Graduate Study Challenge Paper

The new graduate nurses (NGN) are faced with various issues and challenges especially in their first year of nursing practice. The period of transition from a student to a graduate nurse is a demanding period that is filled with new experiences and there are several concerns and factors that can affect the transition process. The research into the issues has recommended some strategies that can be utilised to ease the transition process from being a student to a professional practicing nurse. Exhaustion, reality shock and time management are some of the factors and issues that the new graduate might encounter during their first year in their career.

In my current role as a nurse educator I feel the desire to pursue my dream of obtaining a master’s degree, specializing in nursing education. It has been 27 years since I have sat in the student chair in a classroom; therefore, I anticipate a number of challenges and barriers to overcome. In this paper I will present and describe three challenges that I expect to be faced with over the next two years. I will also discuss the strategies I plan to use to address these challenges.

During exam prep, students should review notes and keywords, and clear up confusing concepts (Kaplan, n.d.). Knowing what kind of test the student is preparing for will help to determine if concepts should be broad or more detailed and focused (Billings, 2007). Students should pay attention to their physical health by eating well and getting regular exercise (Kaplan, n.d.). One of the best ways for students to ensure their mental health and to reduce test taking anxiety is to be over-prepared for the test (Nugent and Vitale, 2016).

With an ever-increasing body of knowledge in the field of nursing, more education is being required to enter the field of nursing. Many healthcare institutions are raising the educational requirements in order to become employed or maintain employment in their facilities. Healthcare organizations are transitioning to hiring registered nurses (RN) who have a higher level of education, such as, a graduate from a Baccalaureate Degree Nursing (BSN) program. The goal of these institutions is to have nurses with a broader array of skills that can meet the growing demands of our patient population. BSN prepared nurses are recognized for their well-rounded skills in critical thinking, management, case management and health promotion versus Associate Degree nurses (ADN)/Diploma nurses that focus on direct patient care.

In 2008 the Alliance for Advanced Practice Credentialing and the National Council of State Board of Nursing published specific masters educational, accreditation, licensure, credentialing, certification processes. The masters educational, accreditation, licensure, credentialing, certifications are based on a set of values steps to practice will ensure that NPs have the skills training to place themselves to serve an fundamental role in national health care reform (Graduate NursingEDU,

Over the last several years, the majority of graduating medical students (90%) has been focused on careers in specialized care. (Pickert, 2009) This is because they will make more money in comparison with doctors that are working in a primary care environment. As a result, a shortage has developed with many health care providers turning to Nurse Practitioners. These are nurses with some kind of advanced degree in Nursing. Their job is to diagnose / treat patients and prescribe medication. To fully understand what is happening requires looking at how this trend is having an impact on accountability, quality, costs / health promotion and risk reduction. These different

Key Message #2: “Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression.” (Institute of Medicine, 2010, p. 163) As the IOM reports, changes in the health care system are requiring major changes in the nursing education requirements to meet the immediate needs of our patients. Nurses need to understand the importance of obtaining a higher level of education so that they can practice to their fullest

For instance, in 2014, Hain and Fleck discuss some of the barriers that nurse practitioners including Family Nurse Practitioners, in the wake of the various reforms taking place in the nursing profession. In their article, "Barriers to Nurse Practitioner Practice that Impact Healthcare Redesign", they examine some of the recent reforms and changes introduced in the nursing practitioners field in order to respond to growing demand for healthcare services. For instance, education for Nursing Practitioners began as a certificate course before advancing to the bachelors and master’s degree levels in order to impart nurses with appropriate skills that would help address emerging health challenges (Hain, & Fleck, 2014). The target population for nurse practitioners also broadened from pediatric and family to other areas such as women’s health, gerontology, and many other areas of specialty practice. Today, nurse practitioners play a crucial role in providing quality patient centered healthcare in different settings (Hain, & Fleck, 2014). As such, the role of NPs in healthcare in contemporary practice is very much different from what it was when the field emerged a few years

Usually during my exam preparations when I was younger, I was always stressed about my learning, thinking my memory has reached its peak and I couldn’t study any further even though there is something to study. This also occurs when I constantly got bad marks, which caused me to be depressed and thinking that there is no way to improve my fixed memory.

Nurses have been an integral part of health care for years. Many of the nurses people see regularly are Registered nurses or BSN, aka Bachelor of Science nurses that more or less are similar in work load, only separated by amount of education. It takes two years to receive an RN as well as passing a rigorous examination while it takes four years to receive ones “BSN”. Advanced practice nurses are those who have taken their education further and have received a master level education, these master level programs can be Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Midwives and Nurse practitioners and their various intra-specialties’. However, in 2004 the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) introduced

As healthcare rapidly changes, nursing leaders have a responsibility to advocate for higher degrees for nurses and support independent advanced practice for nurses. Nurses represent one of the largest group of professionals in the healthcare workforce, and potentially hold the solution for the lack of primary care providers in our country (Kunic & Jackson, 2013). In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnsons Foundation published a report that stated nurses should work to the full extent of their education and training. The rational was that nurses with higher degrees, such as advanced practice registered nurses or nurse practices (NP) would improve the quality of patient care, accessibility of care for

“Throughout the last decade, policymakers and practice leaders have recognized that education makes a difference” (Impact of Education, n.d.). Hospitals are also trending towards preferred hiring of bachelors prepared nurses for their workforce. Even national organizations are jumping on the bandwagon requiring “all nurse managers and nurse leaders to hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing by 2013” (Impact of Education, n.d.), likewise the Institute of Medicine has also recommended that all hospitals have at least 80% of their nursing staff with a BSN or higher by the year 2020 (Impact of Education, n.d.).

For my master’s paper, I will conduct a review and analysis of the literature available regarding the use of virtual reality (VR) technology in the classroom. My intent is to provide recommendations that will be helpful in implementing such technology in the Department of Training and Doctrine at the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy (USASMA).

The idea of returning to school to master new skills to compete in the workplace is an excellent goal for any working adult. However, it is important for the working adult to understand success is base upon the journey taken and the path chosen by someone. One must realize there will be many barriers and difficulties along the way; however, with dedication, ability to prioritize, and motivation to stay focus, I will succeed and graduate with my Master degree in Nursing in October 2017. For me to be successful in achieving this goal, there are different pathways that I must chose and followed. These are assessing my learning styles, finding ways to manage my time, money, and stress, and setting S.M.A.R.T goals.

Next, Virtual Reality might be a powerful and sophisticated tool for education in which it can enhances students understanding towards certain subjects. Virtual Reality’s application in education is greatly interactive computer based environment in