| Course | NUR 460 The Art of Nursing |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Professional behaviors plan (key assignment) |
| Length | About 842 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | RN to BSN |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 460 Module 6
Saying It, Doing It, Checking It: A Professional Behaviors Plan for a Nurse in a Small Hospital Where Everyone Knows Everyone
Student Name
Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University
NUR 460: The Art of Nursing
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Saying It, Doing It, Checking It: A Professional Behaviors Plan for a Nurse in a Small Hospital Where Everyone Knows Everyone
Purpose of the Plan
Professional behavior is not a personality trait; it is a set of choices made many times a day. This plan defines four concepts that matter most in my practice, describes behaviors I will demonstrate for each, and explains how I will evaluate and revise them. My setting shapes the plan. In a 25-bed hospital in a small town, I care for neighbors, my children's teachers and people I see at church. That closeness is a strength, but it also makes professional boundaries and civility harder to maintain.
Concept 1: Professionalism
Definition: Professionalism is the consistent application of nursing knowledge, ethical standards and respectful conduct in every interaction, guided by the profession's code of ethics. The ANA code (American Nurses Association, 2025) asks nurses to honor each person's dignity, keep the patient first and protect the profession's integrity.
Behaviors: I will introduce myself to every patient by name and role; explain my reasoning for care decisions in plain language; complete documentation before leaving the unit; and dress and speak in ways that represent the profession.
Evaluation: Each quarter I will ask my charge nurse for feedback on these behaviors and review three of my own charts for complete documentation.
Concept 2: Professional Boundaries
Definition: Professional boundaries are the limits that separate a therapeutic relationship, which exists to meet the patient's needs, from a personal one. National boards guidance places every nurse-patient relationship on a continuum running from under-involvement through the therapeutic relationship to over-involvement, and states that delineating and maintaining boundaries is the nurse's responsibility, not the patient's (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2024).
Behaviors: I will not access the records of neighbors or acquaintances unless they are my assigned patients; I will not discuss patients outside work, even when community members ask; I will decline gifts beyond token thank-you items, following hospital policy; and I will avoid connecting with patients on social media.
Evaluation: Each month I will review my access log report, which our hospital provides on request, and reflect in a journal on any situation in which a boundary felt unclear, then discuss it with my manager.
Concept 3: Accountability
Definition: Accountability means answering for my own actions and decisions, including errors, and taking steps to prevent harm.
Behaviors: I will report errors and near misses through the incident system within my shift; acknowledge mistakes to my team and, when appropriate, to patients through the hospital's disclosure process; and complete required competencies before deadlines.
Evaluation: I will review my incident reports at my annual evaluation with my manager and identify one practice change from each.
Concept 4: Civility
Definition: Civility is respectful, courteous communication with colleagues, including when I disagree, and it is the foundation of a healing environment.
Behaviors: I will greet coworkers by name at the start of each shift; give report without sighs or sarcasm; welcome questions from new nurses; and address conflict privately and directly.
Evaluation: I will use the unit's peer feedback tool twice a year and ask one trusted colleague to tell me honestly when my tone slips.
Concept 5: A Healing Environment
Definition: A healing environment is a setting, physical and relational, that supports patients' recovery and staff members' well-being, from noise and light to the way team members treat each other. The module's frameworks connect boundaries, civility and accountability to this larger idea: patients heal better on units where staff feel safe and respected.
Behaviors: I will lower lights and voices at night and cluster care so patients can sleep; I will protect patients' privacy during conversations at the nurses' station; and I will take my breaks and encourage colleagues to take theirs, since the newer ANA code describes duties to self as part of professional practice.
Evaluation: I will track the unit's quiet-at-night patient experience scores each quarter and note in my journal how often I took a full break.
Workplace Bullying Response
Bullying is repeated, harmful behavior that targets a person. A systematic review of anti-bullying interventions for nurses found that interventions were generally effective but varied widely in design and measurement, and that active involvement of upper management was essential (Jang et al., 2022). My response plan has four steps. If I witness bullying, I will interrupt it calmly and check in with the target afterward. If I am targeted, I will document dates, words and witnesses. I will report repeated behavior to my manager and, if needed, to human resources. And I will support unit education on civility, since prevention works better than reaction.
Review and Revision
I will review this plan every six months. For each concept I will ask three questions: Did I demonstrate the behaviors consistently? What evidence do I have? What will I change? I will share a summary with my manager at my annual evaluation and revise the plan as my role grows. Professional behavior is a practice, and like any practice it needs regular attention.
References
American Nurses Association. (2025). Code of ethics for nurses. https://codeofethics.ana.org/
Jang, S. J., Son, Y. J., & Lee, H. (2022). Intervention types and their effects on workplace bullying among nurses: A systematic review. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(6), 1788-1800. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13655
National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2024). A nurse's guide to professional boundaries. https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/ProfessionalBoundaries_Complete.pdf
Reading the NUR 460 Module 6 assignment instructions
The ASU Online syllabus places the Professional Behaviors Plan in Module 6, whose topics are selected frameworks for behaviors, boundaries, success and a healing environment. It is the course's key assignment, worth 15%, with a 70% bar on its competencies applied before any late penalty, and one capped resubmission for students who miss that bar the first time. The syllabus describes the plan as defining essential concepts to professional practice, selecting and demonstrating behaviors consistent with those definitions, and providing a way to evaluate, modify and further develop practice. The same module includes a workplace bullying action plan discussion and a professional boundaries quiz.
How the NUR 460 Module 6 example is put together
A short purpose statement and a description of the small-town setting come first. Four concepts follow, each in the same three-part structure: a definition supported by a source where possible, a list of specific, observable behaviors, and an evaluation method with a time frame. Professional boundaries draw on the national boards' 2024 guidance about the continuum of involvement. A short section gives a four-step bullying response tied to a systematic review. The plan closes with a six-month review cycle built on three questions. Margin notes explain how each section answers the key assignment's competencies. Every behavior in the plan could be observed by a colleague, and every evaluation names its evidence and timing.
Reading the NUR 460 Module 6 grading rubric
As the key assignment, the plan is typically graded against program competencies: accurate, well-supported definitions of professional concepts; behaviors that are specific, observable and consistent with the definitions; a realistic evaluation method; and clear, professional writing with APA format. Graders look for alignment, meaning each behavior clearly fits its definition and each evaluation method can actually measure the behavior. Because the 70% threshold applies before late deductions, missing any of the three parts can cost more than on other assignments. Plans that use vague behaviors such as "be professional" usually lose points. Because the plan is used to assess program outcomes, instructors may read it closely for alignment with the profession's ethical standards. Clear headings for each concept make that review easier.
NUR 460 Module 6 help: mistakes that cost marks
The most frequent weakness is behaviors that are attitudes rather than actions, such as "be respectful." Write what someone could observe you doing. Another is an evaluation section that says "I will reflect" without saying when, how or with what evidence. Use sources for definitions, especially for boundaries and professionalism. Make the plan personal to your setting. Keep the structure parallel across concepts so it is easy to grade. Check the rubric's required concepts before choosing your own. If you would like help building a plan around your practice, send the rubric to the desk. Reread the rubric's list of competencies and make sure each one appears somewhere in your plan, then ask a colleague whether your behaviors sound realistic.
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.
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NUR 460 Module 6 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 460 Module 6 sample paper?
The full Professional Behaviors Plan appears on this page: four concepts defined, observable behaviors and evaluation methods for each, a workplace bullying response, a review cycle and references.
What is the key assignment in NUR 460?
The syllabus names the Professional Behaviors Plan as the key assignment, worth 15%, with a 70% threshold on its competencies.
Which concepts should the NUR 460 Professional Behaviors Plan include?
Choose concepts essential to your practice, such as professionalism, boundaries, accountability, caring or civility, unless the rubric lists required ones.
How do I write evaluation methods for the NUR 460 plan?
Name the evidence you will use, such as feedback, chart reviews or access logs, and the time frame for reviewing it.
What happens if I fail the NUR 460 key assignment?
A single resubmission is allowed, and the most it can earn is 70%.