Position Paper Written Assignment
A position paper is a document you could present to a legislator to seek support for an issue you endorse. Present your position on a current health-care issue in a one-page paper, following the assignment guidelines below. You can select your issue topic from newspapers, national news magazine articles, professional journals, or professional association literature; and this can be the topic you choose for your ethical issues debate.
Your position paper should:
- Be quickly and easily understood.
- Be succinct and clear.
- Appear very professional with the legislator’s name and title on top and your name and your credentials at the bottom.
- Condense essential information in one, single-spaced page, excluding the title and reference list pages.
- Be written using correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and APA format.
- Clearly describe the issue that you are addressing in the opening paragraph.
- Include 3–4 bullet points regarding why you are seeking the legislator’s vote, support, or opposition. Bullet points should be clear and concise but not repetitive and should reflect current literature that substantiates your position.
- Summarize the implications for the nursing profession and/or patients.
- Conclude with two recommendations that you wish to see happen related to your issue, such as a vote for or against, a change in policy, or the introduction of new legislation.
- Use APA format (6th ed.), correct grammar, and references as appropriate.
The literature you cite must be from peer-reviewed journals and primary source information. You may use this paper as preliminary research for your ethical issues debate project that occurs in weeks 4-7.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor, one of the assignments I would give to medical college students would be to write a position paper on a current health-care issue. This assignment would require the students to present their position on an issue they endorse in a succinct, clear, and professional one-page document that could be presented to a legislator to seek support. The position paper should include a description of the issue, reasons for seeking the legislator’s vote, support, or opposition, implications for the nursing profession and patients, and recommendations related to the issue.
Answer:
The position paper assignment is an excellent tool for medical college students to develop their research, writing, and communication skills about critical health-care issues affecting society. One of the benefits of this assignment is that students are encouraged to explore current literature that substantiates their position, providing them with an opportunity to learn about current research within the field. Furthermore, this assignment is an excellent way for students to become engaged with the legislative process regarding healthcare.
To effectively complete this assignment, students must conduct thorough research to develop their understanding of the issue they choose. They should also use appropriate referencing, such as citing peer-reviewed journals and primary source information in APA format 6th ed. This demonstrates their ability to demonstrate critical thinking and provides a basis for robust debate. The position paper should be succinct, clear, and easily understood, demonstrating their writing skills and the ability to communicate effectively.
In conclusion, the position paper assignment provides an excellent opportunity for medical college students to showcase their ability to critically analyze a healthcare issue and showcase their writing, research, and communication skills. This assignment serves as the basis for an ethical issues debate project that occurs in weeks four to seven, allowing students to delve more in-depth into their selected topic.
