Master Nursing Role

The future of nursing will be seen as nurses being full partners in the healthcare setting. Nurses need to be ready to step up to the plate and answer the call to be leaders. Leadership skills can be learned in the classroom setting as well as through mentors. Nurses have been on the “front-line” for many years and have had such close contact with patients and their care that they have so much to offer to committees and boards that are making the decisions. It is a new responsibility for the nurse to accept the challenge of leadership that many may not have considered when they were pursuing their education, but whether leadership is a natural characteristic or the hardest thing for a nurse to do, we must step into this new role for the goals of the IOM report to be met (Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, 2011). Nurses need to develop a level of comfort in their career to be proactive in creating new policies, brainstorming ideas to improve the field, and get involved in committees

As a nurse administrator, I have a distinct role to play in the healthcare sector. Preparation for this position commences at the graduate level; either masters or doctoral level. Prospective students at graduate level are expected to indicate a variety of roles across healthcare sector as stipulated in the legislative law. Factors such as the nature of the organization and its system of leadership provide credible knowledge that is critical for nursing management roles. As opposed to Gerontology Nurse Practitioners who are expected to have a wide array of technical and hands-on skills

Due to the demands of an evolving health care system and an emphasis in health and wellness, Master’s prepared nurses are in demand. What does a Master’s prepared nurse entails? According to the American Association College of Nursing, Master’s prepared nurses obtain a higher level of learning as well as key competencies and skills. The ultimate goal is to achieve positive patient outcomes resulting in an overall improved health care system. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight on a Master’s prepared nurse conducted through an interview. My interviewee has obtained an MSN

As an Assistant Nurse Manager with a Master’s Degree in Nursing and over 19 years of experience in different healthcare settings. I strongly believe that improving myself through education is the right way to move abreast with the dynamic nature of the nursing field, so I can provide quality service to my clients as well as the community at large. If I achieve a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, I will be in an excellent position to lead and motivate others also to reach out for their dreams. Achieving a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing (BSN) from the University of Texas at San Antonio, Master’s in Science Nursing and Master’s in Public Health(MSN/MPH) degrees from the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) at Amherst have sufficiently prepared me academically to pursue a doctorate degree.

The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing defined nurse leader role that aligns with Yvette Whittaker role as the director of quality management. American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2011) describes that a master prepared nurse must be effective in the methods, tools, performance measures, safety principles and quality standards and must be well prepared to apply quality principle within an organization. In addition, the role of the master prepared nurse is to analyze, monitor and prioritize the outcomes that need improvement then create a plan of action (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2011).

Master’s nursing programs prepare individuals for a diversity of avant-garde capacities in administration, teaching, research, informatics, and direct patient care. Nurses at this position are needed as Clinical Nurse Leaders, nurse managers, clinical educators, health policy consultants, research assistants, public health nurses, and in many other functions (AACN, 2011, p 3). Upon researching a number of schools, the school that seems most appealing to me is University of Alabama at Birmingham due to the affordability and the quality of their nursing program.

MSN prepared nurses are the key to the professionalization of the career, and prepare nurses to work in an increasingly complex health care world (Fink, 2015). They can become more specialized, have greater demand for their services, teach, make more money, and it’s never been easier due to online programs, such as American Sentinel University’s (ASU). Additionally, there are grants and scholarships that can assist nurses in pursuing their MSN. In order to become an advanced practice RN such as a certified nurse midwife, a nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist it’s required to have an MSN.

Hand in hand with education progression and nurses being full partners, the IOM fully expects that many more nurses will emerge as leaders.  The report proposes that leadership be embedded in nursing education to prepare nurses for this role.  It describes the importance of mentorship in helping nurses to achieve advancement, leadership and partnership.  Along with leadership roles a nursing residence or preceptorship program would be prudent to better transition nurses all the way from novice nurse into more multifaceted responsibilities and roles (The future of nursing: leading change, advancing health 2011).  What a culture change this would be from nurses who are rumored to “eat their young” to nurses who mentor and guide those around them. A culture of teamwork working towards a common goal would increase nursing retention, satisfaction and in turn produce happy nurses who make happy patients!

According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) (2012), the nurse manager plays an important role in clinical leadership including providing quality care and safe practice; moreover, participating in collecting data regarding care outcomes. The leader is responsible for designing and implementing evidence based practice to prevent any errors on the unit; the collaboration between the management and other healthcare professionals will enhance the improvements in the patient’s optimal outcomes (ANA, 2012). The nurse manager/leader will enhance the integration and cohorts of patients to achieve the optimal standard of care; when an error takes place the manager advocate for the patient’s safety, follow up on the event, and take the proper steps

In basic terms, a Masters in Nursing with a bias in leadership/administration equips nurse leaders with the necessary skills as well as knowledge required to handle challenging and demanding leadership roles in a health care setting. It also provides nurses in leadership positions with a well-founded understanding of organizational culture, structure as well as roles. This is more so the case given that graduates of such a program are skilled in the "management of health care systems including staffing, human resources, finances, budgeting and administration" (Keating, 2010). As Keating further point out, the Masters in Nursing Administration or Leadership remain some of the most common masters degrees in this arena as far as the preparation of nurse leaders is concerned.

The concept of leadership has always frightened me. I always assumed a great leader was born to lead, a leadership theory Scully describes as the “great man” (2015). A theory which I quickly realize wasn’t true once I was forced into a charge nurse position. A leader is built through knowledge, motivation and dedication. I accepted a Shift Administrator (supervisor) position to gain the knowledge and experience to prepare me for the next level as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

The field of nursing is constantly changing and growing in order to facilitate the needs of the public. To address these challenges, obtaining an advanced education can lead to better outcomes and health care promotion in nursing. According to the National League for Nursing (2012), a baccalaureate prepared nurse is provided information on how to apply the skills needed to function as a registered nurse, advocate for the safety and quality of care provided to patients and their families in the community, and promotes clinical inquiry by analyzing research and promoting best practice through evidence-based outcomes (p. 39). The master’s prepared nurse advances the skills learned as a baccalaureate nurse in order to provide leadership and foster a healthy environment in a variety of positions and surroundings. Greater

The future of the healthcare delivery system is changing. Due to the complexities related to health and nursing care delivery the nursing profession needs to look at ways to expand nursing knowledge. There is now greater focus on health promotion, illness prevention as well as how to handle high acuity, chronic disease management across the care continuum in a cost effective manner (AACN 2011). The educational levels required for nurses have been long debated. The Tri-Council for Nursing has proclaimed that without a more educated workforce the nation’s health could be at risk. The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) recommends a minimum of a master’s level for nurse leaders due to their evolving roles that have resulted

When I first heard about M.M’s situation and the reason for her admission, I began to wonder what could have been done earlier on to recognize the need for further assistance. I personally considered the term “day surgery” to be a contributing factor in the quick discharge after surgery. Many would not consider additional stay or support after a surgery, such as the one M.M experienced. However, other factors would have been involved such as the culture or the beliefs of the unit, type of day and perhaps staff opinions. Regardless of this mishap, there was still no support or educational teaching regarding living with vision impairments for M.M. After some time, I was able to process and reflect and began to remember that nursing is a busy

My career objectives are to advance my nursing career through professional development of self by engaging in long life learning through continuing education in graduate school. Also, to assume leadership role in the use of evidence based research in healthy public policy and contribute to population health. Nursing is a field that keeps unfolding and requires updated knowledge to provide quality care, meet the professional requirements and challenges. Hence, long life learning would increase my professional values and competencies required to deliver quality care to diverse population. As a Public Health Nurse, by pursing Masters in Nursing, I will be able to build on my capacity to enhance and advance the field of nursing as a science.