MSN Program Synthesis Paper

In the last Practicum of each specialty, students will submit a formal Synthesis Paper that documents achievement of both the MSN degree outcomes and the competencies in the selected area of specialty. The overall purpose of the MSN Synthesis Paper and e-Portfolio is to provide graduate students the opportunity to reflect on and validate their achievement of the MSN program outcomes and specialty competencies. The MSN e-Portfolio is a compilation of the graduate student's professional and academic achievements while enrolled in the MSN program. The combination of the e-Portfolio and the Synthesis Paper provides evidence of the student's academic achievement, credentials earned, clinical and educational competence, and contributions to the profession.

Synthesis Paper Submission Guidelines

Synthesis Papers are scholarly papers in which the student addresses how the MSN outcomes and specialty competencies were met throughout the program. The MSN e-Portfolio and Synthesis Paper are complementary to one another. In the Synthesis Paper, students will write about their accomplishments, outcome by outcome, and correlate the elements students address in the Synthesis Papers with the documents placed in the electronic MSN e-Portfolio. The mentor who grades the paper will read what each student has written about the MSN outcomes, and then look for the evidence in the e-Portfolio.

The Synthesis Paper and the MSN e-Portfolio are handed in together on the Monday of the fourth week of the final Practicum courses. Dates may be adjusted for holiday Mondays. The submission dates are:

• January 26, 2015
• April 27, 2015

Papers are submitted to the grade book of the final Practicum course via the submission link. A hard copy of the paper and a jump drive or cd of the electronic portfolio should be mailed to the following address:

Graduate Program Specialist
W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing
Thomas Edison State University
101 W. State St.
Trenton, NJ 08608-1176

Questions regarding the paper can be directed to the email box or via a HelpDesk ticket to the nursing advisor.

Guidelines for the Synthesis Paper can be found here.