The Future of the Nursing Profession, Coursework Example

Introduction

The nursing profession requires significant resources, knowledge, and experience in order to accomplish the desired care and treatment objectives within healthcare organizations. These factors play an important role in addressing some of the critical challenges of nursing practice that exist in modern organizations. As a result, nurses must develop new strategies that will be effective in meeting the needs of patients, while also adhering to all regulatory requirements and other factors. This process supports the continued growth and development of nursing practice in order to accommodate the needs of patients, while also considering other factors that will impact patient care outcomes. Developing solutions to address some of the most critical problems is necessary in order to accomplish the desired objectives and to demonstrate the importance of new strategies for improvement that will enhance quality of care and support a long-term approach to optimal health for all patients.

Analysis

A number of key models have evolved in recent years as a means of addressing nursing practice needs and other considerations that will impact patient care quality and treatment on a continuous basis. One area to consider is the ongoing nursing shortage that exists in many healthcare organizations that may impact quality of care on a long-term basis if nurses are unavailable to meet these demands. The State of Oregon has addressed this issue through the development of a framework that enables students at the community college level to move directly into a baccalaureate program to earn a Bachelor’s degree, which enables a greater number of nurses to gain the required qualifications to obtain nursing positions more quickly (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013). This strategy has been successful in supporting educational advancement and job acquisition in the nursing field, and this model may be applicable in other states in the future (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013). The nursing shortage is a continuous problem that requires a significant effort to enable nurses to have greater access to education to be prepared to enter the nursing profession at an accelerated level (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013).

Nursing policies enable nurses to meet the expectations of their roles and to recognize the value of support and commitment as key indicators of satisfaction and high performance (Gutierrez et.al, 2012). Under these conditions, nurses are able to achieve greater objectives if they receive support from their managers and mentors, in addition to knowledge acquisition and training to meet expectations and improve patient outcomes (Gutierrez et.al, 2012). This framework is essential in supporting patient care outcomes and in advancing practice settings to accommodate policies and regulations (Gutierrez et.al, 2012). Nurses must establish a successful framework for change that will accommodate their needs effectively and that will support and guide their practice settings for the foreseeable future (Gutierrez et.al, 2012). Nurses must be flexible in their activities to accommodate emergencies and must also be able to work collaboratively with other nurses on a continuous basis to achieve change and progress on a continuous basis (Gutierrez et.al, 2012).

Nursing practice objectives are subject to change as new needs arise; therefore, policies must also shift accordingly to meet these requirements. Nurses must be able to accommodate these demands on a regular basis as a means of supporting the success of professional nursing practice and its growth (Mensik et.al, 2011). Therefore, they must obtain additional education and training as necessary to advance practice settings and accommodate patient care needs to improve quality of life (Mensik et.al, 2011). In addition, nurses are required to be proactive in their efforts to accommodate the demands of the profession and to recognize their roles and responsibilities in this process to ensure that patient care is not compromised under any circumstances as a result of poor nursing performance (Mensik et.al, 2011).

Nursing practice objectives must be established with a greater focus on excellence and quality of care at all times (Ferguson, 2013). Nursing excellence is a global issue and requires an ongoing commitment from nurses to go beyond expectations and to meet the demands of the profession in an effective manner (Ferguson, 2013). As part of this process, nursing practice policies and regulations must be practical and effective in meeting the needs of nurses and of patients without compromising care or treatment in any way (Ferguson, 2013). As these objectives become prominent, a greater focus must emphasize the importance of nursing practice solutions through policy-based improvements in order to accommodate patient needs and the demands of practice settings as they become increasingly complex in the modern era (Ferguson, 2013). It is important to identify these needs and to address them in a timely manner to improve nursing care quality for all patients (Ferguson, 2013).

Conclusion

The nursing profession continues to evolve and expand in scope on a regular basis. Nurses face critical challenges in their efforts to achieve successful results in the provision of high quality patient care and treatment. Therefore, they must be able to provide excellent care and treatment to patients at all times and support the continued growth of nursing practice through these activities. Adherence to all required policies and regulations is of critical importance; however, these policies are subject to change as new needs arise within practice settings. These strategies enable nurses to fill available positions to prevent shortages and to recognize the importance of developing new strategies for growth to accommodate the demands of practice settings.

References

Ferguson, S. L. (2013). The Global Quest for Nursing Excellence. Journal of Nursing Administration, 43(11), 555-556.

Gutierrez, A. P., Candela, L. L., & Carver, L. (2012). The structural relationships between organizational commitment, global job satisfaction, developmental experiences, work values, organizational support, and person?organization fit among nursing faculty. Journal of advanced nursing, 68(7), 1601-1614.

Mensik, J. S., Martin, D. M., Scott, K. A., & Horton, K. (2011). Development of a Professional Nursing Framework: The Journey Toward Nursing Excellence. Journal of Nursing Administration, 41(6), 259-264.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2013). A model for addressing the nursing shortage in                    Oregon. Pp. 1-11.