Policies and Guidelines for Writing a Nursing Scholarly Paper

Content/text of the paper

• Assignments must be uploaded as a word attachment, but not as a PDF, ODT, or RIT, or any other derivative which the instructor cannot open on her/his computer.
• Plagiarism and term paper fraud are strictly prohibited and if detected will be dealt with according to university policy.
• Your Scholarly Paper should include a title page, main content of the paper (including in-text citations), and a reference list.
• You will need to gather articles/literature on the topic in addition to your course readings and incorporate them into your paper (at least 8 references need to be used). These references must be from peer-reviewed sources such as articles in nursing journals or publications by professional organizations such as the Canadian Nurses Association, Health Canada, International Council of Nurses, for example. You have access to thousands of journal articles via your StFX on-line library that you can access from anywhere, and you may have access to print-based journals in hospital libraries, community health centers, etc. in your home community.

 Also, unless you are writing from a historical perspective, use references that are no more than 5 years since publication (2016). Your course text is not to be considered one of the eight references, but you certainly may use it in your paper, but be sure to put it in your reference list.

• Do not use sources that are not peer-reviewed. Websites such as Wikipedia, for example, have not been subjected to review by a panel of experts and are not appropriate for academic papers. Similarly, blogs, newspaper clippings and popular literature such as Chatelaine magazine are also not usually peer-reviewed and are therefore not appropriate. You need a mix of articles and reliable websites. Do not just provide eight (8) organizational websites on diabetes such as the Canadian Diabetes Association, etc.
• APA 7th edition (2020) format and referencing are required.
• The following link, from OwlPurdue is also helpful for reference purposes on writing and using the 7th APA style.

The paper should be 13 pages total, maximum in length, including the title page, introduction, conclusion, 6-7 pages of text, and reference page(s) (you may have as many pages of references as you wish). The total paper, including headings, should be in 11 Arial or Calibri, 12 Time Roman or Georgia). Do not use any colors, underline, or different fonts; black only.  

Please do not use any templates to organize ypur in text citations, or the Reference list (APA Template on the computer) Or programs such as microsoft manager. It is very difficult to mark within the confines of these pre-constructed outlines and you will thus lose points.

• Numbering pages:Start your numbering on the title page and continue throughout your paper including the References.

Page Break: This very necessary feature is used so that you can start a “clean” page for the Introduction and Reference portions of your paper. In the Mac program it is under “Insert” at the top of the MS Word menu. Scholarly Paper Elements: Title Page (1 page) PAGE BREAK

1. Introduction:(half to one page) You use the title of your paper/assignment at the top of the page. The word “introduction” is not used. The paper should begin with an introduction to the topic that outlines the purpose and scope of your paper. In outlining the purpose of the paper, you will discuss why it is important to nursing and health. In outlining the scope, you will identify what your paper will include. Plan about 2-4 paragraphs for your introduction.

2. Content/text of the paper:6-7 pages - Give this section a title (not ‘content of paper’) that will reflect what you are going to talk about. Identify your own beliefs about and experiences with the issue. Tell a nursing story. Include a one-page clinical story (using pseudonyms to protect actual identities) that highlights the issue and your experience with it. You may use the first person (I or me or we) on this page.

a) Conduct a literature review about the topic, using readings provided with this course, your course textbook, and supplement with journal articles from a library search. As a StFX student, you have access electronically via the StFX library. You may also be able to access journals via hospital libraries in your community. Give yourself sufficient time to gather literature, read it, and reflect upon it.

b) Use material from your readings and in the 6-7 pages discuss your points using some of the authors’ works to support your ideas. As such, you must cite the author(s) by putting the last name(s) and publication year in brackets ( ). Remember too, that while you may include sources from medicine, psychology, or other disciplines, as a nursing scholar you want to maintain the voice of nursing. You may find it helpful to write about a specific nursing issue by including an articulation about resources and opportunities as well as problems and challenges. Incorporate highlights from what you have read into the body of the paper to support your discussion.

3. Conclusion:(half to one page) Title this section with the word Conclusion in bold. Try to draw connections from the articles you have read and the conclusions and recommendations you have identified for your nursing story. Plan about 2-4 paragraphs for your conclusion. page break.

4. References:(probably about 2 pages) Make sure to title the level 1 heading as References start on a new page.

Check your grammar, spelling and referencing prior to submitting your work. Remember to include a Title page, Headings, (up to 5 APA Levels), and References as required. Use APA 7th ed. for format (1” margins, double-spacing throughout numbering the pages), etc. Please refer to OwlPurdue online for assistance if you have not purchased the APA text.

Remember that each of you has an important story to tell as you ponder and present your nursing issue paper.