Issues and Trends in Nursing

Kalpana Gyawali

Since 2010, the US congress passed “Healthcare Reform: Affordable Care Act”, recent healthcare is focusing on more preventing and promoting than curative heath care. Associated with it, nursing care also gradually shifting from inpatient to outpatient an emphasizing in patient, family and community based. Scope of nursing practice has become more boarder than past. Public attitudes and views towards nurses has been also changed. Along with dynamic changes in society, many advance technologies are introducing into nursing practice as well. Ongoing education and lifelong learning is needed to maintain safety and achieve better outcome with limited available resources (Blais & Hayes, 2016). Nurses are no more limited to bedside care, their roles have been changed to a leader, an educator, an advocator, a researcher. Due to increasing elder population growth and the shortage of healthcare provider health-related organization, institution, and government are encouraging nurses to go back to school again to advance their career and get more opportunity by participating in ongoing education. ‘Issues and trends in Nursing’ online course is developed for student who want to continue their education and advance degree like RN to BSN. Current issues and trends considered in terms of their impact on roles and practices. Overall objectives of the course ‘Issues and Trends in Nursing’ is addressing to investigate nursing practice that is influenced by the impact of social issues and concerns which are related to economic, demographic, technological ethical, legal, and social. The potential change of nursing practice in response to societal changes will be discovered as well as the new opportunities these challenges have for career development. (ASPEN, 2017) Identify strategies that promote the socialization of the nurse into a professional role, to achieve the goal, courses are divided in eight different topic modules and each module has specific goal to reach overall goal.

The first module ‘Nursing as a profession’ of this course focused on this module begins with an exploration of societal trends that shaped nurses returning to school and what is required to be successful. Student will also examine two role transitions models and apply these models to their current situation. Where I learned, influencing factors including challenges and difficulties for nurses to return school along with benefits and successful strategies to motivate and complete the course after enrollment by exploring phases of transitional module. Explore Professional Role Transition Models and apply the knowledge to the student’s current situation    

The second module ‘Legal and Ethical Issues’ focused on cares for patients, families, and communities, and in doing so must consider how the care impacts the feelings and rights of others. Nurses operate their function and role within the scope of nursing practice and law. On this module, I learned legal and ethical issues and dilemmas that may arise in nursing profession and also able to differentiate between ethical and bioethical issues in nursing especially in end of life situation by analyzing the situation along with learned nurses’ roles and responsibility and way to solve the problem.

The third module ‘The Nurse as a Leader, Teacher, and Healthcare Promoter’Learning is a lifelong process, as nurses we are teaching patients and families about their illnesses and treatments. Lastly, nurses are leaders and managers, and these roles will be explored. On this module I learned component of health promotion by investigating the objective of Healthy people 2020 and choose two topic ‘Diabetes and Hospital Associated Infection.’ Also able explore nurses responsibilities with focusing patient learning style to overcome barrier and issues on Diabetes and HAIs.

In the fourth module, founding on safety and emphasize in research with EBP (evidence-based practice) and its importance to nursing as a profession. On this module, I was able to select evidence based research articles in Catheter Associate Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) and wrote political letter to Texas House Representatives in regards to one current health issues in dignity of human life on demise fetus to cremate or burry.

Fifth Module, the importance of teamwork/ inter-professional teams, effective communication, change, and informatics. This week, the student will be utilizing effective strategies to implement a (potential) change within their workplace. Change is part of every one life, both planned and unplanned changes gives challenge. On this module learned importance of good rapport within the team to promote safety and reach the desire goal by exploring the change model framework, its steps and module with considering effective communication during change.

Module 6: Holistic, Cultural, & Spiritual Nursing

discussing the focus change from treating diseases to preventing diseases. Cultural and spiritual needs of a group should be incorporated into their healthcare planning. On this section, I learned more about culturally competent care including health issues and concern associated with particular culture. Also, learned nurses’ responsibility while providing to specific culture in regards to competent care and its important by choosing specific cultural group “Latino- Hispanic.’

Module 7: Global Health and Violence

Focus on manage global disease and healthcare. Where discuss the recent Ebola scare within the United States and the influence of these organizations. Lastly, violence is something nurses encounter within the workplace. On this module, able to explored current global health issues in emerging new disease and health concern and nurses role in its management by researching articles in specific topics ‘Workplace Violence: Bullying and Active Shooter.’ Even though, most of shooting are not preventable, I learned common characteristic of shooter and important of drill and preparedness and how to respond crisis situation as a first responder that can help to lessen death of and the crisis situation. Also, I learned how to handle and confront in effective way if bullying occurs in workplace which is not supposed to happen in work place.

Module 8: Advanced Nursing Roles, Continuing Education, and the Future of Nursing, Evaluation: advanced nursing roles and the importance of continuing education for nurses and future utilizing IOM’s report. By exploring the small research on articles including Institute of Medicine report recommendation, on this module, I got opportunity to learn potential future role of nurses which are assuming different than present and past.

Conclusion

‘Issues and trends in Nursing’ online course is developed for student who want to continue their education and advance degree like RN to BSN. Current issues and trends considered in terms of their impact on roles and practice. Overall objectives of this course ‘Issues and Trends in Nursing’ is addressing to investigates nursing practice that is influenced by the impact of social issues and concerns which are related to economic, demographic, technological ethical, legal, and social. The potential change of nursing practice in response to societal changes will be discovered as well as the new opportunities these challenges have for career development. (ASPEN, 2017). Prior to enroll this course, I am not much aware about trends and issues in nursing. This course obligated to me study more and spend more time research many article regarding current issues and concern So, gave me opportunity investigate, research and learned in-depth about current issues and problem in nursing profession. Even though, the all assignments are equally important I choose module four assignment: to choose evidence based practice research article and write political letter to house representative provided me new experience to write political letter to house representative in current health issues that also affect in care and practice.

References

Aspen University. (2017). Syllabus N490: Issues and Trends in Professional Nursing. Retrieved from https://classroom.aspen.edu/d2l/le/content/21084/viewContent/876520/Viewhttps://classroom.aspen.edu/d2l/le/content/18914/viewContent/742879/View

Blais, K. & Hayes, J. (2016). Professional Nursing Practice Concepts and Practices (7th ed.). NJ: Pearson