Associate Professor and Coordinator University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
Online published on 27 August, 2020.
Professional writing is an essential component of nursing education and is linked to improved communication skills. An important role of faculty is to prepare students for professional writing outside of the classroom. Little is known about nursing students’ knowledge of format and style rules for professional writing, such as those put forth in the American Psychological Association (APA) publication manual (APA, 2015); however, nursing journals and academicians often require assignments adhere to APA publication guidelines. The current study examines nursing students’ (N = 273) knowledge of, and citation behavior when using, APA style rules on assignments. Results indicated that nursing students’ level of education and GPA both significantly predict several components of APA knowledge and citation behavior. Understanding and mastering format and style rules for professional writing is key to improving communication skills, an essential component of the profession.
Writing, Students, Education, Nursing, Professional Role
