Discussion: Networking Opportunities
Discussion: Networking Opportunities
Who I am and What I Want to Be: based on Walden University’s Mission and Vision
I have been an RN for almost 11 years. As an RN, I have worked in Mental Health and then went to nursing homes. I tried a pediatric practice as a triage nurse (those women made my crazy people look sane), but I have always returned to Mental Health (MH) no matter what I tried. I am currently the RN Supervisor at an inpatient MH facility that opened only six months ago. I have worked in MH on and off for 20 years in various capacities, from a crisis worker to the psych intake coordinator in a very busy ER. No matter how hard I try, I can’t help but return to the MH field. That is why I am currently working on my PMHNP through Walden.
I decided on Walden because they are one of the very few online schools that offer the PMHNP program and they also came highly recommended by several of my colleagues. Two of my coworkers are attending Walden currently but are much further in their studies than I am, and one is an NP here at the facility. While these people did have some influence on my choice of Walden, it was Walden’s SON vision and mission that pulled me in. The idea of serving a diverse community of professionals to allow them to become scholar-practitioners was intriguing. I also liked that Walden is interested in how they can provide their students with the knowledge to go out into the world and make a positive change (Walden University, 2019). The SON seems to take a positive vision that their students will impact social change. I had started my journey toward my PMHNP at Aspen University, and after only two classes realized that it wasn’t for me. When my coworker suggested I check out Walden, I figured I had nothing to lose because I wanted to get on with my education to go out and practice as an NP. The RN-MSN program with a PMHNP track was exactly what I was looking for to further my education. I did not need another BS degree since I already have one in Forensic Science (a past life). The bridge courses from RN to get into the MSN program seemed feasible, so I joined up. Now that I have completed that portion of the curriculum, I am excited to start this new journey.
My student advisor has been beneficial in this process, guiding me through the program and explaining how to balance school and work (Walden, 2019). I also have a Facebook group that has managed to help each other through these first classes. When we started, there were 10-12 of us in the group, and now, we are down to five, but the five of us have been there for each other through everything. Not just supporting each other academically but also personally. We have established a network amongst ourselves that genuinely are there for one another. Since day one, we have said that we will be able to get through this if we do it together, and so far, we have. As described by Schmidt, n.d., we are a group of people with a common interest who help each other and share knowledge.
Since I have worked in the MH field, I have noticed that these patients don’t have many opportunities as other patients. One of the things that I have always wanted to do was open a transitional housing facility for MH patients. It has always bothered me throughout my career that many MH patients are discharged back to their homes with no assistance or, worse, discharged to the street with no place to go. These individuals tend to be readmitted to our facility frequently. If there was a place they could go that would continue to help them with their medication, give them some job skills and life skills training, they might have a better chance of caring for themselves. Even patients discharged home with family support do not always receive the type of support they need. These homes’ goal is to help these individuals learn how to go back to living a productive life through management of their illness, goal setting, and assisting with education or employment (communityhope-nj.org, 202
Schmidt, K. 5 Reasons Nurses Should Engage in Professional Networking. https://blog.bluepipes.com/5-reasons-nurses-should-take-professional-networking-seriously/.
Vision, Mission, and Goals. Vision, Mission, and Goals – Walden University – Acalog ACMS™. (2019, September). https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=153&navoid=49950.
Discussion: Networking Opportunities
This week you begin to lay the foundation for your academic and professional success. Your
efforts begin with a vision, which includes your own definition of success. Your vision may vary
from those of your colleagues, but this does not mean you have to take these first steps alone.
Walden University and the College of Nursing also have a vision and mission, which include
helping you to make your own vision a reality. Members of your new academic community, such
as faculty, support teams, and fellow students, can also be helpful. Current practitioners and
other members of the professional community can also help you to clarify your vision.
This week’s Discussion asks you to think about how the Walden mission and vision and the
College of Nursing mission and vision apply to your professional and academic goals. You will
also begin to identify individuals and teams that can help you along the way, as you begin to
design the “blueprint”—your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan—that will
guide you toward your own vision for academic and professional success.
To Prepare:
Review the Walden and the College of Nursing mission and vision statements, Walden’s
goals and University Outcomes, and the MSN Program Learning Outcomes presented in
this week's Learning Resources.
Reflect on your professional and academic goals as they relate to your
program/specialization.
Consider how the information in these resources fit with your own goals and to your
becoming a scholar-practitioner.
Also consider academic and professional individuals and teams that you may collaborate
with in support of your efforts as a student at the University and as a professional within
your organization and career.
By Day 3
Post a brief post introducing yourself to your colleagues. Include an explanation for how
Walden’s vision, mission, goals, and social change initiatives relate to your professional and
academic goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner. Also include an explanation for how
the Walden MSN program outcomes and perspectives relate to your professional and academic
goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner.
Support main post with 3 of more current, credible sources and cite source within content of
posting and on a reference list in proper APA.
By Day 6
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, by suggesting additional
individuals and/or teams with whom to collaborate or by offering additional networking
strategies.
Be sure to offer support from at least 2 current, credible sources in each required response to
classmates’ main post and cite per APA.
Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Week 1 Discussion Rubric
Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 6
To participate in this Discussion:
Week 1 Discussion
Quiz: Walden's Student Readiness
Orientation
You probably have a lot of questions (and perhaps some hesitation) about the journey you are
undertaking. How do I navigate the online classroom? How can I have access to a library in this
environment? The Student Readiness Orientation (SRO) mini-course available on your
MyWalden page provide answers to such questions and helped ensure you understand how to
navigate the online classroom and utilize the many resources available to you as a student at
Walden.
The Readiness Check will help you determine how well prepared you are for navigating the
online classroom.
The questions presented on the quiz are derived from the Readiness Check presented in the
Student Readiness orientation.
Click on the Week 1 Quiz link after you have read the directions carefully.
The Readiness Check includes 15 questions in various format: true/false and multiple choice. If
you score 12 or below, please retake the exam. You may retake the exam as many times as you
would like to achieve the desired score. Your highest score will be recorded. To retake the quiz,
click on “take test again” (this does not appear as a hyperlink but works as a hyperlink when you
click on the area).
To view the questions you answered correctly and incorrectly, click on your score in the My
Grades area.
To Prepare:
Review the Walden’s Student Readiness Orientation found on your MyWalden page.
By Day 7
Complete the quiz.
Submission and Grading Information
Submit Your Quiz by Day 7
To submit your Quiz:
Week 1 Quiz
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Nurse.org. (n.d.). List of nursing organizations. Retrieved October 12, 2018, from
https://nurse.org/orgs.shtml
Schmidt, K. (n.d.). 5 reasons nurses should engage in professional networking [Blog post].
Retrieved October 12, 2018, from https://blog.bluepipes.com/5-reasons-nurses-should-take-
professional-networking-seriously/
Walden University (n.d.). Connect to Walden. Retrieved October 12, 2018, from
https://www.waldenu.edu/connect
Walden University. (n.d.). College of Nursing. Retrieved October June 5, 2020, from
https://www.waldenu.edu/about/colleges-schools/college-of-nursing
Review the College of Nursing's vision and mission.
Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University catalog. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from
https://catalog.waldenu.edu
Select College of Nursing, then Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Review the MSN Learning
Outcomes on this page.
Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University catalog. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from
https://catalog.waldenu.edu
Select Introduction, then the link "Vision, Mission, and Goals" under the Introduction header.
Review Walden's vision, mission, and goals.
Walden University. (n.d.). Writing Center. Retrieved October 12, 2018, from
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter
Wofford, P. (2018, May 24). 10 networking tips for nurses who hate networking. Retrieved from
https://nurse.org/articles/tips-for-nurse-networking/
Document: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template (Word document)
Document: Discussion Posting Exemplars (PDF)
Optional Resources
Walden University. (n.d.). Subject Research: Nursing. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/subject/nursing
Use the following coupon code :
ESSAYHELP