Follow us
Log in
Much of the content on our site is available to our registered users only. If you're already registered, just click the 'Log in' button then enter your email address and password.
Register
If you're not already registered on the site, you'll need to do so in order to gain unrestricted access to all our content. There are two types of registration:
1. If you're a current subscriber, you can register for access to our protected content at no additional cost. You'll need your subscription number in order to complete your registration, which is on the polythene wrapper in which your journal is delivered. Click the Register button to begin your registration.
2. If you don't currently subscribe you can do so now by taking out a secure online subscription. Not only will this give you instant access to our protected online content, but you'll also get every issue of Nursing Standard - the UK's best selling nursing journal - delivered straight to your door. Click the Register button to begin your subscription and registration.
Your first assignment
.jpg)
Critical thinking, following a structure and revising will help you produce a successful essay, says Nichola Lambert
Writing in an academic style for the first time can be daunting, but following simple guidelines will make it easier.
There is no need to be intimidated - academic writing is just a more formal and structured way of presenting ideas than other writing forms.
Reading journals and scholarly articles is a good way to familiarise yourself with academic writing conventions and tone.
Before you start, allow plenty of time and note any assignment instructions. Accept any help that has been offered by the lecturer and be aware of the expectations of the assignment markers. Most assignments will be accompanied by a marking grid so that students can see the allocation of marks for different parts of the essay.
All assignments require referencing. Familiarise yourself with the referencing system required by your university - usually Harvard or Vancouver. As you read around the assignment subject, keep notes with references so information can always be located again and accidental plagiarism avoided. Clarity over which ideas are your own and which should be credited to other writers is essential.
You will be urged to develop a critical approach to your reading; this means questioning the ideas you encounter. For example, theoretical models often contain impractical propositions, perspectives are often omitted in arguments and research can almost always be improved on in further studies.
Many students find a mind map helpful for organising their thoughts and ideas into a sensible, workable format. Everyone writes differently, so don't feel under pressure to sit down and knock out the essay perfectly at the first attempt.
Structuring your essay can be like building a brick wall. Solid foundations in the introduction tell the reader what to expect and provide the basis for the development of a logical argument.
Paragraphs are vital to break up complex ideas, and a theme in each paragraph can be linked to one in the next and help the reader to follow your ideas.
The conclusion of the essay sums up all the preceding paragraphs and allows you to leave your reader clear about your perspective and its rationale.
Sub editing
Finally, revise your work. Put the finished essay aside and come back to it later to re-read with a fresh perspective. Revisit the assignment guidelines and remove unnecessary thoughts or words. It can be painful to cut words you have worked so hard on, but it will pay dividends. Proofread the final copy for spelling and punctuation.
Make sure that the final essay is what has been asked for in the assignment. As you read through your work, imagine that you are reading it for the first time - does it still make sense? If it does, read it in lecturer mode with the marking grid and see if you would pass it.
Resources
Academic writing resource (PDF): tinyurl.com/learned-writer
Quick reference guide: www.studyskills.soton.ac.uk/getstart.htm
Courses & Careers
This section offers practical and professional advice at every stage of your nursing career.
The RCN Publishing Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal College of Nursing, the world's largest organisation for nurses. RCN Publishing produces one weekly, eight monthly and two quarterly nursing publications. Nursing Standard, the flagship journal, is the UK's biggest selling weekly for nursing. It is produced by RCN Publishing Company along with a suite of specialist nursing journals - Cancer Nursing Practice, Mental Health Practice, Learning Disability Practice, Nursing Children and Young People, Nursing Management, Emergency Nurse, Nursing Older People, Nurse Researcher and Primary Health Care. RCN Publishing Company also produce the RCN Bulletin, a major source of up-to-the-minute information for RCN members in all specialities, grades and working environments. With the latest nurse vacancies from trusts nationwide, it has become the most cost-effective nurse recruitment magazine available.