Changes in the Nursing Field
The medical field changes so fast that the past is mostly irrelevant to what is to come. Nursing is one of the fields within the medical field that must adapt to all the changes that will occur over the coming years. As Margaret McAllister said it in Newton’s Cradle: A Metaphor to Consider the Flexibility, Resistance, and Direction of Nursing’s Future, “Nursing does not have a crystal ball with which to see the future with certainty and know what challenges and opportunities it will face in the years ahead” (McAllister 2013). Throughout the last 15 years, there has been several changes within the medical field and its progress especially with the advancement of technology. Not only that but the way nursing has evolved including dress code, the amount of effort given, care provided, the education
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needed to be a successful nurse, and the shortage of nurses. In an article titled The Future of Nursing Education by Carol Lindeman states, “Technology is making possible for what we thought was impossible.” (Lindeman 2000). There are lives that could not be saved ten plus years ago being saved today. Computers have helped with saving some of those lives by allowing nurses and medical personnel to work more effectively. They allow for simple charting, easy monitoring of vital signs and cardiac rhythm, and easy and quick access to test results. Education is being affected by technology as well, allowing students to enroll in classes online or at distant learning sites. The advancement of technology means that educators will have to prepare nursing students to work in a advancing technology health environment, and how to prepare for fast changing technology advancements of the future (Lindeman). There are several demographics that have changed in the nursing field as well. Nurses use to wear white dresses with the apron, and a nursing cap. Today nurses wear your typical scrubs, some places have dress code as to colors that must be worn were other places can wear any type of scrubs. Also, beliefs and values have changed in health care (Lindeman). This means that in the education department educators cannot teach in just one learning style, as well as needing to prepare individuals to care for the diverse population of today (Lindeman). Even though there are certain methods and techniques taught, individuals will adapt to what works for them once in the work field. Nursing takes a special talent, individuals who enter this field should know how time and energy consuming this type of job is. Individuals must have a caring and understanding trait to successfully succeed as a nurse. Caring is not something you can teach someone, it is something that you should just do and something that makes you want to be in this profession (McAllister). As one of the interviewees that McAllister stated, “people think caring is all soft and warm and fuzzy, but it actually means clinical competence. It means making rational judgements” (McAllister). Education is always continuing for nurses and any medical personal, science is continuously developing especially in genetics. This means that educators need to train nurses who are willing to continue learning based on the drastic changes that will occur in the medical field in the near future. There are several new insights in the health care system that will require several different learning styles such as learning to learn, active learning and individualization to adapt to the evolving health care system (Lindeman). Today, online learning is part of the normal, although it is important that students are doing more than just passing courses but understand the qualities and skills to be successful in the workforce. Nursing programs tend to be one of the most costly, due to clinical experience, but most nursing student tend to excel in graduation rates, job placement and Nation board exams (Lindeman). “Nursing like other professions is an essential part of the society from which it has grown and continues to evolve.” (Lindeman). Nursing is a growing profession that cares for a wide variety of patients ranging from active soldiers, veterans, children in schools, rehabilitation patients, ill patients as well as many more. Figure 1 shows the locations at which nurses practice. As you can see hospitals are the number one location with long term facilities falling close to the smallest portion of registered nurses practicing there. One of the largest issues is with the practicing locations is many long-term care facilities do not pay nurses enough for them to want to stay working there. Nurses need to earn a wage that can support a family (McAllister). Nurses do not make enough, for all the effort put into the job that many individuals have decided against becoming nurse. Figure 1: Nursing practice locations There is currently a shortage of nurses across the United States, and it is only going to get worse. Figure two shows the amount of nursing jobs in 2012 to the number expected in 2022 there will be a need of over 500,000 nurses by the year 2022. Organizations are in desperate need of nurses. Most places are offering sign on bonuses as well as name your price for the most part. Figure 2: Job Growth Expectancy It is important to look at the past to help shape the present to adjust to the future issues that will occur, the nursing field is responsible for the direct quality care patients are receiving. If there are this many issues with the cost of education, the ability to connect the course content to the workplace, as well as the shortage of nurses how is this field going to turn out. McAllister hit that point right on stating, “Nurses need to come to some sort of consensus on what it means to be a nurse in the 21st century” How does the education prepare you to work in such a dymanic field that rapidly changes? Nursing is a field that takes a special kind of person, that is focused on the health and safety of the patient first and foremost. If nursing students and nurses could look past the cost, and the wages there could be a real difference made. Let’s work together to spread the word about nursing shortages and make a difference in the emerging health care system we have. References: [Photograph found in Elite Uniforms Shoes, Charlotte, NC]. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2017, from https://i0.wp.com/eliteuniformsshoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/greysanatomy2.png?resize=600%2C676 Copyright © 2017 National Academy of Sciences.
All Rights Reserved. (2014, March 14). Retrieved April 10, 2017, from http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health/Infographic.aspx
Lindeman, C. A. (2000). The Future of Nursing Education. Journal of Nursing Education, 39(1), 5-12. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://wcunurs360.pbworks.com/f/The future of nursing education- Lindemann.pdf
McAllister, M., Madsen, W., & Holmes, C. (2013). Newton's cradle: a metaphor to consider the flexibility, resistance and direction of nursing's future. Nursing Inquiry, 21(2), 130-139. doi:10.1111/nin.12037
Rosseter, R. (Ed.). (2014, April 24). Nursing Shortage. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage
Stethoscope and Nurse Cap. (2015, June 21). Retrieved April 19, 2017, from https://jaitroisamours.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/nursing/ (Originally photographed 2015, June 21)
Thomas, G., & Rosser, E. (2017). Research findings from the Memories of Nursing oral history project. British Journal of Nursing, 26(4), 210-216.
doi:10.12968/bjon.2017.26.4.210
Presented issues such as lack of nursing opportunities for nursing graduates, lack of respect for the nursing profession and nurses being viewed as a threat by doctors continues to be of an existence today. As a nurse, I feel that it is of high importance to highlight these presented issues from the film not only because they were the most outstanding to me but because the nursing profession needs more
setting. Journal of Nursing Education, 41(2), 61-68. Retrieved from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database.
Morkes, Andrew Yehling, Carol Walsh, Nora and Walsh, Laura. Ferguson’s Careers in Focus: Nursing. Second Ed. Chicago: Ferguson Pub., 2003. Print
The article I chose discusses the continual change in the roles of nurses. The article also poses a concept that nursing now is not based on caring, but medicine. “By accepting continual changes to the role of the nurse, the core function of nursing has become obscured and, despite assuming medical tasks, the occupation continues to be seen in terms of a role that is subordinate to and dependent on medicine.” (Iley 2004) Nurses are taking a more professional role, and more tasks are being delegated to assertive personnel. Therefore, with all these changes occurring, the role of the enrolled nurse is unclear. “Previously, having two levels of qualified nurse in the United Kingdom had been seen as problematic for health service managers and nurses themselves, and the ending of enrolled nurse programs in 1992 helped to solve this problem.” (2004) The study in this article gathered the characteristics of enrolled nurses and differentiated the groups converting to registered nurses, groups in the process of conversion, and groups interested or not interested in conversion. This study reveals the situation of enrolled nurses in context of continuing towards the professionalization of nursing. “The data from this study support the possibility that the role of nurses as direct caregivers is seen as a positive dimension of the work they undertake.” (2004) The findings imply that nurses need to get back to being caregivers, instead of concentrating on obtaining professional status in medicine.
Institute of Medicine (2010). The future of nursing: Leading change advancing health Retrieved from http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12956&page+R1
West, E., Griffith, W., Iphofen, R. (2007, April vol.16/no.2). A historical perspective on the nursing
This is a research paper conducted on the very highly pursuited field of nursing. Nursing is a profession in the healthcare field that focuses or assisting others. Not to mention, nurses are heroes because of the many lives they save every day. This is an example that one doesn’t need tights or a cape to be a hero. Never the less, there are many reasons one may want to become nurse. Some of those reasons may be for personal gain or the greater good. However, before becoming a nurse one needs to be educated about educational requirements, licenses and certifications, projected salaries, and the projected job outlook for the next five – ten years for nursing. This research paper will provide thorough information on those four major aspects of
Our course, Transition to Professional Nursing, is barely two weeks old and already I am being enlightened and challenged to expand my experience of nursing. I will attempt to explain my personal journey and experience thus far including how and why I got here, my beliefs about nursing and related values, and my visions for the future.
This paper will evaluate the local, national and international drivers that have influenced the development of advanced nursing practice. The discussion will include the political, economic, social, and technological influences that have contributed to the transformation from the traditional nursing role to the numerous exciting advanced level career opportunities achievable in nursing today. Dynamics that have shaped my own current advanced nursing role will be discussed and to conclude some thoughts on the future of advanced nursing practice.
In this paper I will be discussing the three questions: what does nursing mean to me? What are some of the challenges you will face as a new nurse after graduation? As a nursing professional, where do you see yourself in five years?
...ly complex and full of skill and knowledge. Nurses usually have a close relationship with their patients which drives them to help in anyway possible which can often cause a medical advancement. Throughout time, nurses have worked hard, whether the profession was well respected or not, which is how many of the different changes have happened in nursing. This profession has been evolving continuously to shape what is happening in the nation and the world to continue to help the sick and injured. You can see throughout time what influences the events had on the changes in the field of nursing. Nursing will continue to evolve with new and different hospital structures and more advanced technology. No matter how advanced the gadgets become or how complex the job is, nurses will remain being caregivers and with vouch for the sick and at risk members of our communities.
In the todays century, the responsibilities, roles, and opportunities for nursing and nurse education has grown abundantly to that of modern day nurses. Many nurses in the eighteen century were not educated nurses and never attended nursing school; however, they still provided care for the sick, poor, and needy and played a vital role in health maintenance. With the hard work from many notable nurses in history such as Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, and Isabel Robb and the persistence and dedication for change from influential nurses such as Mary Mahoney and Mabel Staupers; nursing today has transformed in many aspects of practice. Although nursing as a profession is continuously evolving throughout the years, the core foundation of nursing hasn’t changed in that nursing is a profession of caring for others and servicing those in need.
Burton, A. (2000) Reflection: nursing’s practice and education panacea? Journal of Advanced Nursing; 31: 5, 1009–1017.
Nursing is more than merely a job, an occupation, or a career; it is a vocation, a calling, a frame of mind and heart. As a nurse, one must value the general good of others over his own. He must devote of himself nobly to ensure the well-being of his patient. However, today’s well-recognized nurses are notably different from nurses of the recent past. Service is the core of the nursing profession, and the essential evolution of the vocation reflects the ever-changing needs of the diverse patient population that it serves. As a profession, nursing has evolved progressively, particularly in its modernization throughout the past two centuries with the influence of Florence Nightingale. The field of nursing continues to grow and diversify even today, as nurses receive greater medical credibility and repute, as its minority representations
Several years ago in 2008 the RWJF and the IOM collaborated for two years to discern the future needs of the nursing profession. Most importantly, the objective was to outline the critical actions needed to ensure nursing was ready to seamlessly move towards the future. This was no easy task as nurses work in such diverse settings such as outpatient areas, acute care settings, the community, and long term settings to name a few. Couple this with the fact that nurses have a variety of educational avenues such as the associates, diploma, or bachelor’s degree open to them to achieve the status of registered nurse (Institute of Medicine, 2010). All of this considered, the committee did design four key messages regarding the future of nursing as key in the transformation of health care as evidenced in their "Future of Nursing" report.