Nearly there: preparing for the NMIH103 essay

Dr Jeannette Stirling, Senior lecturer,

Learning Development

Subject

Assessment 1

Assessment 2

Assessment 3

Assessment 4

NMIH101 Week 5 Essay

1000 wds.

25%

Weeks 9 & 10 Group

presentations

25%

Week 13 Reflection portfolio

2000 wds.

50%

NMIH102 Week 7 Multiple choice

quiz

15%

Week 9 Case study 2000 wds.

35%

Exam Period Final exam

50%

NMIH103 Week 6 In-class science

quiz

20%

Week 10 Essay

2000wds.

40%

Exam Period Final exam

40%

NMIH104 Week 7 Multiple Choice

Quiz

20%

Week 8 Case study 2000wds.

40%

Exam Period Final exam

40%

Today’s seminar reviews …

NMIH103 essay

NMIH103

The essay

Length: 2000 words

Grade value: 40%

Due: Week 10

Select ONE of the following activities of living…

Sleep and rest.

OR

Personal cleansing and dressing.

Part 1: Identify the skills the nurse must use to gather relevant information during the assessment of the person’s activity of living you have chosen. Part 2: From your assessment and resulting information identify the nursing actions that would assist the person with the activity of living you have assessed.

• Ideas adequately described. • Information is correct, comprehensive & balanced. • Ideas are clearly related to nursing practice.

Content.

• Appropriate quality & quantity of research material. • Accurate & smooth integration of research into your overall

discussion. • Conforms to School referencing requirements.

Research & referencing.

• Introduction, body & conclusion.

• Discussion logically developed & adheres to word limit.

Structure.

• Formal & academically appropriate language: abstract /

technical. • Correct grammar, sentence structure & punctuation. • Appropriate use of paragraphing to progress ideas.

Style & organisation

You will be marked on …

Research instructions …

You may use the relevant chapters (8 or 13) from Holland et al (2008) to help formulate your discussion.

X You may not use lecture notes as supporting references.

Using evidence to support your claims…

Make sure that your evidence is relevant to the topic.

How does it connect to the line of argument you are developing?

Critically analyse the evidence. Ask yourself:

• What is the source of the opinion? • Who is writing it? • Why is it significant?

Remember: always put your self in the picture…

Your research should support the argument that you are presenting, rather than standing

instead of your argument.

Emphasis on ideas…

The community trusts nurses to act professionally and act in the best interest of the client (ANMC, 2010). Useful when making a general claim supported by

research.

Indicates to your marker that you’re thinking about your research in relation to the topic and feel confident

enough in your understanding to make an informed claim.

Emphasis on author…

Crisp and Taylor (2009) argue that comprehensive and accurate documentation is essential in providing sound medical and nursing care.

This emphasis is useful when introducing research more closely related to a specific point

because at this stage you want to discuss or emphasise a particular aspect of your findings.

The need for Indigenous people to feel culturally safe within a medical and hospital environment is a matter of concern for health care practitioners dealing with an Indigenous family-centred care setting. In this context, cultural safety is defined as:

more or less an environment which is safe for people; where there is no assault, challenge or denial of their identity, of who they are or what they need. It is about shared respect, meaning and shared knowledge and experience of learning together with dignity and truly listening. (Williams 1998, p.2)

Williams (1998) states that national policies have attempted to ensured the dependence of Aboriginal people by managing, controlling and protecting them rather than acknowledging and accepting cultural differences when developing Aboriginal policy. Changes in education for health practitioners to increase their awareness of the cultural uniqueness of Indigenous peoples needs to be included in training programs to enhance the health outcomes in family-centred care (Cass et al. 2002). Currently, Australian health policies reflect the colonial paternalistic nature of non-Aboriginal practices by sending Indigenous women away from their families and culture to manage their pregnancies and give birth without the consideration of a family-centred care strategies (Cass et al. 2002; Watson et al.2002)

In-text referencing looks like?

When quote from a reading is 4 lines or more.

When using a reading to support an idea written in your own words.

When using multiple readings

to support key points written in your own words.

Used with permission

Identify the activities of living that will provide the focus for your discussion.

Why are they important (what does the literature say)?

What nursing skills are required to gather relevant information about these

activities for assessment? Why?

What are the relevant nursing actions that will assist the client in this living

activity? Why?

Mapping your response …

Structure, structure, structure ….

• Thesis statement • Brief background • Preview

Introduction

• Argument 1 • Argument 2 • Argument 3,

etc.,

Body • Draw together

the points and restate your claim

Conclusion

How much is enough?

Introduction ~10%

Para/main idea 1 120-150 wds

Para/main idea 2 120-150 wds

Para/main idea 3 120-150 wds

Para/main idea 4 120-150 wds

Para/main idea 5 120-150 wds

Para/main idea 6 120-150 wds

Conclusion ~10%

For 2000 words, something like……..

Couchman 2011

BOD Y

Introduces the topic and lets your reader know what your paper is about;

provides a direct & relevant response to the topic;

briefly outlines the scope of your discussion;

states the approach or position you will take to the topic (your argument).

The anatomy & physiology of an Introduction …

Revisiting the Introduction … Three issues impacting on quality family-centred care for Indigenous women during pregnancy and birthing are: the lack of readily accessible health care professionals and facilities; the extensive travel and expense of travelling to larger medical facilities when complications occur; and language barriers. Strategies to improve health outcomes for Indigenous families will involve attracting and retaining health care professionals who are aware of the need for Aboriginal cultural safety at the fore front of treatment. In examining possible solutions for the problems facing Australian Aboriginal mothers and babies, Canadian midwifery services in remote Inuit communities will be discussed. Many of these communities have developed successful birthing programmes for their Indigenous populations. These programmes incorporate the family care model which, in Australia, has been largely overlooked as an option for remote Aboriginal communities.

Introduces the topic with specific

detail.

Clearly presents some background information.

Clear introduction of background material to

be discussed: the ‘thesis’.

Used with permission

Developing your discussion paragraph by paragraph…

Your idea/point

(topic sentence)

Some evidence to support your

point

Synthesis: connecting this point to your wider

discussion / the topic (analysis)

• These points support your answer to the topic. A series of main points or claims

• Every sentence in the paragraph will somehow relate to this point.

Each point to be developed in a separate

paragraph

• Examples; • explanations; • reference to ideas of recognised authorities in

the field.

Each point to be supported by evidence

• Paragraphs (main points) logically ordered. • Clear links / connections between paragraphs

(main points).

Overall cohesiveness

Structuring your discussion or argument …

P2. When Mr Peters entered the hospital, he entered a contract in which health care providers are expected to provide treatment with reasonable skill and care (McIlwraith & Madden, 2010).

P3. RN Goodard failed in her professional responsibilities to complete nursing documentation in accordance with the recognised standards of practice.

P4. According to the ANMC (2008a) Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia, ‘Nurses value quality nursing care for all people’ (ANMC 2008a, p.2).

P5. Appropriate staffing allocation is essential for delivering quality and safe nursing care for clients (Goethals et al, 2010).

P6. RN Goodard’s failure to provide analgesia as prescribed and record relevant vital signs observations amounted to negligence in the care of Mr Peters and did not meet basic standards of competent nursing care.

P7. According to Chang and Daly (2012), the principle of autonomy means, in relation to nursing practice, that it is a nurse’s moral duty to recognise that clients are self-determining and to respect and uphold clients’ choices.

P8. The Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia and the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia support one another in setting the minimum standards for professional practice expected of nurses (ANMC, 2008a; ANMC, 2008b).

Telling the story by topic sentences… Used with permission

Another example… P1. Nosocomial infections occur in 5%-10% of hospital patients and up to 30% of

intensive care unit (ICU) patients (Brown 2002). Patients in ICU are particularly susceptible due to immunosuppression, major trauma or surgery, and the use of multiple invasive devices which facilitate entry of micro-organisms (Brown 2002; Richards et al 2005).

P2. An epidemiological study which assessed the relative importance of airborne and direct contact transmission of micro-organisms confirmed that direct contact is the principal pathway of microbial transmission and nosocomial infection (Tibballs 2004; Conly et al 2005).

P3. A number of attempts have been made to improve the rates of handwashing that might impact directly on the transmission of nosocomial infection (Tibballs 2004; Conly et al 2005; Smith 2006) .

P4.To improve handwashing rates, one research group used performance feedback on the previous day's handwashing incidence amongst kitchen workers (Tibballs 2004).

P5. The performance feedback technique was extended by Conly et al (2005) to cover all staff coming into patient contact in ICU.

P6. To determine if performance feedback could be used as a simple, low cost, and effective method of modifying hand washing behaviour, Tibballs (2004) conducted a study on RMOs in the ICU at the Children's Hospital, Melbourne...

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In conclusion, it is apparent that for decades health policies for Indigenous women at the time of birthing have been inadequate. Paternalistic approaches to obstetric and neonatal care have resulted in a lack of awareness about cultural safety. The statistics examined in the preceding discussion also strongly indicate the need for more Indigenous doctors and health workers to promote better outcomes for Indigenous mothers and their babies in remote communities throughout Australia. As I have argued, sending pregnant women away from their support networks and into the unfamiliar surroundings of a health care system unaware of Indigenous culture, birthing rituals and language can have significantly negative effects for these women and their families. The Canadian midwifery services for Indigenous women in northern remote communities have been a success for low risk pregnancies and allow Canadian Indigenous women to remain in their townships and give birth, assisted by locally trained registered midwives. Finally, the financial costs to the individual for travel, food, accommodation, phone calls, and so forth, are effectively addressed by the Canadian model. Because of all these factors the model presents a valuable solution for those health care issues confronting Australian Indigenous women living in remote communities.

Three issues impacting on quality family-centred care for Indigenous women during pregnancy and birthing are: the lack of readily accessible health care professionals and facilities; the extensive travel and expense of travelling to larger medical facilities when complications occur; and language barriers. Strategies to improve health outcomes for Indigenous families will involve attracting and retaining health care professionals who are aware of the need for Aboriginal cultural safety at the fore front of treatment. In examining possible solutions for the problems facing Australian Aboriginal mothers and babies, Canadian midwifery services in remote Inuit communities will be discussed. Many of these communities have developed successful birthing programmes for their Indigenous populations. These programmes incorporate the family care model which, in Australia, has been largely overlooked as an option for remote Aboriginal communities.

Introduction Conclusion

• Have you clearly stated your position?

Perspective / view

• Have you arranged your claims in any order? Structure

• Have you defined key terms? Concepts relevant to the topic

• Have you avoided irrelevancies, generalisations, & digressions?

Sustained focus

Essay checklist

Questions?