Registered nurses — whether or not they have a co-employee degree, diploma or BSN — are healthcare experts, plus they are confident in their ability to provide quality patient care. But there is one area where they may lack confidence: writing. ADN nurses who will be considering returning to school to earn a BSN and have been away from school for a time may feel this angst a lot more than others. Some may even put off earning their bachelor’s degree due to the writing required. The citation format — American Psychological Association (APA) Style for healthcare writing — is enough to scare from the most experienced nurse. If you are one of these nurses that are nervous regarding your writing skills, it’s time to put those fears to rest!
Writing papers for nursing school does not have to be a task that is daunting. You most likely haven’t written an investigation paper since high school, and citing your sources was never the part that is easiest. There are plenty rules that are tiny follow: indentation, punctuation, order, etc. And APA Style is probably a new comer to you. Luckily you have decided to come back to school at a time when citing your sources (regardless of the style) is becoming as simple as a couple of clicks associated with mouse.
Free Resources to assist you Cite Your Sources
There are lots of free resources to allow you to through the citation process. For quick reference, try the APA Style website. From the basics into the most in-depth information on “works cited,” the APA Style site has the answers you will need.
Microsoft Word has also a function that may help you cite your sources. Open your click and document in the “REFERENCES” tab towards the top of the page. Then click “Insert Citation” and then “Add New Source.”
You are able to insert the data in regards to the article — Author, Title, Year, City and Publisher — into the box that pops up.
After you add the origin information, Word allows you to insert it where you want it. It also saves it for later use. The part that is best is that it is a totally free purpose of software you already own.
Citation Machine is yet another free source for your Works Cited page. It will probably search titles you can enter the information manually for you and gather the information for your text, or. To generate your Works Cited entry, follow these simple instructions.
- Click the “Create citations” button
- Click on the style you want in the “Choose a Citation Style” box — APA.
- Type in the title of this source you want to cite.
- Choose the publication you are using. (After selecting your publication, Citation Machine will gather the details because of it. In the event that information can not be found, you’re going to be prompted to enter it yourself.)
- Click “Final Step.” This site will show you the information for the text you’re using. This really is also where you could add information that Citation Machine couldn’t find.
- Click “Create Citation” at the end of the screen.
- The properly reference that is formatted appear on your screen. Copy, paste, done!
And these are merely a few examples. A simple Google search will turn up countless tools and other writing resources. Most schools — Lamar University, as an example — have writing centers that will help free of charge, no matter whether you take your classes on campus or online.
Paid Resources for Writers
There are also web-based tools that will not only organize and format your references, but also guide you through the writing process. PERRLA Online, for example, will allow you to outline your papers, keep track of assignments, set reminders and more. With this product that is particular that you do not even need Microsoft Word. Type your paper into PERRLA on the internet and it will convert your paper into a Word that is standard document can send to your instructor. “PERRLA is intuitive and easy to use, even if you’re not savvy that is tech” says Jessica Skinner, an online RN to BSN student. “It’s a lifesaver!” It costs $39.95, which can be really worth it for online RN to BSN students that have anxiety about writing papers.
Looking at a blinking cursor on a blank page could be the hardest part of any writing assignment, however it doesn’t have to be. Just start writing. Remember, no one needs to ever see your draft that is first there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. And also you won’t need to worry about your grade in your first draft either. When you get started, you will discover that the others comes easy — or at least easier you were staring at an empty page than you thought when.
Do not be afraid to ask your instructors for help. That’s what they have been there for. Discuss topics along with your classmates. Nursing is a united team effort, generally there’s no reason that nursing school must not be. Sharing ideas is certainly not cheating.
Driving a car of writing and citing your sources correctly should not keep you from going back to school for a BSN. You can find more resources that are writing your fingertips than ever before. You might genuinely believe that you may never need to write in your nursing career, but who knows? You could choose to move into a leadership or research role where written communication will be a significant part of one’s job. You might even decide you like writing!