Registered Nurse, Research Paper Example

Historical highlights

Registered nurse is a title ascription to someone who has completed a specified period of professional training successfully fulfilling requirements that would enable registration and licensure to practice in that capacity. The profession has emerged from primitive beginnings often traced to Florence Nightingale’s (1820-1910) contribution. Historically, there have been reports that she was the first British woman to accept the title nurse for work she performed on injured solders during the war. This was highlighted since at the time nursing was not acknowledged as to skills requiring training and expertise in its execution (Nursing, 2006).

However, by merely using imitative and cultivating a spit of servitude Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) continued her relentless service to wounded soldiers as a duty to her country and an honorable woman. In that period of history women were not considered valuable to serve in any other capacity, other than child bearers, homemakers and wives. As news of her tremendous contribution towards military healthcare interventions more women were attracted to the duty and overruling the dictates of men in their society joined Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) in the pursuit of injured soldiers health care on the battle field (Sokoloff, 2002).

Overtime these interactions with injured soldiers produced systematic treatments for wounds, emergency care and procedures of intervention towards soldiers hospitalized after first aid measures were applied. The act of treating wounds, attending to hospitalized soldiers and recruiting helpers ton perform these duties blossomed into what is known today as the nursing profession internationally. Essentially, it was at this same historical location that nursing education began. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) in her effort to provide more efficient care to wounded soldiers during the Crimean war she recruited and trained 38 women, who were ascribed the title nurse (Sokoloff, 2002).

It was not until 1860, however, that the first official nursing school was opened with a curriculum designed to teach basic skills related to emergency interventions; wound care and hospitalization. There were no nursing theories, but learning occurred through day to day interactions caring for injured soldiers either on the battle fields or in hospitals. Precisely when the first nursing school was established in 1860 the mission was to train nurses to work in hospitals, with the poor and teach. Incidentally, this lady with ther lamp as she was nicknamed later intended that nursing professional practice extend towards families in their homes and in the community as it is in the twenty first century (Sokoloff, 2002).

Development Highlights   

Current developments experienced in the nursing science include theoretical applications to nursing practice, evidence base practice interventions and licensure to function as a registered nurse in different parts of the world and country. Theories emerged from a philosophical ideology whereby Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) discovered through practical experience that the nursing embraced utilizing the environment as a basis for patient recovery. This was the first documented nursing theory, which was practiced even before it was written as a guide for nursing practice. The assumption is often referred to as the environmental theory (Barnum, 2008).

Nurses patterned their theoretical paradigms after those established by Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). Today, there are three categories of theories informing nursing practice. They are classified as grand nursing theories, mid-range and nursing practice. Grand nursing theories are not designed for empirical evaluation while they offer a wide range of concepts and propositions, which can be applied to nursing interventions. Mid-range theories are much narrower in practice scope and serve as a linking device between mid-range and nursing practice theories. Nursing theories are limited to one nursing intervention (Barnum, 2008).

Theories overtime forged the developed of evidence based practice evolving from evidence based research interventions. Evidenced based practice allows the registered nurse (RN) to adapt an interdisciplinary approach to nursing dispensation. The fundamental principles embody the assumption that all practical decisions made during the nursing process ought to emerge from evidence contained in research studies. Secondly, research studies applied must be selected and interpreted according to specific evidence based practice protocols after the appropriate evidence levels and grade are applied ( Barnum, 2008).

For example, evidence retrieved from randomized control trails are graded at the highest level because they provide data gained from direct studies on subjects. Besides, they are considered primary. In cases where the research was merely a systemic review of literature in which researchers conducted studies this is considered secondary evidence and carries a lower grade, than trials and prospective studies. Initially evidence base practice (EBP) was confined to medicine. However, as the demand for nursing interventions to be scientific the evidence based practice (EBP) philosophy has filtered through into the nursing profession adding a significant scientific integrity to nursing practice (French, 2002).

The professional

Features distinguishing the registered nurse profession and registered nurse practitioner lie in acquired abilities to perform duties deemed consistent with the registered nurse title. Internationally, the registered nurse professional is a licensed practitioner. This is achieved after a specific period of training; successfully completing a nursing curriculum designed and accepted by the state board applicable to registered nurse (RN) practice. In United States of America, for example, the registered nurse professional is someone who obtained at least the academic qualification level of Associate degree in nursing and passed the NCLEX examination required for licensure as a registered nurse. Countries across the globe this is the basic approach towards practicing as a registered nurse professional (RN) (DeWit, 2009).

 Registered nurse education 

Registered nurses’ curriculum in developed countries, especially, Canada, United States of America and the United Kingdom care for persons with an Associate degree in nursing to be upgraded towards Bachelors. With the demand for quality health care across the world and development in medical science it has become imperative for nursing schools to upgrade and modify their curriculum to accommodate new data obtained. As such, the basic registered nursing curriculum encompasses courses in anatomy physiology, clinicals; nursing practice; evidence based translation practice, nursing leadership and theory (DeWit, 2009).

There are numerous agencies, which prepare registered nurses (RN) to become professionals. However, nursing schools globally must be accredited through compliance with a standard curriculum and teaching staff. For example, Boards of nursing functioning within states and across the world are established as the credential agencies through which nursing schools obtain accreditation for continuing to prepare register nurses for the profession . For example, according to protocol requirements in some countries, nursing boards conduct an evaluation procedure annually or bi-annually to determine nursing schools’ curriculum standards (DeWit, 2009).

When schools are out of compliance they are offered a period to regulate the curriculum with currents standards. If they do not comply their accreditation could be denied or withdrawn if they were accredited previously. There two main accreditation groups functioning in United States of America. They are the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLHAC), Inc and the Commission on college nursing education (CCNE). Six standard requirements are evaluated. They include a Mission statement; faculty qualifications; students’ basic requirements entry; curriculum applicability to current nursing standards; other school resources such as library, laboratory etc. and what the administration hopes to achieve after graduating registered nurses (DeWit, 2009).

Registered nurse Licensure

The licensure process for registered nurses to practice as professionals varies across the world. However, basic procedures include a designation whereby first time registrants are licensed through examination. Practicing compliant registered nurse are endorsed after paying the required the renewal, United States of America embarked on a licensure procedure for foreign nurses who were not trained in the country. Their credentials are evaluated by the agency in Philadelphia. If their training is compatible the candidate is encouraged to write the NCLEX examination. If successful at this examination he/she then becomes eligible for licensure as a new registered nurse ton practice in the United States of America. Precisely, prior to practicing as a registered nurse internationally a license must be obtained as in many other professions (Nursing licensure, 2014).

Trends and future speculations

Current trends in the nursing profession as well as its practice has  converged over the century since Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)  first used the term nurse  to describe the 38 women she trained to assist her in deliberations to serve humanity as a caring entity for injured soldiers during the Crimean war. In establishing the first nursing school creating an interpretation for the practice while her goal was to extent the service rendered to soldiers into homes and towards families as well as teaching it is commendable to witness the trends now evident within the registered nurse profession and practice.

Importantly, the title registered nurse (RN) has been extended to also a new phase of practice involving the advanced nurse practitioner profile. Today registered nurse is merely a grand stepping stone into a professional world not only allowing the registered nurse to expand, but also specialize. Specialization trends include intensive care registered nurses; pediatric, obstetric gerontology, anesthesia and even hospice.  Therefore, when one encounters a registered nurse in clinical practice in a hospital setting while/she is in that location to practice nursing this occurs within a specialized aspect of his/her training and not in a general sense as was the traditional perception of registered nurse.

In the sense of registered nurses expanding their roles within clinical practice the trend especially, in developed countries where health care costs and quality are of highest concern registered nurses’ training and licensure had been extended to the level of advanced nurse practitioner when the registered nurse professional duties are considered. Advanced practice registered nurses assits medical practitioners in their duties of reliving patient.

With the advancement in information technology across the world registered nurses are trained to function in the profession as information registered nurse technologists retrieving and guiding database system that store patient records. Interestingly, this was a job undertaken by supportive clerical staff. However, when paper has been replaced by medical information systems registered nurses had to raise their level of understanding within the profession to also take care of pateints’ records apart from their bodies.

While admitting that the role of registered nurses have been aligned to support several trends occurring in adjacent professions speculations as to what achieving registered nurse title would entail in the next decade is difficult to predict  at this time. The world is changing so quickly.  Features which seemed to have advanced like slow moving glaciers have now thawed out into torrents of intense activity as nursing science explodes.

References

Barnum, B. (2008). Nursing Theory: Analysis, Application, and Evaluation. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

DeWit, S. (2009). Fundamental Concepts and Skills for Nursing. Missouri: Saunders Elsevier

French, P. (2002). What is the evidence on evidence-based nursing? An epistemiological concern. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 37(3), 250-257.

Nursing (2006). Ferguson’s Careers in Focus. New York, NY: Ferguson.

Sokoloff, N. (2002). Three Victorian women who changed their world. Macmillan,

Nursing Licensure (2014). The RN licensure procedure. Retrieved on March 25^th, 2014 from http://www.nursinglicensure.org/articles/rn-licensing.html