Typing Template for APA Papers: A Sample of Proper Formatting for APA Style

This is an electronic template for papers written according to the style of the American Psychological Association (APA, 2020) as outlined in the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. The purpose of the template is to help students set the margins and spacing. Margins are set at 1 inch for top, bottom, left, and right. The text is left-justified only; that means the left margin is straight, but the right margin is ragged. Each paragraph is indented 0.5 inch. It is best to use the tab key to indent, or set a first-line indent in the paragraph settings. The line spacing is double throughout the paper, even on the reference page. One space is used after punctuation at the end of sentences. The font style used in this template is Times New Roman and the font size is 12 point. This font and size is required for GCU papers. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

The Section Heading

The heading above would be used if you want to have your paper divided into sections based on content. This is a Level 1 heading, and it is centered and bolded, and the initial word and each word of four or more letters is capitalized. The heading should be a short descriptor of the section. Note that not all papers will have headings or subheadings in them. Papers for beginning undergraduate courses (100 or 200 level) will generally not need headings beyond Level 1. The paper title serves as the heading for the first paragraph of the paper, so “Introduction” is not used as a heading.

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Subsection Heading

The subheading above would be used if there are several sections within the topic labeled in a first level heading. This is a Level 2 heading, and it is flush left and bolded, and the initial word and each word of four or more letters is capitalized.

Subsection Heading

APA dictates that you should avoid having only one subsection heading and subsection within a section. In other words, use at least two subheadings under a main heading, or do not use any at all. Headings are used in order, so a paper must use Level 1 before using Level 2. Do not adjust spacing to change where on the page a heading falls, even if it would be the last line on a page. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

The Title Page

When you are ready to write, and after having read these instructions completely, you can delete these directions and start typing. The formatting should stay the same. You will also need to change the items on the title page. Fill in your own title, name, course, college, instructor, and date. List the college to which the course belongs, such as College of Theology, College of Business, or College of Humanities and Social Sciences. GCU uses three letters and numbers with a hyphen for course numbers, such as CWV-101 or UNV-104. The date should be written as Month Day, Year. Spell out the month name.

Formatting References and Citations

APA Style includes rules for citing resources. The Publication Manual (APA, 2020) also discusses the desired tone of writing, grammar, punctuation, formatting for numbers, and a variety of other important topics. Although APA Style rules are used in this template, the purpose of the template is only to demonstrate spacing and the general parts of the paper. GCU has prepared an APA Style Guide available in the Student Success Center and on the GCU Library’s Citing Sources in APA guide (https://libguides.gcu.edu/APA) for help in correctly formatting according to APA Style.

The reference list should appear at the end of a paper. It provides the information necessary for a reader to locate and retrieve any source you cite in the body of the paper. Each source you cite in the paper must appear in your reference list; likewise, each entry in the reference list must be cited in your text. A sample reference page is included below. This page includes examples of how to format different reference types. The first reference is to a webpage without a clear date, which is common with organizational websites (American Nurses Association, n.d.). Next is the Publication Manual referred to throughout this template (APA, 2020). Notice that the manual reference includes the DOI number, even though this is a print book, as the DOI was listed on book, and does not include a publisher name since the publisher is also the author. A journal article reference will also often include a DOI, and as this article has four authors, only the first would appear in the in-text citation (Copeland et al., 2013). Government publications like the Treatment Improvement Protocol series documents from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (2014) are another common source found online. A book without a DOI is the last example (Holland & Forrest, 2017). Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

References

American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Scope of practice. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/scope-of-practice/

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2014). Improving cultural competence (HHS Publication No. 14-4849). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK248428/

Copeland, T., Henderson, B., Mayer, B., & Nicholson, S. (2013). Three different paths for tabletop gaming in school libraries. Library Trends, 61(4), 825–835. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2013.0018

Holland, R. A., & Forrest, B. K. (2017). Good arguments: Making your case in writing and public speaking. Baker Academic.

APA Writing Checklist

Use this document as a checklist for each paper you will write throughout your GCU graduate program. Follow specific instructions indicated in the assignment and use this checklist to help ensure correct grammar and APA formatting. Refer to the APA resources available in the GCU Library and Student Success Center.

☐ APA paper template (located in the Student Success Center/Writing Center) is utilized for the correct format of the paper. APA style is applied, and format is correct throughout. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

☐  The title page is present. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.

☐ The introduction is present. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.

☐ Topic is well defined.

☐ Strong thesis statement is included in the introduction of the paper.

☐ The thesis statement is consistently threaded throughout the paper and included in the conclusion.

☐ Paragraph development: Each paragraph has an introductory statement, two or three sentences as the body of the paragraph, and a transition sentence to facilitate the flow of information. The sections of the main body are organized to reflect the main points of the author. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.

☐ All sources are cited. APA style and format are correctly applied and are free from error.

☐ Sources are completely and correctly documented on a References page, as appropriate to assignment and APA style, and format is free of error.

Scholarly Resources: Scholarly resources are written with a focus on a specific subject discipline and usually written by an expert in the same subject field. Scholarly resources are written for an academic audience.

Examples of Scholarly Resources include: Academic journals, books written by experts in a field, and formally published encyclopedias and dictionaries.

Peer-Reviewed Journals: Peer-reviewed journals are evaluated prior to publication by experts in the journal’s subject discipline. This process ensures that the articles published within the journal are academically rigorous and meet the required expectations of an article in that subject discipline. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

Empirical Journal Article: This type of scholarly resource is a subset of scholarly articles that reports the original finding of an observational or experimental research study. Common aspects found within an empirical article include: literature review, methodology, results, and discussion.

Adapted from “Evaluating Resources: Defining Scholarly Resources,” located in Research Guides in the GCU Library.

☐ The writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English. Utilize writing resources such as Grammarly, LopesWrite report, and ThinkingStorm to check your writing.

Personal Philosophy and Worldview

The nursing profession is becoming more complex, especially with their role’s changing demands and expectations. In addition, challenges encountered in this profession, such as inadequate resources, an increase in chronic diseases, and inadequate staffing, hinder the delivery of quality care. Given the maturing nature of the profession and its challenges, nurses must evaluate their values and develop a personal philosophy of practice. The personal philosophy acts as a guideline to ensure that nurses find balance and meaning in their profession while also delivering the best to patients. Personal philosophy may be related to one’s values, religious, cultural, or spiritual beliefs. Developing a personal philosophy guides nurses in decision-making that directly impacts patient outcomes. This paper discusses my worldview related to my practice, a theory that aligns with my philosophy, and its impacts on future practice. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

Personal Philosophy

My worldview that guides my practice is based on cultural, religious and spiritual elements. Being a Christian,  I draw my concept of care from a biblical worldview. I believe that God created all of us to serve Him and his people diligently. In addition, as revealed in the Bible, all human life is innately valuable. As such, I am committed to providing the best services to patients which is a reflection of what God would want me to do. According to Rieg et al. (2018), nurses who integrate faith-related behaviours establish positive relationships with patients as they see each patient as a reflection of God in human form. Therefore, my philosophy based on the religious element guides me to serve, give, devote and pray for my patients for their well-being.

My philosophy is also guided by the spiritual element as spiritual-guided care has been identified to foster nurse-patient relationships. As a Christian, I am obligated to meet the spiritual needs of patients. The needs are met by showing empathy, kindness, compassion, genuineness and love. Murphy & Walker (2013), claim Christian nurses have an ethical obligation to provide spiritual-guided care as the hands of Christ once did. The last element that guides my philosophy is the cultural element whereby, I am committed to providing culturally competent care. This aspect involves respecting and incorporating a patient’s cultural beliefs and values during care. This is because I serve diverse patients with different cultural backgrounds. Providing culturally competent care is impactful in providing quality care. Therefore, my philosophy guides me to respect each patient’s cultural worldview, attitude and beliefs which is fundamental to meeting a patient’s cultural needs. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

Nursing Theory that Aligns with Personal Philosophy

Nursing theories are fundamental in nursing practice as they guide nursing interventions and provide a framework for the delivery of quality and safe patient care (Schaffer et al., 2017). The theory that best aligns with my philosophy is the nurse caring theory. Jean Watson developed the Human Caring Theory that focuses on the patient’s overall health in harmony with the mind, body and soul (Wei & Watson, 2019). The Human Caring theory identifies human beings as valuable and thus should be respected and assisted. This concept aligns with my Christian worldview that all human life is valuable. Thus I am obliged to serve human life as though I am serving God as guided by the Bible where we are commanded to always serve to the best of our abilities. The Human Caring theory also emphasizes that healing involves regaining physical, mental and spiritual wellness (Wei & Watson, 2019). This aligns with my worldview that I am obligated to deliver spiritual-guided care. As per Watson, nurses should always show compassion, love and kindness during patient care.

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Applying the Human Caring Theory has been foundational in the delivery of quality care. This has been achieved by integrating the curative factors that are vital in the caring role. The formation of the humanistic-altruistic system of values helps me respect others and practice love and kindness when caring for patients (Gunawan et al., 2022). Secondly, I can instil faith in patients by being present and sustaining the beliefs of myself and others. Thirdly, the theory has guided me to becoming more sensitive to others which has enabled me to be fully conscious in nurturing patient belief and personal growth. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

Past Experience Resolved by Applying the Theory and Personal Worldview

The nursing theory and my worldview have enabled me to address ethical and moral dilemmas that I encounter during practice. I remember an experience that involved a dilemma between the patient’s and family’s wishes. An elderly patient was brought in by his wife and daughter and was in his fourth stage of throat cancer. The patient had requested that he would want to spend his last days with family and friends which was an idea that the wife supported. However, the daughter wanted the father to continue getting care in the hospitals as they would struggle to meet the patient’s needs at home. As a nurse, I have an ethical obligation to respect the patient’s autonomy. However, I am also ethically obliged to ensure that no harm is caused to the patient. Guided by my philosophy and the Human Caring theory, I felt my obligation was to make a decision that would benefit the patient and the family members. By assessing the situation and being guided by the element of human life is valuable, I saw it best that the patient should remain in the hospital. I explained to the family and patient why it was necessary to get care while in the facility.  Thus, because of the respect and value for human life as emphasized by the theory and my worldview, the patient was able to improve and go home.

How the Theory and Worldview will Develop Future Practice

I believe that my Christian worldview and the Human Caring Theory will be essential in developing my practice. Both emphasis the value of human life and thus patients should be valued and respected. Thus, I will be able to serve patients to the best of my ability which will directly improve outcomes. In addition, I will be able to treat patients with dignity and respect regardless of their cultural or social background. Both also emphasize the spiritual components of patient care. Nurses must meet the patient’s spiritual needs. By demonstrating compassion, empathy, love and kindness, I will be able to meet these needs. The nursing theory also emphasizes a humanistic approach to care (Gunawan et al., 2022). Thus, I will be able to demonstrate consciousness in supporting and meeting the patient’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs which improves the patient’s overall wellness. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

References

Gunawan, J. et al. (2022) ‘Nursing administration: Watson’s theory of human caring’, Nursing Science Quarterly, 35(2), pp. 235–243. doi:10.1177/08943184211070582.

Murphy, L.S. and Walker, M.S. (2013) ‘Spirit-guided care’, Journal of Christian Nursing, 30(3), pp. 144–152. doi:10.1097/cnj.0b013e318294c289.

Rieg, L.S., Newbanks, R.S. and Sprunger, R. (2018) ‘Caring from a Christian worldview’, Journal of Christian Nursing, 35(3), pp. 168–173. doi:10.1097/cnj.0000000000000474.

Schaffer, M.A., Sandau, K. and Missal, B. (2017) ‘Demystifying nursing theory’, Journal of Christian Nursing, 34(2), pp. 102–107. doi:10.1097/cnj.0000000000000375.

Wei, H. and Watson, J. (2019) ‘Healthcare Interprofessional Team Members’ perspectives on human caring: A directed content analysis study’, International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 6(1), pp. 17–23. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2018.12.001. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

Being able to articulate your personal worldview can help you formulate a personal philosophy of practice and enhance your influence on patients and the industry. In this assignment, you will have an opportunity to reflect on your current and future practice and the ways worldview and nursing theory influence that practice.

Draft a 1,000-1,250-word paper in which you:

Describe your personal worldview, including the religious, spiritual, and cultural elements that you think most influence your personal philosophy of practice and attitude towards patient care.
Choose a specific nursing theory that is most in line with your personal philosophy of practice and approach to patient care and discuss the similarities. Explain how the nursing theory reinforces your approach to care.
Include in your explanation a specific example of a past or current practice and how your worldview and the nursing theory could assist you in resolving this issue.
Finally, explain how your worldview and the nursing theory will assist you in further developing your future practice. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment

You are required to cite five to 10 sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the past 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and nursing content.

Complete the “APA Writing Checklist” to ensure that your paper adheres to APA Style and formatting criteria and general guidelines for academic writing. Include the completed checklist as an appendix at the end of your paper.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance. Improving Cultural Competence Assignment