Assessment Item: 1 Written Assignment
There are two tasks in this assignment: an online discussion forum and a 1200 word scenario task
Task 1: Online discussion forum activities (15%)
From the weekly online discussion forum activities (weeks 2-4):
- Choose two posts you have submitted to your online forum group from Activities weeks 2-4:
- Take a screen shot of each post and copy it on to your assignment document. Make sure you name is included in the screen shot.
- Choose one of your responses that you submitted to another student’s post.
- Take another screen shot of this and again copy it onto your assignment document. Make sure you name is included in the screen shot.
Task 2: Scenario task (35%)
For this task you will need to select one of the following communication scenarios:
Scenario 1
You are working as a registered nurse in the local emergency department and your colleague asks you to go out to the waiting room to speak to the family of a young woman who was brought into the emergency department after falling outside the nightclub where she had been celebrating her friend’s new job. The young woman sustained a serious head injury and is presently unconscious and is being prepared for transfer to the intensive care unit. As you approach the family members (who you think are the patient’s brother and sister) and introduce yourself, the family members stand really close to you and poke you on the shoulder. In a really loud voice one of the family member says “What’s going on? We get this late-night phone call saying Sharon been taken to hospital and then you leave us sitting here for hours not knowing anything! What the hell is going on?”
You feel threatened by the family member who has invaded your body space by standing so close over you and poking you in the shoulder.
Scenario 2
You are working in a day surgery unit and your patient, Mr Miller has returned to the unit following a liver biopsy after their recent diagnosis of cancer. Shortly after his return to the unit, you notice extensive abdominal swelling and Mr Miller’s vital signs begin to indicate signs of shock. Shortly afterwards you press the emergency button and begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation with your colleague. Despite the efforts of the medical emergency team and your colleagues the resuscitation was not successful and your patient Mr Miller dies. The surgeon arrives and is briefed on what has happened. He asks you to accompany him to the interview room outside the ward to explain what has happened to Mr Miller’s wife. After the surgeon has spoken with Mr Miller’s wife and answered a couple of questions he leaves you alone with her. She is crying and repeating “I can’t understand it; how could this happen?”
Scenario 3
You are a second year student on clinical practice and your buddy RN has asked you to complete a simple wound dressing for your patient. As you are completing the dressing, your buddy RN storms into the room and observes what you’re doing. She says “You’ve got it all wrong, just stop what you’re doing! I’m so sick of having to watch you do everything, having a student is such a pain and I really don’t have time to deal with your incompetence!” The buddy RN then storms out of the room and leaves you to try to calm down your patient who seems very upset. As you leave the room, you try to find your buddy RN to discuss what has just happened.
For this assessment item you will need to select one of the communication scenarios.
Complete a written essay answering the following question:
Communication within nursing practice is often challenging and nurses need to be equipped with strategies to respond effectively in these situations. Select one of the communication scenarios presented and write a 1200 word essay that draws upon communication frameworks and concepts (for example: communicating in situations of crisis/grief/loss, managing aggression, assertive communication and managing conflict) and analyses the scenario in relation to these concepts.
The 1200-word essay should cover the points below:
- Introduction (150 words): State an overview of the chosen scenario and the communication framework/concepts you will use in your essay. This first paragraph should provide the thesis statement and the overview of main points or brief plan for what is included in your essay.
- Communication Framework/Concepts (200 words): Discuss your chosen communication framework/concepts. Briefly explain how it relates or is relevant to your chosen scenario. Why it is suitable and are there any relevant positive or negative aspects of the framework/concepts that are important considerations for nurses. Write one paragraph here with the first sentence of the paragraph providing the main point – the communication framework and its relationship to the scenario. The rest of the paragraph explains why it is suitable and its positive and negative aspects for nurses, using evidence from the literature.
- Analysis of the Communication Scenario (300 words): Analyse the communication scenario and identify the elements that reflect ineffective interpersonal communication. Draw upon some literature to support your analysis of the communication scenario. Use at least three paragraphs here with each paragraph’s main point relating to a particular element. The rest of each paragraph will explain and support the main points by referring to the evidence and relating it to the scenario element using examples.
- Apply your Chosen Communication Framework (400 words) Use your chosen framework/concepts to discuss effective communication within the chosen scenario and support and justify your discussion with reference to evidence based literature. Use at least 2 paragraphs here with each paragraph’s main point explaining an area of effective communication. The rest of each paragraph will explain and support the main points by referring to the evidence and relating it to the scenario using examples.
- Conclusion (150 words): Briefly restate the case scenario and your chosen communication framework and summarise how it was relevant, your main analysis findings and the main ways you applied your framework to suggest effective communication within the chosen scenario. Use one paragraph for this conclusion, restating your thesis, providing an overview of main points and providing a concluding sentence or two that rounds out your learning from the assignment.
WRITING TIPS:
Refer to current academic peer-reviewed journal articles to justify your ideas.
Format of Assessment 2
- All parts of the essay should be attempted
- Margins: 2cm on 4 sides;& line spacing: at least 1.5; Font size: 12
- Adherence to the stated word limit is required
- Use APA 6th Edition referencing style
- A full reference list is required at the end of the assignment. For further information on referencing at USQ, refer to https://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing
| Note: Assignment Submission
· On a word doc include your name, student number, the marking criteria sheet and the two tasks of the assignment and submit it to the assignment 1 submission link on the NUR1102 Study desk
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| NUR1102 Communication and Literacies for Health
Criteria-referenced Assessment (CRA): Assessment 1 Written Assignment (Weighted at 50%)
Student Name : Student Number: |
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| Task 1: Online discussion forum Activities weeks 2-4 (15%) | ||||||
| Pass | Fail | |||||
| 15-12.5 | 12.4-11 | 11-9.5 | 9.4 -7.5 | < 7.5 | ||
| Demonstrates engagement with online discussion forums by:
providing three screenshots · Two nursing communication / literacies posts · A response to a peer’s post · Name included on screen shots |
· Your communication/ literacies posts demonstrates your insightful understanding of the specific communication and literacy concepts discussed in activity selected
· Your response post illustrates a thoughtful and reflective reply to a peer’s post, providing constructive and positive feedback · Your name is included on screen shots |
In your assignment you have:
· Provided communication /literacies posts which demonstrate your understanding of the specific communication/literacy concepts discussed in activity selected · Your response post illustrates a thoughtful reply to a peer’s post, providing some appropriate feedback · Your name is included on screen shots |
In your assignment you have:
Only provided two of the three posts required Your posts are very brief and shallow Your communication/ literacy post only superficially demonstrated your understanding of the specific literacy concepts discussed in activity Your response post was a brief reply to a peer’s post, providing only routine feedback Your name is included on screen shots |
In your assignment you have:
Not provided all of the three posts required Your posts are very brief and superficial Your posts were perfunctory at most Your response post was absent and or did not provide any useful or thoughtful feedback Your name was not included on screen shots |
In your assignment you have:
Not provided the three necessary screen shots Your three posts are brief and superficial Your name was not included on screen shots |
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| Task 2: Scenario task (35%) | ||||||
| Understanding Communication Theories and Concepts (10%) | ||||||
| Pass | Fail | |||||
| 10-8.5 | 8.4-7.5 | 7.4-6.5 | 6.4 -5 | < 5 | ||
| Demonstrates an understanding of communication framework concepts relevant to the chosen case scenario | In your assignment you have:
· In the introduction provided an overview of the chosen scenario · Selected an appropriate communication framework/concept and comprehensively and accurately explained and justified how it relates to the chosen scenario · Provided a thoughtful discussion of the positive/negative aspects that nurses need to consider in relation to the framework’s use |
In your assignment you have:
· Provided an overview of the chosen scenario · Selected an appropriate communication framework/concept and clearly explained how it relates to the chosen scenario · Provided a clear explanation and justification for the framework/concept selection including its suitability and any positive/negative aspects that nurses need to consider in relation to its use
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In your assignment you have:
· Provided an overview of the chosen scenario · Selected an appropriate communication framework/concept and provided some reasons for its selection for the chosen scenario Provided an explanation of the relevant communication framework/ concepts that apply to the chosen case scenario, but some significant concepts were missing and/or the negative and positive aspects were not described in sufficient detail |
In your assignment you have:
Provided an overview of the chosen scenario Selected a communication framework/concept but inadequately described why it was selected for the chosen case scenario Provided only a simplified explanation of some of the relevant communication framework/ concepts that could be applied to the scenario with concepts missing and/or the negative and positive aspects not described |
In your assignment you have:
Not provided an overview of the chosen scenario Not clearly defined the appropriate communication framework/concept nor explained its usefulness to the chosen case scenario Overall there was little/no coverage of the framework/concepts, and/or the negative and positive aspects and how they were applied to the chosen case scenario
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| Application of Therapeutic Communication Concepts to Chosen Case Scenario (15%) | ||||||
| 15-12.5 | 12.4-11 | 11-9.5 | 9.4 -7.5 | < 7.5 | ||
| Demonstrates the analysis, application and evidence provided in relation to the communication framework/ concepts to the chosen case scenario and supported them with evidence | Analysis
In your assignment you have: · Analysed the communication scenario by clearly differentiating and justifying the elements of ineffective interpersonal communication in the scenario Application · Critically illustrates and justifies how the nurse should approach effective communication in the chosen case scenario as well as providing an insightful explanation of the strategies they could use · Provided a clearly articulated discussion explaining how the nurse should approach communication in the scenario as well as outlining strategies they could employ
Evidence base · Supported your discussion with well integrated references · Provided a comprehensive explanation of the link between supporting evidence and the suggested communication strategies
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Analysis
In your assignment you have: · Discussed the communication scenario by explaining the elements of ineffective interpersonal communication.in the scenario
Application · Explains and justifies how the nurse should approach effective communication in the chosen case scenario as well as explaining the strategies they could use · Provided a clearly articulated discussion explaining how the nurse should approach communication in the scenario as well as outlining strategies they could employ
Evidence base · Supported your discussion with recent relevant evidence Your explanation of the link between evidence and suggested communication strategies required more detail
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Analysis
In your assignment you have: · Described the communication scenario by defining some of the elements of ineffective interpersonal communication.in the scenario Application · Explains how the nurse should approach effective communication in the chosen case scenario as well as describing some of the strategies they could use · Discussed some ways the nurse should approach communication in the chosen case scenario and outlined some of these strategies Evidence base · Supported your discussion with reference to some evidence from mostly relevant sources (2-3 sources) · Explanations of the link between evidence and suggested communication strategies required more detail
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Analysis
In your assignment you have: · Outlined the communication scenario and briefly provided a few of the elements of ineffective interpersonal communication.in the scenario Application · Some concepts were missing and/or not described in sufficient detail in your description of how the nurse should approach effective communication in the chosen case scenario Described some of the strategies the nurse could use but explanations of the communication strategies were superficial and based on minimal reasoning and/or minimal/invalidated evidence Evidence base · There was little evidence from relevant sources in your assignment (1-2 sources) Explanations of the link between evidence and suggested communication strategies required more detail |
Analysis
In your assignment you have: Not adequately described the communication scenario Only brief description of the elements of ineffective interpersonal communication Application Only briefly outlined how the nurse should approach effective communication in the chosen case scenario and Attempted to provide some examples of nurse communication in relation to the case scenario, but your explanation was superficial / inaccurate and your inappropriate explanations raised many questions
Evidence base There was limited reference to evidence to support your assignment Supporting evidence was not present or not relevant/appropriate Links between evidence and suggested communication strategies were not explained |
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| Academic Writing Skills | ||||||
| 10-8.5 | 8.4-7.5 | 7.4-6.5 | 6.4 -5 | < 5 | ||
| Academic Writing: structure, referencing expression /grammar
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Expression
· Used appropriate professional, non-discriminatory language · Used appropriate clinical terminology · Expressed all ideas clearly, concisely & fluently · Spelling or grammar excellent Structure · Argument was well structured with well-constructed and logically developed introduction & conclusion · Provided well-constructed paragraphs with clearly delineated main points linked to the argument/question
Referencing · Referred to more than 4-5 high quality recent relevant database sources in your body paragraphs · Correctly cited sources both within the text and reference list · No mistakes in citation or referencing format (APA)
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Expression
· Used professional , non-judgmental, non-discriminatory language · Used clinical terminology · expressed ideas clearly and concisely · 1-2 mistakes in spelling or grammar Structure · Argument was clearly set out with an introduction and conclusion · Provided well-constructed paragraphs with clearly expressed and linked main points
Referencing · Supported your discussion with recent relevant evidence (3-4 sources) · Correctly cited sources both within the text and reference list · 1-2 mistakes in citation or referencing format (APA) in text and in the Reference List
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Expression
· Used generally professional, non-discriminatory language · Used some clinical terminology · Expressed ideas clearly but not concisely · 3-4 mistakes in spelling or grammar Structure · Argument was set out with both introduction and conclusion · Provided paragraphs with main points but they were not linked to the argument and/or clearly expressed Referencing · Supported your discussion with reference to some evidence from mostly relevant sources (2-3 sources) · Correctly cited sources both within the text and reference list · 3-4 mistakes in citation/ referencing format (APA) in text and in Reference List |
Expression
· Used some professional , non-judgmental, non-discriminatory language but this was inconsistent · Clinical terminology only briefly used · Ideas were not clear · 5-8 errors in spelling or grammar Structure · Argument included both an introduction and conclusion but these were either too brief or too detailed · Provided paragraphs but either main points were inappropriate or they were not linked to the argument/question Referencing · Several mistakes (6-9) in citation and/or referencing format (APA) in text and in the References
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Expression
· Used unprofessional, judgmental or discriminatory language · Used incorrect terminology · Many mistakes in spelling and/or grammar
Structure · Introduction and conclusion were either not present or unclear · Paragraphs were either unclear, were only one-sentence long or were far too long · Paragraphs did not have a main point and/or were not supported by evidence Referencing · Relied heavily on direct quotations · Many mistakes in citation and/or referencing format (APA) · In text and/or reference list not included
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