| Course | NUR 391 Professional Nursing Theory |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Discussion post with peer reply |
| Length | About 521 words |
| Format | Discussion post with APA 7 citations |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | RN to BSN |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 391 Module 1
Discussion: Introductions
Six Chairs, Three Shifts and a Degree: How Social Forces Brought Me to This Program
Initial Post
Hello, everyone. I have been a registered nurse for nine years, the last five at an outpatient hemodialysis clinic on the west side of the Phoenix metro area, where I work the 4:30 a.m. shift and look after one of the clinic's pods of six chairs. Before dialysis I worked on a telemetry floor. I earned my associate degree at a community college, and like many of you I am doing this degree while working full time.
Reading about the social forces that influence nursing (Friberg & Saewert, 2023), I realized that my decision to return to school was not as personal as I thought. Three forces pushed me here.
The first is the national push for a more educated nursing workforce. In 2011 a national committee set a target that the share of registered nurses with a baccalaureate reach 80% by 2020 (Institute of Medicine, 2011). That target was not met everywhere, but it changed hiring, and the 2021 follow-up report says nurses need preparation to address social determinants of health and health equity, not only bedside skill (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2021). In my clinic, every charge nurse hired in the last two years has had a BSN.
The second force is federal kidney policy. A 2019 executive order set goals for more patients to dialyze at home or receive transplants instead of coming to a center three times a week (Exec. Order No. 13879, 2019). That shift is slowly changing what dialysis nurses do. Nurses now spend more time teaching patients and families to manage treatment themselves, which requires skills in education and care coordination that my associate program only touched.
The third force is staffing. Dialysis clinics have struggled to keep nurses, and research has linked heavy workloads and poor practice environments in these units to burnout and plans to leave (Flynn et al., 2009). I have watched good nurses leave our unit for that reason. I want to understand the organizational side of that problem well enough to help fix it.
My goal for NUR 391 is to learn how nursing theory and professional standards can give words to things I already do, and to become a stronger advocate for my patients, many of whom have been on dialysis longer than I have been a nurse.
Reply to a Classmate
Response to Marisol about how the same forces reach us in different ways. You mentioned that families now expect you to manage complicated wound care in the home. That is the same shift I described from the other side: care is moving out of institutions, and the nurse becomes the teacher and coordinator. I am curious whether your agency offers any support for the education role, such as standard teaching materials or time built into visits. In our clinic, home training nurses get extra time per patient, but the in-center nurses who first raise the idea with patients do not. That gap may be worth discussing as we read about professional roles later in the course.
References
Exec. Order No. 13879, 84 Fed. Reg. 33817 (2019). https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-15159
Flynn, L., Thomas-Hawkins, C., & Clarke, S. P. (2009). Organizational traits, care processes, and burnout among chronic hemodialysis nurses. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 31(5), 569-582. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945909331430
Friberg, E. E., & Saewert, K. J. (Eds.). (2023). Conceptual foundations: The bridge to professional nursing practice (8th ed.). Elsevier.
Institute of Medicine. (2011). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/12956
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25982
Reading the NUR 391 Module 1 assignment instructions
The ASU Online syllabus for this class lists Modules 0 and 1 together: course orientation, the student contracts, a syllabus quiz, a plagiarism quiz, a punctuation quiz and the Introductions discussion worth 5 points. The readings for the module cover the social forces that influence nursing, and later NUR 391 discussions ask you to apply the week's readings to a professional issue in posts to your peers. Many instructors use the introductions board the same way, asking you to share your background and goals and connect them to the module's reading. Check the Canvas prompt for required elements such as your practice setting, your goals, a photo or a source, and note when the first post and the replies are due.
How the NUR 391 Module 1 example is put together
This example introduces a composite dialysis nurse in two sentences, then turns quickly to the reading. Three paragraphs each name one social force and connect it to something the writer has seen at work: the baccalaureate hiring pattern, federal policy pushing home dialysis, and burnout among dialysis nurses. Each claim carries a citation, including a Federal Register executive order and two national reports, so the post shows the APA habits the course expects from the first week. A single sentence states a goal for the class. The reply to a classmate picks up one detail from her post and asks a real question about workload, which invites a further exchange.
Where the marks sit in the NUR 391 Module 1 rubric
Introductions boards carry few points, and they are usually graded on completion, connection to the module content and timeliness. A post that follows the prompt, links the writer's experience to the reading, and uses correct APA citations will usually earn full credit. Replies are checked for substance: a sentence of agreement often earns partial credit, while a reply that adds an idea or question earns full marks. Because NUR 391 also grades a plagiarism quiz and a comma and semicolon quiz in the same module, instructors may pay closer attention to sentence mechanics and citation format on this board than you would expect for a first post.
NUR 391 Module 1 help with common mistakes
The usual mistake is treating the introduction as a social post and skipping the reading, which leaves points on the table in a course that grades every discussion on application. Another is listing many social forces in one sentence without explaining any. Pick two or three and show how each touched your own work. Students also cite a textbook chapter by its chapter author when the course uses the editors, or forget the reference list on a discussion post. Keep the tone professional and avoid naming your employer or patients. If you want help drafting an introduction built around your own setting, send the prompt and a few lines about your work.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More NUR 391 and RN to BSN sample papers
- NUR 391 Module 2: Socialization in Nursing Paper
- NUR 391 Module 3: Ethics Essay on Dialysis Withdrawal
- NUR 391 Module 4: Cultural Advocacy Discussion
- NUR 391 Module 5: Quality and Patient Safety Discussion
- NUR 391 Module 7: EBP in the Workplace and Group Communication
- NUR 440 Module 7: Education Project Peer and Course Reflection
- NUR 464 Module 2: Nursing Practice Project Discussion
- NUR 392 Module 6: Critique of Nursing Practice
- NUR 444 Module 1: Innovation and the Individual Short Paper
NUR 391 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 391 Module 1 sample paper?
The full introductions discussion is on this page: an initial post from a composite dialysis nurse that ties her path to three social forces in nursing, plus a reply to a classmate and APA references.
What should I write in the NUR 391 introductions discussion?
Share your nursing background and goals, then connect them to the module's reading on social forces in nursing. Add a citation and follow the Canvas prompt for any required details.
Do I need APA citations in a NUR 391 discussion post?
Yes, if you use the readings or any outside source. NUR 391 grades APA closely from the first week, so cite in the text and add a reference list under the post.
What social forces affect nursing that I can mention in NUR 391?
Examples include the push for baccalaureate education, changes in payment and health policy, workforce shortages, technology, and public expectations of nurses. Choose ones you have seen in your own practice.
How long should a NUR 391 discussion reply be?
Most instructors expect a reply of roughly 100 to 200 words that adds something new, such as a question, an example or a source, rather than simple agreement.