Nursing Education : The Continuum Of Education In Nursing

Nursing has dramatically evolved in recent history in response to the changes in society, the healthcare system as well as to the evolution of the profession itself. Changes include: an aging and more diverse population, changing reimbursement practices, new technology and scientific discoveries, new diseases related to social and environmental problems. Changes in nursing roles represent a shift in the view of nursing from simply an occupation or job to a profession with a commitment to the role (Blais & Hayes, 2011). Changes in the healthcare system affect society’s expectation of nursing care. Due to these high expectations, nurses are returning to school in order to satisfy these prospects and are more effective in their roles. Prospective nursing students and registered nurses that are returning to school are undergoing many of the challenges described in these two models of transition.

In today’s healthcare system, nursing is a challenging field as a result of rapid technological advances and changes in healthcare policies. As a dedicated nursing professional, with a great passion for learning, I strive to stay on top of these changes. I am determined to increase my knowledge to be an instrumental part of providing quality healthcare. The demands of nursing are high; however the rewards are even higher. Nursing requires both a supreme understanding of the science of health, and a caring bedside manner befitting only those who seek a position of such a personal involvement in the well-being of a patient. Academically, I will put forth all of

Nursing can be a demanding career, but the benefits far much outweigh the challenges. Most importantly, it’s the rewards it offers by allowing an opportunity to make a difference in another person’s life through the provision of care when they need it. Just as Patricia Benner theorized in her book “Novice to Expert,” nursing encompasses both educational knowledge and extensive clinical experience acquired throughout one’s career. This far, I continue to acquire knowledge and clinical knowhow which will promote proper and efficient care to patients. Since I began practicing one year ago in a long-term healthcare facility, I have interacted with patients, families, physicians and other members of the healthcare team to coordinate patient’s care which has enabled me to gain confidence in myself. While I cannot deny that it was difficult to transition from a student to a licensed nurse, I learnt to overcome these challenges and focus on my strengths. Practicing as an LPN has provided a platform to learn and gain experience even though the duties and responsibilities are limited by the scope of practice.

For years now it has been well know and documented that there is a brutal disconnect between what school prepares NGRN for and the reality they find once they begin working.(Duchscher, 2009) This stark difference found between school and reality sets new graduates (NG) up for a hard fall and the disillusionment they are under when entering the professional practice can lead them to exit nursing altogether.(Duchscher, 2009) The problem then of course becomes recruitment and retention, and the cost of training new nurses back in 2007 was recorded to be as much as 82,000 to 88,000 each.(Ulrich et al., 2010)

The nursing profession was designed to focus on individual care, their families and the communities they serve to ensure accessibility to optimal health. Nurses are not limited to a specific practice. They work in a variety of settings and serve countless roles in the hospital community. They are a support system when bad news is relayed but they are also birthday party hosts for ailing children. Being a nursing student will not only challenges my intellect but also my character.

Change is always vital to progress and the field of nursing is constantly in change. The world that we live in today is creating a higher need for more nurses, changing the way that nurses are educated and creating new approaches to utilize nurses out in the field. On October 5th, 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released the report “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.” The report elaborates on the need for the nursing profession to prepare for the changes that are occurring due to the health care reform and the current

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

Throughout the first year Foundations of Professional Nursing course, I have gained a better understand of nursing and thus my perspective on nursing has developed a lot. After learning about the different concepts and theories in nursing, I feel I understand the role of nurses better and it makes me proud to have chosen this profession. I have also realized how much the concepts I have learned this year have affected my perspective on nursing and have helped shape me into becoming a nurse. In addition, I have been able to develop a personal philosophy of nursing. This paper will examine the importance of a sub- concept to nursing, reflect on my personal journey of development as a nurse and discuss my personal philosophy of nursing.

It has grown from a non-educated nurse to one that has to be even more educated to keep up with the fast changing times with diverse topics and culture differences. It is a constant challenge for physicians and nurses to do their best in the fast changing nursing field. As nurses, we have to be constantly upgrading our education. We can’t expect anything to always be the same and to never change. Register nurses today work as a team, they work every day with physicians, pharmacists, speech and occupational therapists, just to name a few. Since nurses are primarily responsible for direct patient care and coordination, I believe that they should not be these educated on the health care

Nursing is an amazing profession to pursue. It can be stressful but has so many rewarding moments. I’ve been passionate about nursing since middle school and it’s not something I take lightly. A higher education is extremely important to me, especially since I am a first-generation college student.

When in the early stages of planning my life, I knew exactly what it was I inspired to do. I wanted to save lives. I did not know how I was going to complete that task at hand, but I knew that I was going to be saving someone’s life. So, starting nursing school was one of the jubilant moments of my life. I am ecstatic to be on my journey on becoming a well-rounded and educated nurse. Nursing is a profession that requires a great deal of care and knowledge of the human body and as a nurse I plan to be cultivated and discerning.

“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.).

In fact, there are several reasons why I chose nursing as my profession. First and foremost is that I want to focus on changing people’s lives (Nurse Journal, 2016). As a nurse, I would study the life's value when I would be seeing individuals struggling to remain alive. Since I am fully aware that each life's breadth is a gift, I would, therefore, understand this lesson further as I would be nursing various patients daily. I greatly respect human life, I possess strong values and I am compassionate for empathy and suffering, factors that have further attracted me to the nursing profession. Second, nursing profession allows continuous learning. As I like learning, I would possess unlimited opportunities for advancing my medical knowledge. As such, I would capable of choosing to work in various departments, train to become a medical assistant and as well enter the nursing management where I would grow and mentor new nurses through sharing my knowledge

There are certain characteristics that are very important of being a nurse. Becoming a nurse means to take value of the craft and work. A nurse should see this, as a “calling” and not a typical job that people usually do not value. The choice of becoming a nurse should not be based upon on the income or security, but the purpose that it comes with of becoming a nurse. The purpose of becoming a nurse is to value all human life, and provide accountability, professionalism and compassion to a patient. Part of

Many influences can draw a person to choose a pathway to their career. Three research articles are reviewed and will be discussed. The main points that are reviewed in all of the articles is altruism, the concern for the welfare of others, the ability to work with others, ability to travel, salary, knowing someone who is a nurse, career with many opportunities, job satisfaction and stability. Of the interviewed nursing students and registered nurses, job satisfaction was correlated with the interesting work an individual can do employed as a registered nurse. Some factors that were further examined did not have a strong impact on the decision of becoming a nurse but is still significant. For instance, working in health is a factor that persuaded some students to choose nursing. These individuals had the idea of working in healthcare but decided to study nursing to see their options. Another factor that is not as common is to study nursing based on a friend’s decision (Wilkes et al, 2014). Many of the study subjects also found that nursing is a rewarding career because it gives you a sense of purpose and allows you to make a difference in someone’s life. In other cases, nursing may be used as a stepping stone into another career like medicine, physiotherapy, or occupational therapy (Eley et al, 2012). On the other hand, certain individuals have always aspired to become a nurse. Other important factors include being a part of a team, a recommendation from someone, not being