Need help writing a care plan paper and APA formatting issues

Published

Specializes in Geriatrics, Community Care Nursing, CCM.

I have to write a care plan paper based on new health care reforms. The criteria is H/C reform issue clearly identified 2) 5 parts of the nursing process used 3) What nursing skills are used for effective communication for such a diverse issue 4) Thoughtful in sightful opinion on the healthcare reform law and the responsibility of the nursing profession

What would be a good way to start this paper? Should my introductory paragraph be the identification and background information on health care reform and the issue? And the body of the paper be broken down by the 5 parts of the nursing process tied in to the health care reform issue?

Also what is the proper way to cite websites in APA 6th ed. format when sometimes there may be no author or a publication date on the website? I need help with this ASAP.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Everything you'll need to know about formatting an APA paper can be found here:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

I had the hardest time writing the first one, the formatting is tricky if you aren't a word expert. Plan on spending a fair bit of time on the formatting alone. Just figuring out how to get a different header on the title page and the rest of the document took me almost a whole day. (Yes, I've now signed up for a class on Word.)

I have an APA paper in Word 2007 for a Mac that I would be willing to email you if you like. PM me with your address and I'll send it along.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Community Care Nursing, CCM.

My email is [email protected]. Thanks. I had a hard time figuring out how to formate the headers because everytime I would change the first header, it would keep putting Running head on every page. Then when I fixed those pages, it would take running head off the title page. I finally just did a search on the internet and found instructions that I have kept in my notebook since first semester. This is my last semester-summer session in the already 98 degree heat-and I have a bad feeling about it. This is a distant edu RN to BSN program, all online. WE have a teacher this semester who is deleting everything we turn in stating that we do not need to have access to it after things are graded. I do not agree. I had an issue first semester regarding whether or not I turned in something on time-which I did-but she couldn't find it on her end. I had to make a copy of my profile page to prove that I had turned it in. Now this semester, if that happens in this one class, there is no way to prove you turned in anything by the due date if the teacher deletes it. It's her word against ours. I 've made two requests in writing for her to change this. I"ll ask her a third time, then I'm taking my complaint to the Dean of Distance Education and the Office of Adult Students. Then we have a second teacher who is nit picking every little thing we turn in. People are almost afraid to post now which throws everyone else behind.

I love this website. It's a good sounding board for all nurses and nursing students. I use it a lot.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

There are sites that will help you with formatting. One is bibme.org (the one I use) and another is http://citationmachine.net/

It helps to know how to do APA format, but these sites take out the tedious work of it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Community Care Nursing, CCM.

I've used these cites too, but I have found that they sometimes do not format URLs and websites correctly. Or at least our instructor said our references were not correct because the citation machine threw in Retrieved (date) from http://www....... She said it was NOT supposed to have a retrieval date and if she saw that any more she would be deducting points. the OWL @ Perdue states the retrieval date is no longer used according to 6th Ed. APA book. So I don't know which is correct. Both citation machines and even a book called Cite Right state it is current according to 6th edition APA, but all three use the Retrieved date. My problem is my eyesight. I'm 51 years old, can't see with bifocals and have to pull off my reading glasses to read. I need someone to help me proofread and catch mistakes that I may not be seeing. I've applied for an online tutor this semester in the writing lab, so maybe that will help.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion