DISCUSSION- In this module, you begin laying the foundation for your academic and professional success. Your efforts begin with a vision that includes your own definition of success. Your vision may vary from those of your colleagues, but this does not

DISCUSSION- In this module, you begin laying the foundation for your academic and professional success. Your efforts begin with a vision that includes your own definition of success. Your vision may vary from those of your colleagues, but this does not mean you have to take these first steps alone. Walden University and the College of Nursing also have a vision and mission, which include helping you to make your own vision a reality. Members of your new academic community, such as faculty, support teams, and fellow students, can also be helpful. Current practitioners and other member of the professional community can also help you to clarify your vision. This Module’s Discussion asks you to consider how the Walden mission and vision as well as the College of Nursing’s mission and vision apply to your professional and academic goals. You will also begin to identify individuals and teams who can help you along the way as you begin designing the “blueprint”—your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan—that will guide you toward your own vision for academic and professional success. Finally, you will explain the importance of networking and how it can help you achieve your professional and academic goals. Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner. To Prepare: Review the Walden and College of Nursing mission and vision statements, Walden’s goals and University Outcomes, and the MSN and PMC Program Learning Outcomes presented in this Module’s Learning Resources. Reflect on your professional and academic goals as they relate to your program/specialization. Consider how the information in these resources fit with your own goals and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner. Also consider academic and professional individuals and teams with whom you may collaborate in support of your efforts as a student at the university and as a professional within your organization and career. Consider the importance of networking and how it may help you achieve your professional and academic goals. ASSIGNMENT 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. Download the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template . The Assignment: Academic and Professional Network Complete Part 1 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template . Be sure to address the following: Identify at least two academic and at least two professional individuals or teams to collaborate with to be successful in your MSN program and as a practicing nurse. Explain why you selected these individuals and/or teams and how they will support your success in the MSN and PMC program and as a practicing nurse.