Unit Two

Unit Two
Why Bother with a BSN??

10% - Weeks 3 and 4

(10-16 Sep, & 17-23 Sep)

There are two assignments in Unit Two. They must be completed by midnight, Sunday, of Week 4 of the course.

Assignment 2A: The Value of College Education

Assignment 2B: Assessing Your Clinical Skills

Assignment 2C: Plan for Course Project

Use the forum in WebCT for Questions for Instructor on Unit 2 to ask me questions about anything in Unit 2.

Use the forum for Student Resources to post URLs to links of interest to the entire class.

Post suggestions about the way the course works in the Suggestion Box.

Use the Student Lounge to talk about whatever you like; it isn't course-related.

Assignment 2A: The value of college education
The goal of education: to "Make a life, not just a living."
You've probably been going to school for quite a few years now. Perhaps you became a nurse some years ago. Or maybe you just recently completed your Associate of Arts degree. In either case, you've made the decision to come to the university now for a baccalaureate degree. Why? Why put yourself through several more years of hard work? After all, you're already an RN. Isn't that enough? In this unit, I want you to explore the value and meaning--for yourself--of obtaining a BSN.

Step One (Wk 3):

Read the following articles:

On the Purpose of a Liberal Arts Education, by Robert Harris.

"The Values of A College Education": (This speech was delivered to faculty at a University of Virginia forum on higher education.) What do you think about what was said in this speech? Do you agree/disagree? Would you add/change anything?

Nurturing our future: Let's give students a positive view of nursing, by Carol Bradley, MSN, RN, California Editor, Nurseweek, August 14, 2000

For the heck of it, read: Getting noticed: Nurses jump into the media spotlight.

Read these at your leisure:

"Nurse-topatient ratios are needed now" and "Nursing is what needs the cure" -- from the San Francisco Chronicle, 16 August 2001.

What do you think about the fact that neither article makes any mention that education leads to increased self-esteem, further professionalism, and enhanced job satisfaction?

Think about your decision to come to Sonoma State University at this time in your life, and your current professional development as a nurse.

What factors entered into this decision for you?

Why did you choose to come to the university now?

What do you think a university education will give to you that you didn't already have as a nurse? As a person?

Now I want you to interview a nurse currently active in practice, who became an RN through an AA degree program, and subsequently went on for a BSN. Engage this nurse in a conversation and ask questions such as the following:

What factors went into their decision to get a BSN?

Now that they have their BSN, what advantages do they have that they didn't have before? What has their BSN done for them?

What difficulties or challenges did they encounter while working toward their BSN?

What did they especially enjoy while working toward their BSN?

Now that they have their BSN, was it worth it? If they could remake their decision, would they still go for their BSN?

Post this information in Assignment 2A (College Education)

Step Two (Wk 4):

Go to the threaded-discussion in WebCT for Assignment 2A (College Education). Engage in a discussion with your fellow students that deals with the issues in Part One of Assignment 2A. That is, post your own thoughts and reflections, and comment on each other's. Pose questions for further exploration based on your own thinking and the thoughts of others.

After most of the class has had a chance to post their initial thoughts and reflections, and you've had a chance to selectively comment on each other's postings, go back and read over what everyone has said.

To conclude this assignment, post a short paragraph towards the end of Week 4 in the forum for Assignment 2A (College Education) to summarize your thoughts about the value of a BSN for you at this time in your life. Have your thoughts changed any since you've read what others are thinking about this? Specify your goals for getting a university education. How will you know "that you've gotten your money's worth" when you graduate?

Assignment 2B: Assess Your Clinical Skills

Step One (Wk 3):

Write an essay that assesses your clinical skills in Med/Surg, Maternal-Child, and Psych, using Benner's stages of clinical development.

Identify short and long-term goals for your further professional development. Explain how you expect to accomplish your goals.

Post your essay in the forum for Assignment 2B (Clinical Skills).

Step Two (Wk 4):

Read and discuss each other's essays!

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Assignment 2C (Wk 4):

Read about the course project.

You have the option of working alone or in a group.

Groups may have two to four members. All members of the group receive the same grade on the course project.

Use the forum for Assignment 2C (Plan for Project) to do two things:

1. Indicate whether you'll working alone or in a group. If you're working in a group, the group should select one of its members to report the names of the members of the group. Once the membership of a group has been posted, all members of the group must remain in the group for the duration of the project. Similarly, students who have posted that they wish to work alone on the project may not subsequently join a group.

2. Then post a paragraph to outline what you plan to do for the project.

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