Academic Skills for Nurses

The purpose of this section is to introduce:

• Academic writing conventions
• Critical thinking skills
• The skills that underpin reflective writing.

The pre-session activities should take about an hour to complete in total. The links below are to independent study activities and resources that will help you develop academic skills. As preparation for the session you will need to add experiences to your caring CV. These will be used in the session to help you start preparing for the assignment. The pre-learning should take about an hour to complete.

• Academic writing styles conventions (estimated reading time 5 minutes)

• A critical thinking model  (video 3 minutes 30 seconds)

• Critical analytical vs Descriptive writing (estimated reading time 5 minutes)

• Useful phrases – Manchester phrase bank (reference information to use as needed)

• How to write critically (estimated reading time 5 minutes)

• Lightbulb of critical thinking skills (estimated reading time 5 minutes)

• Reflective writing video (video 3 minutes 41 seconds)

• Key Characteristics of Academic Writing (NILE resource make sure you are signed in)
• Writing Structure (Find the link in the Pre-Reg Nursing workbook for your year.)
• Structuring your Essay
• How to write a paragraph.

The session presentation is available here for anyone who may wish to review it before or after the session.  The session is based around activities, and you will get the most benefit from participating in the sessions.

• Critical writing and reflection level 4

• Critical Writing and Reflection L4 Padlet

Creating an action plan based on your reflection is an essential part of the assessment. Use this template to get started.