TIP SHEET
ASSESSMENT 3: PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND PATIENT SAFETY ESSAY
Word count

1500-2000 words – this means the maximum you can write is 2200 words (10% above) – this figure does NOT include in-text references
The minimum you should write is 1350 words (10% below) – this figure does NOT include in-text references
If you write less than 1350 words it is likely that you have not provided enough details in your answers and will be at risk of failing this assessment task
I have provided a guide to word counts per section based on the marks allocated for each section – however this is up to you

Due date: Sunday 15 April 2359 hours
Extensions: All requests for extensions must be made using the special consideration process and include supporting documentation e.g. medical certificate
NB: All requests should be made prior to the due date of the assessment
Choose ONE professional nursing issue from the list below:

Violence from patients towards nurses
Bullying in nursing
Medication safety
Nursing Workloads

NB: If you choose something that is not on this list you will receive ZERO marks for this assessment
Define the professional issue (5 marks)

Approximately 150-250 words

This will set the scene for your essay so make sure you have an explicit and specific definition
Don’t just talk around the issue e.g. giving facts about violence – tell me what constitutes violence
Look at all the key words and make sure you address them in your definition – e.g. bullying in nursing – so don’t just define bullying in general – make the link to nursing
Use evidence to back up your definition – if you don’t you will fail this section
Look beyond a dictionary for your definition – the professional issues have been chosen because they are significant to nursing – so you should be using a source that reflects this
An example is always a good way to provide some extra detail to your definition
If you choose medication safety – make sure you define what this means and not medication errors – these are not the same thing

NB: This is only worth 5 marks so don’t waste too many words on it
Discuss the significance of your chosen professional issue to nursing. (20 marks)

Approximately 500-700 words
How does the issue impact on nursing?
Why is it a professional issue?
What is the impact on nurses (individually) and the nursing profession?
You can include facts and figures in here e.g. how common is violence?

NB: Use evidence to back up your discussion – if you don’t you will fail this section
Discuss how your chosen professional issue impacts on patient safety (20 marks)

Approximately 500 – 700 words.
This should follow on from your discussion above – if the issue impacts on nurses then there must be a flow on effect to patients
Look at the key words here – “patient safety” – make sure you are discussing this and not just patient care in general – you could define what is meant by patient safety to focus your discussion
You can use facts and figure here e.g. how many adverse events are there each year as a result of medication errors?
What are the consequences of these adverse events to patients?

NB: Use evidence to back up your discussion – if you don’t you will fail this section

Discuss the strategies that can be utilised to minimise the impact of your chosen professional issue on nursing practice and patient safety. (15 marks)

Approximately 350 – 550 words
This is essentially asking what we can do to fix the problem
This should follow on logically from your discussion in the previous 2 sections
What strategies or approaches currently exist? E.g. policies, protocols, training
You need to include at least TWO strategies in this section or you will fail this section
It is a good idea to number these and discuss separately – that way you can ensure that you have identified the correct number and provided sufficient detail for each
There are 2 elements here that you are being asked to consider – so make sure you use this explicit language – nursing practice and patient safety – i.e.: if we use training how will this minimise the impact of violence on nursing practice and patient safety

NB: Use evidence to back up your discussion – if you don’t you will fail this section
Evidence used (10 marks)

As a rule of thumb in academic writing you should have 1 reference per 150 words – so for a 1500 word assignment this should be 10 sources
The marking guide asks for 8 sources (more than this if you want to earn a HD for this section)
The more time you take on your research & the more widely you read – the better your essay will be. You will develop a better understanding of the topic and this will come through in your writing
Nursing journals – this is a discussion of a professional issue that impacts on nursing so it follows that you should use nursing sources – the marking guide specifies at least 4 nursing journals
You can include Australian and international literature here – however the emphasis should be on the Australian experience as these issues were sourced from the NSW Nurses’ and Midwives Association
Where can you find this evidence?
Library databases – e.g. CINAHL – use your key words to find relevant articles
Google Scholar
Look at the reference lists of articles that you find that are useful to help you broaden your search
Professional nursing bodies e.g. NSWNMA, Emergency Nurses’ Association,
Government websites e.g. Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in healthcare (particularly relevant if you are looking at medication safety)
Health Department websites e.g. good for finding policies, protocols
Text books – probably not that useful for this essay – however you might use them as a starting point – remember that chapters from the same book count as 1 source
Make sure you are looking current evidence – so from the last 5-10 years
NB: don’t just do a google search – you will not find the best evidence this way
Don’t use Wikipedia – this is not an academic source – the reason being that anyone can go in and amend or add information at any time so you can’t rely on the validity/truth of this source

Academic integrity and literacy (10 marks)

This is a final semester 3rd year assessment so the quality of your writing and referencing should be at this level
Formal writing – use formal words and avoid slang or personal terms
Write in the 3rd person
Write in the past tense – make sure your tense stays consistent throughout – this is a common error
Spelling – this should be Australian spelling – so make sure your spellcheck is set for this and not US spelling
Paragraphs – don’t make these too short – e.g. they should be at least 3 sentences long
OR too long – they should not cover a whole page – break your writing up into manageable chunks
Sentences – these should not be too short or they read as dot points – but they also shouldn’t be so long that they take up a whole paragraph
Don’t forget to use in-text references to back up your discussion
If you don’t include a reference – your discussion will read as your opinion and this does not hold weight in an academic piece of writing
So when you write something ask yourself how you know this – then add the appropriate reference
The aim is for an objective discussion based on the evidence – not a subjective piece based on opinion
Headings – you can use headings to structure your essay to line up with the 4 sections (definition, significance, patient safety, strategies) if you would like – however remember your essay should still flow and these should not be presented as discrete answers – they must link together
Proof read – it is always a good idea to print out your paper and read it – that way you often pick up errors you miss when looking at a computer screen for too long. You can also pick up spelling errors that spellcheck doesn’t e.g. I once marked a whole essay on bowel cancer where the student had written “bowl” instead – this is really distracting to the reader and also speaks to a lack of attention to detail
Tick off your references – make sure each reference in-text is in your reference list and vice versa
Harvard referencing – you should all be familiar with this by now – but if not have the library guide handy to help – referencing is one of those things that can take longer than expected so it is a good idea to do it as you go along
Avoid cutting & pasting from online sources in to your essay – if you do then highlight it in red – that way it is reminder that you need to paraphrase it
Check your turnitin report – we are looking for chunks of text that match – so make sure if you identify this in your paper that you go back and paraphrase – I will allow multiple submission attempts prior to the due date

If you have any questions please post on discussion board or check with me or your tutor

Thanks
Jacqui