Writing for publication: supporting the neonatal nurse practitioner student

Our ultimate goal with this manuscript preparation course is twofold. First, our purpose is to encourage nurses to examine and apply the published evidence available on a selected clinical topic in the hopes that this will be incorporated into a pattern of lifelong learning for the individual. Second, this process encourages students to share their knowledge with other professionals, thereby advancing the scientific knowledge available for nursing practice. These are key components of the advanced practice nursing role and graduate students need mentoring during their education to be successful in the future. Students (and faculty!) find this course challenging but rewarding and the vast majority of students end up with a published manuscript. Although not all students appreciate the challenges, the majority of students are proud of what they have accomplished despite the intense amount of work. Final comments from several students include: I was never more proud of the work you made me accomplish." "I can't believe it is done! How exciting." "Thank you so much for all of your help and guidance. This has been a rewarding experience to see the progression of the manuscript...." "I did find this course to be challenging to say the least!" "I can honestly say that this semester was one of the most challenging, but most rewarding projects that I have done so far in grad school. And yes, I promise never to use secondary sources and give credit to authors in the rest of my work!"