Assessment Task 3: Photo Reflection
Description
For this assessment, you will revisit your photo narrative from assessment task 1. You will re-assess the image you chose and the views you expressed at the start of the trimester about the profession of nursing and
reflect upon how well these represent your current understanding after completing this module and your other nursing units.
The rubric has now been released. Just go back a page and you will see it there.
Please take the time to read through all of the following information and if you have any questions about the assessment, post them on the Assessment 3 Discussion Board.
Before you start...
Before you write your reflection, you may find thinking about the following steps (and making notes as you go) helpful:
1. Return to the image and narrative you submitted in the first assessment task. Consider whether these are still an accurate reflection of your ideas about the role of nurses, and what, if anything, has changed.
2. Think about how some or all the following have shaped your ideas about the role of nursing since that first assessment:
• discussions in the webinars
• the activities in your workshops
• the MyLO content
• other activities external to this unit that have shaped your ideas about nursing since that first assessment.
3. Choose one or two images that reflect your current understandings, to help inspire your reflection and illustrate your ideas. For simplicity, you may find it easier just to pick one new image.
Having considered these things, it's time to get writing. We did not want to be restrictive in terms of the structure of your reflection. However, we recognise that a suggested structure or template can be helpful.
You are free to structure your reflective essay any way you like, but if you are unsure how to approach it, this suggested structure may help.
Example Structure
Introduction
In the opening paragraph, explain your topic - what you are going to write about – and the important aspects of your paper (for example, that you are going to include one or two images to inspire your reflection).
This will let the reader know what to expect, and also help to keep you focused on what is expected of you.
Example: “In this reflective essay I will discuss how my understanding of the role of the nurse in modern society has developed since I wrote my first assessment task in this unit. I will be focusing on the areas of
health care in which nurses work, using two images to help depict my new understandings.”
Additionally, you may wish to:
specifically name what has changed in your thinking
identify the key points of your reflection (eg discipline and profession)
The introduction should leave no doubt in the marker’s mind about what will be discussed. But remember, the introduction should be brief – a paragraph will be plenty. While the following page is information on
Essay structure, it gives some helpful guidance on how to write an introduction (and conclusion): Essay Structure Planner
Body
In the main part of the paper, you will explain WHAT you thought the role of nursing was in your first assessment, and WHAT you understand it to be now. You will then reflect on this to uncover WHY you had these
ideas and WHY they have changed.
The What
In this section, you are essentially describing the situation - your changing views on the role of nursing.
Start with a brief explanation of what you thought the role of nursing was when you wrote AT1. Include your original photograph or image here.
Next, explain how your thoughts have changed since. To ensure you explore the topic in sufficient depth in your reflection, it may be best to concentrate on a single aspect of the topic rather than trying to cover lots of
different ideas. Add the new image or images you have chosen to illustrate your current ideas, to help inspire your reflection and set the platform for your discussion. At this point, you can include references to
underpin your evolving ideas, such as this example which draws on the Code of Conduct for Nurses.
Example: “In assignment 1 I wrote that I thought all nurses worked in clinical settings, like hospitals. Now I have learned that that nurses work in many other areas of health care, including non-clinical roles.
This is demonstrated in the Code of Conduct for Nurses, which states that RNs work in ‘management, leadership, governance, administration, education, research’, among other roles (NMBA, 2018, p 2).”
You may also include scholarly literature here in a similar way. This section may be shorter than the next section - potentially quite a bit shorter. It would be reasonable to use this section to set the scene.
If following this template, it would be reasonable to consider this section to be addressing Criterion 1 (and Criterion 3). However, the next section would be addressing both Criterion 1 and Criterion 2.
The Why
For the next stage of your reflection, you are analysing the 'situation'. That is, you are analysing your evolving understanding of the role of nursing.
In this stage of your reflection, you should uncover the assumptions that underpinned your original ideas of the role of the nurse, and the critical thinking process that you have taken to reach your current position.
Where did these ideas come from? What influenced you to think this way? What have you learned that challenged these ideas? How did they compare to your current understanding?
This discussion should:
include an exploration of the difference between, and interrelatedness of, nursing as a discipline and nursing as a profession. This should be linked back to the role of the nurse.
draw on scholarly literature. Good papers will integrate scholarly literature throughout the ‘Why’ stage of the reflection. Scholarly literature will be used to further support your evolving understanding of the
role of the nurse. Additionally, scholarly literature may be used to support your analysis of your assumptions. For example, on reflection and analysis of your initial thoughts, perhaps the pervasive stereotype
that nursing is woman's work had shaped your thinking about the role of the nurse. Literature can support this discussion.
refer to the nursing codes and standards if appropriate. Please note you do not need to quote specific standards or principles; the most useful information for this assessment task may be found in the
introductions or preambles of the documents, which explain their purpose.
Conclusion
In your final paragraph, draw together the threads of your discussion and finish with a strong statement that addresses the topic that you identified in your introduction.
Example: “This paper has explored my developing understanding of the role of the nurse in modern society. From my initial belief that nursing was a purely clinical profession, I now know that nurses work in
many areas outside clinical settings. Nurses are an essential part of the health care workforce, providing safe, high quality care to the public in all aspects of the health care sector.”
Again, keep the conclusion short and do not add add anything new here. Where the introduction tells the marker what you are going to say, the conclusion simply tells the marker what you just said.
If you are having difficulty at any stage of your assessment, you are strongly encouraged to seek help. A great starting point is the Learning and Study Support page is a great starting point. You'll also see some
helpful sites in the Criterion 4 tab below.
If you have any questions about the assessment, please post them on the Assessment 3 Discussion Board.
What if I didn't discuss the role of the nurse in my first assessment?
If you did not discuss the role of the nurse in your first assessment, let me reassure you that many people are in this situation and you will not be disadvantaged. The activity remains the same. You are still going to:
reflect on your initial understanding of the role of the nurse
Analyse how this understanding has been challenged and evolved.
Rather than relying on your initial narrative to remind you of your initial understanding, you will need to recall your initial understanding and discuss this. If you having difficulty recalling your earlier ideas, try
working backwards by thinking of something that surprised you this semester.
For example, you may have been surprised to learn that a role of nursing includes research. If that is the case, what does that tell you about your initial understanding of the role? Would you have been equally
surprised to learn that doctors research as well? If so, does that reveal something about earlier assumptions you may have had?
This example illustrates the early stage of a reflective process.
You should also be able to use your original image. Remember, the image is just one part of the task and the second image you choose is going to largely support discussion.
Marking Criteria
Please see the following for an expanded explanation of the marking criteria. You will note that the rubric contains three criteria rather than four. Nothing to be alarmed about here. We have simply combined Criteria
1 and 2.
By combining these criteria, hopefully the rubric (and task) is easier to navigate. In very simple terms, you are being assessed in this assessment on your ability to:
Explore the role of the nurse
Demonstrate critical thinking and reflection skills
Adhere to academic presentation requirements
Criterion 1: Explore the role of the nurse in contemporary society, drawing on nursing Codes and Standards and the scholarly
literature.
This criterion evaluates your understanding of the role of the registered nurse in today’s society and how well this reflects the reality of the modern profession. You will support your discussion with reference to
scholarly literature (eg journal articles), which will be used to underpin your argument about the work that nurses do and the responsibilities they bear. It is recommended that you use at least six scholarly sources.
You should also link your discussion back to nursing codes and standards. However, we are not asking you to identify specific standards or principles. Rather, we are looking at how these documents reveal the role of
the modern registered nurse. A suggested approach is to look at the introductions of the codes and standards, as these will give you a good overview of their relevance to nursing practice. A gentle reminder that the
codes and standards are not scholarly sources. Do reference them appropriately, but do not include them in your six scholarly sources.
You will see in the rubric that we have essentially moved Criterion 2 into this criterion. This should not have any impact on the way your approach or write this assessment. It just recognises that your exploration of
the role of nurse should refer to the discipline and profession of nursing.
You will also see in the rubric that reference to your images are marked in this criterion. That is, your reflection on the role of the nurse will have links back to the images you include (the original image and a new
image).
Criterion 2: Explain the inter-relationship between the discipline and the profession of nursing.
This criterion evaluates your understanding of the meaning of ‘discipline’ and ‘profession’, the difference between these, and how they work with one another to produce the modern registered nurse. Again, support
from scholarly literature is required to underpin your discussion.
As above, this criterion has been folded into Criterion 1 in the rubric.
Criterion 3: Demonstrate developing skills in critical thinking and reflection.
Your paper will compare the ideas you expressed in your original assessment task with your current ideas, and this criterion evaluates how you use the process of critical thinking and reflection to explore the
assumptions you brought to this first piece.
Criterion 4: Adhere to academic presentation requirements, including spelling, punctuation, grammar and referencing.
You will write this paper in the first person, as it is your own understanding and ideas that are being explored. However, you will still need to write in a scholarly way – no abbreviations, no slang, complete sentences.
Remember, it is important to include in-text referencing along with a reference list. For more information, see UTas Library Harvard Referencing guide
Good academic writing includes a clear introduction and conclusion, and good structure through the paragraphs and paper. If you do not include these things, the key points you are trying to make will be lost and this
will impact your marks across all criteria.
While the following page is information on Essay structure, it gives some very good guidance on how to write an introduction and conclusion: Essay Structure Planner
Good paragraph structure is a critical part of effective written communication. Each paragraph should focus on one topic and start with a topic sentence. This Accounting site gives a very good explanation of how
paragraphs should be structured.
Remember
Please write your reflection in the first person.
Use a minimum of six (6) scholarly sources to support your discussion.
Task length
You are required to write 1200 words. The standard rule of +/- 10% applies.
Due date
Monday 3rd of May @ 3pm.
Assessment value
This task is worth 40% of your final grade.
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