what it means to be an “expert” in Nursing

English 102: Rhetoric
Purpose: Using your analysis of Tom Nichols’ portrait of expertise from Death of Expertise as a means to establish the significance of building expertise, this essay should include discussion of what it means to be an “expert” in your major field of study. “My field of study is nursing.”
Your objective in this assignment should be to evaluate how an expert in your field establishes such expertise. You should evaluate a series of texts/articles published in the major journals of your field (should, indeed, discover what those major journals/publishers are) and write an essay in which you evaluate how expertise is created–and valued. Who gets published, and how? What rhetorical, stylistic, and content choices do these writers make to establish expertise? What pathway(s) do people need to take in order to become an expert in your field? After analyzing several texts, what does an expert look like in your major field of study?
Students who are undecided about a major should choose an academic field in which they find some sort of interest. Students with shared majors/fields can collaborate in their research. Please feel free to interview experts you know in your field (in your work life, or your professors on campus) as well to see how expertise is created and maintained.
Assignment: Compose an argument of at least 1500 words. Minimum of 5 sources. At least 3 sources must be from the academic databases. Make sure to cite Death of Expertise, but it does not count toward one of your 5 sources from research.
Format/Medium/Layout: You will submit a formal college essay with MLA headings, headers, title, font, format and spacing, along with a Works Cited page.

Purpose:
Comprehend, analyze, and critique a variety of texts including academic discourse

Genre:
Demonstrate appropriate conventions of written English
Use correct MLA format for quotations, in-line citations, and citing the source essay
Apply the strategies and conventions of argumentation with sources

Medium/Design:
Use technology effectively and correctly to complete written assignments

Audience:
Apply conventions of writing for academic discourse, including appropriate voice, person, and diction