Academic Success and Professional Development Plan
Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 1: Developing an Academic and Professional Network
When was the last time you read Meditation XVII of John Donne’s Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions?
Unless you are a student of seventeenth-century poetry, you may not be all that familiar with this piece. However, you may be much more familiar with one of its well-known phrases: “No man is an island…”.
As you begin your journey toward achieving your academic and professional goals, you have a great opportunity to network with academics and professionals who can help ensure you do not travel alone. This network can help to clarify your own vision for success and can help guide you now and in the future. To paraphrase Donne, no one is an island.
Begin creating an academic and professional network by identifying which academic and professional connections and resources with which you need to collaborate to succeed in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
To Prepare:
• Consider individuals, departments, teams, and/or resources within Walden University and within your profession that you believe can support your academic and professional success.
• Identify at least two academic and at least two professional individuals, colleagues, or teams that might help you succeed in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse.
Sample Solution
The Professional Development Plan (PDP) essay is where students design a unique strategy for addressing their Walden doctorate studies. Initiating a conversation with faculty about graduate school in general and the Walden program in particular through the writing of the essay gives students the chance to reflect on their personal histories, professional accomplishments, and future aspirations. It also gives them the chance to articulate their academic interests, set goals for their Walden educational experience, and create a personalized schedule for finishing their degree requirements (i.e., the Program of Study form). KAM-based PDPs also seek to accomplish the following: Choose themes for each KAM that correspond to its objectives and areas of interest.
