Career Development Scholarly Paper

CAREER DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARLY PAPER INFORMATION QUESTIONNAIRE FOR WRITER

Please use the information below to draft a scholarly nursing career development paper based on the Donner-Wheeler Career Planning and Development Model (Scanning, Assessing, Visioning, Developing, Marketing). The paper should clearly reflect my personal experiences, career goals, and professional perspective so that it sounds authentic and not generic. Please integrate leadership theory, nursing ethics, health systems context, and professional development where appropriate.

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Current nursing program/year: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN), 4th year

Expected graduation date: 2026

Prior healthcare experience: Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) 9 years of clinical experience

Reason for choosing nursing: I genuinely enjoy helping people and contributing to their recovery and wellbeing.

1. PHASE 1 SCANNING THE ENVIRONMENT
2. (Focus: Realities of obtaining employment as an RN in Alberta)

Why Alberta specifically?

The province of Alberta, Canada, is my home, and I already have professional nursing experience in the province.

Understanding of nursing employment realities in Alberta:

Nursing demand/shortages: There appears to be a high turnover rate among nurses due to burnout. Despite shortages, obtaining positions within Alberta Health Services can still be competitive.

Working conditions: Generally supportive team environments.

Salary expectations: Mostly hourly wages; work hours are not always guaranteed.

Healthcare system challenges: Increasing population growth compared with available healthcare infrastructure and staffing resources.

Healthcare trend of interest:

Community vs. hospital care shift I am particularly interested in how healthcare is transitioning toward community-based care, reducing hospital stays while maintaining quality recovery support.

Sources of information about nursing trends:

News outlets, nurse educators, and professional peers.

1. PHASE 2 SELF-ASSESSMENT

A. Strengths:

Communication and teamwork:

At the beginning of each shift, I actively coordinate with fellow nurses to review patient assignments, ensure fair workload distribution, discuss break coverage, and confirm support systems. This helps promote patient safety, teamwork, and efficiency.

Compassion:

I work to bridge the gap between the healthcare system, patient needs, and emotional concerns. I strive to ensure patients feel heard while receiving high-quality care.

B. Limitation:

Public speaking:

I am more comfortable in one-on-one interactions than speaking to large groups.

Strategy for improvement:

Currently taking public speaking courses and actively participating in group work and class presentations to build confidence.

C. Values and Motivation:

Why nursing is meaningful:

Nursing is a profession passed down through generations in my family, which gives it personal significance.

Primary motivation:

Helping people.

D. Skills and Experiences:

Academic strengths:

Research skills, critical thinking, and simulation-based learning.

Clinical strengths:

Strong attention to detail, patient assessment skills, and accurate documentation.

Life experiences influencing my nursing approach:

Patience and empathy developed through years of clinical practice.

1. PHASE 3 CAREER VISION

Preferred specialty:

Surgical nursing (orthopedic surgical focus).

Reason:

I enjoy the fast-paced environment and high patient turnover. Supporting patients through recovery after surgery is fulfilling and provides a sense of helping them regain health and function, essentially offering a second chance at improved well-being.

Connection between strengths and specialty:

Efficiency, accuracy, strong assessment skills, and the ability to work collaboratively are well-suited to surgical nursing environments.

Long-term career vision:

Leadership and management roles within nursing.

1. PHASE 4 STRATEGIC CAREER PLAN

Planned certifications/training:

ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support)

Management and leadership courses

Professional development:

Participation in professional conferences.

Timeline:

Graduation target: August 2026

First RN job goal: Begin RN training immediately on the Orthopedic Surgical Unit at Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary, Alberta.

Long-term specialty transition: Gain extensive RN experience and additional education, with a goal of transitioning into leadership/management roles within approximately 10 years.

Indicators of success:

Increasing confidence in RN practice, ability to manage more acute patients, and successful completion of leadership/management courses.

1. PHASE 5 MARKETING MYSELF

Professional differentiation plans:

Pursuing leadership opportunities

Networking actively

Joining professional nursing associations

Professional development intentions:

Join nursing organizations

Build professional networks

Seek mentorship opportunities

Communication strengths:

Strong writing skills, excellent teamwork abilities, and ongoing development of presentation skills.

1. PERSONAL ELEMENTS TO MAKE THE PAPER UNIQUE

Personal experiences shaping interest in nursing:

I have always been drawn to helping others. A particularly influential experience involved meeting an army veteran at church who shared stories about caring for fellow soldiers during wartime. His dedication and sacrifice inspired me to pursue a helping profession, particularly supporting patients recovering from surgery.

Challenges influencing career outlook:

My experience as an LPN has given me insight into patients challenges and systemic nursing pressures. Seeing both patients needs and staff challenges motivates me to pursue leadership roles that help improve healthcare systems for nurses and patients.

Cultural/family influence:

Nursing is a multi-generational profession in my family, my grandmother, aunt, and two cousins are nurses.

Definition of career success:

Making a meaningful, positive impact on both patients lives and fellow nurses professional experiences.

Additional note to include:

Although LPN and RN scopes of practice in Alberta can overlap in some areas, RN roles often carry greater professional recognition and leadership opportunities, which I aspire to achieve.

WRITING REQUIREMENTS (IMPORTANT)

Maximum 3 pages (excluding title page and references)

Scholarly tone throughout

APA referencing required

Integrate leadership theory, ethics, nursing practice, and health systems discussion where appropriate

Follow Donner-Wheeler Career Planning Model structure

Ensure authenticity and originality of voice

Include clear linkage between my LPN experience and future RN goals

Avoid generic language, maintain personal reflection

*** Please, when writing this scholarly paper, I need this to sound as a professional student would in a 4th year Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Also, please follow all the details and my personal outline for the assignment, which will help guide my responses.

• *** Please include Chapter 5 & parts of Chapter 30 in the Yoder-Wise textbook, text book is attached in PDF version