As you reflect on this week’s readings, discuss the most important competencies a Master’s prepared nurse leader should have for your chosen specialty CSM, INF, NED. How do these competencies guide your own practice? Does your career plan include the competencies you have identified? How important is specialty certification for today’s master’s prepared nurse?…
References: American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2011). The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-resources/MastersEssentials11.pdf…
Bachelor degree nursing programs are highly regarded for the skilled, clinical thinking, and professionalism of nurses they provide for the community. Obtaining a baccalaureate in nursing provides the same skills and knowledge encompassed in most associate’s programs, while allowing a broadened look into research, public health, management, and humanities (AACN IENP, 2012). Many facilities are now providing incentives for nursing staff to continue their education; from tuition reimbursement, an increase in pay, and played time off for the sole purpose of education. Research has proven that with a more educated nursing populous there is a decrease in morality rates and medication errors, and it also provides more positive outcomes (AACN Fact Sheet, 2012). With such a high demand for nurses, the scope of nursing has become more comprehensive with a larger responsibility being placed on nurses. All of this has shown not only to the medical field but also policymakers and other leaders of the community that a higher level of education not only makes a difference, but many feel it should be a requirement.…
There is always a question about which program is better; Is it the associate’s degree in nursing program provided by community colleges or the baccalaureate of science in nursing program provided by colleges and universities? One similarity is for sure that nurses from both programs can take the NCLEX-RN exam. Before I started college I was debating whether I should go to school for an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing, but because I just had a baby and the university is one hour away from our home, I decided to go ahead and enter the registered nursing program in our community college. I know that there is a lot of differences between nurses that are prepared at the associate-degree level versus the baccalaureate degree level in nursing that is why I set a goal that someday I will go back to school for my Bachelor’s degree. This paper will be explaining the difference in competencies between nurses prepared at the associate degree level versus the baccalaureate degree level in nursing by comparing their education, patient care and opportunities. This paper will also give some examples about a patient care situation in which how nursing care approaches to decision making may differ based upon the educational preparation of a BSN versus ADN.…
Nursing profession is the largest division of the healthcare employees. Nurses play an important role when it comes to patient care. There are many obstacles that prevent nurses from being able to respond effectively to constantly changing healthcare system and to make changes and advance health, these obstacles need to be overcome. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation along with Institute of Medicine (IOM) proposed to assess the need to transform the nursing profession in 2010. The report included making…
One of the topics discussed in this report is the future of nursing education. The changes being made to our country’s healthcare system must include changes in nursing education prior to licensing and post license practicing nurses. With this change comes the need for a larger amount of nurses entering the workforce to have a bachelor’s degree or obtain it very early in the career. This report states that nurses must be adequately trained to care for a diverse population and to provide all patients safe and quality care and to perform as a leader. Nurses also must be prepared to care for patients in different care settings, such as, community and public health settings. The baccalaureate nurse receives this education whereas an associate’s degree nurse does not. Nurses should continue to educate themselves throughout the career with physicians and other healthcare professionals. A better educated nurse leads to better education for the patient thus possibly keeping them from an…
This paper is about an interview of a master’s prepared nurse who is in the position of an Assistant Director of nursing. The theme of the interview is concerned in showing how a graduate of a Master in science in nursing would be able to prepare a nurse in assuming a bigger role in the nursing practice, administration or education (Master of Science in Nursing, 2013). This opportunity gives the individual many different opportunities for growth and sets a room for career advancement. In this interview, I made the choice of interviewing B.A,…
This paper’s the focus will be on the differences in associate degree nursing (ADN and baccalaureate in nursing (BSN) competencies, based on educational preparation. Highly qualified nurses are required by most of the health care system, in the United States (US) Magnet hospitals, have require all nurse managers and nurses leaders to hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing by 2013. (Citation). This writer intents to analyze similarities and differences between ADN and BSN degrees, the ADN is an attractive option for many, due to shortened program, time and the reduce tuition rate; baccalaureate nursing program have additional classes in humanities, sciences and expanded nursing coursework. Additional classes in community health nursing, nursing management and research enables the BSN nurse to be prepared for broader scope of practice (citation). By the end of this paper the reader we will be able to differentiate the two educational levels based on a patient care scenario, which demonstrates why higher education is recommended for nurses.…
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report was written to explore how the nursing profession should change to build a stronger health care system. A vision was developed to make quality care accessible to the diverse population of the United States, promote wellness and disease prevention, improve health outcomes and provide compassionate care across the lifespan (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2011). Nurses must achieve higher levels of education and utilize this education and training to meet the challenges facing health care. An associate degree nurse is excellent; however a Bachelor of Science nurse (BSN) is encouraged. A BSN possesses a broader foundation of nursing including community health and leadership content. The link between lower mortality rates and educational level has also caused the BSN to be preferred. An all BSN workforce at the entry level would provide a more uniform foundation for the reconceptualized roles for nurses and new models of care that are envisioned (IOM).…
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and Grand Canyon University (GCU) both laid emphasis on providing students with a package of knowledge that is "practice-oriented with a goal that professionals develop cutting-edge skills and information for professional roles, and those programs that are more theoretically or research directed with a goal of developing scholars for the generation of new knowledge." ("The Essentials Of Master’s Education For Advanced Practice Nursing," n.d., p. 1) Both AACN and GCU realize the important for the masters prepared nurse to be culturally sensitive and understanding of others, and themselves. Using evidence based practice through research and thinking critically helps the masters prepared nurse to deliver only the uppermost quality of care to their patients, families, and the communities they serve. GCU the College of Nursing (CON) also sees the AACN 's essentials as part of their own recognizing that masters prepared nurses need to be able to provide health assessments that are in-depth and accommodating to the person as an individual, as a family or as a community member. These two organizations express the necessity to be able to gain knowledge and apply it into skills in their clinical practice. The master prepared nurse is expected to be able to be "grounded in the reality of the world, accept the consequences of choice, and strive unselfishly to help others meet their highest potential". (Grand Canyon University Mission and Vision website, 2014) The nursing career affords programs that bring a knowledgeable nurse into a masters prepared nurse who should possess all of the above…
According to the IOM report, nursing education is one area of health care that requires changes. Currently entry nursing is comprised of nurses with diplomas, associate degrees, baccalaureate degrees, and master's degrees. The IOM's goal is to have 80% of nurses with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree and allow them to practice to the fullest of their education and training by 2020. Health care will be shifting to more patient centered care, focusing on health promotion and preventative care with less acute and specialty care. Associate level nursing curriculums do not prepare nurses with this information; therefore, it is crucial that nurses have a baccalaureate degree to be prepared to care for patients in this changing environment. Since care will be provided in community settings, nurses need to be educated in the following areas: health promotion, preventative health care, primary care, mental health, prenatal services, and geriatric care. Nurses will need to be literate in technology, have good communication skills, transitional care skills, evidence based practice skills, and leadership skills to care for patients in the community setting. In addition to an increased demand for baccalaureate nurses, there…
Healthcare systems and the way safe, quality health care is delivered are continually changing to better serve patients and communities. Professional nursing practice is a large component in the healthcare system today. Back in the 1960s, professional nursing leaders tried to adopt the bachelor degree programs as the only educational track to become a registered nurse (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). Due to nursing shortages and demands this motive did not hold fast. Individuals entering the nursing profession today must first decide which educational pathway to take to become a Registered Nurse (RN).…
Education is an infinite process. Every day, new developments emerge and new deceases and remedies discovered. The overall outlook of healthcare professions has dramatically changed in the past few decades. Nursing plays a very critical and important part in efficient care and patient safety. Nurses work shoulder to shoulder with physicians in treatment planning and management. Legal and ethical responsibility of the care provided is also increasingly shared by the Nurses. Nursing profession thus calls for better qualified and well groomed nurses. Even though associate degree programs prepare nurses for patient care in a hospital setting, that training is insufficient for a variety of nursing roles.…
Advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) require highly developed and extensive knowledge in “diagnostics, therapeutics, the biological, social and epidemiological sciences and pharmacology, and their enhanced skills in areas such as consultation and clinical decision-making” (Duke, 2012, p.1027). As such, it is imperative that nurses assuming an advance practice role are equipped and capable of applying intricate logic, critical thinking, deliberation, and analysis in their work, evaluations, clinical analysis, and decisions (Duke, 2012). Moreover, the highly specialized clinical experience in combination with the MSN curricula affords undergraduate nurses with the knowledge, nursing theory, leadership, and management principles necessary to meet core competencies required for advance practice. Mandating studies at the Master’s level is not only necessary but is also crucial to the success of undergraduate nurses assuming roles in advance practice.…
This IOM report strongly encourages our nursing population to obtain higher degrees. Not only does the committee prefer baccalaureate, master and doctorate prepared nurses, but they want to see our nursing population become more diverse. They want the nursing workforce to be leaders, able to meet the needs of all patients and able to deliver care at a higher standard. Health policy and health care financing competencies need to be included in the curriculum as well as leader ship, quality improvement and systems thinking (Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, 2011). The committee has set a goal for 80% of nurses to have a minimum of a BSN by the year 2020. In order for this goal to be met, several changes in our education programs need to occur. One change is…