NR 451 Week 8: Your Future!

As this session comes to a close, I can’t help but think of all the possibilities that are available for nurses. I never imagined obtaining my bachelor’s degree but, I will be a BSN-prepared nurse at the end of this week. I have already begun my research to determine which university will best meet my needs as I progress forward and obtain my Family Nurse Practitioner licensure. I am excited about the growing possibilities in nursing and am so very happy that I chose a career in healthcare.

Currently, I am not a certified emergency nurse. I am planning to take the exam next month. “Achieving and maintaining certification validates the knowledge required for competent practice, which can make a difference to health care administrators, employers, nurse and physician colleagues, patients, and, perhaps most important, to the emergency nurse” (American College of Emergency Physicians, n.d.). The field of medicine is constantly changing and it is important to stay up-to-date with the advances in healthcare. Nurses are consistently striving for more autonomy and advocating for themselves and the patient. “The dynamic nature of the healthcare practice environment and the growing body of nursing research provide both the impetus and the opportunity for nursing to ensure competent nursing practice in all settings for all healthcare consumers, and to promote ongoing professional development that enhances the quality of nursing practice” (American Nurses Association, 2015, p. 49).

Nursing has come a long way. In the early to mid-1800s, “physicians began scattered efforts to ‘train’ low-status women to assist them with menial tasks” (A Timeline of Nursing Education, n.d.). Now, staff nurses collaborate with the physician to provide the best possible outcomes for the patient. “New roles are empowering nurses to play a greater role in improving patient experiences and population health and lowering costs” (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2015). By obtaining my Doctorates of Nursing Practice, I will be able to assist patients even more. I am eager to pursue my dreams of being an excellent provider.

References:

A Timeline of Nursing Education. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2017, from https://www.americansentinel.edu/blog/2016/09/06/a-timeline-of-nursing-education/

American College of Emergency Physicians. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2017, from https://www.acep.org/Clinical—Practice-Management/Emergency-Nurse-Certifications-Do-Make-a-Difference/

American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Author.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2015). Nurses take on new and expanded roles in healthcare. http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/articles-and-news/2015/01/nurses-take-on-new-and-expanded-roles-in-health-care.html.

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I am also researching universities to attend from to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. I have been a RN for over 13 years and never thought I would go back to school, but look at me now!

You’re right to say that nursing has come a long way. I have always been interested in the history of things and finding interesting facts. After some research, I found some fun facts about nursing. I’ll share a few. The nurse’s cap was patterned after a nun’s habit so hair would be kept neatly in place. It was phased out because of infection control issues. Nepal, Italy has one of the lowest nurse per capita. They have only 5 nurses for every 100,000 people. And we just think we work short staffed! James Derham was a slave owned by several physicians, who worked as a nurse. He bought his freedom with his nursing salary. He later became the first African-American physician. Mary Todd Lincoln was the only first lady to volunteer as a nurse. She helped in Union hospitals during the civil war (20 Fun Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Nursing, 2017). It is important to know our history. It is amazing to see how far the nursing profession has come and its evolution doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

As you stated, it is important for healthcare professionals to stay up-to-date on the advances in our professions. One of the most important attributes to grow is your curiosity. This is a powerful tool to utilize to stay up to date on changes (Staying current, 2014). Curiosity turns into research. Research turns into evidence. Then what do we have? Evidence-based practice! And that’s how we can give the best care.

Congratulations on finishing your BSN. Best of luck in all your future endeavors.

Reference

20 Fun Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Nursing. (2017, February 09). Retrieved October 12, 2017, from https://www.nursebuff.com/facts-about-nursing/Links to an external site.

Staying current. (2014, April 27). Retrieved October 12, 2017, from https://www.nurse.com/blog/2014/04/28/staying-current/

I enjoyed your posting and thanks to you for sharing that work site. I do agree with you that nursing has come a long way. Technology has taken nursing to a new direction and as healthcare and technology changes, so is the need to change processes to deliver quality care. Nurses keeping abreast with new technology and evidence-based research have an edge in creating innovative ways to care for their patients and the community. According to this week’s lesson “The reality is that it is essential for nurses today to utilize current research and evidence-based practice to become change agents in their practice setting. It is essential for nurses to exercise the autonomy that is available to them.”

Before my BSN program, I did not pay much attention to the resources available to nursing. I have always shy away from the internet by only using it when I found it necessary, now I have visited many sites because of my course and it has open my scope. I have learned so much and I am happy to say I can do my own research and apply it to my practices area.

References:

Chamberlain University College of Nursing, What does the future hold? Week 8 [Online Lesson]. Downers Grove, IL DeVry Education Group Retrieved from https://chamberlain.instructure.com/courses/9011/pages/week-8-lesson?module_item_id=1014344

The National League for Nursing. (2015). The Changing Faculty Role: Preparing Students for the Technological World of Health Care. Retrieved from https://www.nln.org/docs/default-source/about/nln-vision-series-(position-statements)/a-vision-for-the-changing-faculty-role-preparing-students-for-the-technological-world-of-health-care.pdf?sfvrsn=0Links to an external site.

~Candee Crane

References:

A Timeline of Nursing Education. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2017, from

https://www.americansentinel.edu/blog/2016/09/06/a-timeline-of-nursing-education/

American College of Emergency Physicians. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2017, from https://www.acep.org/Clinical—Practice-Management/Emergency-Nurse-Certifications-Do-Make-a-Difference/

American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Author.