Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health
The IOM published report, “Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” makes recommendations for lifelong learning and achieving higher levels of education.
In 1,000-1,100 words, examine the importance of nursing education and discuss your overall educational goals.
Include the following:
1.Discuss your options in the job market based on your educational level.
2.Review the IOM Future of Nursing Recommendations for achieving higher levels of education. Describe what professional certification and advanced degrees (MSN, DNP, etc.) you want to pursue and explain your reasons for wanting to attain the education. Discuss your timeline for accomplishing these goals.
3.Discuss how increasing your level of education would affect how your competitiveness in the current job market and your role in the future of nursing.
4.Discuss the relationship of continuing nursing education to competency, attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics.
5.Discuss whether continuing nursing education should be mandatory. Provide support for your response.
You are required to cite a minimum of three sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA 7 Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
Sample Paper
Nursing Education
Nursing education plays a critical role in preparing professionals to advance the quality of care. It ensures that the professionals are updated on the current trends in care provision. Education also sets a framework for nurses to deliver safe and quality patient care in the diverse workforce. This paper explores the importance of nursing education in advancing the profession.
Options in the Job Market
As a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) student, several options are available in the job market. These include taking roles such as charge nurse, nurse case manager, bedside nurses, health policy nurses, nurse informatics, clinical research nurses, forensic nurses, and nurse health clinics. One is prepared to take leadership positions and oversee operations, nursing activities, admission, discharge, and support to staff. BSN education also ensures the professional is ready to handle the healthcare needs of the patients by acting as a care administrator (Anbari & Vogelsmeier, 2018). One may also be involved in creating healthcare policies that will guide public health by working alongside policymakers in the government and healthcare sector.
BSN graduates may also become nurse informatics to advance patient care by coordinating technological aspects in healthcare such as telehealth and telemedicine and electronic medical records. Research is another area where the graduate will be involved in spurring discoveries by helping the scientists develop cures for diseases and illnesses. One may venture into the law to gather evidence on malpractices in healthcare. This includes sexual assault, elder abuse, spousal abuse, and child abuse. The professional may also work with law enforcement officials to build cases against criminals by serving as experts in court trials (Anbari & Vogelsmeier, 2018). However, this role will require the nurse to earn a Master of Science in Nursing or certificate in forensic nursing and a BSN degree.
Professional Certification and Advanced Degrees
I want to pursue different professional certificates and advanced degrees. These include Certification in Managed Care Nursing, a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS). I want to pursue a Certification in Managed Care Nursing to be well prepared to optimize healthcare delivery benefits. The certification will ensure that I can effectively and efficiently coordinate healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, healthcare benefits plans, and healthcare maintenance. This certification will also ensure that I serve as the liaison between the doctors, healthcare providers’ patients, and insurance companies.
I am dedicated to pursuing an MSN degree to advance my career by further developing skills and knowledge through theoretical classes and intense training. MSN will increase my flexibility in scheduling and allow me to take demanding management positions. It will also open ways for pursuing my DNS degree, which is my main area of interest. The DNS degree will open more opportunities in innovative research, development of new healthcare knowledge, and assumption of leadership positions to advance nursing science. The degree will help me discover revolutionary procedures and medical data to provide high-quality nursing and advanced research methods to maximize patient care. This is by identifying and correcting nursing shortcomings to transform the healthcare system.
The timeline for these degrees will be in ten years. I will first undertake the Certification in Managed Care Nursing, which will approximately take a year, including the six months for study, and the four months to do the Certification in Managed Care Nursing examinations. After this, I will proceed to my MSN degree, which will take approximately three years. The degree will open the way to pursuing DNS degree, to be completed in about three years. I will be involved in rigorous research and practice on the nursing profession and its competitiveness throughout these years.
Effects of an Increased Level of Education on the Current Job Market Competitiveness
Increased education ensures that the professional is informed on the current transformation in the healthcare system. Advancing education prepares the nurse to meet patients’ needs, advance nursing science, and function as a leader. A higher level of nurse education thus helps the nurse increase their knowledge and skills in the nursing industry, which is a competitive edge for them (Agyepong & Okyere, 2018). This is because a higher level of education sets the foundation for nurses to improve patient care by using evidence to increase their awareness of community health and make better healthcare decisions which are some of the most sought elements in the nursing profession.
Continuing Nursing Educations and its Relationship to Nursing Aspects
Continuing nursing education increases nurses’ competency in the daily provision of care. The professionals are prepared to adopt evidence in the healthcare setting, ensuring that the delivery of care is centered towards the unique needs of patients (Fukada, 2018). The nurse also gains competencies in applying nursing theories in clinical decisions and actions. Continuing education also increases the professionals’ competence in care administration, reducing preventable mistakes and errors. It significantly impacts nurses’ attitudes towards accuracy and efficiency in clinical diagnosis. It equips the professionals with critical thinking and reasoning skills, which effectively improves the practice nurses’ attitude in diagnostic decision-making. Nurses gain essential information on the profession, which may help them shift their attitude and nursing practice (Fukada, 2018). These include altering thinking and attitudes on the different cultural considerations in the caring process.
Continuing education advances the professionals’ knowledge critical in providing standardized diagnosis and care to promote accuracy and competency in formulating care plans. Education also prepares the professionals to understand nursing diagnosis, interventions, and patient outcomes (Fukada, 2018). Also, continuing nursing education ensures that the professionals are conversant with the American Nurses Association (ANA) Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics. The different complexities associated with the scope of practice are made clear, and these professionals are prepared to adopt ethics in the daily nursing practice (Fukada, 2018). They recognize and appreciate the specialty of nursing standards and practice in serving the interests of patients in the healthcare system.
Whether Continuing Nursing Education should be Mandatory
Continuing nursing education should be made mandatory. This is due to the dynamism being experienced in the healthcare sector. Every day, new policies and programs are being introduced in healthcare. Therefore, professionals should be conversant with these changes (Mlambo et al., 2021). Making continuing nursing education mandatory will ensure that the professionals are informed on the different transformations in the healthcare system, supporting advanced are provision goals.
Conclusion
Nursing education has played a critical role in advancing the profession to meet the diverse needs of each patient. Nurses are prepared to work in the evolving and complex healthcare system by collaborating with other professionals. Therefore, it is essential to encourage nurses on the need for continuing nursing education, which sets the framework for advancing patient care and outcome.
References
Agyepong, E. B., & Okyere, E. D. (2018). Analysis of the concept of continuing education in nursing education. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 5(1). http://jmsnew.iobmresearch.com/index.php/joeed/article/view/149
Anbari, A. B., & Vogelsmeier, A. (2018). Associate degree in nursing-to-bachelor of science in nursing graduates’ education and their perceived ability to keep patients safe. Journal of Nursing Education, 57(5), 300-303. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20180420-09
Fukada, M. (2018). Nursing competency: Definition, structure and development. Yonago acta medica, 61(1), 001-007. https://doi.org/10.33160/yam.2018.03.001
Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a metasynthesis of the literature. BMC nursing, 20(1), 1-13. https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2
