The IOM Report Advancing Education

Nurses at all levels are being encouraged to achieve more education. In the IOM report, the Future of Nursing, nurses are recommended to engage in lifelong learning and achieve higher levels of education to be able to deal with the complex demand of today’s healthcare. The paper examines the importance of nursing education and discusses my overall educational goals. The IOM Report Advancing Education

Options in the job market based on my educational level

There is an n extensive job market for graduate nurses. There are numerous opportunities in both urban and rural areas.  With my current level of education, I can be employed in a hospital and work in specialty units such as the emergency department, neonatal intensive care unit, operating room, and medical-surgical unit.   Additionally, I can work in rehabilitation centers for adults and children, long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities as well as hospice facilities, and home health agencies.

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Professional certification and advanced degree that I want to pursue

Certification is a process through which a nongovernmental entity validates the qualifications of an individual nurse to practice in a defined clinical or functional area of nursing.  Certification is a type of credentialing that demonstrates that the individual nurse has attained additional knowledge and it is awarded when the person exhibits a level of competency above the licensure level for a defined area f nursing practice (Roux & Halstead, 2017).   I want to pursue pediatric nurse practitioner certification to demonstrate that I have the attitudes, skills, and knowledge to offer safe and superior quality care to patients and families.

I want to earn the certification because certification establishes clinical competence and professionalism, contributes to better patient care, and can broaden and diversify employment. According to Silbert-Flagg and  Sloand  (2020),  there are numerous benefits of professional certification, entailing recognition as an expert in a  specialty, demonstration of specialized skills and knowledge, possible personal growth and career advancement, and greater satisfaction as a professional nurse.  Personal confidence in delivering care to patients is an additional benefit of professional certification.  Most significantly, national board certification is needed for nurse practitioners to be able to practice in all states. The IOM Report Advancing Education

I want to advance my education by pursuing a DNP in pediatric nursing so as to attain the skills and knowledge to diagnose and manage chronic and acute primary health problems in the pediatric population, enhance my skills in psychosocial and physical assessment, disease prevention, health promotion, and clinical decision making. DNP will also equip me with the skills required to develop, assess, advocate, and give leadership to transform health care at the system or organizational level.  As indicated by Edwards (2018), DNP -educated graduates are prepared to practice at the most level of advanced practice and develop evidence-based strategies by applying new knowledge and skills to improve clinical practice and optimize health outcomes. Additionally, DNP-prepared nurses to assume executive and leadership positions in health care organizations, entailing clinics and hospitals, coordinate quality improvement teams, and direct care that is provided to patients, analyze protocols that are cost-effective, and influence health policies.

I will enroll in a part-time online DNP program after completing my BSN program.  A part-time program is ideal for me because I want to continue working as I study.  The BSN to DNP program will take me at least four years to complete.

How increasing my level of education would affect my competitiveness in the current job market and my role in the future of nursing

The healthcare environment is continually changing and advancing my education will enable me to become more knowledgeable and skilled and have a competitive edge. Nurses are being encouraged to advance their education and employ in the health care industry more and more want nurses with BSNs or a higher degree or want their current workforce to earn one. According to McCauley et al. (2020), with care becoming more complex and demands on nursing leaders experiencing exponential growth, DNP-educated advanced practice registered nurses are demonstrating they are adequately prepared  for contemporary workplace realities. The distinct combination of change management skills and clinical expertise makes DNPs very useful to employers facing several factors disrupting the industry, including the data revolution and precision health. The IOM Report Advancing Education

Advancing my education will affect my role in the future of nursing by providing me with the clinical aptitude and leadership that will enable me to work in the ever-changing healthcare environment. It will also enable me to be up to date with the most evidence-based practice, and latest standards in the field of nursing, and subsequently enable me to provide quality care.

The relationship of continuing nursing education to competency, attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics

Nursing competency entails the core capabilities that nurses require to fulfill their roles.  Nursing competency is universally seen as a complex integration of knowledge entailing attitudes, values, skills, and professional judgment. In nursing practice, individuals are needed to apply their acquired skills, knowledge, and inherent individual traits to each circumstance and be capable of adapting those skills and knowledge to diverse situations. Competence is a capability acquired through experience and learning(Fukada,  2018).   The ANA scope and standards for practice  acknowledges nursing standards  practice for a defined specialty  and affirms  practice competencies while  the ANA  code of ethics  guide  nurses to carry out nurses responsibilities in a way consistent with professions’  ethical obligations and quality in nursing care.

Whether continuing nursing education should be mandatory

Continuing education should be mandatory to enable nurses to remain competent.  Nursing is ever-changing, and by the time students enroll in a nursing education program to the time they complete their studies and graduate, there will be several significant discoveries that will affect their practice. The only way nurses can sustainably remain competent is for them to engage in continuing education.  Burton et al. (2018) allege that continuing education s does not basically imply that nurses must continue to earn more degree, but it means that nurses must continue learning and staying updated for them to be competent to practice safe and quality nursing.

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Conclusion

Nursing education is important to equip nurses with the skills and knowledge required to deliver care in an increasingly complex healthcare environment.  Advancing education enables nurses to have a competitive edge in the job market and to advance their careers and grow personally.  The nurse should engage in continuing education for them to remain competent to practice safe and quality nursing. The IOM Report Advancing Education

References

Burton, M., Smith, D., & Ludwig, L. (2018). Fundamentals of Nursing Care: Concepts, Connections & Skills.   Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis

Edwards, N. E. (2018). The Impact of the Role of Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurses on Healthcare and Leadership. Medical Research Archives, 6, 4. doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v6i4.1734.

Fukada, M. (2018). Nursing Competency: Definition, Structure and Development. Yanago Acta Medica, 61(1), 1-7. doi: 10.33160/yam.2018.03.001

McCauley, L. A., Broome, M. E., Frazier, L., Hayes, R., Kurth, A., Musil, C. M., Norman, L.D., Rideout, K. H., & Villarruel, A. (2020). Doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree in the United States: Reflecting, readjusting, and getting back on track. Nursing Outlook, 68(4), 694-503. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2020.03.008

Roux, G., & Halstead, J. A. (2017). Issues and Trends in Nursing: Practice, Policy, and Leadership. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Silbert-Flagg, J., & Sloand, E. D. (2020). Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certification Review Guide: Primary Care. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

The IOM Report Advancing Education