Assessment Description
The IOM published report, \”Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,\” makes recommendations for lifelong learning and achieving higher levels of education.
In 1,000-1,250 words, examine the importance of nursing education and discuss your overall educational goals.
Include the following:
Discuss your options in the job market based on your educational level.
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.
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.
Discuss the relationship of continuing nursing education to competency, attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics.
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 Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Continuing Nursing Education
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor’s Name
Date
Continuing Nursing Education
Introduction
Healthcare is a constantly evolving industry that involves continuous improvement of care procedures and technological advancements. Education and training play an important role in communicating the changes and updating nursing skills to remain in line with new advancements (Mlambo et al., 2021). The nursing profession is a lifelong learning process as nurses are considered the frontline care providers. Nursing continued education provides nurses with the opportunity to learn, advance, and update their knowledge and skills to provide safe patient care and more positive patient outcomes. The IOM report also advocates for continued education and a higher level of education for nurses to improve the quality of health care (Hassmiller & Reinhard, 2019). In that regard, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of nursing education, as well as the writer’s overall educational goals.
Registered Nurse’s Job Options in the Market
All nurses must complete a rigorous program of extensive education and study. Nurses work directly with patients, families, and communities using their skills and knowledge. Registered nurses (RNs) form the core of healthcare provision in the United States. A registered nurse’s typical day may vary based on the healthcare setting they work in (Helming et al., 2022). However, general roles for RNs include performing a physical examination, providing health promotions, education, and counseling, as well as coordination of care in collaboration with other care professions (Helming et al., 2022). The main work of RNs is to administer medications and other specialized interventions.
There are several job options for registered nurses including critical care nurse career, occupational health care nurse, informatics nurse, certified nurse-midwife, family nurse practitioner, and public health nurse (Helming et al., 2022). Nurses are required to achieve either an ADN or MSN degree to qualify for the options. Critical care nurses handle patients with threatening injuries or diseases. Occupational health nurse provides health and safety services or programs at workplaces. Informatics nurses deal with information technology, computer science, and nursing theory and practice to enhance patient care (Helming et al., 2022). Certified nurse-midwife care for women across their lifespan. These are just a few of the options, however, there are many more.
The IOM Future of Nursing Recommendations for Achieving Higher Levels of Education
The IOM provided some recommendations to help nurses achieve higher levels of education. For instance, IOM recommended the increase of the proportion of nurses with baccalaureate degrees to 80 percent by 2020 (Glover-Thomas, 2020). Academic nurse leaders in all nursing schools are encouraged to work together to ensure this recommendation is achieved. IOM also recommended that nurses with doctorate degrees increase at a double rate from 2011 to 2020 (Hassmiller & Reinhard, 2019). Another recommendation that promotes a higher level of education is to ensure that nurses are involved in lifelong learning. The IOM suggested that relevant organizations should work together to ensure that nurses continue with their education and engage in lifelong learning (Glover-Thomas, 2020). These recommendations can help nurses achieve much more in terms of education and training.
Professional Certification and Advanced Degrees that the Writer is Aiming to Pursue
The writer is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The writer aims to achieve much more in the field of nursing education. After the BSN degree, the writer wishes to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and get advanced training and certification (Helming et al., 2022). The writer wishes to specialize in one of the advanced practice nursing areas. The timeline for achieving these academic qualifications should be within the next ten years. The writer expects to be an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) no later than 10 years from now. The reason for achieving a higher level of education is to learn more knowledge and skills, improve patient care and outcomes, and be open to more opportunities in the field of healthcare (Mlambo et al., 2021). These are reasons that are compelling the writer to achieve higher learning.
How Increasing Level of Education Affects Competitiveness of Registered Nurses
An increasing level of education has a positive impact on the writer’s current job and the future of the career. For instance, one gains more knowledge and skills and becomes more competent as he/she continues to learn (Mlambo et al., 2021). The increasing level of education makes the future more luminous. Continuing education helps registered nurses to advance their techniques and provide safe and effective nursing care. The nurse expands roles and opportunities by learning continuously. Nurses who have attained a higher level of education have learned a lot of skills and gained more knowledge, hence, are more competitive (Helming et al., 2022). They can handle more complex situations than those who have not attained a higher level of learning. They are also in demand, hence, much salary and more job opportunities.
The Relationship of Continuing Nursing Education to Competency, Attitudes, Knowledge, And The ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics
Continuing education is related to competency in the sense that the more one continues to learn the more competent they become. Therefore, nurses who have attained a higher level of education are more competent than those who have not attained such a level of education (Mlambo et al., 2021). Similarly, education is all about gaining knowledge, which makes nurses with a higher level of education more knowledgeable than other nurses. Attitude towards patients and treatment practices will improve as one continues to gain more knowledge and skills of practice and ethics (Mlambo et al., 2021). ANA scope and standards for practice and Code of Ethics are also influenced by continued education. For instance, advanced practice registered nurses can perform extra tasks such as diagnosis, prescription, and development of treatment plans that registered nurses may not do (Helming et al., 2022). Also, nurses with advanced certificates and training may practice independently without supervision in some states as opposed to registered nurses.
Discuss Whether Continuing Nursing Education Should Be Mandatory
In a real sense, continuing nursing education should be mandatory because all it brings to nursing care is beneficence. Continuing nursing education improves nursing care delivery leading to more positive patient outcomes (Mlambo et al., 2021). Continued nursing education produces various types of useful professionals to sustain and improve the nursing profession. For instance, nurses who have attained a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree can work perfectly in nursing administration, they are good educators and researchers. Most APRNs work directly with patients solving more complex issues (Helming et al., 2022). Continued education also contributes to personal growth, hence, making nurses open to more job opportunities, and rich in skills. It also promotes advancements in career and more financial income.
Conclusion
Healthcare is dynamic, hence, requires continuous updating of skills and knowledge. Therefore, continuous education in healthcare is very essential and highly recommended practice. Nurses are encouraged to engage in continuous nursing education to ensure they attain more relevant skills, improve nursing care, and foster their personal growth. This paper has discussed the importance of continued education in nursing care.
References
Glover-Thomas, N. (2020). Getting the balance right: Medical futility, scientific advancement, and the role of law. Medical Law Review, 28(3), 573-594. https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwaa011
Hassmiller, S. B., & Reinhard, S. (2019). The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and AARP Story: How Our Partnership Advanced the Future of Nursing. Nurse Leader, 17(5), 399-403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2019.07.005
Helming, M. A. B., In Avino, K., In Shields, D., In Rosa, W., & Dossey, B. M. (2022). Dossey & Keegan’s holistic nursing: A handbook for practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2