Professional Development in Nursing

1 Professional Development in Learning Nursing professionals comprise the biggest percentage of the healthcare workforce. In the United States, for instance, over 3 million nurses provide nursing services in different settings.

Nurses collaborate with doctors and other health care workers to deliver appropriate care to their clients (Finkelman, 2021). Legislators have created a variety of policies to streamline the nursing practice and guide nurses on reducing discrimination, implementing evidence-based practice, and resolving potential dilemmas. Unfortunately, nursing practice faces numerous problems that negatively impact nurses’ response to patient needs.

Nursing education aims to increase the skills, knowledge, and nurses' proficiency in resolving challenges and delivering quality care. Despite the remarkable changes in nursing practice and the health care system, the ultimate goals of nursing education remain unchanged (Finkelman, 2021). These goals include preparing nurses to provide services that satisfy patients’ needs, inculcate quality leadership skills, and improve nurses’ capacity to participate in research and development.

2 Nursing education also prepares nurses to take on different roles in the job market. The National Academies of Sciences (2021) noted that the education level of nurses determines their roles and responsibilities in nursing practice.

Career Options Based on Educational Level As a graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Nursing, I have different options in the job market. These options include a nurse educator, school nurse, and home health nurse. I can also pursue higher education, work in insurance companies, or pursue leadership positions.

Other opportunities include nurse manager roles in non-hospital settings such as hospice care and nursing homes. Some employers are financially unable to provide higher wages thus prefer BSN graduate nurses. An advanced nursing degree, however, provides greater career options.

IOM Recommendation for Higher Education As highlighted by Finkelman (2021), nurses experience challenges that require logical and critical thinking to resolve potential challenges in the modern nursing environment. These challenges include changing health care dynamics, introducing health technology, diversified patient populations, and complex health care models. Finkelman (2021) clarified that a comprehensively educated nursing workforce is needed to satisfy the growing demands of quality care and professional practice.

One of the vital IOM messages related to nursing education is that the education system needs improvement to enable nurses to achieve higher education levels and seamlessly progress in their academics. The IOM recommended that the government and healthcare stakeholders support advanced nursing education and training to boost nursing practice at all levels. This institution also highlighted the need to integrate technology into nursing education and practice.

The National Academies of Sciences (2021) argued that since the health care industry has

3 experienced remarkable technological breakthroughs, nurses need specialized training to acquire the skills relevant to this new industry.

Professional Certification and Degree My ultimate professional target is the Doctor of Nursing (DNP). I believe that at this professional level, the nurse can establish private practice and practice independently. The DNP program also improves the nurse’s proficiency in clinical practice, leadership, and research. As a DNP, the nurse can initiate and lead the nursing practice and educational reforms besides liaising with other professionals to lead quality improvement initiatives. However, the DNP is an extensive program that takes time to complete, requires finances and effort for academic and practice work. Therefore, I have planned to take up the course soonest and complete it within the next four years.

The Impact of Education on Competitiveness White (2015) noted that advanced education places nurses on the trajectory of progressing in their careers. Although some employers only afford bachelor’s degree nurse graduates due to their low financial base, most institutions prefer experienced and highly educated nurses. Schober (2016) pointed out that advanced nursing education sets the base for enhancing nursing skills, preparing nurses for challenging patient care, leadership tasks, and complex practice setting, and improving nurses' critical thinking skills.

Advanced education elevates the nurse’s ability to make practical clinical decisions. The nurse can realize the targeted patient outcomes, deliver quality care cheaply, conduct patient education, and boost operational efficiency. White (2015) supports advanced learned arguing that it maintains an updated workforce besides allowing nurses to explore diverse nursing areas,

4 including pain and wound management, hospice, and home health. These qualities elevate the nurse’s competitive edge in the market.

Nurse education could also influence the nurse’s role in the future of nursing. Finkelman (2021) argued that education provides the base for adequately preparing nurses for leadership roles, advocacy roles, and policymaking activities. Therefore, nurses can engage in policymaking, research, global health interventions, and nursing education and practice reforms with advanced skills.

Relationship between Nursing Education, Competency and ANA Scope, and Standards Scholars support continuing education for nurses arguing that it allows nursing professionals to learn and advance their skills in nursing. Importantly, it strengthens the foundation on which nursing skills are entrenched. Nurses can explore other nursing fields by interacting and learning from specialists. Schober (2016) noted that continued nursing education widens the nurse’s knowledge base, reinforcing the skills necessary to perform specific nursing tasks, including diagnosis, prescribing, and developing patient care plans. Nurses use this knowledge to perform complex tasks, including prescribing with minimal errors. Nurses use their knowledge of various pharmacological concepts to conduct medication reconciliation.

Reconciliations help eradicate medication errors and reduce other unprecedented eventualities such as death. White (2015) clarified that nurses could fit in different health care teams, deliver quality care, and achieve patient satisfaction with advanced skills.

The ANA practice scope and standards refer to the influential declarations on how professional nurses should practice. The statements guide nurses to carry themselves professionally during practice (American Nurses Association, 2021). The scope and standards of practice are highly connected to nursing education. For instance, the scope of practice involves

5 the activities that a nurse can competently perform and is permitted by law based on the education level (American Nurses Association, 2021). Standards, on the other hand, entail the nurse’s competence as demonstrated by critical thinking.

Making Continuous Education Mandatory Grossman and Valiga (2020) noted that it should be mandatory since continuing nursing education positively impacts nursing practice. Education helps nurses stay updated on critical and current nursing issues besides improving their professional knowledge and practice.

Knowledge acquired through continuous learning improves nurses’ attitudes and skills to plan and implement interventions that improve individual and societal health.

Conclusion Continuing nursing education is integral to professional development. It provides the ground for inculcating nurses' necessary skills and attitudes besides equipping them with the knowledge to make crucial health decisions. Nurse education determines the nurse’s roles in the future of the nursing practice. Nurses take on leadership roles, participate in research, policy development, and advocacy in line with their professionalism and knowledge acquired during education and training.

6 References American Nurses Association. (2021). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. AMA. Finkelman, A. (2021). Professional nursing concepts: Competencies for quality leadership.

Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Grossman, S. C., & Valiga, T. M. (2020). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of nursing. F.A. Davis.

National Academies of Sciences (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. The National Academies Press.

Schober, M. (2016). Introduction to advanced nursing practice: An international focus. Springer International Publishing.

White, K. (2015). Doctor of nursing practice essentials. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.