| Course | NURS 220 Advanced Nursing Communication (NURS220) |
|---|---|
| Credit hours | 3 |
| Program | BSN |
| Length | 8 Module/Weeks, online |
| Weeks with written work | 8 of 8 |
| Samples on this site | 8 week sample papers |
| Sources | Liberty's 2026-2027 catalog and the published NURS 220 course guide |
| Updated | October 2026 |
What NURS 220 covers
The textbooks are Patterson and colleagues' guide to talking when stakes are high, read a chapter or two each module/week, and the APA Publication Manual. Four short interactive exercises build the parts of an APA paper before the draft and final versions, and an APA quiz closes the course.
Forum threads are at least 250 words in formal language with one peer-reviewed source, either the textbook or journal research published within five years, while both peer replies need 150 words and a source of their own. Weekly worldview checkpoints run at least 250 words, the concise writing assignment is held tightly to 250 to 300 words and the APA paper runs 1,000 to 1,500 words with five recent peer-reviewed sources.
It is essential that professional nurses have communication skills that are effective in promoting optimal interaction with others in a variety of situations. This course focuses on developing expert communications skills when communicating with other health care providers and patients and when communicating professional information through writing and speaking. (Formerly NURS 350)
NURS 220 week by week, with the sample for each
| Week | Written work in the course guide | Points | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Worldview Checkpoint 1 (Course Requirements Checklist, Background Check, Class Introductions and APA Title Page and Abstract exercises also due) | 5 | Read the Week 1 sample |
| Week 2 | Concise Writing Assignment (Worldview Checkpoint 2, APA Outline and Reference Page exercises and the Group Covenant also due) | 50 | Read the Week 2 sample |
| Week 3 | Discussion Board Forum 1 (Worldview Checkpoint 3, APA Paper Draft and Individual Group PowerPoint Submission also due) | 75 | Read the Week 3 sample |
| Week 4 | APA Paper Final (Worldview Checkpoint 4 and Group PowerPoint Draft also due) | 200 | Read the Week 4 sample |
| Week 5 | Discussion Board Forum 2 (Worldview Checkpoint 5 and Personal PowerPoint Presentation also due) | 75 | Read the Week 5 sample |
| Week 6 | Discussion Board Forum 3 (Worldview Checkpoint 6 and APA Paper Review and Corrections also due) | 75 | Read the Week 6 sample |
| Week 7 | Self-Plan of Care Paper (Worldview Checkpoint 7 and Group PowerPoint Final also due) | 40 | Read the Week 7 sample |
| Week 8 | Discussion Board Forum 4 (Worldview Checkpoint 8 and APA Quiz also due) | 75 | Read the Week 8 sample |
Where NURS 220 papers lose points
Work in NURS 220 loses points when the concise essay runs over or under its word range, when forum sources are older than five years or not peer reviewed, when the APA paper misses level headings, a title page, an abstract or a correct reference page and when posts use the book's terms without showing how a conversation would actually go.
Using a NURS 220 sample well
The forum samples follow one student practicing the book's skills in clinical and personal settings, so each thread shows a skill in a real exchange. Use your own conversations and the chapter assigned each week; the samples show how to tie a skill to evidence in the word counts the course enforces.
NURS 220 questions, answered
What textbooks does NURS 220 use?
Patterson, Grenny, McMillan and Switzler's guide to conversations when stakes are high (2nd edition, 2012) and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
How long is the NURS 220 concise writing assignment?
Between 250 and 300 words in current APA format, on the impact of spiritual care suited to a patient's religious and cultural preferences; the length limits are tightly enforced.
What sources count in NURS 220 forums?
The textbook or a scholarly journal article published within the last five years; the Bible may be used but does not count as the required peer-reviewed source.
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