College Example Essay on Issues and Trends in Field of Nursing
Introduction
The only thing that is certain to be consistent in the field of nursing is change, and this applies to both the issues and trends that arise in the nursing profession as well as the changes that occur in payment policies and laws as well as the shifting requirements of the population. This class has equipped me with a foundation, as well as given me a greater awareness of the necessity of higher education for the purpose of enabling nurses to become leaders and contributing to the shaping of the future of the field of nursing.
It is becoming increasingly clear that nurses constitute the “backbone” of the healthcare system, which is a reflection of the changes that are now taking place in the healthcare industry.
The practice of nursing, along with the practice of medicine in general, has been continuously developing throughout the entirety of humankind’s recorded history. Even though the term “nurse” didn’t come into use until much later, the earliest nurses were people who devoted their entire lives to the practice of caring for the sick, maimed, and otherwise afflicted, regardless of whether or not the term “nurse” existed at the time.
The field of nursing has evolved to become an essential part of modern medical treatment. An associate’s degree in nursing (also known as an ADN), a bachelor of science in nursing (often known as a BSN), and a registered nurse (RN) are the three levels of nursing education that will be compared and contrasted in this particular piece of writing (registered nurse).
The field of nursing is one of those occupations that have been around for a very long time and has developed alongside the evolution of humankind. Nursing in the ancient world was a combination of science and religious practice due to the widespread belief that illness was caused by bad spirits, sins, and other supernatural forces (Roux & Halstead, 2017).
Concurrently, the essential principles that underpin modern nursing were formulated throughout this time period. It was very early on in the history of humankind that people understood that in order to heal from even the most particular ailments, an injured or ill individual required tranquility, warmth, food, and rest in order to function normally again.
As a result of physical distances, linguistic obstacles, and a general lack of communication, nursing practices did not conform to a universal standard. Instead, each nation evolved its own methods and treatments for treating specific injuries and illnesses. Hippocrates, Avicenna, Actuaries, and Paracelsus were all prominent figures in the history of the medical and nursing professions during the ancient and medieval periods (Roux & Halstead, 2017).
The specialized function of a nurse, on the other hand, was not established in a widespread manner until the religious orders in Europe, such as the Order of Hospitallers, began operating enormous shelters and hospitals to care for large numbers of pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land.
Despite this, the fundamentals of nursing practice continued to be somewhat fragmented, despite the fact that numerous major parallels could be discovered everywhere. Florence Nightingale’s paradigm of nursing, which was the first nursing framework ever published, marked the beginning of a period in which nursing practice underwent significant transformation. Due to the fact that her framework imposed a list of requirements not just on nursing procedures but also on the individuals who practiced nursing, she is commonly referred to as the “mother of modern medicine” (Alligood, 2017).
The field of nursing in the past 100–200 years was quite different from how it is practiced today. The individual patient was put in the center of all of the efforts and decisions that were made because of the scope of practice. Evidence-based practice has supplanted the dogma and religion that had been prevalent in the medical field. In conclusion, a nurse in the present day is a highly qualified medical professional whose attributes are in line with the national as well as the international standards of nursing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 28 million registered nurses working across the globe. However, this amount is still insufficient to meet the requirements of the growing number of patients. As a consequence of this, there is a scarcity of nurses all over the world, and by the year 2030, an additional 6 million jobs will need to be filled in order to fulfill the requirements of the healthcare industry for all of the patients and their requirements.
This number will also continue to climb online during the entirety of the year 2022. As a result of factors such as nursing burnout, which is on the rise, an increasing number of nurses are quitting the field of healthcare as a whole. This is compounded by the fact that many members of the baby boomer generation are getting close to reaching retirement age. The effects of COVID-19 and the worldwide scarcity of nurses are being felt across the entirety of the healthcare industry, and this trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
As the effects of the nursing crisis continue to reverberate across the healthcare industry, the number of open nursing positions will likewise continue to expand. As a result of the fact that one third of the current nursing workforce is getting close to the age of retirement, a significant number of new nursing jobs are about to become available. These occupations will require varied degrees of experience, which will make it possible for a wide range of candidates to apply.
In addition to the large number of job openings caused by the retirement of nurses, there are more job opportunities coming up around the country because healthcare organizations are expanding their facilities to cater for a larger population.
There is a high level of job stability in the field of nursing as a result of the strong demand for nursing professionals, but there is also a high level of need for additional education. As a direct consequence of this trend, an increasing number of schools of higher learning now offer distance learning courses, particularly in the field of nursing. Online education makes it possible for nurses to receive a degree while working full-time.
It also enables nurses to gain access to higher education on their own time and to continue their education even when they are required to follow certain pandemic protocols and limits.
The proliferation of online nursing programs has not only made obtaining a higher education easier than ever before, but it has also led to an increase in the requirements that hospitals place on their nursing staff. Nurses are encouraged to pursue higher levels of education because healthcare facilities prefer nurses who have at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
Because of the large number of nursing positions that will become available in the years to come, it is currently necessary for nurses to have a high level of education. It is anticipated that new nurses entering the workforce will have the same degree of expertise and experience as their more seasoned counterparts, who have been working in the field for longer. This indicates that they require additional schooling before beginning their professional professions. Higher education, such as programs leading to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, is also becoming more required for nursing practitioners who are interested in taking on leadership roles.
Because of COVID-19, there was a change in the way that people in the United States dealt with their healthcare in the year 2020, and one of the consequences of this transition was that a significant percentage (20%) of medical appointments were carried out online. According to recent statistics, the revenue generated through telemedicine is expected to more than triple by the year 2023. The extensive use of telemedicine has made it possible to automate many of the tasks performed by nurses, making patient care as well as other choices like telehealth and chatbots more readily available.
Patients get greater control over their health care and the ability to feel comfortable in their own homes thanks to the availability of flexible telehealth technology that allows them to access their medical records and doctors from the comfort of their own homes. Test results, requests for refills on prescriptions, and appointment scheduling can all be entered into online portals. Additionally, physicians or nurses can be contacted through telemedicine equipment in order to arrange virtual meetings, which saves both patients and clinicians a significant amount of time.
In a similar vein, chatbot services have been developed to provide patients a greater amount of control over the care they receive. Patients have the ability to search for specialists in their region, set reminders for when they need to take their medications, and book appointments.
Comparisons of the Same and Opposite The Difference Between an ADN and a BSN
The ADN and the BSN are not interchangeable in any way, shape, or form. The fundamental practice competencies are rather consistent across a variety of nursing specialties, including pediatrics, adult health, maternal nursing, newborn nursing, mental health care, and gerontological care (Anbari, 2018). However, students who get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing spend more time studying nursing theory and nursing informatics, which makes them more equipped to carry out research.
It takes two years to become an ADN nurse, while it takes between four and five years to become a BSN nurse (Anbari, 2018). Because BSN nurses are permitted and prepared to conduct research, gain access to more critical and skill-intensive roles, and have the possibility of becoming an RN after passing the national and state exams, the scope of practice for a graduate with a BSN is more extensive. This is due to the fact that BSN nurses are allowed to conduct research and are prepared for it.
ADN nurses get instruction in the fundamentals of nursing practice, whereas BSN nurses and RN nurses are expected to collaborate with professionals from other disciplines (Anbari, 2018). As a result of the collaboration between various specialists, the patient is guaranteed to receive the highest possible level of care, which is made possible by the fact that other professionals are able to work within their own areas of expertise. Communication and effective leadership are essential components of such initiatives, as lack of coherence leads to poorer outcomes for patients. In order for them to be able to participate in multidisciplinary activity, all nurses receive training in the many methods of communication and leadership.
The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is a shorter and less expensive route to becoming a nurse than the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), but the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program offers a much broader scope of practice, which includes research, critical thinking, and better opportunities for promotion. As a result, it offers a superior long-term answer in addition to the potential to enhance patient care by making use of cutting-edge evidence-based methods and a more wonderful variety of nursing theories that are tailored to the specifics of the circumstance. Both jobs are equally committed to delivering high-quality treatment, and it is not unusual for ADN experts to enroll in BSN programs in order to advance their careers.
Conclusion
The field of nursing is always evolving, however the pace of change might vary. It is beneficial to take a step back every so often and examine some of the most significant advancements in the field in order to gain insight into what lies ahead. This will allow you to be better prepared to meet new difficulties and continue to advance in your nursing career.
The field of nursing is always adapting to new standards and advancing at a dizzying rate. The current trends in nursing and care are multifactorial, including the following: an increase in the number of elderly people, a transition to informatics, a nursing shortage, and an overall emphasis on specific frameworks for the guiding of nursing practice, which includes the incorporation of evidence-based practice.
References
https://www.longdom.org/peer-reviewed-journals/nursing-current-trend-25810.html
https://www.altus-inc.com/blog/nursing-trends-that-will-shape-healthcare
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