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How to Earn an A on Papers in this Class

Class, here are my tips for success in paper writing!!

The most common mistake in papers – by far – is failure to answer the question. I strongly recommend that you include the wording of the question in the body of your paper, and then make sure you answer the question or address the topic.

For example:

The second assignment asks you to: “Select an issue from the following list: nursing shortage and nurse turn-over, nurse staffing ratios, unit closures and restructuring, use of contract employees (i.e., registry and travel nurses), continuous quality improvement and patient satisfaction, and magnet designation.” Your answer should begin something like this: “The nursing shortage is an important issue in nursing because…. ”

Then the assignment asks you to: “Compare and contrast how you would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach your selected issue. Support your rationale by using the theories, principles, skills, and roles of the leader versus manager described in your readings.” Again, your answer should begin something like this: “Nurse managers and leaders address this issue by…… Nurse Leaders and managers tackle this issue using different approaches. An examples of how Nurse Leaders address the nursing shortage is ….”

Then the assignment asks you to: “Identify the approach that best fits your personal and professional philosophy of nursing and explain why the approach is suited to your personal leadership style.” Again, your answer should begin something like this: “Transformational leadership is the approach that this writer identifies with. This writer identifies with the approach because…

All papers in this class have multiple parts. Make sure you clearly and distinctly address each question asked. THIS IS THE FIRST THING I LOOK FOR. IF YOU DON’T CLEARLY AND DISTINCTLY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS YOU WILL NOT EARN A PASSING GRADE ON THE PAPER.

I’ll repeat: Clearly and distinctly address all questions asked. If the reader has to read a paper multiple times to discern answers then the reader will assume you are not answering the question - or you are unable to follow instructions. Always start a new paragraph when you begin addressing the next question. Readers like clarity.

If you clearly address every question in the assignment, and your answers incorporate course material and your own critical thinking (written at a college level), then it’s almost impossible not to earn an “A.” This is a point of emphasis.

Please make sure you use paragraphs to break up your thoughts. Papers should consist of multiple paragraphs, especially when you are addressing a new part of the assignment. (See above.) Papers with huge blocks of text will be graded harder as these are difficult to pull out the required information.

And the basics:

* Write at a college level, which means you should check for spelling, grammar, sentence structure and word-use. HOW we write matters. This is a point of emphasis.

* Always use a title page that includes your name, date, assignment title and course (SEE APA & TEMPLATE).

* Use 12-point type.

* Double space – NEVER single space

* Cite references in the body of the paper and use the last page as a reference page

* Be sure to include a thesis statement

* Don’t go too far over the word count. There's no need to ask rhetorical questions or give unneeded background. Just fully answer the questions.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

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