interpersonal and family relationships. Similarly, she must advocate for shared decision-making informed choice, as well as the right to self-determination (American College of Nurse-Midwives, 2019). Regarding the midwifery care of women, she must adhere to the nationally defined immunization and screening recommendations to prevent and detect disease and promote health. She must also be able to identify neurological, musculoskeletal, renal, dermatologic, cardiovascular, and other areas of health (American College of Nurse-Midwives, 2019).  She must be able to take care of newborns and address any deviations from normal. Finally, she must refer the mother to the available community resources whenever necessary.

What type of theory or model do you utilize in promoting health promoting behaviors such as diet, exercise, smoking cessation, etc.?

During the interview, I introduced the theory of planned behavior, Theory of Reasoned Action, attachment theory, and the Health Promotion Model. Out of these, Maistros uses Pender’s Health Promotion Model (HPM) to promote healthy behaviors. This theory

centers upon helping individuals attain higher levels of wellbeing. It urges medical professionals to give auspicious resources that can enable patients to realize behavior-specific changes (Khodaveisi, Omidi, Farokhi & Soltanian, 2017). This theory not only aims to help patients modify their behavior to prevent illness, but to explore ways that can enhance health. The theory has four main assumptions. First, individuals must endeavor to remain in charge of their own behavior. Second, they have to work to ameliorate their environment and themselves. Third, health professionals including physicians and nurses create an interpersonal environment that is critical in their clients’ behavioral change. Finally, individuals must be willing to initiate change, but environmental characteristics are critical to implementing behavioral change. Following this response, I asked Maistros whether there is any other model that supports implementation of HPM, and she said the attachment theory was imperative in helping clients change risky behavior.

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What qualities do you believe are most important to the success of a NP?

As an NP, the first quality that is critical to practice is empathy. The nurse must share in and be sensitive to the feelings of others. This implies understanding the problems facing others from their perspective. Having awareness of other people’s emotions results in more ability to understand how others feel. Empathy also makes patients trust the NP because they feel she is concerned about their well-being (Bramley & Matiti, 2014).  It enables the NP to be kind, authentic, and compassionate. The other quality that an NP needs is enthusiasm, which denotes eagerness and intense enjoyment. It makes the NP serve clients with a smile and respond to their concerns without wanting to hurt them. Enthusiasm enables the NP to be inquisitive of the clients’ needs. Maistros is enthusiastic of her patients, profession, and specialty. The nurse practitioner also needs tenacity, which refers to perseverance, resolve, and determination. Successful NPs cannot give up as they fight for their practice, patient, or profession. NPs need creativity, a quality that enables them to apply original ideas, inventiveness, and imagination. Finally, the NP ought to have integrity, which enables them to be ethical, trustworthy, and honest.

How does your current NP practice compare to what you had envisioned as a student?

As a student, Maistros wanted to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner because she wanted to work with populations with mental health issues and needs. She said that she had an interest in psychiatry since she was young particularly because as a child, one of her relatives had schizophrenia. Maistros could not understand the relative but empathized with her because many people in her neighborhood did not understand that it was a disorder. Nevertheless, with time, she developed interest in midwifery and chose to pursue it. I asked Maistros if she was satisfied with her current NP practice because she was no longer in psychiatry, and she said midwifery was another exciting area, and she was working hard to improve her CNM profession.

What is your biggest challenge as an NP in terms of patient care management?

As a certified nurse midwife, Maistros finds her job highly stressful and challenging at times but also emotionally fulfilling. She has to care for women and their children during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Thus, she has to be there at all times when needed. Sometimes, she confronts devastating situations such as when complications arise, which may be fatal for either the baby or the mother or both. Sometimes, she faces barriers to efficacious patient care, such as healthcare system complexities, insurance issues, financial barriers, which hinder access to medical care by women (Gottfreðsdóttir & Nieuwenhuijze, 2018). She also has to deal with a lot of paperwork and documentation, which tend to drain her energy and at times result in apathy to clients. After this response, I asked whether she remembered an incidence in which she was not empathetic enough while dealing with a client, and she cited an incident in which a woman insisted on being treated at the facility even though the physician had referred her. Maistros was so exhausted at the time, but he clearly explained why the patient had to be sent to another facility.

What do you see as the pros and cons of opening your own practice?

Maistros explains that one’s own practice has one major benefit, which is the autonomy of setting the rules and standards. There is also the autonomy in terms of allocating budgets and hiring the right people for the job. Nevertheless, the practitioner has to remain at the facility most of the time, which can contribute to burnout. The nurse practitioner has to do everything relating to patient care, which means assuming the role of a primary practitioner. This is a major disadvantage.

How do you avoid burnout in your role?

Maistros avoids burnout by participating in meaningful committees, improving leadership capabilities, and allowing for employment status flexibility. Her organization fosters support for the midwifery model of care. She can start conversations with her organization regarding midwife well-being. She cares about and addresses her own issues before dealing with the problems affecting others. She shows acts of kindness to her colleagues and allows for flexibility among practice members. She monitors her practice for burnout and often talks with her colleagues about midwifery. She is actively involved in the organization, which makes her feel valued.

There are many professional organizations that an NP can join. Which would you recommend joining & why?

There exist many U.S.-based professional organizations that NPs can join. Maistros recommends a few, one of which is the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, which supports NPs in every area of practice. It helps advanced nurse practitioners focus on their patients more efficaciously. It provides opportunities for practice management, professional development, as well as a source of practice information and clinical resources. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties is another organization devoted to the promotion of high quality education for the NPs at the international and national levels (The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, 2019). The American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners is another national organization worth joining because it has developed an examination leading to specialty in emergency care certification for qualified nurse practitioners.  An international organization that NPs can join is the International Council of Nurse Practitioners. This organization centers upon improving coaction and communication among NPs all over the globe. A state organization that nurse practitioners should join is the Iowa Nurse Practitioner Society that supports, promotes, and advances the role of Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNPs). It aims to improve quality of care in Iowa.

What are your thoughts about the DNP as the entry point for advanced practice?

DNP is a doctoral degree focused on the nursing practice. . It has attracted heated debate since it was recommended by the American Association of colleges of Nursing. AACN recommended that DNP should substitute the requirement for a master’s degree to join advanced nursing practice. Indeed, DNP will help strengthen the nursing academic discipline, but implementing it might result in confusion (Ketefian & Redman, 2015). There has not been a consensus regarding the most appropriate curricula to follow, as well as the required certification. DNP may not help advanced nurse practitioners in their job. Confusion will arrive particularly because of the use of the word the “doctor.” However, even though DNP does not help much in practice, it will ameliorate how the public perceives advanced practice nursing. DNP accentuates more on the nursing practice rather than research methodology and theory. Thus, it is imperative to elucidate how DNP will be rolled out across the country. Finally, Maistros accentuates that DNP should bring practical changes to the nursing practice. Following these views, I asked Maistros whether DNP should be implemented or things ought to remain the same. She said that DNP should be implemented but in a clear manner.

 

Self-reflection, Critical Analysis, and the Value of the Assignment

This interview has provided important insights into developing the APRN role. First, I have learned that an APRN has to take more responsibility in practice. He or she has to be there for the client and the organization as well. Nevertheless, it provides a great opportunity to the wellbeing of the clients and colleagues. For instance, helping a colleague cope with burnout is a rewarding experience that translates into better performance and quality patient outcomes. I have also learned the important role of conferences in keeping the APRN abreast with the current political news and nursing standards. This necessitates taking initiative from the APRN in developing him or herself. Such conferences maybe costly, but they will significantly shape the APRN’s career. APRNs also need to remain in a good working relationship with their colleagues, as this helps make the practice more comfortable for everyone.

I was surprised by some of the responses that the interviewee gave. For instance, she shifted interest from psychiatric nursing to midwifery and adjusted to its demanding nature. Second, she accentuated the need to refer to scholarly resources on a day-to-day basis and consulting widely to avoid making mistakes. This spotlights the need for self-improvement. This assignment is valuable to me because it encourages me to pursue midwifery practice, which will enable me to have more autonomy especially when I decide to start my own practice. I now understand the role of being a member of professional organizations as an advanced nurse practitioner, which is the increased opportunity for professional and personal growth. I also understand the essence of having empathy in practice, which is an improvement in health outcomes.

APRN Interview Assignment References

Assignment Directions

Purpose: This learning activity is designed to provide the APRN with an opportunity to identify professional and practice issues from the perspective of an APRN currently practicing within the student’s specialty track. This assignment also provides a forum for networking with an APRN who may consider functioning as a preceptor for APRN students in the future.

Guidelines:

Contact an APRN who is within your specialty track and has been in practice for at least a year to set up an appointment for a one-on-one interview. Let the NP know the approximate time frame you will need for the interview, most likely around 30-45 minutes, but this may be longer depending on the questions you might have and the NP’s responses.
Ideally the interview will be face to face, but knowing the time constraints faced by many NPs the interview may also be conducted with a mobile device through Skype, Google Hangouts, Face Time, etc. or on the telephone. The intent of this assignment is to actually perform an interview; thus, it is not acceptable to have the interviewee type out the responses to the questions.
You may ask any of your own questions that you have about NP practice and professional issues but you must ask the eight required questions and then select at least six from the list of additional questions for a total of 14 questions.
You are not limited to 14 questions so if you have additional questions you would like to ask, after asking the 8 required and 6 additional from the list, please feel free to do so.
As a courtesy, you may send the interview questions to the NP prior to the interview.
This is an open ended interview rather than a Q & A session, so the expectation is that you will follow-up to responses with questions that relate to the response when applicable. For example, if the NP responds that his/her practice is not as envisioned, explore what was anticipated and what is different. Be sure to include at least 6 additional questions you asked and the responses.
Following the interview put the questions and a summary of the response to each question into a word document. For the format for the write-up you will first provide the question asked and then below this provide the response. Under this same question number, follow-up questions related to the initial answer to the question are to be included.
In the introductory paragraph for this assignment include the date and location of interview, name of nurse practitioner, specialty track, years in practice and practice location. Include the ages of patients seen, average number of patients seen daily, number of providers in the group, number of examination rooms (if applicable) and if there is on-site laboratory and x-ray capability.
At the end of this document please include an in-depth self-reflection and critical analysis of this experience. What did you find valuable about this assignment? Were there any answers that were surprising to you and why?
The write-up for this assignment should be in APA format in terms of the title page, running header & page numbers. A reference page is required within your write-up such as the NONPF competencies and/or a particular theory, etc. Because you are giving the date and the name of the person being interviewed in the introductory paragraph you do not need to cite within each response that this is a personal communication with xxxx on xxx. According to APA, personal communications are also not listed on the reference page.
An exemplar of the write-up is provided for your benefit in the assignment tab.
Submit to the assignment tab by the due date.
Questions

Required

Discuss how you became interested in becoming a nurse practitioner (or CNM) and what university did you attend?
In keeping up to date with current information regarding guidelines, political issues, etc. what conferences do you attend and which professional organizations have you joined?
At your practice site what are your most common reference sources used for daily decision making? What resources would you recommend a new APRN utilize in the practice setting?
Identify and describe your personal scope of practice as compared to your professional scope of practice. What are the differences? For example, some FNPs perform joint injections, toenail removal, etc. which is within the professional scope of practice but other FNPs do not perform these procedures.
What is your biggest challenge professionally as a NP?
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties has developed competencies for nurse practitioners as a whole and the have developed population specific competencies, except for nurse midwifery, neonatal nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetists. Which three (3) of the competencies do you feel you best meet in your practice? (Have a list of competencies to utilize during the interview). If you are a midwifery student utilize the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) competencies found at http://www.midwife.org/ACNM/files/ACNMLibraryData/UPLOADFILENAME/000000000050/Core%20Comptencies%20Dec%202012.pdf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
What type of theory or model do you utilize in promoting health promoting behaviors such as diet, exercise, smoking cessation, etc.? (Have a list of health promotion, behavior change theories or models to utilize during the interview).
What qualities do you believe are most important to the success of a NP?
Additional Questions

How does your current NP practice compare to what you had envisioned as a student?
What is your biggest challenge as an NP in terms of patient care management?
What is your role in the setting where you practice and what procedures do you perform?
What do you see as the pros and cons of opening your own practice?
What advice can you give in terms of negotiating a contract?
Describe your working relationship with physicians and other members of the health care team.
What advice would you give a new graduate?
How do you avoid burnout in your role?
Do you precept students and what do you see as barriers to precepting?
There are many professional organizations that an NP can join. Which would you recommend joining & why?
What are your thoughts about the DNP as the entry point for advanced practice?
Rubric
APRN Interview Rubric
APRN Interview Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Introductory information ( 5 points)
5.0 pts
Excellent
Includes the date, location, nurse practitioner name, specialty track, years in practice, practice location, number of patients seen daily, number of providers in the group, number of examination rooms, and if there is on-site laboratory and x-ray capability.
4.0 pts
Meets expectations (4 points)
One of the pieces of introductory information is missing.
3.0 pts
Below expectations (3 points)
Two of the pieces of introductory information is missing.
2.0 pts
Major deficiencies (2 points)
Three pieces of required information is missing.
0.0 pts
No Marks
5.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Interview Questions (60 points)
60.0 pts
Excellent (54-60 points)
Documents in-depth each question and a summary of each response to the 8 required questions and 6 or greater additional questions. Summary demonstrates that during the interview at least four additional follow-up / clarification questions were asked regarding responses to some of the questions that needed elucidation or required additional clarification.
53.0 pts
Meets Expectations (48-53 points)
Documents each question and a summary of each response to the 8 required questions and 5 additional questions. Summary demonstrates that during the interview at least 4 additional follow-up / clarification questions were asked regarding responses to a few questions.
47.0 pts
Below Expectations (42-47 points)
Documents a summary of each response but may not have included the questions, or only included 6-7 required and / or 4 additional questions. Summary demonstrates that during the interview at least 3 additional follow-up / clarification questions were asked.
41.0 pts
Major deficiencies (36-41)
Documents a summary of each response but may not have included the questions, or only included less than 6 required and less than 4 additional questions. Summary demonstrates that the interview was primarily a question / answer session rather than a true interview with dialogue.
36.0 pts
No Marks
60.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Reflection on Interview Responses & Process (15 points)
15.0 pts
Excellent (15 points)
Reflection on interview responses and process demonstrates a critical analysis and synthesis of the APRN role and impressions of the interview process for professional growth.
14.0 pts
Meets Expectations (12-14 points)
Reflection on interview responses and process demonstrates a basic analysis & critique of the APRN role and impressions of the interview process.
11.5 pts
Below Expectations (10.5-11.5 points)
Reflection on interview responses and process demonstrates a lack of analysis and / or critique of the APRN role. Impression of the interview process is minimal.
10.5 pts
Major Deficiencies (9-10.5 points)
Reflection on interview responses and process demonstrates a basic analysis & critique of the APRN role and impressions of the interview process.
0.0 pts
No Marks
15.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Writing Style (10 points)
10.0 pts
Excellent (10 points)
Writing style is logical, organized and utilizes graduate level vocabulary in summarizing responses and reflection on the assignment. Numbers each question. Work is professional & neatly done throughout. Paper is clearly graduate level work and APA format is correct. No recommendations for improvement.
9.0 pts
Meets expectations (9 points)
Writing style is logical, organized and usually utilizes graduate level vocabulary in summarizing responses and reflection on the assignment. Numbers each question. Work is professional & neatly done throughout. Paper is clearly graduate level work. Minimal recommendations for improvement or APA formatting.
8.0 pts
Below expectations (8 points)
Writing style is logical, however may be slightly organized and / or colloquialisms, slang, or less than graduate level vocabulary is utilized in summarizing responses and reflection on the assignment. Does not number each question. Several recommendations for improvement or APA formatting.
7.0 pts
Major deficiencies (7 points)
Writing style is disorganized, or has a poor flow. Vocabulary is not at the graduate level. Many recommendations for improvement. APA improvements needed. Does not number each question.
0.0 pts
No Marks
10.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Grammar, spelling and punctuation (10 Points)
10.0 pts
Excellent (10 points)
Paper has no punctuation, sentence structure, spelling and / or grammatical errors. No recommendations for improvement.
9.0 pts
Meets expectations (9 points)
Paper has 1-2 punctuation, sentence structure, spelling and / or grammatical errors. Minimal recommendations for improvement.
8.0 pts
Below expectations (8 points)
Paper has 3-4 punctuation, sentence structure, spelling and / or grammatical errors & fully holds reader\’s attention. Note recommendations for improvement.
7.0 pts
Major deficiencies (7 points)
Paper has 5-6 punctuation, sentence structure, spelling and / or grammatical errors. Work is not graduate level.
0.0 pts
No Marks
10.0 pts
Total Points: 100.0

For assignments that need to be submitted to Lopes Write, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.

Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.

Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?

Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

Late Policy

The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.

Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.

If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.

I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.

As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

Communication

Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:

Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.

Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.

Important information for writing discussion questions and participation

Welcome to class

Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to

I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.

Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.

If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.

Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.

Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.

I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!

Hi Class,

Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Important information on Writing a Discussion Question

• Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
• There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
• Include in-text citations in your response
• Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
• Follow APA-7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor

• A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
• Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
• Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
• Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
• Follow APA 7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
• Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
• Here are some helpful links
• Student paper example
• Citing Sources
• The Writing Center is a great resource