Introduction
The future of nursing has attracted several debates, and it is noted that nurses have broader opportunities, such as meeting healthcare needs for organizations and patients. This paper delves into the options available for an associate nursing degree qualification and professional certification and advanced degree goals to become a more qualified nurse. It will also focus on the impact of continuing nursing education on caregivers and the need to have mandatory training for the nurses.
Options in the Job Market
My current level of education is that of an associate degree in nursing. The options I have in the job market are working as a registered nurse in a hospital, where I can be employed in the emergency room (ER), general ward, or the maternity ward (Schrum, 2015). I will be tasked with taking vital signs, administering medication, and managing care. There is an average salary scale of about $69,000 per year.
I can also get employed as an outpatient care nurse, where I would be working in an outpatient department offering routine care to patients, following medical procedures, and being present during surgery. In addition, I will also work as a personal care nurse responsible for visiting patients at their homes and offering care regularly. This job is more lucrative as it pays $5,000 more than the salary paid to the registered nurse.
Finally, I also have the option of becoming a Physician’s office nurse. Here I would be tasked with providing routine care to patients, checking for vital signs, administering shots, medication, and vaccines, as well as initial exams, and consultation with patients (Schrum, 2015). Another option to consider would be to become a nursing care facility nurse, where I will undertake to give care to the elderly, check vital signs, administer medication, and accomplish the doctor’s tasks.
Professional Certification and Advanced Degree Goals
Professional certification of nurses gives them an opportunity to advance their knowledge and achieve career goals. The Institute of Medicine report suggests that due to the complexity and nature in which the system keeps changing, nurses should attain higher education height (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016). Consequently, they will meet the goals of nursing, such as prioritizing patients’ needs. Regular training of nurses is essential in achieving quality healthcare service and patients’ safety in hospitals.
Higher education is a consideration when it comes to recruiting the qualified staff in the job market. Employers tend to prefer those with baccalaureate and master’s degrees. For this reason, I would prefer to attain a baccalaureate and masters’ degree within four years. Based on the report’s findings, I believe that after my successful completion of a master’s degree, I will be employable for most of the positions within the nursing field.
Nursing is a lifelong learning process due to the ever-changing nature of practice. Therefore, continuous education offers the nurses the opportunity to learn and advance their own techniques in safe patient care. Looking at the trends in the healthcare industry, baccalaureate and masters’ degree holders are much needed in the job market. To this end, progressive training is necessary; professional and personal values and approaches are often mirrored in a people’s behavior and intentions for the organization, which positively contributes to service devilry as well as to the performance of the hospital.
Continuing Nursing Education and Other Attributes
Continuing nursing education involves learning skills to attain to enhance personal qualification, attitude change, and knowledge. Subsequently, nurses’ role and care plan level in the society will improve. In other words, poorly planned education among nurses affects patient care.
Continuous learning and constant professional development can be achieved through holding training camps, conferences, workshops, and seminars that provide an opportunity for continual proficient development and empowerment (Clark et al., 2015). Some innovations and changes occur in every sector, and therefore, the healthcare industry needs to have personnel that regularly receive continuous education. In addition, new knowledge on how to deal with cultural diversity improves nurses’ attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA scope and standards for practice and Code of Ethics. Thus, it is essential for all nurses to take part in continuing nursing education.
Mandatory Continuing Nursing Education
The ongoing training for nurses has a positive correlation to their competency. Equally, continuing competence subjects nurses to the most recent and skill-oriented information that would effectively improve their ability to work within a hospital setting. In addition, the new knowledge acquired through training promotes patient safety and quality healthcare (Mehdi et al., 2019). It can therefore be noted that continuing nursing education is important as it improves the nurses’ competence.
Finally, attaining a high level of education should be mandatory since the patient’s safety is critical. Employers prefer highly learned nurses; therefore, if it is compulsory, every nurse will have to upgrade, thereby making them competitive in the market. In addition, continuous learning ensures that nurses are well aware of the profession’s dynamic changes. This will help them become competent in their roles at a facility. Importantly, the objective of health institutions is to offer quality healthcare services.
Conclusion
In conclusion, continuing nursing education plays a significant role in keeping the nurses updated with the latest advancement in care and treatment. Furthermore, it allows them to explore other nursing areas, such as pain management, wound care, geriatrics, and home health, among others. Therefore, it is crucial for nurses to regularly take on courses that will advance their knowledge, make them stay up to date, enhance patient outcomes, and experience professional growth.
References
Clark, M., Julmisse, M., Marcelin, N., Merry, L., Tuck, J., & Gagnon, A. J. (2015). Strengthening healthcare delivery in Haiti through nursing continuing education. International Nursing Review, 62(1), 54-63.
Mehdi, Z., Nasser, R., Theobald, H., & Schoemann, K. (2019). Health workers’ educational training and staffing concerning medication errors, fall injuries, and complaints among older adults. Global Journal of Health Science, 11(3).
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2016). Assessing progress on the Institute of Medicine report The Future of Nursing. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Web.
Schrum, R. A. (2015). Nursing student retention in an associate degree nursing program utilizing a retention specialist. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 10(2), 80-87.