1. What is the difference between a topic sentence and a thesis statement? Provide an example of each in the context of nursing. - A topic sentence is the main idea of a paragraph that supports the thesis statement, while a thesis statement is the main argument or claim of an essay that guides the entire paper. For example, a thesis statement could be "Nursing is a rewarding but challenging profession that requires compassion, critical thinking and communication skills." A topic sentence could be "One of the essential skills for nurses is compassion, which enables them to empathize with their patients and provide holistic care." 2. What are some strategies to avoid plagiarism in academic writing? Explain why plagiarism is unethical and unprofessional in nursing. - Some strategies to avoid plagiarism are: citing sources properly using a consistent citation style, paraphrasing or summarizing information in your own words, using quotation marks for direct quotes, and checking your work with plagiarism detection software. Plagiarism is unethical and unprofessional in nursing because it violates the academic integrity and honesty of the writer, it disrespects the original authors and their intellectual property, and it undermines the credibility and quality of nursing research and practice. 3. What are some types of transitions that can be used to improve the coherence and flow of an essay? Provide an example of each type in the context of nursing. - Some types of transitions are: temporal transitions, which indicate the order or sequence of events or actions (e.g., first, next, then, finally); causal transitions, which show the cause and effect or reason and result of a situation (e.g., because, therefore, as a result); contrastive transitions, which highlight the differences or oppositions between two ideas or points (e.g., however, on the other hand, in contrast); additive transitions, which add or emphasize more information or examples (e.g., moreover, furthermore, for instance); and conclusive transitions, which signal the end or summary of an argument or discussion (e.g., in conclusion, to sum up, in short). 4. What are some common grammatical errors that can affect the clarity and accuracy of an essay? Provide an example of each error and how to correct it in the context of nursing. - Some common grammatical errors are: subject-verb agreement, which means that the subject and verb must agree in number and person (e.g., The nurse *is* responsible for *his or her* patients' well-being. NOT The nurse *are* responsible for *their* patients' well-being.); pronoun-antecedent agreement, which means that the pronoun must agree in number, gender and case with its antecedent (e.g., A nurse should always check *his or her* medication before administering it to a patient. NOT A nurse should always check *their* medication before administering it to a patient.); comma splices, which occur when two independent clauses are joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction (e.g., Nursing is a demanding profession, it requires dedication and resilience. NOT Nursing is a demanding profession; it requires dedication and resilience. OR Nursing is a demanding profession, and it requires dedication and resilience.); and run-on sentences, which occur when two or more independent clauses are joined without punctuation or conjunctions (e.g., Nurses need to communicate effectively with patients doctors colleagues they also need to document their actions and observations clearly. NOT Nurses need to communicate effectively with patients, doctors, and colleagues. They also need to document their actions and observations clearly.)