GENRE ANALYSIS MWA 3

What is genre? Genre is “a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content.” A composition can be in any genre whether it be an essay, website, article, book, film, journal, blog, speech, or almost anything else you can think of.

Genre Analysis For this genre analysis I will be analyzing two genres that address the topic of Nursing. A documentary titled Lifeline: the Nursing Diaries A blog entry from a site titled “Salary Data for Registered Nurses” by Brendon Barnett I will address several aspects of each genre. Audience Message Rhetorical elements I will then compare the two to figure out which genre is the most beneficial and effective.

Documentary Lifeline: The Nursing Diaries Director: Richard Kahn. CBS Broadcasting, DVD. You can watch the documentary series in sections at xw4QRsTjg Summary “This is an engaging documentary that shows autonomous nursing actions that the media commonly ignores or assigns to physicians, including life-saving interventions, patient education and family support. Lifeline: The Nursing Diaries, a production of Discovery Health and CBS News Productions, gives an unusually good sense of the real value of skilled nursing, but avoids fostering stereotypes of nurses as handmaidens or angels.”

Blog Entry “ Salary Data for Registered Nurses” Author: Brendon Barnett Publisher: Kathy Quan Site: Summary The blog entry “Salary Data for Registered Nurses” is an excellent source of information for anyone interested in entering the Nursing field. Barnett provides detailed information about what a Registered Nurse can expect to make in different states and areas, as well as the shortage of nurses in the nation.

MESSAGE

Message Lifeline: The Nursing Diaries Filmed real-life situations Surgeries and procedures Everyday tasks Patient-nurse relationships/communicati on Hospital environment Medical vocabulary “Salary Data for Registered Nurses” Nursing information and data Becoming a registered nurse Registered nurse salary Employment rates Top paying states Top paying metropolitan areas RN and Nursing job shortage

AUDIENCE

Audience Lifeline: The Nursing Diaries An audience interested in Reality Action packed drama Raw experiences On site experiences Medical field register and jargon “Salary Data for Registered Nurses” An audience interested in Monetary benefits Outlined Organized format Paragraph headings Clear data and facts Informal but informative Common vocabulary Graphs and charts

RHETORICAL ELEMENTS

Rhetorical Elements An ethos based argument is used to convince the audience of the speaker’s credibility or character. A pathos based argument is used to persuade an audience by appealing to their emotions. A logos based argument is an appeal to logic to persuade an audience by reason.

Rhetorical Elements Lifeline: The Nursing Diaries Methods of persuasion: Ethos and pathos Ethos Credible information comes directly from Registered Nurses Shows the character of a nurse Pathos Filmed tragedies and complicated medical situations that allow the audience to understand what nurses go through on a daily basis “Salary Data for Registered Nurses” Method of persuasion: Logos Statistics Data Numbers Graphs Facts Research Maps

Overview The message of both sources possess the same characteristics Informative Credible Information essential to anyone deciding on whether to become a nurse The intended audiences are similar for both genres and both address an audience That has taken an interest in nursing, either to become one or to increase their knowledge on the subject That is trusting both sources to address their informational needs in an accurate and clear manner Both genres use rhetorical elements such as ethos, pathos, and logos The documentary appeals to ethos and pathos by filming real nurses at work and having to deal with tough situation The blog takes more of a logos approach by providing realities when discussing the salary of nurses in the United States

Genre Analysis Which genre is the most effective source of information: blog entry or documentary? After contemplating on the analysis of the two genres, I have come to the conclusion that the documentary is most effective in relating information on nursing to the audience. The blog is a great source for anyone interested in the monetary aspects of the nursing field, but the documentary covers everything else the audience is seeking. Because the documentary takes such an intimate look at the everyday tasks and routines of a nurse, it is the best source to show an aspiring nurse what they are in for.

Works Cited All Slides Barnett, Brendon. "Salary Data For Registered Nurses." The Nursing Site Blog. Kathy Quan, 21 Apr Web. 20 Apr Nursing Diaries. Dir. Richard Kahn. Perf. Richard Kahn. CBS Broadcasting, DVD Scanlon, Janae. “MWA 3 - Genre Analysis.” University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, Print. Slide 1 "Genre." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 12 May Slide 4 Summers, Harry Jacobs. "Lifeline: Nursing Diaries." The Truth About Nursing. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May