NURS 220 Week 7 Self-Plan of Care Paper Example

Reviewed by Rachel Stanton, MSN, RN · Liberty University · Updated

This NURS 220 Week 7 sample is a complete self-plan of care of about 430 words in which a BSN student states their value in God's eyes and sets out specific ways to care for themselves through nursing school. It grounds personal worth in Scripture rather than grades, borrows the course textbook's principle that people must first work on themselves before they can hold good conversations with others and names four concrete practices: protected sleep, a weekly Sabbath afternoon, a ten-minute daily walk and one honest conversation a week with a trusted friend about how they are really doing. A short evidence note shows that new nurses use self-regulation skills when taught them. Liberty University NURS 220 sets this 40-point paper, required with title page, abstract and references, in Module/Week 7.

CourseNURS 220 Advanced Nursing Communication (NURS220)
Module/Week7
AssignmentSelf-Plan of Care Paper
Paper typeSelf-plan of care paper of 400 to 500 words
Lengthabout 429 words, 2 double-spaced pages plus title page and references. Course guide: a 400 to 500 word paper in current APA format communicating the student's value in God's eyes and specific ways the student will care for themselves, reflecting and citing principles from the textbook and biblical integration; title page, abstract and reference page required but not counted
FormatAPA 7 student paper
Points40
SchoolLiberty University Online
ProgramBSN
Where it sitsModule/Week 7 in Liberty's published NURS 220 course guide; current sections can differ
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for NURS 220 Week 7

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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: A Nursing Student's Self-Plan of Care

 

[Student Name]

School of Nursing, Liberty University

NURS 220: Advanced Nursing Communication

Self-Plan of Care Paper

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

 

The writer's habits and schedule are composites; the textbook, Scripture and the journal article cited are real.

Why this part earns its pointsThe paper begins with worth rather than practices, because the guide asks for value in God's eyes first and the practices depend on it.
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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: A Nursing Student's Self-Plan of Care

My Value in God's Eyes

For most of my first year in nursing school, I measured my worth by my last exam score. A 92 made me feel capable; a 74 made me feel like a fraud. Scripture offers a different measure. The psalmist writes, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016, Psalm 139:14), and Paul reminds believers that "you are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). My value was settled before I took any exam, and my body is something to steward, not to spend without limit.

Starting With Myself

Patterson et al. (2012) teach that holding good conversations begins with working on oneself first, because the only person we can directly control is ourselves. I have found the same is true of caring for others. When I am exhausted and anxious, I am short with classmates and quick to tell myself unkind stories about them. Caring for myself is not selfish; it is part of being ready to care well for patients, peers and family.

Why this part earns its pointsEach practice is given a time and a form, which turns the plan into something that can be checked a month from now.
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My Plan

Sleep: I will protect seven hours of sleep on school nights by stopping study at 10:30 p.m., even before exams, since tired studying has never helped my scores.

Sabbath: I will keep Sunday afternoon free of coursework for worship, rest and time with my family.

Movement: I will take a ten-minute walk outside each day, usually after lunch, as a short reset. Simple self-regulation skills can become habits: in one residency program, most new nurses taught a brief resiliency approach reported using the skills in the months afterward (Miller et al., 2026).

Honest conversation: Once a week I will tell one trusted friend how I am really doing, rather than answering "fine." Being known by one honest friend each week is part of my plan, not a reward for finishing it.

What Gets in the Way

Why this part earns its pointsNaming the obstacles honestly makes the plan more believable than a list of good intentions.
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The biggest threat to this plan is my own story that rest must be earned. Before an exam, I tell myself that one more hour of studying is responsible and that sleep can wait, and the result is a tired, anxious version of me who studies poorly and snaps at the people I love. A second obstacle is pride; telling a friend that I am struggling feels like admitting failure. Both are stories I can rewrite, using the same skill I am learning in this course. I will review this plan at the start of each month, adjust it when my clinical schedule changes and ask my friend to hold me to it.

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References

English Standard Version Bible. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001)

Miller, A. M., Tee, A., Giordano, N. A., Mcdermott, C., Hudson, J., & Duva, I. M. (2026). Effects of a resilience intervention within a nurse residency program. Journal of Advanced Nursing. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.70746

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.

What the NURS 220 Week 7 instructions ask

NURS 220 schedules the Self-Plan of Care Paper for Module/Week 7, along with chapters 8 through 10 of the Patterson text, three presentations, a website, the seventh worldview checkpoint and the final group presentation. The course guide asks for a 400- to 500-word paper in current APA format that communicates the student's value in God's eyes and specific ways the student will care for themselves. Principles from the textbook and biblical integration must be reflected and cited. Outside citations are not required. A title page, abstract and reference page are required but do not count toward the word total, so the body must still reach 400 words on its own.

How this NURS 220 Week 7 example is built

The sample has three short sections under APA headings. The first states the writer's value in God's eyes, with two passages of Scripture, and contrasts it with the habit of measuring worth by exam scores. The second connects a principle from the Patterson text, that dialogue starts with working on oneself, to self-care as a nursing student. The third lists four specific self-care practices, each with when and how it will happen. One optional outside source supports the plan. The paper stays within the 400- to 500-word range in the body, with the title page, abstract and references added separately.

NURS 220 Week 7 grading rubric: where the points go

Self-plan of care papers are generally graded on meeting the 400- to 500-word body length, a clear statement of the student's value in God's eyes supported by Scripture, specific and realistic self-care practices, integration and citation of textbook principles, correct APA formatting with title page, abstract and references and formal writing. Faculty look for plans that a student could actually follow, with times and frequencies, rather than general intentions such as "rest more." Biblical integration should shape the argument, not simply open or close it. Honest reflection about a real weakness, such as overwork or isolation, adds credibility. Faculty also notice whether the plan connects to the textbook, as the guide requires, and whether each practice fits the student's real schedule.

NURS 220 Week 7 help: mistakes that cost points

Start with what you believe about your worth and where it comes from, and choose Scripture that speaks to it directly. Then pick one principle from the Patterson text that applies to caring for yourself, and cite it. List three or four self-care practices that fit your actual schedule, each with a when and a how. Write in the first person and formal tone. Count only the body words and stay between 400 and 500. Include the APA title page, a short abstract and a reference page, even though they do not count toward length, and cite the Bible in APA style, naming the version you quote in both the citation and the reference.

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NURS 220 Week 7 questions, answered

What is the NURS 220 Self-Plan of Care Paper?

A 40-point Module/Week 7 paper of 400 to 500 words in APA format stating the student's value in God's eyes and specific self-care practices, with textbook principles and Scripture cited.

Where can I find a free NURS 220 Week 7 sample paper?

A complete NURS 220 Week 7 self-plan of care, with Scripture, a textbook principle and four specific practices, can be read here for free.

Does the NURS 220 Self-Plan of Care need outside sources?

No. The guide requires principles from the textbook and biblical integration, cited in APA format; outside citations are not required, though one may support a practice.

Does the title page count toward the 400 to 500 words?

No. The paper still needs its APA front matter and a list of references, but only the words in the body of the paper count toward the 400- to 500-word length.

Why does a nursing course ask for a self-care plan?

Nursing school and practice are demanding, and nurses who neglect rest, relationships and spiritual life are at risk of burnout, which affects both their health and their patients.

Use it as a model, or ask for your own

This paper is an original model written by our desk for study. It is not a submitted student paper and not an official Liberty University document. Read it for structure and reasoning, then write your own to the instructions in your Canvas course. If you want a version built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

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