Introduction
Nursing is a broad field that consists of several specialties. One of the critical categories of nurses is the nursing practitioners. This group of nurses has evolved to become significant medical practitioners that many people rely on for their medical needs. On average, at least 1.6 billion Americans visit the nursing practitioners annually (Jacobson). Nursing practitioners offer primary medical services to the patients, including conducting diagnostic tests, prescribing medication, caring for the patient, and monitoring their recovery process. Additionally, nursing practitioners monitor and operate various hospital equipment and refer the patients to qualified specialists when the condition is more complex. These nurses can either work independently or operate under the supervision of a doctor. The average salary of full-time nurses in this specialty is $98,760 (“Associate Chief Nursing Officer Salaries”). However, this amount depends on various factors, including the location, level of education, and the nurses’ level of experience. A competent nursing practitioner requires a variety of skills; moreover, there are both opportunities and challenges in this specialty, which could be handled through self-care and mentors.
Nursing Practitioner Skills
To succeed as a nursing practitioner, one requires several skills essential in facilitating efficient discharge of duties. Firstly, a nursing practitioner needs good communication skills (Jacobson). Excellent communication skills are necessary for effectively addressing the patient’s needs by adequately explaining their medical condition and the various treatment plans they need to follow. When such a message is delivered compassionately and professionally, the patient is likely to gain the nurse’s trust and be comfortable giving them feedback about their progress.
Secondly, nursing practitioners should have excellent leadership skills to make decisions in challenging situations. Nurses are often confronted with various situations that may require them to make the correct and unpopular decisions (Jacobson). They, therefore, need leadership skills to take control of the situation and ensure that they act professionally and make decisions that are favorable to the patient and the hospital. This is essential, especially when the nurses are operating independently without an experienced physician.
Thirdly, practitioner nurses need to have the ability to work under stress. Due to the high demand for nursing practitioner services, nurses may find it difficult to have adequate time to rest (Jacobson). Continuous work may make them feel stressed and lead to unstable decisions. Therefore, it is essential that they have the ability to cope with stressful conditions to remain calm and discharge their duties effectively without being frustrated by events around them. Fourthly, nursing practitioners need to have flexibility skills to adapt quickly to emergencies and unpredictable situations. Flexibility is essential in enabling the nurses to attend to various patients’ conditions within a short time (Jacobson). Lastly, the nurses must have effective team management skills essential in fostering collaboration with other professionals to deliver quality healthcare services to the patients (Jacobson). Additionally, team management enables the nurses to stick to their assigned duties and help others requiring assistance.
Opportunities in Nursing Practitioners
The demand for nursing practitioners is ever-growing to address the various healthcare problems increasingly arising. This demand presents various opportunities for nurses in this specialty. For instance, due to the shortage of medical officers, especially doctors, the high demand for medical services offers nursing practitioners job security (NurseAggz). More nurses are needed to meet the shortage of doctors and prevent the healthcare systems from being overwhelmed by the high influx of patients in medical facilities.
Additionally, nurse practitioners have a great opportunity to advance their careers. They are not limited to nursing but have the opportunity to venture into other medical fields, including research, healthcare leadership, educating other nurses, and mentoring other medical professionals (NurseAggz). Respect and trust that nursing practitioners get when they successfully treat their patients generate the satisfaction and joy necessary for the nurse’s personal growth. Besides, the frequent interaction with different patients enables the nurses to understand the dynamics of life and approach life with a sense of optimism which is necessary for the mental and psychological stability of the nurse.
Challenges Experienced by Nursing Practitioners
Despite the several advantages that the nurses in this specialty enjoy, they encounter various challenges while discharging their duties. Firstly, the nurses are often subjected to long working hours due to the high demand for their services (Kasem). Overworking is often considered risky because it can lead to mental instability, thus affecting the nurses’ ability to make the correct decisions. Long working hours also subject the nurses to stress and psychological exhaustion, leading to costly medical mistakes that may be detrimental to the patient and the nurse.
Secondly, the nurses may be harassed by senior medical officials, especially nurses working under physicians’ instructions. Most physicians tend to take advantage of these nurses and allocate excess duties (Kasem). Nurses who are harassed are likely to suffer mental breakdowns and stress, leading to medical mistakes. Additionally, being overworked can lead to physical exhaustion, thus making it difficult for the nurses to discharge their duties effectively. Thirdly, the rapid advancement of technology and the interaction of computerized operations in the healthcare sector are adding pressure to the nurses who are not technology-oriented (Kasem). The pressure of learning technical skills and understanding to operate various hospital equipment is overwhelming to the nurses who are already struggling with other stresses such as long working hours.
Recommendations for Coping with Challenges in Nursing Practitioners
There are various ways that nursing practitioners can handle the challenges they face. One of the main ways is by practicing regular self-care. Self-care in this context involves eating healthy, taking regular short breaks, exercising, and taking naps (Mackey et al. 516). Taking naps has often been associated with improving brain operations and eliminating the risk of developing stress. Self-care will enable the nurse to stay alert and make the correct decisions, thus avoiding costly mistakes resulting from exhaustion.
Finding a mentor is another effective way of dealing with the challenges in this field. Mentors are necessary for guiding the nurses on various issues, including offering mental and emotional support to prevent the nurse from being overwhelmed with stress (Mackey et al. 517). Furthermore, having a good mentor will prevent harassment from other senior medical officials because the nurse will be made aware of their rights and jurisdiction. Lastly, the nurses must take part-time studies on technology to understand the basics of the new technology being introduced in healthcare (Mackey et al. 516). It is vital that the nurses stay updated on the emerging technology to prevent them from being overwhelmed by the technological revolution in healthcare.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the nursing practitioner is a vital specialty in the nursing field that provide essential healthcare services to patients. There are various skills needed for nursing practitioners to discharge their duties effectively. Prominent skills required include good communication skills, team management, leadership skills, flexibility, and the ability to work under stress. Nurses in this field are presented with various opportunities involving advancing their careers, personal growth, and job security. However, there are several challenges that these nurses experience, including long working hours, harassment, psychological breakdown, and rapid technological advancement. To address these challenges, nurses need to practice self-care and find a mentor to guide.
Works Cited
“Associate Chief Nursing Officer Salaries.” Glassdoor. Web.
Jacobson, Lauren. “29 Top Nurse Practitioner Skills You’ll Need to Succeed in 2022.” Nursing Process.
Kasem, Shahed. “Challenges in Nursing: What Nurses Face Daily.” Spring Arbor University, 2020.
Mackey, Heather, et al. “Oncology Nurse Practitioner Role: Recommendations from the Oncology Nursing Society’s Nurse Practitioner Summit.” Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, vol. 22, no. 5, 2018, pp. 516–22. Crossref.
NurseAggz. “Video Interview”. 2021.