Nursing is a significant area in the healthcare industry because nurses perform many essential tasks that promote care delivery. This field is flexible, which denotes that these healthcare professionals should engage in lifelong learning and improve their skills and competencies to meet emerging challenges. This statement also denotes that various phenomena and processes promote changes in the sphere. Thus, the assessment comments on five historical influences on nursing and nursing education and three trends that will impact future development.
In the beginning, it is necessary to present five historical events that have significantly affected nursing and nursing education. Firstly, it is reasonable to admit Florence Nightingale’s role because she made efforts to increase nurses’ moral and ethical standards, which improved healthcare quality and hospital administration levels (McKenna et al., 2020). Nightingale’s activity resulted in the fact that nursing has become a well-organized, paid, and reputable profession for women. Secondly, one should clarify that Nightingale’s legacy refers to the promotion of hospital-based training (McKenna et al., 2020). Before that, nurses had not acquired the necessary skills when they started working, and Florence highlighted the importance of specific skills that could be applied in practice. That event has contributed to the fact that modern nursing education ensures that individuals master practical skills.
Thirdly, a significant change occurred when different nations required more second-level nurses. According to McKenna et al. (2020), these professionals were expected to replace untrained and inexperienced individuals to perform basic tasks, which allowed registered nurses to focus on providing more complex patient care. In the modern US, examples of second-level nurses include licensed practical and vocational nurses. Fourthly, the 1990s witnessed a significant improvement because advances in medical and healthcare technology brought better opportunities (McKenna et al., 2020). Simultaneously, innovations denoted that nurses required new skills and competencies, which gave rise to specialty education. Fifthly, it was evident in the early 21st century that one could not overestimate the role of the nursing profession. That is why the World Health Organization developed a global standard for nurses’ professional preparation (McKenna et al., 2020). This event has implied that nurses are professional and educated members of the medical sphere today.
It is now reasonable to comment on three future trends that are likely to affect nursing and nursing education. Firstly, technologies will obviously play an important role in the healthcare industry (McKenna et al., 2020). That is why nurses should be open to innovations and be ready to master a new technique or procedure to improve care. Secondly, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that education can be performed online. This information implies that future nursing students can engage in online classes even when the pandemic is over because this approach is convenient and financially attractive for various stakeholders. Thirdly, artificial intelligence is actively implemented in the workplace because this solution implies that computer systems analyze situations and improve decision-making, which leads to better health outcomes (Buchanan et al., 2021). That is why students should start mastering this technology from the beginning.
In conclusion, the sphere of nursing and nursing education is constantly developing because its representatives are expected to meet various challenges and requirements. The overview of five historical events has exemplified that emerging needs promoted changes in how nurses learned and worked. Simultaneously, scientific evidence has demonstrated that innovations, online learning, and artificial intelligence are probable future trends to improve nursing and nursing education outcomes.
References
Buchanan, C., Howitt, M. L., Wilson, R., Booth, R. G., Risling, T., & Bamford, M. (2021). Predicted influences of artificial intelligence on nursing education: Scoping review. JMIR Nursing, 4(1), e23933. Web.
McKenna, L., Davis, J., & Williams, E. (2020). Nursing and midwifery education: Historical perspectives. Clinical Education for the Health Professions: Theory and Practice, 1-18. Web.