Nursing and healthcare are areas that must constantly change and evolve according to current social trends. This is because medical professionals are not guided only by up-to-date scientific findings but are highly dependent on people’s needs and demands. Modern nurses must recognize that health is influenced by many cultural and social factors, including education, economic status, environmental conditions, public safety, etc. (Black, 2019). Two modern tendencies that affect professional nursing in the USA are the technological and Internet development and racial disparities in access to healthcare.
The modern world is becoming increasingly connected to the Internet, allowing people to access specialist advice, even those living in remote areas. Therefore, two trends are developing in professional nursing at once, which increase nurses’ mobility- telemedicine and multistate license (Roux & Halstead, 2017). The ability to obtain a license that will be valid in several dozen states instead of one expands the opportunities for nurses. In particular, they can engage in telemedicine and help patients who do not have access to other specialists.
Another crucial issue in the USA to address in nursing is the racial and cultural diversity that is growing over time as more and more people of different origins migrate to the country. Nurses are challenged to work with people with different backgrounds, beliefs, cultural norms, and languages. The patient who was not heard and understood is more likely to stop cooperating and hinder the treatment process. That is why cultural diversity training is included in nurses’ education to explain and teach medical workers how to build trust and understanding despite possible cultural barriers (Young & Guo, 2020). Moreover, it adds to the patient-centered care paradigm that is at the center of modern nursing now.
References
Black, B. (2019). Professional nursing e-book: Concepts & challenges. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Roux, G., & Halstead, J. A. (Eds.). (2017). Issues and trends in nursing. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Young, S., & Guo, K. L. (2020). Cultural diversity training: The necessity of cultural competence for health care providers and in nursing practice. The Health Care Manager, 39(2), 100–108.