When students can't write. Solutions through a writing-intensive nursing course.

SOLUTIONS THROUGH A WRITING - INTENSIVE NURSING COURSE "Why can't student's write?" is a question frequently raised by professional nurses who practice in the community and by nursing faculty who teach undergraduate and graduate students. Although many expository articles and books about writing to learn have appeared in the nursing and related literature since the mid-1980s (1-6), few evaluative-outcomes articles have appeared (7-9). This situation is unfortunate. Employers consider good writing to be essential for job survival, and poor writing skills can lead to miscommunication and decreased quality of nursing care. WE WISH TO SHARE EXPERIENCES and evaluative outcomes from the first writing-intensive nursing course presented to baccalaureate nursing students at our university. Fifty-four graduating seniors participated in the two sections taught by the nurse authors. Involvement in the course, "Professional Transition and Role Integration," was the result of collaboration between the nursing faculty and the director of the Writing Across the Curriculum program. The course was designed to prepare graduating seniors for the transition from the role of student to the role of professional nurse. At our university, writing-intensive courses fulfill a requirement that is part of every undergraduate degree program. In addition to required English composition courses, students in their third or fourth year must complete at least one course in their academic major that meets criteria established by the University Writing Across the Curriculum Committee. Three criteria are integral to the writing-intensive nursing course described in this article: * Students receive instruction during class time on successful completion of writing assignments. * Faculty give careful feedback on drafts of assignments. * Students revise drafts and are graded on improvement during the writing process. The Students and Faculty The 54 students in the two sections taught by the nurse authors can be described as a diverse group. However, they were typical of the students in the other six writing-intensive sections and of the nursing students in the baccalaureate program as a whole. The students ranged in age from their early twenties through their forties. Some were non-native English speakers. Their cultural backgrounds were Caucasian, African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Arabic. Their educational backgrounds varied; some were already RNs, and others were not. Their ability to write on entry into the course ranged from excellent to poor. Most were female. Faculty assigned to teach sections of the writing-intensive nursing course were three full professors, four associate professors, and one assistant professor. All faculty possessed both course content and writing expertise, as exemplified by publication of chapters and articles in peer-reviewed books and journals. Because of the structure of the-undergraduate curriculum, some faculty taught the course in one three-hour session over 14 weeks, while others taught two three-hour sessions over seven weeks. The two nurse authors, neither of whom had previously taught such a course, taught sections of 27 students each during a seven-week period. Writing-Intensive Assignments The targeted writing-intensive assignments for the course were a professional letter and an issue paper. The 54 students wrote one-page letters representing nine categories. Thirty-five wrote about potential employment at community and medical center hospitals, long-term care facilities, and health management systems. Five letters were political. One, to Senator Charles Robb of Virginia, deplored the use of poorly educated nurses to cut health care costs. Another, to Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, recommended legislation to limit access to tobacco products. There were three letters to the editor: on adverse effects of managed care, on the dangers of cigarette smoking to smokers and nonsmokers, and on the efficacy of advanced practice nurses as primary care providers. …