[ANSWERED] In 1,000-1,250 words, examine the importance of nursing education and discuss your overall educational goals.

In 1,000-1,250 words, examine the importance of nursing education and discuss your overall educational goals.

The IOM published report Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health makes recommendations for lifelong learning and achieving higher levels of education.

In 1,000-1,250 words, examine the importance of nursing education and discuss your overall educational goals.

Include the following:

1. Discuss your options in the job market based on your educational level.
2. Review the IOM Future of Nursing Recommendations for achieving higher levels of education. Describe what professional certification and advanced degrees (MSN, DNP, etc.) you want to pursue and explain your reasons for wanting to attain the education. Discuss your timeline for accomplishing these goals.
3. Discuss how increasing your level of education would affect how your competitiveness in the current job market and your role in the future of nursing.
4. Discuss the relationship of continuing nursing education to competency, attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics.
5. Discuss whether continuing nursing education should be mandatory. Provide support for your response.

You are required to cite to a minimum of three sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and relevant to nursing practice.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Expert Answer and Explanation

Achieving Higher Levels of Education

The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report elaborates on the need for nurses to advance in their education, with one of the reasons being to create a larger impact on nursing practice and the healthcare system. There are several reasons why nurses should find encouragement to continue their education. Some of the reasons make one question whether advancing nursing education should be a mandatory requirement and not a personal choice. Therefore, to shade more light on this topic, this paper aims to provide an understanding of the implications of achieving higher levels of nursing education.

Options in the Job Market Based on Your Educational Level

I currently have an associate degree in nursing, which allows me to be qualified as a registered nurse (RN). As an RN I have room to serve in different settings including as a bedside nurse in hospitals, health clinics, physician’s offices, outpatient care settings, community healthcare centres, and school settings, to list a few (NurseJournal, 2023). As one continues to advance in education, it gives them more autonomy of practice and leadership capabilities to serve in more specialized settings.

As a graduate with an associate degree in nursing, I have the qualifications to offer care for diverse patients in different clinical settings, which provides a broad array of options to choose from in the job market. With an ADN qualification, one possesses the skills to serve patients across the entire lifespan, which means that nurses with such qualifications can tend to any patient, from pediatric to geriatric care settings.

Future Certifications to Pursue

The “Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity” report calls for nurses to advance from bedside to boardroom nurses where they can impact change at a higher level, with one of the goals being to promote equity in care provision. The report also calls for nurses to be stewards in providing quality patient-centred care, all of which require increasing our skillset through education and training (Hassmiller., 2021). The report emphasizes the need for nurses to advance their education from ADN and BSN to higher levels of education, including obtaining a Master of Science in nursing or even taking a doctorate program.

Having a higher level of training and education gives nurses autonomy in clinical practice and leadership skills that can help create more impact at any level of influence, be it organizational, community, or even national level through policy and advocacy activities. From the wide cluster of specialization courses, I would either want to pursue a program in mental health nursing or family nursing practice. Not only are the two programs marketable but they also give one a platform to create a significant impact in promoting equity and access to healthcare services from a broad range of settings.

Pursuing higher education levels is intended at enhancing my competencies in leadership and clinical skills, which will make me an effective nurse leader. Additionally, attaining a higher level of education prepares a nurse to have a better understanding of different healthcare issues and the possible interventions to deal with those issues through either policy formulation or quality improvement initiatives.  Based on the listed advantage of pursuing higher education, I intend to have my MSN degree within the next 5 years after which I will consider taking my DNP program considering my family and work-life balance at that point.

Education and Competitiveness in the Job Market

The current healthcare system in the United States has a shortage of primary care physicians, which is one of the reasons why there is inequity in care provision (Zhang et al., 2020). Various reports have recommended that one of the ways to reduce the existing disparities in care provision is to train more advanced practice nurses (Auerbach et al., 2020). This has made the demand for MSN and DNP-prepared nurses increase. There is also an increased need by healthcare organizations to have nurses with higher levels of skills and competencies, who will steer positive change and leadership, which makes an MSN-prepared nurse or higher, to be competitive in the job market.

With increased education, a nurse will come equipped with leadership skills and competencies, advanced clinical reasoning, and a better understanding of the healthcare industry making them assets for any organization that they will want to sign with (Heinen et al., 2019). Advanced practice nurses are also in a position to mentor more nurse leaders within an organization and at the same time improve the standards of practice, which makes them more competitive. In my future nursing role, increasing my education will make me more adept in creating significant contributions towards addressing pertinent health issues affecting the healthcare system, including equity, quality of care, cost, and access.

Relationship Between Advancing Nursing Education and Nursing Practice

Continuing nursing education has a positive effect on competencies. A nurse with higher education levels has a better understanding of the clinical practice and matters that directly affect patient care, such as cultural preferences and clinical leadership (Heinen et al., 2019). Additionally, higher education levels prepare nurses to contribute to different aspects of care provision, including change management, thus affecting their attitude and knowledge towards targeted initiatives. Better preparation means that nurses will have a positive attitude towards initiatives, meaning that implementation of organizational initiatives targeting patient care will face little resistance.

Higher education also emphasizes the need to adhere to the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and the Nursing Code of Ethics. Higher nursing education at the MSN or DNP levels continues to emphasize the need to understand and adhere to the rules and guidelines that bind nursing practice and the consequences that emerge as a result of non-adherence. Therefore, advancing in education provides a better understanding of issues related to nursing practice, allowing nurses to create a positive impact within their scope and standards of practice.

Should Continuing Nursing Education Be Mandatory

Like career advancement, continuing nursing education should not be mandatory; instead, it should be a personal choice. Nurses need to be informed on the benefits of continuing education to their practice and competitiveness in the job market. Continuing nursing education provides opportunities to make a significant impact within the healthcare system, more than what undergraduate nurses would do.

However, RNs are still effective in clinical practice and in providing quality care. As the nursing workforce continues to grow, the competition within the job market with become stiffer, but the need and demand for advanced practice nurses is expected to remain high with emerging healthcare challenges (Heinen et al., 2019), which makes it a reason why nurses should find encouragement to continue advancing in their education

Conclusion

Advancing in nursing education provides nurses with the skills, competencies and expertise to be leaders within the clinical space, transitioning them from bedside to boardroom players. From the discussion presented in this paper, one can identify the various benefits of continuing in nursing education, including enhanced autonomy and the ability to impact greater change in practice. However, continuing education should remain a personal choice and not a mandatory requirement, given that other forces including finances and work-life-education balance affect the decision on whether or not to continue education. 

References

Auerbach, D. I., Buerhaus, P. I., & Staiger, D. O. (2020). Implications of the rapid growth of the nurse practitioner workforce in the US. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 39(2), 273–279. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00686

Hassmiller, S. B. (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 121(5), 7. doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000751020.95176.0c

Heinen, M., van Oostveen, C., Peters, J., Vermeulen, H., & Huis, A. (2019). An integrative review of leadership competencies and attributes in advanced nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75(11), 2378–2392. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14092

NurseJournal. (2023). Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Overview. https://nursejournal.org/degrees/adn/

Zhang, X., Lin, D., Pforsich, H., & Lin, V. W. (2020). Physician workforce in the United States of America: forecasting nationwide shortages. Human Resources for Health, 18(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-020-0448-3

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FAQs

• What is the importance of nursing education and discuss your overall educational goals?
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Rubric

Criteria

Job Options Based on Educational Level 10.0

• Options in the job market based on educational level are omitted.
• Options in the job market based on educational level are incomplete. Options listed are not realistic for educational level.
• Options in the job market based on educational level are summarized. Most options listed are realistic for educational level. The response demonstrates a general awareness of job options based on educational level.
• Options in the job market based on educational level are discussed. Generally, options listed are realistic for educational level. The response demonstrates an awareness of job options based on educational level.
• Options in the job market based on educational level are thoroughly discussed. All options listed are realistic for educational level. The response demonstrates an awareness of job options based on educational level.

Goals for Professional Education 15.0

• Goals and timeline for professional certification and advanced degrees are omitted.
• Goals and timeline for professional certification and advanced degrees are incomplete.
• Goals and timeline for professional certification and advanced degrees are summarized. Reasons for wanting to attain the education are unclear.
• Goals and timeline for professional certification and advanced degrees are described overall.
• Goals and timeline for professional certification and advanced degrees are thoroughly described. Clear and compelling reasons for wanting to attain the education are discussed.

Increase in Level of Education and Effect on Competitiveness in Job Market and in Role in the Future of Nursing 15.0

• Discussion of how increasing level of education would affect competitiveness in current job market and personal role in the future of nursing is omitted.
• Summary of how increasing level of education would affect competitiveness in current job market and personal role in the future of nursing is presented but is incomplete.
• Goals and timeline for professional certification and advanced degrees are summarized. Reasons for wanting to attain the education are unclear.Overall, a general discussion of how increasing level of education would affect competitiveness in current job market and personal role in the future of nursing is presented. Some claims are not accurate or require further support or rationale.
• Discussion of how increasing level of education would affect competitiveness in current job market and personal role in the future of nursing is presented. There are inaccuracies. Some support or rationale is needed.
• A well-developed discussion of how increasing level of education would affect competitiveness in current job market and personal role in the future of nursing is presented. The claims are substantiated and realistic for the current job market.

Relationship of Continuing Nursing Education to Competency, Attitudes, Knowledge, and ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics 20.0

• A discussion establishing the relationship of continuing education in nursing to competency, attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics is omitted.
• An incomplete discussion establishing the relationship of continuing education in nursing to competency, attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics is presented. A relationship has not been established.
• A summary partially establishing the relationship of continuing education in nursing to competency, attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics is presented. More evidence or rationale is needed.
• A discussion generally establishing the relationship of continuing education in nursing to competency, attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics is presented. Some minor evidence or rationale is needed.
• A well-supported discussion clearly establishing the relationship of continuing education in nursing to competency, attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics is presented. The discussion demonstrates insight into the importance of education to the nursing profession.

Criteria 5 Mandatory Continuing Education Nursing 20.0

• A discussion of whether continuing nursing education should be mandatory is omitted.
• An incomplete summary of whether continuing nursing education should be mandatory is presented. The rationale and support for argument fail to support its claims.
• A summary of whether continuing nursing education should be mandatory is presented. The summary lacks some rationale or evidence-based support for the argument.
• A discussion of whether continuing nursing education should be mandatory is presented. Overall, rationale and evidence-based support for the argument is provided.
• A well-developed discussion of whether continuing nursing education should be mandatory is presented. Compelling rationale and evidence-based support for the argument is provided.

Organization, Effectiveness, and Format 20.0

• Thesis Development and Purpose 5.0
• Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim.
• Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear.
• Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose.
• Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose.
• Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.

Argument Logic and Construction 5.0

• Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources.
• Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility.
• Argument is orderly but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis.
• Argument shows logical progression. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are authoritative.
• Clear and convincing argument presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative.

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use) 5.0

• Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is used.
• Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register), sentence structure, or word choice are present.
• Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are used.
• Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. A variety of sentence structures and effective figures of speech are used.
• Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.

Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment) 2.0

• Template is not used appropriately or documentation format is rarely followed correctly.
• Template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken; lack of control with formatting is apparent.
• Template is used, and formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present.
• Template is fully used; There are virtually no errors in formatting style.
• All format elements are correct.

Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style) 3.0

• Sources are not documented.
• Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.
• Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present.
• Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct.
• Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.

Total Percentage  100