| Course | NUR 675 MSN Seminar: Preparation for Practicum |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | discussion post on the purpose of the MSN practicum |
| Length | About 420 words, 3 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Program | MSN |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 675 Module 1
Module One Discussion
An Expert at the Bedside and a Beginner Again
When I read the practicum requirement, my first reaction was irritation. I have been a nurse for twelve years and a charge nurse for five. I run a unit on nights, handle rapid responses and teach new graduates. Why would I need a preceptor?
Benner (1984) described how nurses move through five stages, beginning as novices and, through advanced beginner, competent and proficient practice, eventually reaching expertise as they accumulate experience in a particular domain. Novices rely on rules because they lack the experience to see which features of a situation matter, while experts perceive situations as wholes and act intuitively. Crucially, Benner emphasized that expertise is specific to a domain: an expert in one area can be a novice when she moves into another. That describes me. At the bedside I can sense a patient's decline before the monitor does. In quality improvement, I have never designed a measure, run a change cycle or presented data to leaders. In that domain I am, at best, an advanced beginner who knows some rules and little else.
Professionals, in one influential account, learn by reflecting in action (Schön, 1983), adjusting while they work when something surprises them, and by reflecting on action afterward, examining what happened and why. He contrasted this with the view that professional practice is simply applying theory learned in school. A practicum is designed to create exactly the conditions for this kind of learning: real problems that do not fit the textbook, a preceptor who asks what I noticed and why I chose what I did and structured time to reflect on what worked. Without those conditions, my experience at the bedside would not automatically translate into competence in a new role.
The 2021 AACN Essentials also make the purpose concrete. They define advanced-level competencies for graduate education across domains such as quality and safety, systems-based practice and interprofessional partnerships, which go beyond what entry-level nurses are expected to do (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021). My practicum needs to produce evidence that I can lead a quality project, use data to guide decisions and work across disciplines at that advanced level, not simply repeat what I already do well.
So my irritation has turned into something closer to curiosity. The practicum will deliberately make me a beginner again, with a preceptor to help me move faster than I could alone. My question for peers: how have you handled the discomfort of being a novice again after years of feeling competent?
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/essentials
Benner, P. (1984). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Addison-Wesley.
Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
What the NUR 675 Module 1 instructions ask for
The first NUR 675 discussion commonly asks you to consider the purpose of the MSN practicum and what you hope to gain from it, often with reference to a theory of professional development. Initial posts are typically a few hundred words with a couple of scholarly sources in APA 7, followed by replies to classmates during the week. Be honest about where you are starting, identify the specific domain in which you are a beginner rather than claiming general expertise or inexperience, use a theory to explain how supervised practice builds competence and connect your goals to the advanced-level competencies your program expects, so the post sets up the objectives you will write next.
How this NUR 675 Module 1 discussion example is built
This post comes from a composite charge nurse with twelve years of experience who is annoyed at needing a preceptor. Benner's stages and her point that expertise is domain-specific help the writer see that she is expert at the bedside but a beginner in quality improvement and leadership. Schön's reflection in and on action explains how a practicum turns experience into learning, and the 2021 AACN Essentials define the advanced competencies the practicum must build. The post reframes the practicum as deliberately becoming a novice again and asks classmates how they handled that discomfort after years of feeling competent. The honesty of the opening sets up the objectives. Its tone stays candid.
Where the NUR 675 Module 1 rubric puts the points
Discussion grading in NUR 675 generally looks at the depth of self-assessment, accurate use of theory, connection to advanced-level competencies, clarity of writing and engagement with peers. Posts that do well identify a specific gap between current expertise and the new role rather than speaking in generalities. Graders reward accurate descriptions of theories such as Benner's stages or Schön's reflective practice and clear links between those theories and what the practicum is designed to do. Honesty about feelings, paired with a question asking classmates what has worked for them, tends to draw thoughtful replies, which count toward participation. Accurate theory descriptions matter.
NUR 675 Module 1 help: the mistakes that cost points
Practicum discussion posts lose points when they describe the practicum as a requirement to complete rather than a chance to learn, when theories are named without being applied to the writer, when goals are not tied to advanced competencies or when the post claims readiness without evidence. Another gap is ignoring the difference between bedside expertise and expertise in the new role. Assess yourself honestly by domain, apply a development theory, connect to advanced competencies and ask a question that moves the conversation forward. If your prompt focuses on a specific track, such as nurse educator or informatics, send it with your NUR 675 notes and the post will fit that role.
Get NUR 675 Module 1 written to your instructions
Share the NUR 675 prompt, your track and a sentence about your experience, plus the grading criteria. The post you receive will assess your starting point by domain, apply a theory of professional development and connect your goals to advanced competencies, within 24 to 48 hours, free the first time. 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 675 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 675 Module 1 Discussion sample?
This page carries the full post: why an experienced nurse needs an MSN practicum, explained with Benner, Schon and the advanced-level Essentials.
What are Benner's stages of clinical competence?
Novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient and expert, with expertise specific to a particular domain of practice.
What is reflection in action?
Schon's term for adjusting while working when something unexpected happens, alongside reflection on action afterward.
Why does an experienced nurse need a practicum?
Expertise is domain-specific, so a nurse expert at the bedside may be a beginner in leadership, education or quality work.
What competencies should an MSN practicum build?
Advanced-level competencies such as those in the 2021 AACN Essentials, including quality and safety, systems-based practice and interprofessional work.