NRS 430 Topic 4 Professional Development of Nursing Professionals
NRS 430 Topic 4 Professional Development of Nursing Professionals
Continuing professional development of nurses is a fundamental aspect of lifelong learning and allows nurses to keep knowledge and their skills up-to-date. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its 2010 recognized the role that nurses would play in healthcare reforms and made a raft of recommendations based on its four key messages (Brunt & Morris, 2021). Therefore, a core aspect of these messages is the need for nurses to improve their skills through lifelong learning by getting advanced nursing education. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the influence of the IOM report on nursing practice and the need for professional development among nurses as a critical component of healthcare provision.
Four Message of the IOM Report & Significance to Nursing Practice
The 2010 IOM report had four key messages or recommendations for nurses to position themselves strategically in healthcare provision. Firstly, the report stresses the need for nurses to practice to the fullest level of their education and training without any hindrances imposed by state boards of nursing. The message influences nursing practice as it means that nurses should be barred from practicing what they have trained on in different specialties (Price & Reichert, 2018). Secondly, the report asserted that nurses should engage in lifelong learning to acquire higher levels of education and training based on a better education system. The message means that the nursing practice requires professional nurses to engage in continual professional development to attain the latest skills and knowledge in healthcare provision, especially the deployment of technology.
Thirdly, the report asserts that nurses should be full partners alongside physicians and other healthcare profession to redesign the health care system. The message means that nurses can also practice autonomously based on their training to enhance access to care among patient populations. Fourthly, the report asserts that effective workforce planning and making policies needs better data gathering and an improved information infrastructure (Grand Canyon University, 2018). The implication is that the nursing profession should have relevant data to assess the different specialties for nurses to improve care delivery.
The IOM report has significant influence on nursing education and leadership. Firstly, as equal partners, nurses are leaders and have increased power to advocate change and revise restrictive barriers to practice. Nurses are recognized as primary care providers in certain states and can lead in care provision among inter-professional and multidisciplinary teams (Shelton et al., 2020). The IOM report has improved nurses access to better and advanced education as it recommended an increase in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) prepared-nurses to respond to the changing nature of healthcare provision. Through the recommendation and evidence-based practice (EBP) findings, many facilities introduced tuition reimbursement, instituted continuing education plans and promotions to incentivize nurses to attain higher educational qualifications.
BSN-prepared nurses have more competency and necessary skills in communication, critical thinking, management and leadership compared to their non-BSN-prepared colleagues. Further, BSN-prepared nurses are becoming designers, coordinators, and care managers in different situations (Tierney et al., 2020). Therefore, the IOM report implores stakeholders to continuously transform the nursing profession as frontline care providers, and encourages them to attain higher education to be leaders in different areas of care provision.
Evolving Role and Education of Nurses to Meet Needs of Diverse Patient Population
Nurses roles continue to expand and transform because of different aspects impacting the healthcare sector and care delivery. These include an aging population, patient diversity, and integration of innovative care models like value-based purchasing aimed at enhancing access to quality care as well as the implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) interventions (Tierney et al., 2020). Today, nurses leverage their education and training to deliver safe and quality care in an effective manner. The increasing prevalence of chronic conditions due to arise in life expectancy means that nurses will have more roles in different care settings. Emerging infectious diseases like the Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) that cause pandemics and public health concerns like the opioid epidemic means that nurses will remain frontline care providers. Therefore, nurses must educate patients on aspects like self-management for those with diabetes, promote primary and preventive care in community settings, and collaborate with other healthcare workers to deliver quality care.
Nurses need higher education and training to meet the needs of the expanding scope of practice and increasing accessibility among patients. Racial diversity continues to define American society and nurses need cultural competence to deliver quality care. The implication is that nurses should be prepared to offer services, initiative, and interventions that are culturally appropriate and sensitive to these diverse patient populations (Mlambo et al., 2021). Nurses based on their expanding roles have the best position to advance and advocate for patient needs, especially in primary care settings.
Significance of Continuing Nursing Education
Professional development or lifelong learning is significant to nursing and very relevant in caring for diverse populations across the lifespan and in the health-illness continuum. Lifelong learning allows nurses to acquire requisite skills to interact with patients, especially from diverse cultural settings. Lifelong learning ensures that nurses have up-to-date medical and health knowledge and can promote primary care interventions in their practice (Price & Reichert, 2018). Lifelong learning gives nurse a chance to acquire better approaches to care situations, align their experience and scientific study findings by implementing EBP model, and increasing wellness of patients (Brunt & Morris, 2021). Through professional development, nurses acquire better skills that include critical thinking and problem-solving attributes required to resolve issues that they face in care delivery. Therefore, nurses must embrace lifelong learning to improve their skills and offer quality care to diverse patient populations through cultural competent care.
Evolution of Healthcare System and Management of Patient Care
The management of patient care is at the core of the nursing profession. Nurses can effectively manage patient care as the health care system evolves by using EBP interventions and offering care that is patient-focused. They should also acquire advanced education and competence aimed at meeting demands of an aging and diverse population and society. Advanced education will remove practice barriers and allow nurses to engage in research (Grand Canyon University, 2018). Nurses can transform the health care system through advanced education when they focus on utilization of research evidence and safe quality patient care. Nurses should also lead inter-professional teams and focus on enhanced teamwork to deliver quality care. They also need to understand their roles and responsibilities within their multidisciplinary team setting for better patient care management.
Conclusion
Professional nursing development is critical for nurses to meet the growing need and diversity of health care system. Nurses should attain the suggestions made by the IOM report to position themselves better to deliver quality care. The diversity in population and care demand require nurses to enhance their education, adopt EBP interventions, and work collaboratively in teams to deliver quality care to patients and health populations.
References
Brunt, A. B. & Morris, M. M. (2021). Nursing Professional Development. StatPearls [Internet].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531482/
Grand Canyon University (Ed). (2018). Dynamics in nursing: Art & science of professional
practice. Chapter 4. https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs430v/dynamics-in-
nursing-art-and-science-of-professional-practice/v1.1/
Price, S., & Reichert, C. (2018). The importance of continuing professional development to
career satisfaction and patient care: meeting the needs of novice to mid-to late-career nurses throughout their career span. Administrative Sciences, 7(2), 17. doi:10.3390/admsci7020017
Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing
professional development, a meta-synthesis of the literature. BMC nursing, 20(1), 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2
Tierney, M., Finnell, D. S., Naegle, M., Mitchell, A. M., & Pace, E. M. (2020). The Future of
Nursing: Accelerating gains made to address the continuum of substance use. Archives of psychiatric nursing, 34(5), 297-303. DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2020.07.010.
Shelton, D., Maruca, A. T., & Wright, R. (2020). Nursing in the American justice system.
Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 34(5), 304-309. DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2020.07.019
Topic 3 DQ 2
Sep 5-9, 2022
Discuss the difference between a nursing conceptual model and a nursing theory. Select a nursing theory used in health care and provide a concise summary of it. Provide an example of how this nursing theory would be effective in managing client care.
Oluchi Osueke
Sep 9, 2022, 11:04 PM
A nursing conceptual model is a set of abstract concepts with no specifics. A conceptual model provides a particular and distinct frame of reference through which people, their environment, and their health are perceived. Its main function is to provide a framework for reflection, observation, and interpretation of phenomena and, specifically, it provides guidelines and guidance for aspects of clinical practice. Nursing theories are organized, knowledge-based concepts that essentially define the scope of nursing practice. These theories enable nurses explain what they do for the patients and why. Nursing theories allows nurses to influence their patient in a positive way beyond the bedside. Florence Nightingale’s Environmental theory teaches personal hygiene, lighting, diet and good ventilation which improves patient’s health and promotes healing.
Fawcett J., Cariello F. P., David D. A., et al. Conceptual models of nursing: application to critical care nursing practice. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing. 1987
What is Nursing theory: Regis College October 28, 2021: https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/what-is-nursing-theory
A theory is defined as “a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action. It refers to a logical group of general propositions used as principles of explanation” (Wayne,G. 2021). With that stated, a nursing theory would be described as a belief based on nursing, what we do as nurses, and why nurses do what they do. A conceptual model just shows many theories, ideas and thoughts that have been brought up through time. It will show us how these theories could be introduced into our practices. These theories through time are experimented and are what influences our way of practicing. “In 1952, introduced her Theory of Interpersonal Relations that emphasizes the -client relationship as the foundation of nursing practice” (Wayne, G. 2021). Everyone is different, we are not all expected to react the same way to treatment or even how we treat one another. It is up to nurses to be able to put everything aside and the initial patient-nurse interaction to get to know one another and for us to build onto that relationship for our patients health. It not only builds a relationship but it also gives the patient a sense of trust .
References
Wayne, G. (2021). Nursing theories and theorists: An ultimate guide for nurses. Nurseslabs. https://nurseslabs.com/nursing-theories/
