Nursing Roles, Essay Example

In the short time that I have been a nurse I have noticed considerable changes in Healthcare.. As nurses it is our duty to do the best possible job that we can, but sometimes it is out of our hands.. The feeling that I and other nurses like me,  did not have control,  is exactly the reason I have chosen to pursue a master’s degree in leadership and management; so that I may have a voice and I can give a voice to others. It is nearly impossible to choose one or two changes that have had an impact on my decision to pursue my chosen role  As each change presented in this course has an impact on all aspects of nursing. If I had to choose one part of this course, that had the most impact on me, it would be the changing professional roles and the infinite possibilities that have been presented.  The commitment to take responsibility for our future and that of nursing as a profession by pursuing higher education; with the intention of making a difference for our colleagues, patients and healthcare for our society, as outlined by Dr.Georges is what will cause those changes to make a difference(Georges, 2009).

Dr. Houser states that “Healthcare survival demands innovation” and that has never been more true than it is right now. I have a habit of setting limits for myself, such as “I am going to be an RN that is as far as I am going”, or” I am going to get my masters degree and that is it”.   As a new graduate nurse, my view of nursing was task and skill set oriented. Professionalism described the nurses vocation but not necessarily reflective of reality.  In the last year at Walden I see great changes in myself and the hope that these are reflected in  my profession too. I speak differently, walk differently, and see the world of healthcare in a new light and that is just in a year’s time. Imagine the transformation at the end of my new journey. The DNP, which is a role I did not know existed, is a new goal for myself. Instead of putting constraints on myself, I now see nursing with far more potential. This course has enabled this transformation.  In his paper Porter-O’Grady states, “It is time to capture the minds and hearts of all in the healthcare system in the effort to assure it is well led into a preferred future.” (Porter-O’Grady, 2003).  This is the key to my future and the  nursing profession.

I have always been an avid patient advocate, often disagreeing  with management and physicians when I felt that the patient’s best interests were not being considered. This course has provided me with the tools to take patient advocacy to a professional level. Dr. Georges states the advocacy requires “the commitment to articulate and represent the needs of the vulnerable” (Georges, 2005).  I believe that the ability to articulate emerges with education.  I have never wanted to be an integral part of the politics of medicine, but I now see that this is where I can help shape the futures of my patients and colleagues. The ability to shape healthcare policies to achieve the best healthcare outcomes (Georges, 2005) will be key in my continuing effort to advocate for patients.   This course has laid the foundation for the professional nurse that I hope to become.

References

Georges, Dr. Catherine Alicia. Nursing Roles for Today and Tomorrow: Ethic of Care.{video}Walden University

Gordon, S. Dr., (2009, September 21) Changing healthcare environment, thinking about the future in terms of possibility, plausibility, probability and preferability. DVD Lecture Nursing 6005, Nursing roles for today and tomorrow

Hood, L.J, & Leddy, S.K (2006). Conceptual Bases Of Professional Nursing.(6th.ed), Philadelphia: Lippincott-Williams and Wilkins.

Porter-O’Grady, T. (2003) Of Hubris and Hope: Transforming Nursing for a New Age. Journal of Nursing Retrieved, September, 27, 2009 from Walden University Library. Anderson, Charles & Johnson (2003).