NUR 499 Module 1 Journal example

Reviewed by Delia Ravenscroft, MSN, RN Professional Identity and Advocacy in Nursing Practice Southern New Hampshire University Full sample paper Free custom sample in 24 to 48h

This complete NUR 499 Module 1 journal entry opens a course on professional identity and advocacy with one small habit: a rehabilitation nurse notices she introduces herself as just a nurse, traces where the phrase comes from, reads what the literature says about how nurses describe their work, and sets a goal for the course. It is written in the first person, cites its sources and keeps the tone candid; the nurse herself is invented.

What this page holds

This NUR 499 Module 1 page shows a complete journal entry, roughly 560 words, on professional identity and the words nurses use about their own work, supported by three sources. Searches like "nur 499 module 1 assignment", "nur499 module 1 journal" and "nur 499 module 1 example" land here.

The NUR 499 Module 1 example, in full

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Module One Journal: How I Describe My Work

Just a nurse

Last month a patient's son asked me whether I was the one who would decide when his father could go home from our rehabilitation unit. I said, "Oh, no, I'm just a nurse. The doctor decides that." I say this often, to families, to physicians and even to myself. Driving home, I realized the sentence was not true. I had assessed his father's swallowing, noticed he could not manage his insulin, taught his wife the transfers and raised at team rounds that he was not ready. The discharge date would depend largely on what I documented and reported. "Just a nurse" was a small lie that made my work invisible.

I wanted to know where the habit comes from. Buresh and Gordon (2013) argue that nurses often describe their work in terms of kindness and virtue rather than knowledge, and that this silence about what nurses actually do contributes to the public's limited understanding of nursing. In a study of registered nurses' views on the image of the profession, nurses themselves identified inconsistent messages and nurses' own ways of describing their work as factors in an unclear public image (Godsey et al., 2020). I realized that I had learned my phrase not from patients or physicians but from other nurses, who used it to deflect blame or to seem modest.

Professional identity carries responsibility. Under the Code of Ethics, a nurse's obligations extend to herself as well as to patients, covering competence and professional integrity, and that nurses are accountable for their own practice (American Nurses Association, 2015). If I am accountable for my assessments and decisions, I should also be willing to describe them. Calling myself just a nurse may feel humble, but it also invites families to overlook information that matters to their loved one's care.

My goal for this course is concrete. I will introduce myself by name and role and explain what I am responsible for today, for example: "I'm the registered nurse caring for your father. I'm assessing his swallowing and teaching you both about his insulin before he goes home." I want to notice how families and colleagues respond, and I will return to this in later journals.

What this page is doingThe entry starts with a specific moment and a phrase the writer actually uses, then traces its origin with two sources and connects it to professional accountability. Ending with an exact new script gives the instructor a measurable goal to follow in later entries.
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References

American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Nursesbooks.org.

Buresh, B., & Gordon, S. (2013). From silence to voice: What nurses know and must communicate to the public (3rd ed.). Cornell University Press.

Godsey, J. A., Houghton, D. M., & Hayes, T. (2020). Registered nurse perceptions of factors contributing to the inconsistent brand image of the nursing profession. Nursing Outlook, 68(6), 808-821. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2020.06.005

How this NUR 499 Module 1 example is structured

The entry is built around one phrase and what it reveals. The first paragraph records the habit and a moment that made the writer notice it. The second paragraph asks where the habit comes from, using two sources on how nurses present their work to the public and to each other. The third paragraph connects the habit to professional responsibility, drawing on the Code of Ethics. The final paragraph turns the reflection into a practical goal for the course, so later entries can report whether the new habit held.

Get NUR 499 Module 1 written to your instructions

Send your NUR 499 Module 1 journal prompt and rubric along with a few notes about your practice. A sample journal entry to that prompt is written in 24 to 48 hours, and the first is free. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Southern New Hampshire University document.

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NUR 499 Module 1 questions, answered

What does NUR 499 Module 1 usually involve?

A course on professional identity and advocacy typically opens with reflection on how you see yourself as a nurse, what shaped that view and how it affects your practice. A journal or short reflection is common at this stage. Whether sources are required, and which questions to answer, is set by your own classroom prompt.

What is professional identity in nursing?

Professional identity is a nurse's sense of who they are as a member of the profession: the values, knowledge, responsibilities and ways of thinking they share with other nurses. It develops through education and experience and shapes how nurses speak about their work, make decisions and advocate for patients.

Can a reflective journal include research?

Yes, and it often strengthens the entry. Use a source to explain or challenge your own experience, not to replace it. One or two well-chosen citations show that you are placing your reflection within the profession's broader conversation.