Debating is defined by Kidd (2002) as a structured argument. I always thought of “an argument” as a fight, a disagreement, a right or wrong kind of scenario.  After completing this debate process I realize there does not have to be a right or wrong answer, but more so a choice of “the best answer” for the individuals involved. This could even mean that the side of the debate you agree on today may not be the side you will agree with tomorrow.  
Debate Process
	 For our debate on “Should Nurses be Credentialed in their Specialty” I was assigned the Pro side of the debate. I think this was the easier side as my audience consisted of health professionals enrolled in their Masters. Obviously this group valued continued education. I think my partner had a more difficult stance as she is an Advanced Practice Nurse working in a critical care area and a strong proponent of credentialing. 
      During my introduction I think I could have addressed or anticipated the opposing views in more detail and not have spent as much time on the history of credentialing especially considering the audience I was addressing.  I do think I was successful during my debate in regards to gaining agreement from the observers that credentialing is a worthwhile endeavor for nursing.  I could have presented more suggestions to actually help nurses eliminate or break down the barriers to credentialing as debated by my opponent. 
	At times I found myself feeling somewhat ambivalent about the topic and wanting to provide points to strengthen my opponent’s side of the debate. This was awkward and I realize most debate participants pick their topic and their side to present, not have it assigned, so this was part of the challenge of this debate process.
       In this debate and in most of the debate cases presented, I could find pros and cons for both sides and found it difficult to pick one side or the other and stick with it. It left me with the attitude that both had valid points, just which side out weighed the other? 
What Would I Do Differently?
      One thing I would do differently is to pick a different format for presenting my debate. Now that I am a little more comfortable with the debate process, I would like to come up with a more innovative debate format. Although power point is a useful presentation tool, it can be boring and with a little more time and creativity, I would try to develop something that would intrigue the reader but at the same time not lose any impact of the debate conversation. 
      I would also add some real life examples and/or personal experiences as I think they present the realty side of a debate and can be successful in gaining support for your argument.
Conclusion
      Overall I found this to be a very worthwhile learning experience. I had to present a difficult topic in a respectful but forceful format in order to make my points.  I enjoyed reading people’s feedback and found that most people were like me, and agreed with points on both sides of the debate. No one side was right or wrong, just maybe “a better choice” for that person on that day.
O Wrap up
I was not afraid of the debate format but thought it a great opportunity to argue or to convince others of your point of view in a formal manner. I find in today’s healthcare everyone is striving for a little something and it never hurts to learn to be persuasive in a positive, formal, structured format. I don’t think I have participated in a formal debate structure ever, so a great learning opportunity.   
A little anxiety over being early to present but then also knew I could sit back and enjoy the rest of the debates once mine was completed.  Julie and I made contact early and came up with a plan so that helped alleviate some of the anxiety.  
I was a little worried about the forcefulness of my debate and didn’t want to come across as pushy, but still wanting to get my views and research across in relation to nursing certification. It was a pretty easy topic to research and presenting in a learning environment provided me a little confidence that others would support additional learning for nurses. 
I was a little unsure at the beginning of the debates as I thought some of the directions were a little vague, as to when to respond to others posts, pros and cons and rebuttals, but X did clear that up with a news forum post.  
The self evaluation let me explore some of the feelings I am discussing here and to share them with the instructor and myself through reflection. 
I still have a lot of learn about debating but feel I have a good start to the process. It was a great learning strategy as the topics were varied, interesting, and allowed for participant interaction. 
Thanks to all, and Merry Christmas