what is academic writing in nursing

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Common Assignments: Writing in Nursing

Although there may be some differences in writing expectations between disciplines, all writers of scholarly work are required to follow basic writing standards such as writing clear, concise, and grammatically correct sentences; using proper punctuation; demonstrating critical thought; and, in all Walden programs, using APA style. When writing in nursing, however, students must also be familiar with the goals of the discipline and discipline-specific writing expectations.

Nurses are primarily concerned about providing quality care to patients and their families, and this demands both technical knowledge and the appropriate expression of ideas (“Writing in nursing,” n.d). As a result, nursing students are expected to learn how to present information succinctly, and even though they may often use technical medical terminology (“Writing in nursing,” n.d.), their work should be accessible to anyone who may read it. Among many goals, writers within this discipline are required to:

• Document knowledge/research
• Demonstrate critical thinking
• Express creative ideas
• Explore nursing literature
• Demonstrate understanding of learning activities. (Wagner, n.d., para. 2)

Given this broad set of objectives, nursing students would benefit from learning how to write diverse literature, including scholarly reports, reviews, articles, and so on. They should aim to write work that can be used in both the research and clinical aspects of the discipline. Walden instructors often ask nursing students to write position and reflective papers, critique articles, gather and analyze data, respond to case studies, and work collaboratively on a project. Although there may be differences between the writing expectations within the classroom and those in the workplace, the standards noted below, though more common in scholarly writing, require skills that are transferrable to the work setting.

Because one cannot say everything there is to say about a particular subject, writers present their work from a particular perspective. For instance, one might choose to examine the shortage of nurses from a public policy perspective. One’s particular contribution, position, argument, or viewpoint is commonly referred to as the thesis and, according to Gerring et al. (2004), a good thesis is one that is “new, true, and significant” (p. 2). To strengthen a thesis, one might consider presenting an argument that goes against what is currently accepted within the field while carefully addressing counterarguments and adequately explaining why the issue under consideration matters (Gerring et al., 2004). The thesis is particularly important because readers want to know whether the writer has something new or worthwhile to say about the topic. Thus, as you review the literature, before writing, it is important to find gaps and creative linkages between viewpoints with the goal of contributing innovative ideas to an ongoing discussion. For a contribution to be worthwhile you must read the literature carefully and without bias; doing this will enable you to identify some of the subtle differences in the viewpoints presented by different authors and help you to better identify the gaps in the literature. Because the thesis is essentially the heart of your discussion, it is important that it is argued objectively and persuasively.

With the goal of providing high quality care, the healthcare industry places a premium on rigorous research as the foundation for evidence-based practices. Thus, students are expected to keep up with the most current research in their field and support the assertions they make in their work with evidence from the literature. Nursing students also must learn how to evaluate evidence in nursing literature and identify the studies that answer specific clinical questions (Oermann & Hays, 2011). Writers are also expected to critically analyze and evaluate studies and assess whether findings can be used in clinical practice (Beyea & Slattery, 2006). (Some useful and credible sources include journal articles, other peer-reviewed sources, and authoritative sources that might be found on the web. If you need help finding credible sources contact a librarian.)

Like other APA style papers, research papers in nursing should follow the following format: title, abstract, introduction, literature review, method, results, discussion, references, and appendices (see APA 7, Sections 2.16-2.25). Note that the presentation follows a certain logic: In the introduction one presents the issue under consideration; in the literature review, one presents what is already known about the topic (thus providing a context for the discussion), identifies gaps, and presents one’s approach; in the methods section, one would then identify the method used to gather data; and in the results and discussion sections, one then presents and explains the results in an objective manner, noting the limitations of the study (Dartmouth Writing Program, 2005). Note that not all papers need to be written in this manner; for guidance on the formatting of a basic course paper, see the appropriate template on our website.

In their research, nursing researchers use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. In quantitative studies, researchers rely primarily on quantifiable data; in qualitative studies, they use data from interviews or other types of narrative analyses; and in mixed methods studies, they use both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A researcher should be able to pose a researchable question and identify an appropriate research method. Whatever method the researcher chooses, the research must be carried out in an objective and scientific manner, free from bias. Keep in mind that your method will have an impact on the credibility of your work, so it is important that your methods are rigorous. Walden offers a series of research methods courses to help students become familiar with the various research methods.

Instructors expect students to master the content of the discipline and use discipline- appropriate language in their writing. In practice, nurses may be required to become familiar with standardized nursing language as it has been found to lead to the following:

• better communication among nurses and other health care providers,
• increased visibility of nursing interventions,
• improved patient care,
• enhanced data collection to evaluate nursing care outcomes,
• greater adherence to standards of care, and
• facilitated assessment of nursing competency. (Rutherford, 2008)

Like successful writers in other disciplines and in preparation for diverse roles within their fields, in their writing nursing students should demonstrate that they (a) have cultivated the thinking skills that are useful in their discipline, (b) are able to communicate professionally, and (c) can incorporate the language of the field in their work appropriately (Colorado State University, 2011).

If you have content-specific questions, be sure to ask your instructor. The Writing Center is available to help you present your ideas as effectively as possible.

Beyea, S. C., & Slattery, M. J. (2006). Evidence-based practice in nursing: A guide to successful implementation . http://www.hcmarketplace.com/supplemental/3737_browse.pdf

Colorado State University. (2011). Why assign WID tasks? http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/com6a1.cfm

Dartmouth Writing Program. (2005). Writing in the social sciences . http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/write.shtml

Rutherford, M. (2008). Standardized nursing language: What does it mean for nursing practice? [Abstract]. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing , 13 (1). http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/Health-IT/StandardizedNursingLanguage.html

Wagner, D. (n.d.). Why writing matters in nursing . https://www.svsu.edu/nursing/programs/bsn/programrequirements/whywritingmatters/

Writing in nursing: Examples. (n.d.). http://www.technorhetoric.net/7.2/sectionone/inman/examples.html

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Relevance of Scholarly Writing to the Nursing Profession

Scholarly writing is a form of communication and a necessary skill that is important to the nurse’s role as a clinician, professional, a leader, a scholar, an educator, and an advocate. As a student, developing skills in scholarly writing will help prepare you for your nursing role.

Types of scholarly writing that you may be involved in as a nurse are:

• Social awareness and advocacy campaigns in which you share knowledge and bring awareness to an issue or a new policy.
• Educating and influencing people and communities. The power of writing provides a means for nurses to state their position and influence others. Nurses are involved in crafting policy ideas to influence stakeholders and government bodies on public health issues.
• Best practice guidelines, standards of practice, and policies and procedures to inform nursing practice.
• Research grants and manuscripts for publication.
• Reflective practice, which is a professional expectation for nurses to demonstrate their commitment to life-long learning and continuing competence by reflecting on their practice (College of Nurses of Ontario, 2018).

Nurses may engage in scholarly writing in ways that differ from other disciplines . For example:

• As noted above, nurses engage in many forms of scholarly writing, so you should be prepared to tailor the style of writing to your audience and your objectives.
• In nursing and other health-related fields, you must incorporate evidence to support your statements.
• It is important that you draw from scholarly sources, such as peer-reviewed journals, as opposed to magazines or books.
• You need to be clear and concise, with a logical flow in your writing from point A to B.
• Scholarly writing allows you develop your capacity as a communicator, a skill that transcends domains of professional and personal life.

College of Nurses of Ontario (2018, October). QA Program. Retrieved from https://www.cno.org/en/myqa/

The Scholarship of Writing in Nursing Education: 1st Canadian Edition Copyright © 2019 by Jennifer Lapum; Oona St-Amant; Michelle Hughes; Andy Tan; Arina Bogdan; Frances Dimaranan; Rachel Frantzke; and Nada Savicevic is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Writing for Nurses: Improve Your Skills from Classroom to Clinic

Writing is an important part of any nursing student’s education, and this guide will help you learn about how to be the best writer you can be so you get top grades and succeed in your future as a practicing nurse.

• Why it Matters
• Types of Writing
• Common Mistakes

As a nursing student, honing your writing skills can inspire success both in the classroom and at the bedside — and in fact, can even save a life. As Purdue Global shares, “Good writing can help allow for better patient care and safety.” Effective written communication is essential for documenting treatment plans, sharing research findings, and conveying critical information to patients and colleagues on your team.

So how can you improve this essential skill? Throughout this guide, we’ll explore the different types of writing you’ll encounter as a nursing student, ranging from academic essays to reflective journals. We’ll spotlight some practical tips that can help you enhance your writing. In addition to highlighting what you should do when writing as a nurse or nursing student, we’ll also underscore some common mistakes you’ll want to avoid.

Nursing is a diverse field, and learning about the range of writing you’ll encounter as a student will empower you with both knowledge and skills. Keep reading to elevate your writing and see how the written word can enhance your nursing practice — from the classroom to the clinic and beyond.

The Importance of Writing Well as a Nurse

In the world of nursing, effective communication is the heartbeat of the profession. As a nurse or nursing student, the power of writing well is paramount. Effective, clear, and concise documentation and communication ensure accurate patient records, seamless care transitions, and effective collaboration within healthcare teams. Additionally, writing with empathy, inclusiveness, and precision can foster trust and understanding with both patients and their families, especially when navigating stressful healthcare situations. Continue reading as we highlight the goals of strong written communication in the nursing field.

When nurses write well, they can become fierce advocates for their patients. Effective documentation enables healthcare professionals to clearly convey patient needs, concerns, and preferences to an entire healthcare team. Well-written reports can highlight essential details, share critical information, and ensure that patients receive the best possible care. By embracing clear and compassionate writing, nurses can amplify patient stories while fostering a healthcare environment where every patient is heard and valued.

Clear Communication

Clear communication is vital to competent and compassionate nursing, and writing well is often a significant component. When nurses write concisely and with clarity, they ensure that important information is conveyed accurately and efficiently. Well-written documentation promotes seamless communication among healthcare professionals, reducing the risk of misunderstandings and enhancing patient safety. The nurse who practices clear communication can help inspire a positive healthcare experience while ensuring that the needs of patients are met with sensitivity and professionalism.

Writing precisely is a key skill that empowers nurses to deliver the highest quality of care. When writing with precision, nurses supply accurate details, specific instructions, and concise summaries. This precision allows communication with minimal room for misinterpretation or confusion, ensuring seamless healthcare coordination based on meticulous documentation of patient symptoms, responses to medication, patient progress and more — all while minimizing errors. By writing with precision, nurses can enhance patient outcomes, encourage efficient workflows, and foster a healthcare space where accuracy and excellence thrive.

Record Keeping

While record keeping can seem like a mere administrative box to tick, effective documentation plays a crucial role in the legal and safety aspects of the healthcare profession. Nurses who hone the craft of clear and comprehensive documentation create a thorough record of patient care. This allows for reliable tracking of medical histories, treatment plans, and outcomes. Well-written records also ensure continuity of care, facilitate collaboration among healthcare teams, and provide a reliable resource that professionals can rely on in the future. In short, nurses who maintain meticulous records contribute to informed, safe, and patient-centered healthcare experiences.

Reflective Practice

Writing well enhances a nurse’s ability to engage in reflective practices. By clearly articulating thoughts, experiences, and emotions in writing, nurses grow professionally through an understanding of their actions and decisions. Additionally, making a habit out of reflective practices can enable healthcare workers to critically evaluate their practice, pinpoint areas for improvement, and highlight successes. As mental health is also a priority for nurses, reflective writing practice can help healthcare professionals work through the stress and trauma that often accompanies the field.

Five Common Types of Writing in Nursing School

As a nursing student, you’ll likely encounter various writing assignments with topics that challenge your critical thinking skills. It’s important to keep in mind that learning effective writing techniques as a nursing student is more than just an academic requirement that translates to a credit; instead, the writing you’ll tackle as a nursing student has direct and practical ties to effective healthcare delivery. From case studies that test your problem-solving skills to reflective journals that encourage introspection, continue reading to see the types of writing you’ll encounter in nursing school.

Academic Essays

As a nursing student, you’ll be assigned academic essays that not only test your understanding of nursing theories and concepts, but also require you to integrate healthcare research and practical knowledge. Effective essays in nursing demand thorough research, critical analysis, and evidence-based writing. When honing essay-writing skills, you’ll adhere to academic writing guidelines and style guides, learning to structure essays methodically with clear introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions.

Common essay topics for nursing students cover essential areas such as patient care, healthcare ethics, evidence-based practice, healthcare policies, community health, and nursing leadership. By mastering practical writing skills, you’ll develop the ability to communicate your ideas effectively both as a student and a practicing nurse.

Case Studies

While on your nursing school journey, case studies will offer another opportunity to practice effective research and writing. A case study is an in-depth analysis of a real or hypothetical patient, highlighting their medical history, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. What sets nursing case studies apart from other disciplines is their focus on patient-centered care and the application of nursing interventions.

When approaching case studies, you collect comprehensive patient information, critically analyze data, and propose evidence-based solutions. Topics covered in nursing case studies include complex medical conditions, patient management in various healthcare settings, ethical dilemmas, cultural considerations, and collaboration with various healthcare professionals. Nursing case studies offer valuable opportunities to develop clinical reasoning, decision-making, and critical thinking skills.

Reflective Journals

Nursing is often a stressful and emotionally challenging profession. As a result, writing reflective journals offers a unique approach to introspection and professional growth. Reflective journals provide a safe space to express thoughts, emotions, and experiences encountered during clinical practice. Additionally, reflective journals encourage self-analysis, critical thinking, and the application of theory with practice.

To make the most out of reflective journal writing, nurses should engage in honest self-assessment, explore personal values, identify growth areas, and connect experiences to nursing theories and ethical considerations. Reflective journals also promote lifelong learning and enhance empathy while improving patient care. Typical topics covered in reflective journals often involve clinical encounters, communication challenges, cultural sensitivity, interdisciplinary teamwork, and personal reflections on professional development.

Research Papers

Research papers in nursing emphasize evidence-based practice and can contribute to the advancement of healthcare knowledge and philosophy. During the research process, you’ll often encounter literature reviews and data collection, analysis, and interpretation. When choosing research topics, it’s often essential to select current and relevant topics; popular research areas include healthcare disparities, patient outcomes, nursing interventions, healthcare technology, and healthcare policy.

To craft a solid research paper, you’ll likely include a clear research question, rigorous methodology, critical analysis of data, and careful citation of sources. Additionally, integrating clinical concerns and discussing the potential impact on patient care can enhance the strength of your research paper.

How to Avoid Common Writing Mistakes

Communication is one of the most powerful tools employed by nurses, so it stands to reason that misusing it by making common mistakes can undermine a message and even affect health outcomes. In nursing, clear and accurate communication is vital for providing safe and effective patient care. Simple mistakes involving anything from medication to a patient’s medical history can have severe consequences on your ability to deliver effective care while jeopardizing a patient’s well-being. By learning to identify and rectify common writing mistakes, you can enhance communication skills and ensure that messages are clear, concise, and error-free.

Whether you’re a nursing student or a practicing nurse, grammar can play a crucial role in writing and communication. Grammar refers to the set of rules governing the structure and composition of language. Knowing how to use grammar properly is essential, because grammar mistakes can lead to misinterpretations or confusion. They can compromise patient safety, hinder effective teamwork, and potentially impact quality of care. As a result, mastering grammar helps ensure accurate, effective, and professional communication. Here are three common grammar considerations for nurses:

• Homophones – Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. Common mistakes include their/there/they’re, your/you’re, and to/too/two. In the medical field, “dysphasia” and “dysphagia” sound alike, but are entirely different impairments.
• Singular vs. Plural – Something singular represents one thing, whereas a plural is more than one. Common mistakes include using “child” instead of “children” or using the verb “is” instead of “are.” Medical terms are often derived from Greek and Latin words, meaning they don’t always follow common rule of adding an “s” for pluralization. An example is “vertebra,” which is singular, vs. “vertebrae,” which is a plural noun.
• Tense Usage – The tense of a verb tells you when something took place in time. Common mistakes include using past tense instead of the present tense in reporting patient symptoms or events. “The patient felt acute stomach pain” indicates a different timeframe than “The patient feels acute stomach pain.”

Punctuation

Punctuation is the use of symbols and marks in writing to clarify meaning and sentence structure. In nursing writing and communication, punctuation can play a significant role. Mistakes in punctuation, such as misplaced commas or lack of proper sentence endings, can lead to misinterpretations. While it can feel innocuous, something as simple as a misplaced comma can influence patient care. Accurate punctuation is another communication guardrail that can ensure clear documentation and precise instructions.

• Over- and Underuse of Commas – In nursing communication, the over/underuse of commas refers to the excessive or insufficient use of comma placement. Common mistakes include unnecessary commas in patient records or missing commas when separating items in a list.
• Misuse of Apostrophes – The misuse of apostrophes in writing refers to incorrect placement or omission of apostrophes. Common mistakes include using “it’s” instead of “its” or confusing “patients” with “patient’s” or “patients’.”

Evidence-based research is a significant asset in the healthcare field, so it’s important to learn about common mistakes to avoid when undertaking this type of writing. Research errors can lead to ineffective treatment plans, inaccurate diagnoses and a host of other issues that affect patients and practitioners alike. Continue reading as we spotlight some of the common writing mistakes in healthcare research.

• Citations – Citation mistakes in nursing research refer to errors in properly crediting and referencing sources. Standard mistakes include missing citations, incorrect formatting, or inadequate acknowledgment of borrowed ideas or data.
• Credible Sources – Utilizing reliable and trustworthy references is vital to evidence-based practice. Common mistakes include using biased websites or outdated research studies as sources.
• Fact vs. Opinion – Distinguishing fact from opinion in your writing is essential. Common mistakes in healthcare practice include presenting personal beliefs as facts or failing to differentiate subjective statements from evidence-based information.
• Plagiarism – Plagiarism in nursing writing is the act of using someone else’s work or ideas without proper citation. Common mistakes include not citing sources or copying text without quotation marks.

Developing a professional voice in your writing often communicates credibility, competence, and expertise. Whether dealing with the tone or perspective of nursing writing, presenting information in a professional manner promotes effective messaging while promoting trust among both patients and colleagues. Below are a few voice considerations that can inspire confusion or miscommunication in professional healthcare writing.

• Formal vs. Informal Tone – The tone of your writing can significantly impact how your prose is perceived. Common mistakes include using slang or colloquial expressions in professional documents or research papers.
• Perspective – Perspective in healthcare writing refers to the viewpoint or position of information that’s being presented. Standard mistakes include biased reporting or not acknowledging different perspectives and viewpoints.

15 Writing Resources You Can Start Using Today

Now that you understand the impact of effective writing in the nursing field, it’s time to bookmark a few resources that will make you a better writer and researcher. We’ve compiled a list of 15 links that can enhance your research and writing as a nurse or nursing student. From academic writing guidelines to research paper assistance and writing tips, these resources will support your journey toward becoming an effective and confident writer in the nursing field.

• AllNurses.com – This website allows you to ask questions of other nursing students or see a list of frequently asked student questions . Many topics are geared toward essays and academic writing.
• American Nurses Association’s Principles of Nursing Documentation – The ANA is the largest professional organization for nurses in the United States, and this guide addresses the importance of clear, accurate, and accessible documentation in the field.
• APA Style Blog – The American Psychological Association’s style guide is the standard most often used by nursing students for formatting academic papers, and this blog includes countless useful posts.
• APA Style Central – This practical page offers a quick and user-friendly introduction to the APA’s citation methods. You’ll have access to tutorials, interactive lessons, and quizzes to help you master APA style.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – If you’re conducting research in the healthcare field, the CDC offers up-to-date data on medical topics and an extensive “Publications by topic” subsection with further evidence-based resources.
• EasyBib – EasyBib is a popular tool for students that offers everything you need to know when citing sources for research papers. Along with APA grammar guides, this site also hosts a user-friendly citation generator.
• Grammarly – Grammarly utilizes AI technology to help you enhance your writing. From spelling and grammar to voice and tone, Grammarly is a quick, easy, and free way to edit your papers.
• INANE Editor’s Handbook – The International Academy of Nursing Editors offers guidance for editorial practices for everything from nursing journals to web-based literature.
• National Institute of Nursing Research – Run by the NIH, the National Institute of Nursing Research compiles research and publications focusing on advancements in nursing.
• Plagiarism.org – This page offers exhaustive information about plagiarism, what it is, and how you can avoid it.
• ProWriting Aid – Used by over 2 million people, this writing tool offers everything from tone suggestions to grammar assistance. Additionally, you can create custom style guides that mirror your academic or professional needs.
• PubMed – This database offers an extensive catalog of journal articles covering medical and life sciences topics. PubMed is run by the National Institutes of Health.
• Purdue Online Writing Lab – Purdue University’s online writing lab offers an APA formatting and style guide, basic rules, and an APA source citing engine.
• YouTube: RegisteredNurseRN – This collection of videos covers valuable information for nursing students, including tips to enhance your writing as a nursing student. One such example: a tutorial about how to write a nursing care plan in nursing school.

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1.4: Relevance of Scholarly Writing to the Nursing Profession

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• Lapum et al.
• Ryerson University (Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing) via Ryerson University Library

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Scholarly writing is a form of communication and a necessary skill that is important to the nurse’s role as a clinician, professional, a leader, a scholar, an educator, and an advocate. As a student, developing skills in scholarly writing will help prepare you for your nursing role.

Types of scholarly writing that you may be involved in as a nurse are:

• Social awareness and advocacy campaigns in which you share knowledge and bring awareness to an issue or a new policy.
• Educating and influencing people and communities. The power of writing provides a means for nurses to state their position and influence others. Nurses are involved in crafting policy ideas to influence stakeholders and government bodies on public health issues.
• Best practice guidelines, standards of practice, and policies and procedures to inform nursing practice.
• Research grants and manuscripts for publication.
• Reflective practice, which is a professional expectation for nurses to demonstrate their commitment to life-long learning and continuing competence by reflecting on their practice (College of Nurses of Ontario, 2018).

Nurses may engage in scholarly writing in ways that differ from other disciplines . For example:

• As noted above, nurses engage in many forms of scholarly writing, so you should be prepared to tailor the style of writing to your audience and your objectives.
• In nursing and other health-related fields, you must incorporate evidence to support your statements.
• It is important that you draw from scholarly sources, such as peer-reviewed journals, as opposed to magazines or books.
• You need to be clear and concise, with a logical flow in your writing from point A to B.
• Scholarly writing allows you develop your capacity as a communicator, a skill that transcends domains of professional and personal life.

College of Nurses of Ontario (2018, October). QA Program. Retrieved from https://www.cno.org/en/myqa/

Nursing Guides & Resources: Scholarly Reading & Writing

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Scholarly Reading & Writing

Explore the critical importance of scholarly reading and writing. We delve into the significance of engaging with academic literature to deepen understanding, develop critical thinking skills, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge.

For more resources on scholarly reading, writing, and research, please visit LMU Library's Information Literacy Guide .

Reading a Scholarly Article

• While You Read
• Putting Theory into Action
• What is a Scholarly Article?
• Key Elements of a Scholarly Article
• Reading Strategies

When approaching a scholarly article, it's distinct from reading a novel, website, or newspaper piece. You're unlikely to consume it all in one sitting. Instead, view scholarly reading as an inquiry process. This means posing questions as you engage in research or study for a class. Your reading should align with your class subject, research inquiry, or thesis.

For instance, consider asking yourself:

• Does the article tie into the class theme or my own research?
• What inquiries does it resolve, or what subjects does it explore?
• Does it present unique viewpoints or fresh data?
• Are these perspectives applicable or beneficial to me?
• Can I utilize the article's content in alternative ways?
• Does it provide a useful framework for understanding my topic or inquiry (theoretical framework)?
• Do the authors employ intriguing or inventive research methods that could be pertinent to my work?
• Does it include references I could explore for further insights?

When delving into scholarly articles, mastering the art of scanning and skimming proves invaluable, especially when initiating your research or grappling with a vast amount of material. Many scholarly articles are structured to facilitate efficient scanning and skimming. When faced with an article, hone your skills by scanning the following sections (if available) and skimming their content:

• The abstract: This concise overview provides a panoramic snapshot of the article's content.
• The introduction: What topics does the research cover? What central idea or question does it address?
• The list of keywords or descriptors.
• Methods: How did the author(s) approach their inquiry or gather data?
• Section headings: Pause and skim through sections that seem pertinent.
• Figures: These visuals convey abundant information swiftly.
• The conclusion: What are the key findings or conclusions drawn in the article?

A scholarly article is a piece of academic writing authored by experts in a field, published in journals after peer review. They present original research, theories, or analyses, contributing to academic knowledge and serving as a basis for further research and discussion.

Scholarly journals are typically evaluated based on several categories to assess their quality and relevance to academic research. Some common categories for evaluating scholarly journals include:

• Peer Review : Check if experts review articles before they're published.
• Impact : Look at how often articles from the journal are cited by other researchers.
• Ranking : See how respected the journal is in its field.
• Indexing : Check if the journal is listed in big databases.
• Editorial Board : See who's in charge and if they know their stuff.
• Publication Schedule : Find out how often the journal comes out and if it's on time.
• Coverage : Check if the journal talks about the stuff you're interested in.
• Access : See if you can read articles without paying.

Understanding the key elements of a research article is crucial because it:

• Facilitates comprehension and accurate interpretation.
• Enables critical evaluation of research quality and validity.
• Enhances reading efficiency by enabling quick information retrieval.
• Improves communication about scholarly work.
• Develops essential research skills, including study design and data analysis.

Annotate Your Text:

• Approach your reading with intent.
• When scanning and skimming, wield a pen to enhance your focus.
• Utilize color for swift referencing. Experiment with highlighters or sticky notes, assigning different colors to distinct topics.
• Engage with the text by jotting down thoughts and questions in the margins as you progress.
• Leverage digital markup tools within eBook platforms or via third-party solutions like Adobe Reader or Hypothes.is.

Organize Information:

• Craft your own informal organizational system. It needn't be intricate — begin with simplicity and ensure it suits your needs.
• Compile a list of your own keywords for each article. These terms may align with crucial themes in your class or research paper.
• Record keywords on hard copies or utilize the note-taking functionalities in reference management tools such as Zotero and EndNote.
• Your keyword list and organizational system may evolve in complexity as you delve deeper into your reading.

New Vocabulary:

• Highlight unfamiliar words, terms, acronyms, or phrases. You can annotate directly on the text or create a list within a note-taking application.
• Determine whether the term is vital for comprehension at the moment or if you can defer looking it up until later while continuing to scan.

How to Write a Scholarly Article

Elements of Plagiarism

• What Is Plagiarism
• What Is Not Plagiarism
• Plagiarism and Paraphrasing
• Intentional and Unintentional Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using a source without credit.           In your academic work, you will most likely hear about plagiarism as an issue when you write papers or create projects (slides, speeches, presentations). Knowledge does not exist in a vacuum. To make a case, formulate an argument, give a summary, do an analysis -- all the things you do when you write a paper -- you rely on ideas, expressions, and quotations from those who have come before you, from outside sources. The whole point of finding and evaluating information is to use it in some way. There are accepted conventions for how to do this. The most common is citing. This means whenever you take a direct quote from a source or paraphrase an idea or argument from a source you provide a citation for it. This acknowledges that the idea is not originally yours, tells whose it is, and allows readers to follow the citation and find it themselves.           There is a cultural dimension to plagiarism as well. Here in the West we put a high value on individual genius and have all sorts of laws protecting intellectual property. We own our words, feel personally attached to them, and often take it as a personal offense if someone else takes them and passes them off as their own. In other cultures less emphasis is put on individual attribution and more on the social utility of texts and ideas and these are often shared and reused without any expectation of attribution. See for  example this article about problems with plagiarism in China . So social norms have a lot to do with what is considered appropriate use of sources. Consider this a little lesson in the norms for source use in our social context.

So that's a little bit on what plagiarism is, here is a little bit of what it is not: Common knowledge: For instance, stating that cancer is a deadly disease is an obvious fact. We all know this. You don't need to cite it. But if you say that recent research suggests that eating more kiwi will prevent cancer, you better have a source to back you up. Your ideas, expressions, and words: If you then say kiwi is delicious and you should eat it both because it tastes good and it is good for you, that is your idea, your conclusion, your expression and you obviously don't need to cite that. You are the source of your own ideas, and now someone can quote and cite you!            This may seem simple and obvious and at one level it is. But there may be times when you are not sure if something is common knowledge or not. For instance, I may mention that humans and chimpanzees share about 96% of the same DNA. Is this common knowledge or not? It may depend on your intended audience. If you are presenting to a room full of specialists in genetics, it probably is. But if you’re writing for a general audience, people who don’t necessarily know much about DNA and chimpanzees, it may not be.

          Here is a good rule of thumb: if you can easily find multiple sources for something, it’s probably common knowledge. When I do a quick Google search for “human chimp DNA” I see from the first page of results that there are many potential sources for this. Though I’d want to more carefully evaluate these sources (for instance, some 98%, some 90%), just the fact that it is so widely circulated puts it more on the common knowledge side. But when in doubt, cite it!

One of the most difficult things for many beginning writers to grasp is the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarizing. Paraphrasing is different from quoting. When you quote, you copy word for word the exact language of the source and put it in quotes so it is clear that the sentence or passage is from the outside source. Paraphrasing involves taking the idea behind the exact wording and rephrasing it to make it better fit into the flow of your own writing. When you paraphrase, you still have to cite the source, because that is where the idea came from, but you do not put it in quotes because you did not use the exact language of the original source.

It may be easier to see what paraphrasing is and is not by looking a few examples. Here is the original source:

Advertising in the media, specifically magazines, can have a huge impact on both men and women. Current scholarship suggests that the media send out the message that success in life requires attractiveness, a perfect body, money, and sexual performance. I investigated whether this is emphasized in both male and female magazines. It can be very discouraging when this perfectionism is unattainable. This in turn creates a market for those trying to fulfill desires and deal with anxieties throughout the customer's life course (Freedman).

Here is a bad paraphrase:

It can be very discouraging when the perfectionism portrayed in the media is unattainable. This in turn creates a market for those trying to fulfill desires and deal with apprehension throughout the customer's life course.

Can you see why it is not a good paraphrase? All the author did was change a few words and add a few others. The source has “It can be very discouraging when this perfectionism is unattainable.” The paraphrase has “It can be very discouraging when the perfectionism portrayed in the media is unattainable.” Adding the words bolded here does not make it a paraphrase. Nor does changing the word “anxieties” in the original to “apprehension” in the paraphrase. This is not really a paraphrase. It is either bad quoting or plagiarism. Here is another example:

When the perfectionism portrayed in the media is unattainable it can be very discouraging to women. In turn, this anxiety creates a market for those trying to fulfill desires throughout their life course.  

This one is a little better, but still a quite poor paraphrase. The author changed more than just a few words but the retained phrases which echo the language of the original source a little too closely. Here is an example of a good paraphrase:

Common observation backed by much research and scholarship all support the idea that advertising and other media outlets have a lot to do with how women and men view their own bodies. Usually, it has a negative influence. Freedman (2003) argues this then creates a market for those trying to reach an unattainable perfectionism.

Can you tell why? The author uses the main idea drawn from the original source, but has reworked the language and phrasing to fit her unique writing voice. Source:  Freedman, J. A. (2003).  Media influence on men’s and women’s self perceptions and related behaviors.  (Master’s thesis, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio). Abstract retrieved from  https://www.stormingmedia.us/58/5826/A582614.html?&lang=en_us&output=json

Plagiarism can be malicious and intentionally dishonest or, more innocently, simply ignorance. You may know the conventions and flaunt them or you may unintentionally break the rules because you don’t know what they are.

          Just as larger cultures have different practices and norms, keep in mind that different disciplines within our culture have different conventions for acknowledging sources. In general the sciences and social sciences are more strict and rigorous, demanding closer attention to how you acknowledge outside sources, while in the humanities and especially literature and artistic expression --where making indirect references to previous writers and artists can be an art form in itself-- the conventions may be looser. Intentional Plagiarism: This is the category for outright academic dishonesty. This includes having someone else write your paper for you, or downloading one off the internet, or wholesale copy-and-pasting chunks of text from a website. And this doesn’t just apply to students.  There are well-documented cases of plagiarism amongst established scholars and writers . This is just not doing your work because you’re too lazy to do it yourself. And you’re better than that, so don’t do it.

          LMU, along with most institutions of higher learning, treats intentional plagiarism as a kind of academic crime for which you will be punished (failing the assignment and/or the class). Many scholars and educators also see it as a moral issue akin to stealing and just as inherently wrong as taking something that isn’t yours.  But plagiarism isn’t necessarily just a legal or moral issue, it can also be seen as an educational problem.  Just as you always heard in grade school, you really only hurt yourself when you cheat. You don’t learn anything if you don’t struggle to find the words and do the work yourself. You come to university to learn the rules of professionalism and codes of conduct in a given discipline and as mentioned above in America and most of the West we place a high value on originality and crediting sources. The basic idea is that this is the only way new ideas and inventions and ways of doing things can come about and this can never happen if people just take from what’s already been done without adding anything new to it. Unintentional Plagiarism: This is not as bad as intentional plagiarism because you didn’t mean to do it. Nevertheless it is just as wrong, and after completing this learning unit you will no longer have the excuse that you didn’t know! This may also involve not knowing the conventions of the discipline within which you are working or writing, of when it is appropriate to cite and when you don’t need to. You will learn these conventions with time and familiarity. But again, if in doubt, cite it.

Citation Styles

Citations: What they are & how to use them.

For more information on citations, please visit LMU Library's Citation Styles Guide .

For more information on ACS style, please visit LMU Library's ACS Style Guide .

For more information on AMA style, please visit LMU Library's AMA Citation Guide .

For more information on APA style, please visit LMU Library's APA Citation Guide .

Chicago Style

For more information on Chicago style, please visit LMU Library's  Chicago Citation Guide .

For more information on CSE style, please visit LMU Library's CSE Citation Guide .

For more information on MLA style, please visit LMU Library's MLA Citation Guid e .

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• Bartleby's Paid Service. Bartleby's has live assistance along with grammar/spell checker, citation tools, plagiarism check, etc. It's available on the Wilkes bookstore site with a promotion, or you could just use their direct link (www.bartleby.com).
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• Sarah K. Scranta Wilkes Graduate Nursing Department approved writing instructor and consultant with experience in teaching analytical writing. Experience with helping students with written expression and argumentation, scholarly formatting, and proper citation of resources. (Paid) [email protected].
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• Complete Your PhD with Top-Quality Editing! Expert editor with a passion for correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, structure, syntax, and consistency – available now to proofread your project. WriteAway! provides a complete suite of professional services to ensure your PhD dissertation, MA thesis, proposal, or report meets the highest standards of accuracy, clarity, and expression. Deep knowledge of the English language, experience totaling 30 years, full compliance with guidelines specified in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition. Competitive pricing guaranteed. Contact Sue Barber at [email protected] to discuss your needs and WriteAway! credentials.
• Writing for Professional Journals This asynchronous online course provides instruction on how to write a manuscript and get it published by a professional journal. It was created by Patricia Gonce Morton, PhD, RN, FAAN, University of Utah College of Nursing Dean. It is available free-of-charge through a grant provided by the Robert J. Wood Foundation.
• Writing for Health Care Professionals Concordia University offers a free, self-paced course in health care writing to help you sharpen your skills without requiring a huge time commitment.
• Intro to Writing Continuing Education Courses for Nurses This is a $10 online writing course designed by a nurse.
• List of Nursing Resources from the Purdue OWL A free resource with APA style help, formulating a thesis, evaluating sources, resume help and more.

• Common mistakes in academic writing
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Academic essays part 1: the importance of academic writing.

John Fowler

Educational Consultant, explores how to survive your nursing career

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John Fowler, Educational Consultant, explores academic writing

How confident are you in your ability to write academic essays? If you are a student nurse in your first year of training then your answer will depend largely on your previous success, or not, in GCSEs, A levels and the equivalent. If you entered nursing via an alternative route that had less emphasis on traditional academic preparation, then your confidence in writing an essay that draws on referenced literature will probably be much reduced. Even if you were quite strong at school or college work, you may find the transition to self-directed degree study quite difficult. If you are a qualified nurse with a pre-registration diploma or degree, returning to university study to complete a post-registration master's degree, you may still have reservations about your ability to re-engage with academic writing. If you are confident of your ability to communicate nursing theory and its application to clinical care, then this series of articles is probably not for you! However, my experience of teaching nurses, from first-year students to specialist nurses undertaking PhDs, is that very few are confident in their academic writing skills.

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Writing Tips for Nursing School Students

• Nursing School Writing Types
• Writing a Nursing Essay
• Citations Guide
• Common Writing Mistakes
• Writing Resources

Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?

Writing is an essential skill nurses should achieve proficiency in early in their career. It is a crucial part of the profession, as nurses need to be able to effectively communicate with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.

While verbal communication also plays a vital role in nursing, being able to write well builds the nurse’s ability to provide better care.

Being able to accurately detail a patient’s personal history, symptoms, and diagnosis allows for the execution of a precise treatment plan that is clearly communicated to all parties involved, both professional and personal.

From registered nurses to clinical nurses and beyond, being able to communicate effectively and efficiently is a critical soft skill that will help nurses in any role increase their ability to treat their patients.

This guide provides an overview of the types of writing nurses will experience throughout their educational training. Utilize the following tips and tricks to help strengthen your writing skills, which will ultimately help in the development of transferable career skills .

Types of Writing Nurses Will Do in School

Personal statements for nursing school.

Nursing schools want candidates who meet academic and professional requirements. They also want a candidate who demonstrates a sincere passion for patient care and individual connections. You should always craft a personal statement, even when the application doesn’t explicitly require one. Personal statements allow you to describe your goals, characteristics, credentials, volunteer work, and meaningful life experiences. A well-crafted essay can help you stand out among other qualified applicants. And, as with any piece of writing, you must take the time to revise.

In your personal statement, you should portray yourself as determined and empathetic, with characteristics, goals, work ethic, and healthcare philosophy that align with a program’s values. Some nursing schools ask for a general personal statement, while others require a specific prompt. Colleges commonly ask students to describe a hardship they overcame, a difficult task they accomplished, or a professional goal they hope to achieve through the program. Many schools also ask students to detail previous experiences in healthcare. You may decide to write about how you connect with patients or how you provide practical and emotional support to loved ones.

You will also encounter writing prompts during examinations, including standardized tests like the GRE or MCAT, nursing school entrance exams , and course-specific evaluations. You may also take exams to get state licensure or professional certification. In most of these instances, you will need to write one or several long-form essays. Proper planning is key. Though you won’t know what specific prompt the test will require, you can expect certain common topics. You can search online or use study guides to determine which prompts usually appear on each test.

On test day, you should begin by creating an outline that lists three main points in response to the prompt. Using these points, work backwards to write a central thesis to guide the essay’s structure. Review what you’ve written to ensure that the essay actually responds to the prompt at hand. Be sure to leave time to correct spelling, grammar, and stylistic errors.

Research Papers

Like essays, research papers follow a long-form structure. Unlike an essay, which heavily relies on the writer’s point of view, a research paper presents an in-depth investigation of a topic using data, expert opinions, and insights. While an essay evaluates general critical thinking and writing skills, a research paper tests your knowledge, research skills, and original contributions. Research papers also allow you to prove you understand what has been argued and discovered about a topic. Research papers, especially at the graduate and doctoral levels, require independent research and analyses. These papers sometimes take months or years to complete.

To write a successful research paper, you should pick a topic relevant to your interests and the nursing field. Possibilities include elderly care challenges, patient safety and ethics, mental health treatment and regulations in the U.S., and nursing shortages and possible solutions. Whatever your choice, you must plan accordingly. Advanced papers such as dissertations may require funding or help from professors. Research papers often consist of the following sections: abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. You should keep this general structure in mind as you prepare notes and outlines.

How Do You Write a Nursing Essay?

In nursing school, essay writing includes academic papers, personal narratives, and professional compositions. You should become familiar with each of the five major forms below. There are many similarities between these essay types, such as an overarching thesis and a supportive, logical structure. You should support claims with factual, statistical, anecdotal, and rhetorical evidence. However, each form requires distinct skills to achieve specific results.

Comparative

Cause and effect, citations guide for nursing students.

Citations allow readers to know where information came from. By citing sources, you avoid plagiarizing or stealing another person’s ideas, research, language, and analyses. Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is one of the most egregious errors one can make. Consequences for plagiarism include automatic course failure, disciplinary actions from the university, and even legal repercussions. You should take special care to ensure you properly cite sources.

Which Style Should Nursing Students Use?

Because nurses rely on scientific terms and information, professionals in the field usually use APA style. Regardless of the purpose and specific genre of your text, you should always strive for concise, objective, and evidenced-based writing. You can expect to learn APA style as soon as you enroll in a major course. However, you should also prepare to learn other styles as part of your academic training. For example, freshman composition classes tend to focus on MLA guidelines.

Common Writing Mistakes Students Make

Active vs. passive voice.

Active and passive voice represent two different ways to present the same piece of information. Active voice focuses on the subject performing an action. For example, the dog bites the boy. This format creates clear, concise, and engaging writing. Using active voice, nurses might write, I administered patient care at 11:00. Passive voice, on the other hand, focuses on the object of the sentence or the action being performed. For example, the boy was bitten by the dog. A passive sentence is usually one that contains the verb “to be.” Using passive voice, you might write, patient care was administered at 11:00.

Professionals in the sciences often use passive voice in their writing to create an objective tone and authorial distance. Passive voice can prioritize specific terms, actions, evidence, or research over the writer’s presence. Additionally, nurses use passive voice because it is usually clear that the reported thoughts, actions, and opinions come from them. However, you must also learn how to use active voice.

Punctuation

There are 14 punctuation marks in the English language, each with multiple and sometimes overlapping uses. Additionally, certain punctuation marks only make sense in highly specific and nuanced grammatical instances. To master punctuation, you must learn through practice, particularly by revising your own writing.

For example, colons and semicolons are often used interchangeably, when they actually serve distinct purposes. Generally used before itemized lists, colons stand in for the phrases “here is what I mean” or “that is to say.” For example, I am bringing three things to the picnic: applesauce, napkins, and lemonade. Semicolons separate two independent clauses connected through topic or meaning. For example, It was below zero; Ricardo wondered if he would freeze to death. Comma splices, which create run on sentences, are another common mistake. You can identify a comma splice by learning the differences between an independent and dependent clause.

Grammar refers to the rules of a particular language system. Grammar determines how users can structure words and form sentences with coherent meaning. Aspects include syntax (the arrangement of words to convey their mutual relations in a sentence) and semantics (how individual words and word groups are understood). Unless you major in writing, literature, etymology, or another related field, you generally won’t examine English grammar deeply. Through years of cognitive development and practice, native users implicitly understand how to effectively employ the language.

Distinct grammatical systems exist for each language and, sometimes, even within a single language. For example, African American Vernacular English uses different syntactic rules than General American English. You should learn grammatical terms and definitions. Common errors include subject/verb agreement, sentence fragments, dangling modifiers, and vague or incorrect pronoun usage. Hasty writers can also misuse phonetically similar words (your/you’re, its/it’s, and there/their/they’re).

Writing Resources for Nursing Students

Apa style central, reviewed by:.

Shrilekha Deshaies, MSN, RN

Shri Deshaies is a nurse educator with over 20 years of experience teaching in hospital, nursing school, and community settings. Deshaies’ clinical area of expertise is critical care nursing and she is a certified critical care nurse. She has worked in various surgical ICUs throughout her career, including cardiovascular, trauma, and neurosurgery.

Shri Deshaies is a paid member of our Healthcare Review Partner Network. Learn more about our review partners here .

Page last reviewed November 30, 2021

Whether you’re looking to get your pre-licensure degree or taking the next step in your career, the education you need could be more affordable than you think. Find the right nursing program for you.

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Academic Writing for Nursing & Health

The e-books and resources listed below offer practical guidance on academic writing for nurses, whether you're writing for a school assignment, or considering a submission for publication.

Writing as a Student

Writing for Publication

• American Journal of Nursing: Writing Resources This series of articles from AJN takes nurses step-by-step through the writing and publishing process, including advice for what types of articles to write, guidance on writing a manuscript for publication, and navigating the publishing process.

Reporting Guidelines

If you are writing a manuscript in which you describe the results of an original study, quality improvement project, or systematic literature review, it is important to be aware of any guidelines that exist to ensure the complete and transparent reporting of the information about your project. 

Searchable Registry of Reporting Guidelines

• Equator Network: Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research Comprehensive searchable database of reporting guidelines for main study types and also links to other resources relevant to research reporting.

Select Reporting Guidelines

• CONSORT (CONsolidated Standards Of Reporting Trials) The CONSORT Statement is an evidence-based, minimum set of standards for reporting of randomized trials . It offers a standard way for authors to prepare reports of trial findings, facilitating their complete and transparent reporting, and aiding their critical appraisal and interpretation.
• TREND (Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs) The TREND statement has a 22-item checklist specifically developed to guide standardized reporting of non-randomized controlled trials .

PRISMA is an evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analyses . PRISMA primarily focuses on the reporting of reviews evaluating the effects of interventions, but can also be used as a basis for reporting systematic reviews with objectives other than evaluating interventions.

There are also extensions available for scoping reviews , as well as other aspects or types of systematic reviews.

• SQUIRE 2.0 (Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence) The SQUIRE guidelines provide a framework for reporting new knowledge about how to improve healthcare (i.e., quality improvement ). These guidelines are intended for reports that describe system level work to improve the quality, safety, and value of healthcare, and used methods to establish that observed outcomes were due to the intervention(s).

Selecting a Journal for Publication

Tips & tools.

The following resources can help you identify a journal that might be a good fit for your paper.

• Journal/Author Name Estimator (JANE) JANE is an online tool that uses the text of your paper's title/abstract to locate papers that are similar to yours, so that you can identify relevant journals, and authors working in similar areas.
• Directory of Nursing Journals The Directory of Nursing Journals is a joint service of the journal Nurse Author & Editor and the International Academy of Nursing Editors (INANE). For more information, visit the INANE website
• Article: Where should you publish? Choosing a journal for your manuscript Likis, F. E. (2018). Where should you publish? Choosing a journal for your manuscript. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 63 (1), 7–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12733
• Article: Selecting a journal for your manuscript Sharifi, C., & Buccheri, R. K. (2020). Selecting a journal for your manuscript: A 4-step process. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36 (1), 85-91.

Avoiding Predatory Publications

What is a 'predatory publication'.

“Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices.” 1

These predatory publications typically collect large article processing charges (APCs) without providing the peer review and editorial support that can be expected from a quality scholarly publication.   Checklist to evaluating a journal 2

• Check that the publisher provides full, verifiable contact information, including address, on the journal site. Be cautious of those that provide only web contact forms.
• Check that a journal’s editorial board lists recognized experts with full affiliations. Contact some of them and ask about their experience with the journal or publisher.
• Check that the journal prominently displays its policy for author fees.
• Be wary of e-mail invitations to submit to journals or to become editorial board members.
• Read some of the journal’s published articles and assess their quality. Contact past authors to ask about their experience.
• Check that a journal’s peer-review process is clearly described and try to confirm that a claimed impact factor is correct.
• Find out whether the journal is a member of an industry association that vets its members, such as the Directory of Open Access Journals (www.doaj.org) or the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (www.oaspa.org).
• Use common sense, as you would when shopping online; if something looks fishy, proceed with caution.
• Grudniewicz, A., Moher, D., Cobey, K. D., Bryson, G. L., Cukier, S., Allen, K., ... & Lalu, M. M. (2019). Predatory journals: no definition, no defence .
• Declan Butler, Butler, D., & others. (2013). The dark side of publishing . Nature, 495(7442), 433–435.

Resources for Evaluating Journals

• Think. Check. Submit. Choosing trusted journals for your research.
• ACRL toolkit for evaluating journals Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Scholarly Communication Toolkit: Evaluating Journals
• Directory of Open Access Journals DOAJ is an online directory that indexes and provides access to high quality, open access, peer-reviewed journals.
• Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association
• SHERPA/Romeo Publisher copyright policies & self-archiving. Locate a summary of permissions that are normally given as part of each publisher's copyright transfer agreement.
• Ulrichsweb This link opens in a new window Ulrichsweb is an authoritative source of detailed information on periodicals of all types -- academic and scholarly journals, Open Access publications, peer-reviewed titles, popular magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and more from around the world.
• PubsHub Journals & Congresses This link opens in a new window PubsHub is a database containing comprehensive details on peer-reviewed medical journals and academic conferences for those interested in scholarly publishing or presentation. Includes: Readership, Impact Factor, Eigenfactor, Article Influence, Scope & specialty, Rejection rates, Time to acceptance, time to publication, Indexing, open-access, Article types accepted, Author guidelines, Editorial contacts, more.
• Journal Citation Reports This link opens in a new window Includes publication and citation metrics (such as Impact Factor) for journals in the social sciences and sciences.
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Writing in Nursing

Writing as a Student

Ely, C., Nicol, M., & Scott, I. (2007). Essential study skills for nursing . Mosby/Elsevier.

Garrard, J. (2017). Health sciences literature review made easy: The matrix method (5th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Gimenez, J. (2011). Writing for nursing and midwifery students . Palgrave Macmillan.

Lang, T. (2010). How to write, publish, and present in the health sciences: A guide for clinicians and laboratory researchers. Philadelphia, PA: American College of Physicians.

Scullion, P., & Guest, D. (2007). Study skills for nursing and midwifery students. Open University Press.

Roush, K. (2015). A nurse's step-by-step guide to writing your dissertation or capstone. Indianapolis: Sigma Theta Tau International.

Taylor, D.B. (2014). Writing skills in nursing and health care: A guide to completing successful theses and dissertations. London: Sage.

Whitehead, E., & Mason, T. (2008). Study skills for nurses (2nd ed.) London: Sage.

Witte, F. (2003). Basic grammar and usage for medical communicators . Rockville, MD: American Medical Writers Association.

Writing in Nursing : Resources to help nursing students with writing from Purdue OWL.

Literature Searching for Nursing Students : A bibliography of articles on researching and writing literature reviews in nursing, compiled by the Nursing and Allied Health Resource Section of the Medical Library Association.

Writing for Publication

Nurse Author & Editor : A free online journal with articles on writing manuscripts, editing, publishing, and avoiding rejection. Volume 19.2 (March 2009), for example, contains articles on converting a poster into a paper and on writing a PhD proposal. This page lists all of the articles written for authors (as opposed to publishers or editors). See also their free e-book, listed below. Note: You will need to register with the website to view articles.

Webb, C. (2008). Writing for publication . Wiley-Blackwell. A free e-book posted on Nurse Author & Editor’s website that covers writing for publication; writing review articles, clinical articles, and research papers; presenting tables and figures; publishing a thesis; writing style; finishing touches such as the abstract; impact factor; and copyright.

Fondiller, S. (1999). The writer’s workbook: Health professionals’ guide to getting published (2nd ed.). New York: Jones & Bartlett.

Oermann, M. H. (2016). Writing for publication in nursing (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Press.

Saver, C. (2017). Anatomy of writing for publication for nurses (3rd ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International.

Writing on the Job

Turnbul, A. (2001). Plain words for nurses: Writing and communicating effectively . London: The Foundation of Nursing Studies.

Writing to Get a Job

Nursing Samples and Resources : Examples of resumes, cover letters, thank-you letters and interview questions, by and for nurses at the University of California, San Francisco.

Resources for International Students

Allum, V., & McGarr, P. (2008). Cambridge English for nursing: Intermediate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Bosher, S. D. (2008). English for nursing, academic skills (2nd ed.). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. (for advanced English learners)

Graf, J. (2008). Handbook of biomedical research writing . Hanyang University Online Writing Lab. Written for Korean scientists in the biomedical sciences, this handbook covers writing journal article and clinical case reports.

McCullagh, M., & Wright, R. (2008). Good practice: Communication skills in English for the medical practitioner . Cambridge: CUP.

Ribes, R., & Ros, P. R. (2006). Medical English . Springer: New York.

Quann, S., & Satin, D. (2007). Project care: Health care case studies, multimedia, and projects for practicing English . Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

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The importance of academic literacy for undergraduate nursing students and its relationship to future professional clinical practice: A systematic review

Affiliations.

• 1 Western Sydney University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 2 Western Sydney University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 3 Western Sydney University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 4 Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 5 Western Sydney University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 6 Western Sydney University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: SD'[email protected].
• 7 Western Sydney University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia; Centre for Applied Nursing Research (CANR), Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
• PMID: 29055236
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.09.020

Objectives: This systematic review was designed to assess the importance of academic literacy for undergraduate nursing students and its relationship to future professional clinical practice. It aimed to explore the link between academic literacy and writing in an undergraduate nursing degree and the development of critical thinking skills for their future professional clinical practice.

Design: A systematic review of qualitative studies and expert opinion publications.

Data sources: A systematic literature search was undertaken of the following databases: ERIC, PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE and Scopus. All papers reviewed were from 2000 to 2016 and were written in English.

Review methods: We identified 981 studies and expert opinion papers from the selected databases. After reviewing key words and abstracts for the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 48 papers were selected for review. These were read and reread, with 22 papers, including one thesis, selected for quality appraisal. One paper was discarded due to the exclusion criteria.

Results: Three major themes were evident from this study. First, students need assistance to develop tertiary level academic literacy skills when they commence their undergraduate nursing degree. Second, that teaching practices need to be consistent in both designing assessments and in giving feedback to students, in order to assist improvement of academic literacy skills. And finally, academic literacy can facilitate critical thinking when students are assessed using discipline specific genres that relate to their future professional nursing practice.

Conclusions: This review highlights the importance of critical thinking in clinical nursing practice and its strong relationship with academic writing skills. It has shown critical thinking is discipline specific and nursing students need to be taught discipline specific literacy genres in undergraduate nursing degrees. Nursing has a diverse educational and cultural mix of students, and educators should not assume academic literacy skills upon commencement of an undergraduate nursing programme.

Keywords: Academic literacy; Clinical documentation; Critical thinking; Education; Nursing; Professional practice; Reflective writing.

Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Disciplinary Approaches to Composing Texts

Writing in Nursing

 by Dr. Nancyruth Leibold

Writing is a core element of nursing because it is a major form of communication. Writing in clinical records creates a record of the patient scenario.  It provides information for future health care workers to access in the provision of care. Published scholarly writing allows a medium of ideas, evidence, knowledge, and experiences to share with others in nursing (Holland & Watson, 2012). For example, a women’s health department in a hospital setting implements a practice program that advocates the use of complementary holistic approaches, such as essential oils and Reiki. The nurses in the unit develop formal procedures, policies, staff education programs, network with other health professionals and the community, and collect research evidence on the effectiveness of the holistic approaches. The results are that patients use less narcotics, report less pain, and report increased satisfaction with the health services they received. By sharing this project with others, it can serve as a solid starting point for other nurses wanting to start a similar project at their facility. By publishing an article about this project, the information is in circulation for others. This benefits the nurses, patients/families, and society as a whole to share knowledge and experiences.  

Types of writing in the field

Nurses do a variety of different types of writing. The types of writing a nurse commonly completes are dependent on the role of the nurse and setting of practice. For example, a nurse who works in the hospital will for the most part write in an electronic health record.  However, a nurse who works in clinical research will predominantly write research proposals, grants, institutional review board applications, and research reports. For this reason, nurses receive education about a wide variety of types of writing.

For nursing—the types of writing depend on the area the nurse is working. For example if the nurse is a clinical nurse in patient care, the dominant writing will be quite different from if the nurse is the Nurse Manager of a unit, or if the nurse is a Faculty Member. Since nurses have a lot of mobility in their careers—a nurse could very easily have all of these roles during their career. Therefore, literacy in all the types of writing is very helpful preparation! I have provided some labels but these are quite limited in their meaning and real life application. The following is a list of specific types of writings by nurses (labeled as most dominant, daily impact, and emerging as the field evolves):

• Scholarly journal articles (theory articles, practice articles) Emerging as the Field Evolves  
• Research manuscripts  Emerging as the Field Evolves  
• Blogs  Emerging as the Field Evolves  
• Videos  Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Virtual Simulations  Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Grants for Funding
• Annual Reports Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Quality Improvement Reports  Most Dominant
• Patient Documentation (graphics, charts, tables, narrative notes)  Most Dominant; Daily Impact
• Websites Daily Impact
• Instructions Daily Impact
• Patient/family Education Materials  Most Dominant; Daily Impact
• White Papers Daily Impact
• Political Letters to Legislators  Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Patient Care Plans Most Dominant; Daily Impact 
• Infographics/Infograms Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Electronic Posters  Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Posters Emerging as the Field Evolves
• PowerPoint Presentations  Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Prezi  Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Glogsters Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Resume/Curriculum Vitae 
• Cover letters for resume/curriculum vitae
• Abstracts Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Social media (facebook, textblasts, TV monitors) Emerging as the Field Evolves
• Smart Objectives

Writing in the classroom

Nurses work in numerous settings and roles during their career, so a baccalaureate education includes the types of writing that they may need in the workplace. During nursing school, students write to complete a number of assignments such as papers, journal writings, nursing care plans, letters to legislators, posters, and evidence-based projects. Beyond nursing school, writing is important in all settings of nursing. In clinical nursing, nurses document patient care in the health care record. Nurses also write reports and documents in committee work such as health care policies and procedures. Clinical nurses write book chapters, books, and journal articles for publication. Written communication is one way that information about the practice of nursing is disseminated with others. Nurses in management write reports, proposals, reference letters, human resource reports, and staff performance appraisals. Since nurses work in a variety of areas in society, it is important they develop various writing skills.

Advanced nursing roles required solid writing skills for success that are cultivated over time. Nurses who continue their education in graduate school will need a solid foundation in writing skills, as graduate nursing education is heavy in scholarly writing. Those who practice in nursing education will be required to acquire graduate degrees in nursing and lead others in scholarly writing. Learning how to write in the discipline of nursing involves lifelong learning. It takes time and commitment to develop effective writing skills. 

Tips for writing in the classroom

An introduction that introduces the topic and previews the main points of the writing is included in quality nursing writing. The introduction should capture the reader’s attention with an interesting aspect, such as a quote or statistic. A statistic is one technique that can signal the importance of the topic for the reader. At the end of the introductory paragraph, a thesis statement should be included. At the end of the paper, double-check the introduction with the paper to make sure the main points in the introduction match the main points in the paper. 

The last section in the writing should be a summary or conclusion. The writer should review the main points of the paper without presenting any new information. This is the last chance to make a lasting impact on the reader. After completing the conclusion, the writer should check that the main points of the paper are reviewed and whether the reader will be left with a strong impression of the key ideas or not.

Other aspects of writing in nursing include correct grammar, spelling, and organized paragraphs. The use of grammar and spelling checks can be a great check of writing. Word processors, such as the Word program have the ability to custom set the grammar checks at a higher level. There are videos at youtube.com that demonstrate how to do this, so that learners can custom set their word processor. This is a helpful strategy, as the computer program will coach the writer for development related to writing. Nurses sometimes struggle with satisfactory paragraphs because clinical patient documentation does not use paragraph format.   Writers can use a recipe to help write paragraphs. In scholarly, academic nursing papers, a fully developed paragraph is a minimum of five sentences.   The "PIE" method is one easy way to write developed paragraphs (Roger Williams University, 2016). "P" is for point, which means to start the paragraph by identifying the main point of the paragraph. In other words, it is important to write a topic sentence of the overall topic and point. "I" is for illustrate, meaning that one should illustrate the point with evidence, such as a research study description, or specific examples. Be sure to cite any sources using APA format. This part of the paragraph may be 3 or more sentences in length. Next is "E" which stands for explain. You should explain to the reader how the evidence or examples support the point of the paragraph. You should always end the paragraph with a summary sentence that points out the “so what” of the paragraph. By using correct grammar, spelling, and organized paragraphs, the nursing writer can communicate the essence in writing!

Writing Resources for Nursing Students

There are a great deal of very helpful resources for nursing students to use that can help learners develop their writing!  Some valuable sources are shared here:

• APA Format Lesson (Leibold, 2015):  https://www.softchalkcloud.com/lesson/serve/iwd87TEScX3r42/html
• A Guide to Scholarly Writing in Nursing (Hallas & Feldman, 2006) at https://www.mnsu.edu/success/tutoring/nursing_writing.pdf
• Purdue Owl APA Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue University, 2016) at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
• List of Nursing Resources at the Purdue Owl (Purdue University, 2016) at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/1012/03/
• Writing as a Professional Nurse (Purdue University, 2016) at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/922/

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A Guide to Writing in Nursing and Health Professions with 2020 APA Update

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A Guide to Writing in Nursing and Health Professions, part of the Writer’s Help Guidebook Series , offers writing and research support for students writing in the discipline. This compact yet comprehensive guidebook provides the value students want with the essential instruction they need to complete writing tasks successfully. Students will find advice on how to think, read, research, and design and write papers, and projects and presentations like a nurse or health professional. Coverage includes the following topics, all focused on the specific needs of writers in nursing and health professions: Writing process Conventions in the discipline Integrating and evaluating sources Documentation style required in the discipline--with plenty of models Sample student writing

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Stephen A. Bernhardt

Stephen A. Bernhardt is Professor of English and the Andrew B. Kirkpatrick Chair in Writing at the University of Delaware, where he teaches composition, grammar, and technical writing. His professional interests include computers in composition/distance education, writing across the curriculum, professional and technical communication, and visual rhetoric. He has also taught at New Mexico State University and at Southern Illinois University. The author of many journal articles and technical reports, Bernhardt is also the author of Writing at Work (1997) and coeditor of Expanding Literacies: English Teaching and the New Workplace (1998). Bernhardt designed the research plan and reworked content for Writers Help .

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Nancy Sommers , who has taught composition and directed composition programs for thirty years, now teaches in Harvard&#8217;s Graduate School of Education. She led Harvard&#8217;s Expository Writing Program for twenty years, directing the first-year writing program and establishing Harvard&#8217;s WAC program. A two-time Braddock Award winner, Sommers is well known for her research and publications on student writing. Her articles &#8220;Revision Strategies of Student and Experienced Writers&#8221; and &#8220;Responding to Student Writing&#8221; are two of the most widely read and anthologized articles in the field of composition. Recently she has been exploring different audiences through publishing in popular media. Sommers is the lead author on Hacker handbooks, all published by Bedford/St. Martin&#8217;s, and editor of Tiny Teaching Stories on Macmillan Learning&#8217;s Bits Blog .

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Academic writing: using literature to demonstrate critical analysis, kathleen duffy senior lecturer, school of nursing, midwifery and community health, glasgow caledonian university, glasgow, elizabeth hastie senior lecturer, school of nursing, midwifery and community health, glasgow caledonian university, glasgow, jacqueline mccallum senior lecturer, school of nursing, midwifery and community health, glasgow caledonian university, glasgow, valerie ness lecturer, school of nursing, midwifery and community health, glasgow caledonian university, glasgow, lesley price lecturer, school of nursing, midwifery and community health, glasgow caledonian university, glasgow.

When writing at degree level, nurses need to demonstrate an understanding of evidence by summarising its key elements and comparing and contrasting authors’ views. Critical analysis is an important nursing skill in writing and in practice. With the advent of an all-degree profession, understanding how to develop this skill is crucial. This article examines how students can develop critical analysis skills to write at undergraduate degree level. It highlights some of the common errors when writing at this academic level and provides advice on how to avoid such mistakes.

Nursing Standard . 23, 47, 35-40. doi: 10.7748/ns2009.07.23.47.35.c7201

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Critical appraisal - Education: methods - Literature and writing - Student nurses - Study skills

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Why Writing Matters 

Why writing matters in nursing.

"Critical thinking and communication are pivotal concepts in the organizing framework for both the undergraduate and graduate programs in Nursing. In order to actualize these concepts, writing is an essential component. For our students writing involves proper use of the nursing literature, a coherent flow of ideas, correct grammar, and correct documentation."

~Prof. Mary Graiver, Nursing Department

References and Resources for Writing in Nursing

Why is writing so important.

• Writing is the primary basis upon which your work, your learning, and your intellect will be judged – in college, in the workplace, and in the community.
• Writing expresses who you are as a person.
• Writing is portable and permanent. It makes your thinking visible.
• Writing helps you move easily among facts, inferences, and opinions without getting confused – and without confusing your reader.
• Writing fosters your ability to explain a complex position to readers, and to yourself.
• Writing helps others give you feedback.
• Writing helps you refine your ideas when you give others feedback.
• Writing ideas down preserves them so that you can reflect upon them later.
• Writing out your ideas permits you to evaluate the adequacy of your argument.
• Writing stimulates you to extend a line of thought beyond your first impressions or gut responses.
• Writing is an essential job skill. ( Based on brochures from Brown University and the University of Missouri )

Academic writing in the discipline of Nursing provides:

• Personal and professional growth
• Written documentation of knowledge/research
• Evidence of critical thinking
• Expressions of creative ideas
• Discussion of stories from clients
• Active participation in the learning process
• Opportunity to explore nursing literature
• Evidence of understanding of learning activities

Typical Writing Assignments

Professors in this discipline assign a variety of short and long written assignments.

• Response to case studies
• Exploration and analysis of nursing/health phenomena
• Reflective writing
• Literature review
• Critique of articles
• Responses to text/questions in class
• Position papers
• Research via thesis or field study
• Data gathering and analysis

Qualities of Good Writing

• Clarity in understanding and expressing ideas
• Evidence of descriptive and analytical skills
• Construction of solid arguments
• Depth of coverage
• Effective organization
• Grammatical correctness
• Correct spelling
• Intelligent critique
• Completeness
• Creativity and explanation of ideas
• Careful attention to APA* format and documentation *  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 6 th Edition

Appropriate Types of Evidence & Support

• Current nursing texts and journal articles
• Authoritative Web references
• Personal interviews
• Peer reviewed and research-specific articles

Each course may differ; thus it is important to understand the assignment and adhere to specific requirements. Be sure you understand your professor’s expectations.

Citation Conventions

Format and reference citations should follow APA guidelines unless otherwise directed by the professor.

Within the text of your paper, it should be easy for the reader to identify the source of any language or ideas you have used that are not your own; use parenthetical citation (see text, handouts, or web sites). Plagiarism or academic dishonesty could lead to failure of the assignment and/or course.

Special Comments

Communicating with the written word is a skill and takes practice. Keep working on it and utilize the available resources.

• Follow the 4 C’s of writing: be clear, concise, coherent, and correct.
• Be sure you understand the assignment.
• Know that revisions and drafts are part of the process.
• Avoid jargon or slang (unless it is a quote).
• Read aloud or to someone else, and ask for a critique.
• Proofread; check spelling and word usage, i.e.: their/there, know/no. Don’t trust spell check to catch all problems.
• Always save a copy, print a hard copy and e-mail it to yourself. “The computer ate it” is not an acceptable excuse.

References and Resources

This list provides explanations and models of essential aspects of writing in Nursing:

• APA Overview (PPT)?  (4,480kB)
• APA Documentation Format
• SVSU Writing Center Resources (APA)
• Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)
• Resumes for Healthcare Professionals?  (270kB)
• Cover Letters for Healthcare Professionals?  (229kB)
• GVSU Example Papers  See Handouts and Other Resources -Writing in Your Major -Nursing:  Analysis, Synthesis, & Response Paper  Application Paper
• American Psychological Association. (2010.)  Publication manual of the American Psychological  Association  (6  th  ed.). Washington, DC: APA.

Faculty Perspectives on Writing:

Deb wagner, nursing.

Why Writing in Nursing Matters