NRS 440 Reflection Paper Essay

NRS 440 Reflection Paper Essay

Reflection Paper

Nursing is a dynamic field that prepares students to play an instrumental role in improving public health and transforming societies. The knowledge one gained through education is essential in providing primary care and enabling communities to live healthy lives. As a field that keeps evolving as living and illnesses dynamics change, nurses should acquire the highest education level possible. Doing so will help

them deal with current health and social matters expertly, and as the professional guidelines dictate. This paper reflects my current job market options, future professional certifications and advanced degrees, and the impact and personal view regarding continuing education.

Options in the Job Market

In most cases, a nurse’s specialization area acts as the opening towards an exciting career that helps a nurse address patient needs at health facilities and be actively engaged in solving community problems. The same specialization can be a limiting factor if it forces the nurse to concentrate on specific health problems without diversifying.  A nurse’s education level is the primary determinant as far as options in the job market are concerned.

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Based on my education level, I can excel in several areas specific to my course or requiring me to apply my general nursing knowledge to improve people’s health. One of the options I have is primary care. In primary care, a nurse uses knowledge acquired through education to diagnose patient problems and advise them on the measures necessary to live healthy lives. The second option is serving as a health/nurse educator. This option entails doing more of an informative role or health expert in learning institutions and communities to identify public health problems and teach communities about risks and living healthy. I can also participate in family and mental health practice based on my skills and commitment to learn and serve. Regarding this, I have a broadened mindset of what I can do, and I believe that I will acquire more knowledge to be a dynamic health care worker who can excel in general and special health matters and administrative roles.

Professional Certification and Advanced Degrees

The difference in outcomes that a nurse makes in the field depends, largely, on skills and passion. In order to enjoy work while delivering care in a particular specialization, nurses must pursue careers that allow them to execute multiple roles. In the same case, nurses should research careers likely to expand and become more relevant as time advances. Acquiring certifications in such areas will not only guarantee employment but gradual professional growth.

The IOM Future of Nursing Recommendations for achieving higher education suggests that the role of nursing education will not change. Nursing education will prepare nurses to meet patient needs, serve as leaders, and advance science (Gorski et al., 2015). One way of advancing science while meeting patient needs is serving families in health matters. As a result, certifications in child and family health and a DNP in family practice are part of the professional certification and advanced degrees I look forward to acquiring someday. Working with families will enable me to execute my roles in an expanding field as I provide a lot in public health advancement, including illness management, health education, and mental health support. A DNP, unlike MSN, also helps a nurse to acquire administration skills. Even if I change my specialization area, the advanced degree of choice should be a DNP program. If possible, I should start the certification process and preparation for the DNP program two years after acquiring my bachelor’s degree.

Impacts of Further Education

A person’s level of education is a critical success factor in any field. According to Fukada (2018), nurses’ ability to grow in their practice and provide quality patient care depends on their professional training level. In this respect, increasing my education level would make me more competitive in the job market since I would be more knowledgeable about patient care, practice requirements, and able to adapt as situations change. Advanced education also makes nurses more dynamic in care provision since more knowledgeable empowers them to perform both practice and management roles. Regarding my future nursing role, advanced education is a way of ensuring that I am better prepared to initiate practice and policy changes based on the problems facing nursing today and in the future. As I look forward to being more involved in administration, advancing education would ensure that I have acquired the necessary skills to manage teams and resources wherever I will be working.

Nursing Education, Competency, Attitudes, Knowledge, and the ANA Standards

Whenever they get a chance, nurses should use every available opportunity to advance their education. As Price and Reichert (2017) suggested, ongoing training and education help care providers enhance competency and knowledge in patient care. Accordingly, a competent nurse should be passionate about continuing education. Fukada (2018) added that expertise on critical aspects such as the need for healthy environments and advocating for quality care depends on nurses’ essential knowledge of health care matters and processes. Continuing education helps a nurse understand key processes to initiate practice changes, making a positive difference in care provision.

Advanced knowledge and competence enable nurses to perform their roles without challenges. This increases their love towards work, implying that they have a positive attitude towards work, hence more commitment and better outcomes. The ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics determine how nurses should conduct themselves on the job and how they should demonstrate their professionalism (Schober, 2016). Continuing education ensures that the nurse is more informed about practice requirements in terms of general conduct and how to execute roles free from ethical misconducts.

Continuing Nursing Education

Career progression is primarily a personal decision. Since it has many positive outcomes, situations should compel nurses to embrace continuing nursing education instead of making it mandatory. Broadly, advanced education is a way of staying up to date with changing health care trends, albeit being an attitude-related issue which is also determined by circumstances. One of the determining factors is the high cost of education. Unless facilitated, both financially and through resources, nursing education should remain optional. However, defining aspects such as salaries, promotion, and privileges should be defined by a nurse’s education level. Doing so will make nurses enhance their understanding of their work and how to be more effective in the profession through continuing education.

In conclusion, excellence as a health care provider depends hugely on someone’s level of education. This implies that a nurse’s options in the job market will always depend on the level of knowledge and competency. Attaining high education makes nurses more informed about practice requirements and better positioned to provide patient care. Irrespective of a nurse’s specialization area, they should be passionate about continuing nursing education.

NRS 440 Reflection Paper Essay

NRS 440 Grand Canyon Topic 3 Assignment

Reflection Paper

Details:

In a reflection of 450-600 words, explain how you see yourself fitting into the following IOM Future of Nursing recommendations:

1. Recommendation 4: Increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80% by 2020. NRS 440 Reflection Paper Essay
   
2. Recommendation 5: Double the number of nurses with a doctorate by 2020.
3. Recommendation 6: Ensure that nurses engage in lifelong learning.

Identify your options in the job market based on your educational level.

1. How will increasing your level of education affect how you compete in the current job market?
2. How will increasing your level of education affect your role in the future of nursing?

While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

NRS 440 Grand Canyon Topic 4 Discussion 1

Choose one legislator on the state or federal level who is also a nurse, and discuss the importance of their role as advocate for improving health care delivery. What specific bill(s) have they sponsored or supported that has/have influenced health care?

NRS 440 Grand Canyon Topic 4 Discussion 2

Discuss how the CMS reimbursement rules for never events required a shift in the patient care delivery model in inpatient facilities.

NRS 440 Grand Canyon Topic 3 Discussion 1

Evaluate how advanced nursing education and lifelong learning can help improve patient outcomes. Include current research that links patient safety outcomes to advanced degrees in nursing. Based on some real-life experiences, explain whether you agree or disagree with this research. How can the application of the Christian Worldview help improve patient outcomes?

Advanced nursing education is one of the approaches to improving patient outcomes. This is according to understanding the best way to create critical care or nursing education on illness prevention and management. Health professionals have been able to get enough information shared based on high-quality standards to influence better recovery. The knowledge that health professionals acquire contributes to better results for patients in terms of its prevention. This knowledge is basic for nursing education because of the possibility of developing better approaches to dealing with service provision (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2020).

Analysis has been conducted to determine the safety of patients, or outcomes that are achieved may be determined by an advanced degree in nursing. According to one of the studies surveyed within Pennsylvania hospitals, nursing education can significantly reduce mortality rates. This is an example of a study or evaluation that educational level in one month can influence patient safety or outcomes. From the study, the findings contributed to understanding how outcomes can be improved while creating better nursing patient records (Thomas, 2018). The Pennsylvania study contributed to the understanding that the mortality rate is lowered while meeting outcomes through nursing education that may be improved effectively

The results of this study can be related to real-life situations where patient outcomes may be achieved as a result of education or bringing about better services for the patients. Therefore I agree with the study because providing care education might impact and meet outcomes. In an example of diploma-qualified professionals offering medication to patients, they might not be able to address patients’ religious beliefs. However, BSN health professionals may understand such expectations of the patients that should be coordinated into a care plan. This is a practical example of how nursing education can provide solutions in the real world. The patient outcomes can be improved through the Christian worldview perspective because of the ability to establish wellness from the spiritual perspective. Christian worldview may influence taking part in advocacy and directly meeting the required outcomes of patients.

Reference

American Association of Colleges of Nursing: (2020). The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice. American Association of Colleges of Nursing: The Voice of Academic Nursing. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-information/fact-sheets/impact-of-education

Thomas, J. (2018). Professional development in nursing. In Trends in health care: A nursing perspective. https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.1/#/chapter/3

Discuss current research that links patient safety outcomes to ADN and BSN nurses. Based on some real-life experiences, do you agree or disagree with this research?

NRS 440 Grand Canyon Topic 3 Discussion 2

What is the difference between a DNP and a PhD in nursing? Which of these would you choose to pursue if you decide to continue your education to the doctoral level?

They work in the healthcare facility by managing the inpatients and outpatients with various nursing needs. Other care settings include those nurses working in the pediatric department, attending to children, nurses attending to the geriatric population, and those needed in the ICU. These different categories of nurses work with a major goal of improving safety and quality of service delivery.

All the categories of nurses in the job market would require an introductory nursing course that would need an automatic Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). These courses need a nurse to undertake a four-year course as they serve as blueprints for every aspiring nurse (Foronda et al., 2020). Post-qualification courses allow nurses to specialize in their fields of choice depending on their knowledge and expertise. In my case, I am a licensed practical Nurse (LPN) qualified to dispense my duties in various nurse settings, such as administering the injection. Preparing patients for surgery, would dressing, managing patient records, offering therapeutic massage, and managing intravenous drips on patients. I am also entitled to talk to medical staff concerning specific patient needs.

Goals for Professional Education

My central objective is to obtain a Doctorate in Nursing Practicing Degree and a Ph.D. in Nursing. These educational achievements would improve my value in the healthcare setting and be in the best position to qualify for competitive jobs in healthcare. I am planning that in the next 6 years, I should have attained this objective. In the course of my move towards attaining my Ph.D. I will apply and get all the required certifications in nursing.

How Increasing My Education Level Affects My Competitiveness in the Job Market.

Increasing my level of education has a positive impact on my nursing career as I will be able to dispense unique nursing skills and meet the nursing needs of my patients. Besides, the improved skills would increase the number of nurses who look up to me and would like to go through the same path of becoming a skilled nurse.

My advanced educational levels will also play an important role in allowing me to form a part in leadership in nursing. For instance, I will be able to support a policy that supports patient safety and quality of care. Such positions would give me a greater value in healthcare and recommendeffectivechanges that would affect the success of healthcare quality in the future (Mlambo et al., 2021). High educational attainment among nurses allows them to learn critical decision-making skills and make improved decisions that affect nursing care. Indeed, such qualifications would give me a greater role in exercising my prowess in developing and supporting sustainability in healthcare.

Relationship of Continuing Nursing Education to Competency, Attitudes, and Knowledge

Continuous education in nursing is directly linked to competency in nursing. This involves nurses with the improved ability to undertake different tasks on top of their current skills in nursing (Foronda et al., 2020). Continuous learning improves critical thinking, where a nurse will apply the improved nursing knowledge and competencies in solving daily problems affecting nursing care. As such, they are able to make improved decisions and offer better avenues for improving patient health.

The ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics

Continuous nursing education allows nurses to deliver the desired care with the ethical framework of the ANA codes of ethics. These codes support the nursing practice by implementing an acceptable code of ethics through various settings in the care continuum. Nurses are the most vulnerable to ethical issues in healthcare (Li et al., 2019). In their role of offering care to patients, they face various ethical issues that affect their duties in one way or another. In such dilemmas, nurses must adhere to the provisions in the code of ethics to remain significant and relevant when making decisions on patients. At advanced levels of education, nurses tend to be skilled in applying these codes of ethics when they make decisions that affect the standards of nursing practice.

Mandatory Continuing Nursing Education

The idea of making continuing nursing education compulsory might adversely affect the overall nursing fraternity. This move will render many nursing degrees with basic qualifications worthless. The population of certified nurses would decline, which might result in a shortage of nurses in the healthcare system (Li et al., 2019). The main objective of nurses is to perform a counted number of procedures such as giving medications, washing patients, assisting patients in movement, recording the treatment plan of a patient, and supporting doctors where there is a need. Such nurses work as registered nurses and are significant in ensuring efficiency in their duties.

A compulsory requirement that the CNAs need to continue with their nursing education would imply that there would be a high risk of reducing the number of CNAs. This will affect the quality of service delivery as the nurse-patient ratio will reduce significantly. Therefore, making continuous nurse education compulsory would have a negative impact on nursing.

Conclusion

The nursing profession is extensive across the world because of the uniqueness and effectiveness of nurses in the healthcare setting. The diverse needs in healthcare have resulted in nurses specializing in various fields to improve patient outcomes. However, the success of future nursing depends on the section of nurses who are ready to undertake advanced nursing to meet the desired outcome. Nurses who further their education can make better decisions and improve attitudes and competencies in nursing.

References

Foronda, C. L., Fernandez-Burgos, M., Nadeau, C., Kelley, C. N., & Henry, M. N. (2020). Virtual simulation in nursing education: a systematic review spanning 1996 to 2018. Simulation in Healthcare, 15(1), 46-54. DOI: 10.1097/SIH.0000000000000411

Immonen, K., Oikarainen, A., Tomietto, M., Kääriäinen, M., Tuomikoski, A. M., Kaučič, B. M., … &Mikkonen, K. (2019). Assessment of nursing students’ competence in clinical practice: a systematic review of reviews. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 100, 103414.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103414

Li, S., Cao, M., & Zhu, X. (2019). Evidence-based practice: Knowledge, attitudes, implementation, facilitators, and barriers among community nurses—systematic review. Medicine, 98(39).https://doi.org/10.1097%2FMD.0000000000017209

Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a metasynthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20, 1-13.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2

In the essay, you assert that well-educated nurses produce positive patient outcomes through improved diagnosis, while poorly trained nurses inspire unsatisfactory patient outcomes. I like your argument that a terminally ill patient has a high chance of survival when cared for and treated by a highly skilled nurse. Nurses who receive advanced nursing education help improve patient care and patient outcomes since they are well-equipped to handle patients in different scenarios. I can add that nursing education has a positive impact on the competencies and knowledge of nurses. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) (2021), education has a significant impact on nurse clinicians’ and healthcare providers’ knowledge and competencies. From this perspective, I believe that nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or an advanced degree in nursing, particularly, a master’s degree in Nursing are enabled to meet the needs of patients and provide safe and quality patient care. BSN-prepared nurses are well-equipped to meet the demands placed on the modern nurse (AACN, 2021). It will be important to include that advanced nursing education is greatly associated with a decrease in mortality rates and failure to thrive. Thus, engaging in advanced education allows nurses to bring unique skills and competencies into clinical settings and plays a significant role in the provision of safe and quality patient care.

Reflection Paper

The nursing profession is crucial in healthcare since nurses are the healthcare professionals who spend most of their time with patients and their care services are critical in ensuring proper healthcare delivery at every level of patient care. In the United States, there is a considerable shortage of nurses due to an increase in nursing care needs, and the shortage is projected to worsen in the future. Nurses work in various settings including hospitals, schools, nursing research, medical research institutions, military centers, and homes.  Nursing education entails hands-on and theoretical training, which helps in preparing nurses to face different nursing tasks (Yang et al., 2022). Nursing education courses are targeted to equip nurses with general nursing knowledge and specialized knowledge as well.  Different levels of nursing practice need different educational qualifications and licensure. The purpose of this paper is to provide a personal reflection on nursing education and educational goals.

My Options in the Job Market

I am a nurse practitioner who currently holds an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). This program prepared me for a career as a Registered Nurse (RN). Pursuing an ADN provided me with different career prospects and working environments. As an ADN, I could work with all patients including men, women, children, the elderly, and adolescents. The ADN program equipped me to provide quality care, which fostered my job security. This program also equipped me to work in varied healthcare facilities and the community, with diverse roles including patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, caring for admitted patients, providing health education, operating medical equipment, and partnering with other professionals in the delivery of care. Therefore, I can secure a job in any healthcare setting or environment that provides these services including residential care facilities, hospitals, nursing care settings, professional schools, home care services, and outpatient facilities.

Currently, I am pursuing a BSN degree. The objective of seeking a Master’s Degree (MSN) in nursing is to equip me to practice as a nurse practitioner. In particular, I intend to practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). FNPs are APRNs who concentrate on comprehensive healthcare for all ages, body systems, demographics, and diseases. Becoming an FNP is poised to give me various job opportunities and I believe it is one of the best decisions in my nursing career (Dumphy et al., 2019). As an FNP, I can work in various settings including private practice, hospitals, patient homes, hospice centers, acute care centers, correctional facilities, doctor’s offices, and convenient care clinics.

The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Recommendations

The Institute of Medicine (IoM) report on the Future of Nursing entailed an assessment of the nursing workforce that provided various recommendations on how to enhance the nursing profession. The report provided various recommendations including the connection between different health needs of transforming patient populations within the nursing workforce and patients’ lifespan. The recommendations promote initiatives to enhance the healthcare of citizens of the United States by building the capacity of nurses to deliver quality care. The IOM Report made various key recommendations including allowing nurses to practice in the full scope of their education and training. The other recommendation is the need to motivate nurses to seek higher levels of education through continuous education and enhanced training to improve their capacity to deliver quality care. The other recommendation of the IOM is the improvement of techniques of data gathering and effective information in infrastructure to facilitate proper policy making and development of workforce planning. Finally, the IOM report on the future of nursing recommended that nurses should collaborate with physicians and other clinicians to redesign and enhance the face of the healthcare system in the US (Hassmiller, 2021).

How Increasing Level of Education Would Affect My Competitiveness in the Current Job Market and Role in the Future of Nursing

Increasing my education level would improve my competitiveness in the job market by increasing my skills and competency in nursing practice, which is critical in providing effective nursing needs to patients, and also improve my capacity to collaborate with other healthcare providers to provide superior quality care. Currently, I am pursuing BSN to equip myself to practice as a competent nurse practitioner by enhancing my value across the healthcare field, which is likely to put me in a better place in this aggressive nursing job market. I am hoping to work as an FNP. This position will expose me to various job opportunities. I expect to work in various settings including private practice, hospitals, patient homes, hospice centers, acute care centers, correctional facilities, doctor’s offices, and convenient care clinics. Advancing my educational level will also increase my skills in critical decision-making, with an enhanced ability to make informed strategic decisions that can bring meaningful changes in nursing care.

The Relationship of Continuing Nursing Education to Competency, Attitudes, Knowledge

Continuing nursing education is associated with competency because advanced education increases the chances of nurses to enhance their knowledge and capacity to address various nursing tasks and also impart necessary skills in nursing such as critical thinking skills. With enhanced nursing competencies and knowledge, nurses are in a better place to portray a positive work attitude, which is crucial in making informed decisions and ensuring positive patient health outcomes (Said & Chiang, 2020).

The ANA Scope and Standards for Practice, and Code of Ethics

Continuing nursing education enhances the ability of nurses to provide the right healthcare based on the appropriate ethics in healthcare and nursing practice. ANA plays an instrumental role in directing and supporting nursing practice through the utilization and application of a universally accepted code of ethics across different settings in the healthcare field.  Nurses often face various ethical challenges in their clinical practice. As such, nurses should advance their education to improve their skills and competencies to address the complex issue in clinical practice, including ethical challenges.

Whether or Not Continuing Nursing Education Should be Compulsory

Nursing Continuing Education should be made compulsory in the healthcare system due to its significance in benefiting virtually all links in the healthcare chain, beginning from the healthcare providers, patients, and employers. Continuing Nursing Education also influences competency and also advances professional development among nurses. These attributes of continuing nursing education translate to superior care quality, which is the basis of the healthcare system in the United States (Said & Chiang, 2020).

Conclusion

Advancing nursing education is instrumental in enhancing safety, welfare, and health in the healthcare system. The fundamental role of advancing nursing education is not only concerned with the improvement of competency but also with ensuring positive health outcomes in patients.  As such, nurses should strive to advance their education to improve their competencies and yield enhanced patient health outcomes.