As a student nurse, I aim to save lives and have a positive effect on the healthcare system in the future. This is only possible through being competent and knowledgeable in the field of nursing. My Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) will enable me to qualify for a nursing entry-level job, however, these kinds of jobs have limited opportunities for impactful change and leadership roles. To this end, I purpose to broaden my scope of education to enable me to propel into leadership roles while still saving lives and improving the healthcare system.
After getting my BSN, there are a couple of job opportunities I can apply for. The first one is working as a nurse in any hospital that would expose me to actual practice. This is because my BSN has adequately prepared me with primary caring roles and critical care skills suitable for healthcare facilities (Bloomer & Bench, 2020). Being a school nurse is also another opportunity that my BSN prepares me for. Caring for children and ensuring students are healthy so as to continue with their studies uninterrupted is also something I would like to participate in. Other opportunities I would like to pursue include working in a nursing home or a public health nurse. These positions require the skills I learnt while pursuing my BSC such as physical assessment, nursing theory, statistics and research. Finally, the BSN curriculum offers additional topics including legal and ethical issues to help nurses become more active in patient care, decision-making and management. These skills are very much needed in the role of a legal nurse consultant advising a hospital board to prevent legal tussles.
In order to ensure my competitiveness in the job market, I plan on pursuing some advanced degrees and professional certification courses. An MSN (Master’s Degree in Nursing), is the first advanced degree I intend on achieving. An MSN will enable me advance my nursing practice, education and administration. I want to become a public health nurse and later specialize in the health administrative side. This position requires an MSN in nursing administration. I intend to pursue this program online or part time in order to enable me to continue working. I have found universities that offer this course in a duration of about 10 months. The reason why I want to pursue this administrative position is because the emotional and physical demands of patient care can become more stressful as nurses grow older in their careers. For this reason, I want a less physically tasking role in my older years and an administrative position allows me this luxury. Additionally, an MSN helps one qualify for more jobs with relatively high salaries (TAMIU, 2019).The other certification I would like to achieve is the (NE-BC) Nurse Executive Certification. This certification is granted by the American Nurses Association and will grant me further skills in financial management, human capital, consumer decisions, legal issues and public health policy (Lúanaigh & Hughes, 2015). This certification will take a minimum of 5 years to complete since it has some requirements such as work experience as a nurse administrator. Additionally, I will still be working as a practicing nurse limiting the time I have.
Advancing my nursing education in the above-mentioned ways is extremely beneficial and important not only to further my career but for my patients well-being. One of the main reasons for wanting to further my education is to improve patient care. The advanced techniques I learn and practice in class will develop my skills through applying best practices in my job which will further improve the health outcomes of my patients. Furthermore, the hand-on-skills I gain will allow me to recognize problems, conduct research and implement solutions to advance my professional practice. Another objective of increasing my education levels is to gain an understanding and employ data to guide me make better judgment calls via evidence-based practices. This results in improved patient outcomes, optimized operational efficiency and reduced healthcare costs (Fawaz et al., 2018). My enrollment in my chosen nursing programs will also undoubtedly broaden my healthcare knowledge in critical healthcare fronts such as healthcare innovation, information systems and research analysis. This knowledge will be useful in expanding my career opportunities. Acquiring new skills such as automating clinical care, analyzing research data and training healthcare providers will enable me improve the healthcare organization I work in and help others in similar positions. Finally, these nursing programs will equip me with the necessary skills required to create, plan, implement and assess healthcare initiatives and services. This will allow me to be play an impactful role in promoting community health awareness(Dupin et al., 2020).
Nurses are deemed to be competent when licensed. However, some are of the opinion that this is not an adequate measure of competency in today’s rapidly changing healthcare environment(Liu & Aungsuroch, 2018). Research has associated poor patient health outcomes to inadequate nursing knowledge and skills. As recommended in the Institute of Medicine report, one way to enhance patient quality care is for nurses to further their education (IOM, 2011). In addition to improving health outcomes, higher education also boosts nurses’ confidence. Lack of confidence may affect the ability of a nurse to work effectively or collaborate with other team members (Owens & Keller, 2018). The ANA code of ethics lists duties, commitments and values that nurses should strive to achieve (ANA, 2015). The pros of following this code such as equal treatment, safe care, professional growth and confidence building outweigh the cons associated with this code such as time and financial burdens. The scope of practice defines the nursing practice that requires specialized skills, knowledge and informed decision making. Nurses should be up to date with current evident-based practices and techniques.
Should the furthering of nursing education be made mandatory? Those opposed state that nurses should be personally responsible for identifying gaps in their education and that furthering one’s education does not necessarily lead to competence. Some argue that healthcare providers already continue their education on their own. Financial and time constraints are also mentioned. However, I agree with the National League for Nursing who advocate for continuing nursing education to improve health outcomes and advance professionally. Provision 5 of the ANA code stipulates that nurses are obliged to do the same duties to themselves as others, including the role of preserving safety and integrity, maintaining competence and continuing with personal professional development. In conclusion, the IOM report describes the increasing care complexity that demands nurses employ advanced technology to analyze information to make informed decisions and suggests states that an educated workforce is linked to better health outcomes (IOM, 2011).

References

ANA. (2015). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. Retrieved 11 May 2021, from https://www.nursingworld.org/coe-view-only.

Bloomer, M., & Bench, S. (2020). Critical care nursing workforce: Global imperatives, innovations and future-proofing – A call for papers. Intensive And Critical Care Nursing, 60, 102902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2020.102902

Dupin, C., Pinon, M., Jaggi, K., Teixera, C., Sagne, A., & Delicado, N. (2020). Public health nursing education viewed through the lens of superdiversity: a resource for global health. BMC Nursing, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-020-00411-3

Fawaz, M., Hamdan-Mansour, A., & Tassi, A. (2018). Challenges facing nursing education in the advanced healthcare environment. International Journal Of Africa Nursing Sciences, 9, 105-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2018.10.005

IOM. (2011). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Institute Of Medicine (US) Committee On The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative On The Future Of Nursing, At The Institute Of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.17226/12956

Liu, Y., & Aungsuroch, Y. (2018). Current Literature Review of Registered Nurses’ Competency in the Global Community. Journal Of Nursing Scholarship, 50(2), 191-199. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12361

Lúanaigh, P., & Hughes, F. (2015). The nurse executive role in quality and high performing health services. Journal Of Nursing Management, 24(1), 132-136. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12290

Owens, K., & Keller, S. (2018). Exploring workforce confidence and patient experiences: A quantitative analysis. Patient Experience Journal, 5(1), 97-105. https://doi.org/10.35680/2372-0247.1210

TAMIU. (2019). Benefits of Earning an MSN in Nursing Administration. Texas A&M International University Online. Retrieved 14 May 2021, from https://online.tamiu.edu/articles/msn/benefits-of-msn-nursing-admin.aspx.