A running head is not required and should be omitted from your paper.

Title of the Paper Goes Here

Student Name Here

Program Name or Degree Name, Walden University

Course Number and Title (NURS 6630 Psychopharmacology)

Instructor Name (Dr. Katherine Gryzenia)

Month, Day, Year (enter the date submitted to instructor)

Commented [A1]: Please format your decision tree assignments

as shown in this writing template. You are graded on your ability to

follow this format. You are also graded on your ability to follow the

instructions embedded within this template. For additional details

on grading, you should refer to the grading rubric in Canvas.

*Please note that I have highlighted common areas for mistakes in

yellow.

Title of the Paper Goes Here

This is your introductory section. It should be one page in length or less. Your

introductory section must contain the following three elements in this order: (1) a brief summary

of the case, (2) a statement that clearly identifies the patient-specific factors you will consider as

you make your decisions, and (3) a thesis statement. Please note that background information

on the diagnosis, diagnostic criteria and testing, and epidemiology is NOT required. It is

assumed that you know this; therefore, you should omit this information and devote yourself to

summarizing the case and highlighting patient-specific factors that will impact your decisions.

The basic APA format that is required for this document is as follows: font should be

Times New Roman 12-point, font color should be black, spacing should be double-spaced,

margins should be 1”, indentations at the beginning of each paragraph should be 1/2”, and page

numbers should be in the top right-hand corner of the page. Each paragraph within the body of

your document should be at least 3-4 sentences in length.

The information contained within this paper should be paraphrased. Directly quoting

your sources does not demonstrate your ability to assimilate and synthesize information at a

graduate level; therefore, you must avoid using direct quotations in your papers. You must

back up your facts by referencing credible sources within the primary and secondary literature.

Your references must be cited in parenthetical citations within your text that correspond to a full

entry in your reference list. In-text citations can either be placed at the end of a sentence or

within a sentence as shown here, respectively: Employers cause burnout when employees are

stressed by too much work (Leplante, 2019). According to Leplante (2019), employers cause

burnout when employees are stressed by too much work.

Commented [A2]: You should not copy the case directly from

the scenario given to you in Canvas. You should use your own

words to concisely summarize the case.

Commented [A3]: The patient-specific factors that you clearly

identify in this introductory section must be revisited within the

body of your paper. These factors must help you establish the

rationale for your decisions and/or highlight your ethical

considerations. To clearly identify patient-specific factors, please

begin your sentence with, “The patient-specific factors I will

consider as I make my decisions are…” Beginning your sentence

with this phrase will help me recognize it and will ensure that you

get credit for it. You will not get credit for simply mentioning

patient-specific factors within your case summary; they must be

clearly identified and revisited.

Commented [A4]: Your thesis statement (statement of purpose)

should be one sentence. This one sentence should be the last

sentence of your introductory section. To clearly identify your

thesis statement, please begin your sentence with, “The purpose of

this paper is…” Beginning your sentence with this phrase will help

me recognize it as a thesis statement and will ensure that you get

credit for having a thesis statement. You may not get credit for a

thesis statement if this format is not followed.

Commented [A5]: in your own words

Commented [A6]: As you write your paper, you must include a

minimum of five academic resources. You may use the course text

as a reference; however, it will not count toward your five resources.

You should be utilizing the primary and secondary literature. The

definitions of primary and secondary literature can be found within

your syllabus. Please note that you are to focus on work published

within the past five years. Seminal (groundbreaking) information

does not need to be published within the past five years.

Commented [A7]: A parenthetical in-text citation gives credit in

parentheses to a source that you’re paraphrasing. It contains the

author’s name, the publication date, and the page number(s) if

necessary. Please see the Writing Center for more information about

APA style for citations and referencing:

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa/citations

Decision Point #1

This text represents the beginning of the body of your paper. In this first paragraph, you

must clearly state the decision you made at decision point #1. You must also explain why you

made this choice. Importantly, the fact that a drug is a “first-line agent” cannot be used as a

stand-alone rationale for your decision. You must cite evidence from the literature that

demonstrates why this drug is first-line or why this drug is superior to the other options.

In this second paragraph, you must clearly identify the first option that you did not

choose. You must also explain why you opted out of this option. Importantly, the fact that a

drug is a “second-line agent” cannot be used as a stand-alone rationale for opting out. You must

cite evidence from the literature that explains why this drug is second-line or why this drug is

inferior to the option you chose.

In this third paragraph, you must clearly identify the second option that you did not

choose. You must also explain why you opted out of this option. Once again, the fact that a drug

is a “second-line agent” cannot be used as a stand-alone rationale for opting out. You must cite

evidence from the literature that explains why this drug is second-line or why this drug is inferior

to the option you chose.

In this fourth paragraph, you must briefly explain the outcome(s) that you were hoping to

achieve. You must also discuss the ethical considerations associated with your decision. As you

write about all the required information in paragraphs one through four, you must remember to

consider the patient-specific factors that you pointed out in your introduction section. These

patient-specific factors must be used to help you establish the rationale for your decisions and/or

highlight your ethical considerations.

Commented [A8]: The length of your document should not be

much greater than five pages; therefore, you will need to be concise

as you write. You do not need to reiterate all the options available to

you at decision point one. Rather, begin this section by simply

stating, “My decision at decision point #1 is…”

Please note that the options in the scenario must be taken at face

value. This means that you cannot add to them or take away from

them. Substantial points have been deducted from papers due to a

chosen option being modified to better suit the author.

Commented [A9]: Since this is a pharmacology course, your

rationale must include pharmacokinetics and/or pharmacodynamics

in order to get full credit.

Commented [A10]: The grading rubric instructs you to discuss

your ethical considerations at each decision point. You can either do

this or create an additional labeled section for your ethical

considerations. Whichever option you choose, you must clearly

label/identify your ethical considerations. (For example, “My

ethical considerations are…”) I will not search through your

document to find content that qualifies as ethical considerations.

Commented [A11]: For example, if you identify the client’s

gender as one of your patient-specific factors in your introduction,

then you must come “full-circle” and specifically state how the

client’s gender impacted your decisions or ethical considerations.

Decision Point #2

The format of this section is similar to the format of the section for decision point #1.

The results of your decision at decision point #1 will lead you to three new options at decision

point #2. After briefly stating the results of your decision at decision point #1, you must clearly

state the decision you made at decision point #2 in this first paragraph. Then you must continue

on with this section as shown in decision point #1.

Decision point #3

The results of your decision at decision point #2 will lead you to three new options at

decision point #3. After briefly stating the results of your decision at decision point #2, you must

clearly state the decision you made at decision point #3 in this first paragraph. Then you must

continue on with this section as shown in decision point #1.

Ethical Considerations

If you did not identify and discuss your ethical considerations within the previous

sections, then you will need to include this labeled section on ethical considerations. No matter

where you discuss ethics, you should consider the ethics related to treatment and not diagnosis.

This is a pharmacology course; therefore, we are focusing our attention on treatment.

Furthermore, we must also be client-centered. Rather than discuss ethics in general, you must

consider ethics as it applies to the specific client in your case.

Conclusion

The conclusion section should clearly summarize each of your decisions. You should not

introduce new ideas in this paragraph; the conclusion should summarize what you have already

written and what it means in the bigger picture.

Commented [A12]: Be brief! Remember, the length of your

document should not be much greater than five pages; therefore, you

will need to be concise as you write.

Commented [A13]: At the end of the decision tree assignment,

there is a section entitled “Guidance to Student.” This information

may or may not be appropriate for you to use in your paper.

However, if you choose to use this information in your paper, you

must paraphrase as always and search to find another valid source as

a reference. You cannot use the information in the case study as your

rationale.

Instructors reserve the right to deduct 10% for academic writing

concerns involving paraphrasing and improper citations/references.

Commented [A14]: Optional

Commented [A15]: What was your decision at decision point

#1? What was your decision at decision point #2? What was your

decision at decision point #3? All three of these questions must be

answered. In order to get full credit for the conclusion section, you

must also briefly summarize the rationale for your ultimate decision.

However, I do NOT require you to restate your rationale for opting

out of the options that you did not choose.

It is important for me to mention again that your writing should be

referenced with in-text citations that also appear in your full

reference list (see next page). Your writing must also be

paraphrased and not quoted. Failure to properly reference and/or

paraphrase may result in either: an academic integrity inquiry for

plagiarism or a 10% point deduction for lack of originality.

Commented [A16]: After you have finished writing your

document, you should reread it three times to verify coverage of

required content and to identify issues with clarity, redundancy,

typographical errors, and citations/references. The final draft of your

paper should be submitted to Turnitin, and it should also be

submitted for grading. Resubmissions are not allowed after the

deadline has passed; therefore, you must be sure that the document

you submit is the final version of your document.

References

Journal Article; Two Authors; DOI

Leplante, J. P. & Nolin, C. (2014). Consultas and socially responsible investing in Guatemala: A

case study examining Maya perspectives on the Indigenous right to free, prior, and

informed consent. Society & Natural Resources, 27(4), 231–248.

https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2013.861554

Journal Article, Two Authors; URL

Eaton, T. V., & Akers, M. D. (20007). Whistleblowing and good governance. CPA Journal,

77(6), 66–71. http://archives.cpajournal.com/2007/607/essentials/p58.htm

Journal Article, More Than Twenty Authors; DOI

Wiskunde, B., Arslan, M., Fischer, P., Nowak, L., Van den Berg, O., Coetzee, L., Juárez, U.,

Riyaziyyat, E., Wang, C., Zhang, I., Li, P., Yang, R., Kumar, B., Xu, A., Martinez, R.,

McIntosh, V., Ibáñez, L. M., Mäkinen, G., Virtanen, E., . . . Kovács, A. (2019). Indie pop

rocks mathematics: Twenty One Pilots, Nicolas Bourbaki, and the empty set. Journal of

Improbable Mathematics, 27(1), 1935–1968. https://doi.org/xxx/xxxxxx

Book; One Author

Weinstein, J. A. (2019). Social change (3rd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.

Book; Chapter in an Edited Book

Christensen, L. (2020). For my people: Celebrating community through poetry. In B. Bigelow,

B. Harvey, S. Karp, & L. Miller (Eds.), Rethinking our classrooms: Teaching for equity

and justice (Vol. 2; pp. 16–17). Rethinking Schools.

Commented [A17]: Please note that the following references are

intended as examples only. List your own references in alphabetical

order. Also, these illustrate different types of references; you are

responsible for any citations not included in this list. In your paper,

be sure every reference entry matches a citation, and every citation

refers to an item in the reference list.

Professional Organization Web page

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Back to school.

https://www.cdc.gov/features/teens-back-to-school/index.html

Professional Organization Book

American Nurses Association. (2010). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.).

Two or more works by same author in the same year

Wall, S. (2018a). Effects of friendship on children’s behavior. Journal of Social Psychology,

4(1), 101–105.

Wall, S. (2018b). Trials of parenting adolescents with deviant behaviors. Journal of Child

Psychology, 4(12), 161–167.

Government Article

National Institute of Mental Health. (1990). Clinical training in serious mental illness (DHHS

Publication No. ADM 90-1679). U.S. Government Printing Office.

Lecture Notes

Health effects of exposure to forest fires [Lecture notes]. (2019). Walden University Blackboard.

https://class.waldenu.edu

Personal Communication (Only Goes in Body of Paper and not in References)

Video

Walden University. (2009). Title of video here [Video]. Walden University Blackboard.

https://class.waldenu.edu

Television (Audio)

Important, I. M. (Producer). (1990, November 1). The nightly news hour [TV series episode].

Central Broadcasting Service.

APA Resources

You have other several options to assist you in the formulation of your reference page.

• Your American Psychological Association (APA) Manual is your best reference

resource. Use the current edition with a copyright date of 2020.

• The Walden Writing Center also a great place for referencing advice at

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa/references.

• Citation and reference examples are provided in the ‘BSN TOP Ten References and

Citations” handout found in the Writing Resources tab of the course. This document

covers the 10 most commonly used reference and citation formats. You are responsible

for looking up any that are not included on this list.