Nursing homework

Cover Letter Writing Tips

The Cover Letter:

· Introduces you and expands on the experience in your resume, BUT is not a restatement of the resume

· Compliments the resume; the resume feeds the cover letter

· It is one page

· Includes specifics about why you want to work for the employer (one cover letter does NOT fit all). Do a little research here: company mission and vision are a good start. Show that you have taken an interest in the company and done your research

· Opens with a compelling intro paragraph. Make the reader keep reading!

· Shows off your communication skills. Write clearly and without errors.

· Shows how your experience matches the job description. Tell them why you are a good fit. Think about your background and how you can relate it to the position.

· Can discuss courses taken, classroom projects, work experience, summer jobs, internships, volunteer experience, extracurricular involvement, and travel. Literally anything that tells the employer that you are the one for them by showing that you have done things similar to the job requirements.

· Addressed to an individual. Use the internet, e.g., LinkedIn to find the correct person.

· First paragraph includes the specific position you are seeking. Name drop here, if applicable.

· Talk about yourself a bit in the middle

· Close by restating your interest in this position and how your unique background makes you the best candidate. End with a request for an interview with your specific plan to contact the employer. Finish it off with a thank you.

· Use confident action words: positive, certain, confident rather than: feel, think, believe.

· Keep it upbeat and positive throughout.

· Keep it short and tidy. You can even use bullet points in the middle section

· Proofread it. Try grammarly.com to catch the basics before your proofreader goes over it for final revision.

· Pdf is best to retain formatting. Include Cover letter and resume in the same file. If paper mail, send both together.

Sending it out: If it’s electronic, make sure the name isn’t some default mess of letters and numbers, hdfohgguhih_png or something terribly generic like resume.pdf. Retitle it with your name FirstLastResume.pdf, for example. Remember, there may be 100 other candidates.

AS Summary New RN graduate motivated and eager to start the next chapter in my career. Enjoy working in compassionate, fast-paced environments and can adapt easily to new surroundings. Skills · Infection Control Procedures · Professionalism · Patient Care and Education · Therapeutic Communication Certifications -Certified Nursing Assistant -Licensed Dental Assistant -American Heart Association CPR/AED BLS -Registered Nurse License #_

A. Student 12345 state Highway 100 BEmidji, MN 56601 Contact 218-333-3636 [email protected] Experience Phlebotomist • Cuyuna Regional Medical Center • December 2012- Current · Obtained blood samples and laboratory specimens from patients for processing. · Properly performed aseptic techniques throughout phlebotomy procedures, correlating with protocols and safety regulations. · Volunteered to work extra shifts during busy periods to maintain proper staffing and floor coverage. Licensed Dental Assisstant • Bemidji specialty Dentistry • January 2016- December 2018 · Sanitized equipment, cleaned treatment rooms and restocked supplies after each patient's treatment to maintain cleanliness and prepared for next patient. Took bitewing, periapical, panoramic and occlusal X-rays and prepared for dentists to review. · Assisted dentists in permanent and temporary restorative procedures, applied dental fillings, placed temporary crowns and seated permanent crowns. Education RN associate of Science • Expected May 2023 • Northwest Technical College Bemidiji 3.6 GPA, Dean’s list 4 semesters Dental Assissting Diploma • May 2012 • Central Lakes College Brainerd President’s List Honoree in Fall and Spring Semesters Clinical Experience Student Nurse clinicals completed on Medical-Surgical floor, OB, and Emergency room at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids MN.

Reflective Journal

*Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to complete this assignment is strictly prohibited. Submission MUST be in a word document, in students own words, and reflect actual situation from Clinical III.*

Objectives:

1. Reflect on thoughts, ideas, experiences, and insights related to the course.

2. Examine personal skills, frames of reference, and assumptions about the provision of care.

3. Gain insight on how student views themselves in relationship to others when engaged in therapeutic and professional communication.

4. Identify areas for student to further develop their abilities and understanding related to bedside practice.

Directions: (Professional Identity and Spirit of Inquiry)

Respond to at all five of the questions below using the same number prompts. Submission MUST be a word document. Responses to each Journal prompt should be a minimum of 300 words each, for a total of 1500 words.

Reflective Journal Prompts:

1. Journal Prompt 1 (self-awareness domain)

Examine the values, assumptions, and beliefs that shape your behavior and how they align with The Nursing Professional Code of Ethics and Standards. Provide specific examples. Explore how your values, assumptions and beliefs influence your relationships with patients and families.

2. Journal Prompt 2 (self-awareness domain)

Describe a situation you experienced in clinical this week. Describe your thoughts and feelings in this situation. Describe the way your body felt physically in this situation. What was more difficult to identify—your thoughts or feelings? How do your feelings relate to your thoughts in this situation? Were you aware of this at the time?

3. Journal Prompt 3 (self-awareness and social awareness domains)

Prioritization is an essential skill for nursing practice. Describe in detail a situation in which you, as the student nurse, needed to prioritize for your patient. What made the decision easy or difficult? What guided your decision to prioritize in the way you chose? What pathophysiological and ethical principles were involved?

4. Journal Prompt 4 (self-awareness and self-management domains)

Personal growth often comes through personal struggle and angst. Reflect on an issue that has been particularly difficult for you during nursing school and what that experience has taught you. What are you going to do to continue your professional development in light of this learning?

5. Journal Prompt 5 (self-awareness and relationship management domains)

Discuss a legal or ethical issue you have encountered during clinical. Consider the ethical principles that were evident in the situation and how these principles were adhered to or violated (maleficence, autonomy, fidelity, justice, benevolence, etc.)? What did you learn from this experience & how will it impact your practice?

Reflective Journal Grading Rubric (10 points)

	Level 5	Level 4	Level 3	Level 2	Level 1
Complete (5 points)	· Thoroughly addresses all 5 questions. · Entry is at least 1500 total words and not more than 2000 words.	· Addresses all 5 questions with fair amount of depth. · Entry is at least 1250 total words or exceeds the 2000 word limit.	· Somewhat addresses at least 3 of the 5 questions. · Entry is at least 1000 total words.	· Somewhat addresses 2 questions. · Answers are not complete. · Entry is at least 750 total words.	· Entry does not clearly address any of the questions provided. · Entry is a recitation of significant experiences in clinical, OR · Entry is less than 750 total words.
Reflection (5 points)	· Reflection demonstrates insight and ability to connect personal experience with theory on all questions. · Discussion on all questions draws upon self-knowledge, self-awareness, and past experiences to gain insight and create or discover ideas that are new and enhance professional growth.	· Reflection usually (4 of 5) demonstrates insight and ability to connect personal experience with theory. · Discussion usually (4 of 5) draws upon self-knowledge, self-awareness, and past experiences to gain insight and create or discover ideas that are new and enhance professional growth.	· Reflection at times (1 question) demonstrates ability to connect personal experience with theory but 3 of 5 questions are superficially answered. · Discussion at least one draws upon self-knowledge, self-awareness, and past experiences to gain insight and create or discover ideas that are new and enhance professional growth.	· Entry does not reflect application of theory or genuine insight on behavior. · Objectively shares experience, but reflection is vague, lacks depth or insight. · Does not draw upon self- knowledge, self-awareness, or past experiences to enhance professional growth.	· There is minimal evidence of reflection · No evidence of ability to draw upon self-knowledge, self-awareness, and past experiences to gain insight. · Entry merely recites what was done/ learned during clinical.

Resume Writing Tips

Resume—your skills, education, and experience

Do Your Homework

· Read the job posting

· Tailor your resume to the knowledge, skills and abilities listed

· Modify your resume (slightly) as needed for the specific job for relevance to highlight your qualifications that match the job description

Why Me?

· Ask yourself this question every step of the way: of a hundred applicants, what makes you stand out?

· Make a list of your attributes and accomplishments

· Highlight the keywords in the job description that are related to required skills, abilities, qualifications, and attributes

· See which of items from your list match up with the highlighted keywords

· Remember you can supplement work and education with other activities: volunteering, positions in unrelated fields where certain skills were used, coursework outside of nursing, student clubs, community affiliations, etc.

· Identify your relevant skills and attributes with resume buzzwords. These action words can be found on approximately five zillion websites around the world wide web. If you’re struggling to find your own action words, look some up for inspiration.

· Be careful of too many buzzwords. If you describe yourself as an “experienced and skilled leader who is passionate about creative and strategic focus to motivate workers to specialize in promoting progressive expertise” you have used so many buzzwords that they’ve ceased to have meaning. Sprinkle the buzzwords, don’t dump them. Be authentic.

· Follow this link for the article from which I took that list of overused buzzwords (it has some nice tips): https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/resume-buzzwords/

From the Top:

· The “Contact Me” section includes your full name (no nicknames), phone number, and email address. Home address is optional, but may make data entry into the system easier once you are hired

· Can include professional social media profile such as LinkedIn in this contact section. (Side note: consider changing all other social media settings to private.)

· Be sure your outgoing voice message and email address are professional. No voicemail messages that are funny, sexy, startling, etc. And it’s time to delete your [email protected] account.

Professional Summary Section:

· The smallest snapshot ever of skills, career goals, and how you could contribute to the organization. Give a clue about who you are in no more than two sentences. They don’t even have to be complete sentences.

· Healthcare professional with 10+ years of experience in long-term care.

· Demonstrated ability to develop strategy for large and diverse organizations while working with a variety of partners and stakeholders.

· Strong background in labor relations, recruitment, and organizational design with the ability to lead a team effectively.

· Possesses excellent interpersonal, multitasking, time management, and organizational skills.

· Thrives in a fast-paced environment and adapts easily to changing priorities and deadlines.

· If you really have no experience or qualities you feel you can draw from here, try something like, “Motivated nursing student looking to develop more extensive experience working with pediatric patients.” This style is more of an objective; a less popular choice, but it can work.

Skills Section (Summary of Qualifications, Proven Competencies, Strengths, etc.):

· Influences how the employer perceives you; adds further context beyond work and education.

· Select skills that match the position for which you’re applying! Examples can include: leadership skills, project management, analysis and problem-solving, patient advocacy, etc. Whatever skills you say you have, be ready to back them up with examples in an interview!

· This can be a bullet list

Employment Experience Section:

· Reverse chronological order, starting with most recent. List the institution, job title, dates.

· Use concise phrases that highlight relevant skills

· Use action verbs in these concise phrases

Licenses, Certifications, etc.

· License number when you have it, CPR, First Aid, any other relevant certifications

Education

· Reverse chronological

· Helpful to emphasize if you have little or no experience

· Include clubs, academic awards, GPA

Clinical Experience

· May be especially helpful for those without work experience in healthcare.

· List experiences that pertain to the position or that highlight your stated skills

· Reverse chronological

Accomplishment section

· This is where you provide examples of things you’ve done that prove you have the skills you listed

· What action did you take and what resulted from your action? Make it measurable if possible (saved $XX or XX hours). Also acceptable for the result to unmeasurable such as sense of pride or improved work culture.

· Be honest. Give yourself credit without overinflating.

References

· Unless the application instructions specifically ask for references to be included, skip it. All employers know they can request references if they are considering hiring you.

· Prepare by asking the people you’d like to use if they’d be willing and have that contact information ready to go so you can immediately send it to the employer when asked.

· Not even “references available on request.” Don’t do it.

Example

· https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/nursing-student-resume

· Take a look at the bottom of this article for an example of a nursing student resume