The American Nurse Documentary Reflection Paper: APA Writing Guide for Nursing Students

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The American Nurse Documentary

Watch the movie the American Nurse (2013) and then address the prompts below. Do not use AI in

completing this assignment. Paper should be in APA style (4 and half-5 pages excluding title and

reference pages).

Purpose: Explore the challenges faced by five (5) nurses in diverse practice settings as they care

for patients and families. Examine how these nurses strive ethical and social justice principles as

they strive to meet the needs of those for whom they care.

1. Summarize your impressions of each nurse in the movie. Include reflections about the chosen

practice setting of each nurse.

2. Compare and contrast professional role expectations and challenges across the practice

settings of the five (5) nurses in the movie.

3. Which of these five (5) settings or patient populations would present the greatest challenge

for you both personally and professionally? Explain the rationale for your choice. Using

social justice principles, describe what you would need to be able to provide holistic,

compassionate, and ethical care.

4. Explain how your values support your ability to meet the holistic needs (physical, mental,

and spiritual) of individual, families, groups, and communities.

Movie Assignment Rubric

Summarized impressions of each of the five (5) nurses highlighted in the movie. Describe the chosen practice setting and patient population needs. 15 points

Compared and contrasted professional role expectations for each setting in the movie. 25 points

Identified the practice setting or population that is personally and professionally most challenging. Explained why setting and population are so challenging. Identified social justice principles needed for provision of holistic, compassionate, and ethical care. 30 points

Explained how personal values supported ability to provide nursing care for the total patient needs (physical, mental, spiritual). 20 points

 

Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!

Step-by-Step Tutor Guide for Writing This Paper

Step 1: Prepare Before You Write

  • Watch The American Nurse actively, not passively.

  • Take notes for each nurse, focusing on:

    • Practice setting

    • Patient population

    • Ethical challenges

    • Emotional and social demands

  • Keep the rubric beside you—it tells you exactly how points are earned.

Step 2: Set Up Your APA Paper Correctly

Your paper should include:

  1. Title Page (APA 7th edition)

  2. Introduction (½–1 page)

  3. Body Sections (organized by prompts)

  4. Conclusion

  5. References Page

Use:

  • 12-point Times New Roman

  • Double spacing

  • 1-inch margins

  • Page numbers in the header

Step 3: Write a Strong Introduction

In your introduction:

  • Briefly introduce The American Nurse documentary

  • State the purpose of your paper

  • Preview the main themes: diverse nursing roles, ethical care, and social justice

👉 Tip: Do not summarize the entire movie here—save details for the body.

Step 4: Address Prompt #1 – Impressions of Each Nurse

Create clear subsections for each nurse.

For each one:

  • Describe the practice setting

  • Identify the patient population

  • Share your impression of the nurse’s role, strengths, and challenges

  • Reflect on why this setting is meaningful or demanding

👉 Stay descriptive and reflective—this is about understanding their work, not judging it.

Step 5: Address Prompt #2 – Compare and Contrast Roles

This section should be analytical, not repetitive.

Focus on:

  • Differences in responsibilities

  • Emotional and ethical challenges

  • Level of autonomy

  • Environmental stressors

Use:

  • Compare/contrast language (e.g., similarly, in contrast, unlike)

  • Examples from the documentary

👉 Avoid summarizing nurses again—compare their roles, not their biographies.

Step 6: Address Prompt #3 – Personal & Professional Challenge

Choose one setting or population.

Explain:

  • Why it would challenge you personally

  • Why it would challenge you professionally

  • Emotional, ethical, or cultural difficulties involved

Then apply social justice principles, such as:

  • Equity

  • Advocacy

  • Respect for human dignity

  • Access to care

👉 Connect these principles to holistic, compassionate, and ethical nursing care.

Step 7: Address Prompt #4 – Personal Values & Holistic Care

This is your reflection section.

Discuss:

  • Your personal values (e.g., empathy, respect, integrity)

  • How those values support care for:

    • Physical needs

    • Mental/emotional needs

    • Spiritual needs

  • Care of individuals, families, and communities

👉 Be reflective but professional—use examples without oversharing.

Step 8: Write a Thoughtful Conclusion

Summarize:

  • What the documentary taught you about nursing

  • How it shaped your understanding of ethical and social justice care

  • How it influences your future nursing practice

Do not introduce new ideas here.

Step 9: Use Scholarly References

Include:

  • The documentary

  • Nursing ethics or social justice sources

  • APA-formatted references

Helpful Academic & Nursing Resources

 

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