THE NEED FOR HIGHLY EDUCATED NURSES Abstract The Need for Highly-Educated Nurses In the 21st century, the health challenges facing the nation have shifted dramatically. The American population is older—Americans 65 and older will be nearly 20 percent of the population by 2030—as well as more diverse with respect not only to race and ethnicity but also other cultural and socioeconomic factors. In addition to shifts in the nation’s demographics, there also have been shifts in that nation’s health care needs. Most health care today relates to chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and mental health conditions, due in part to the nation’s aging population and compounded by increasing obesity levels. While chronic conditions account for most of the care needed today, the U.S. health care system was primarily built around treating acute illnesses and injuries, the predominant health challenges of the early 20th century.
A third contributing factor is very interrelated to nursing education is that nursing education has shifted from hospital-based diploma programs to university and college programs. This shift created the need for hospitals to increase the percentage of paid nursing staff to keep up with the demand of related to the void of care provided by nursing students (Fox & Abrahamson, 2009). A fourth factor contributing to the current nursing shortage is the economic stress that nursing turnover creates in the healthcare setting. The nursing profession can be stressful mentally, physically, and emotionally creating an argument that nurses are not adequately compensated for their working environment. With other less stressful professional occupations available to a profession that is primarily female individuals are leaving the profession (Fox & Abrahamson, 2009).
Several of those issues began in the 1990s when changes in the health care system were implemented. Due to conflicts in funding, hospital staffs were greatly reduced. When facilities required more nurses such as times when there was an unexpected increase in patient admission, instead of hiring additional staff, mandatory overtime was used (Keenan, 2003). At the height of their need, the amount of practicing nurses has declined. With baby boomers reaching retirement age they will need health care services which only increases the demand for nurses.
I realize this career may be stressful and even sad at times. Hopefully, the joy and ability to help as a new life begins will out -weigh the negative . Becoming a neo-natal nurse requires a lot of work in nursing school. Neonatology is a specialized area within the field of nursing. The requirements in this special area are much more difficult than basic, traditional nursing degree requirements.
Holistic Care Plan: Mrs. Thomas Western Governors University HAT Task 2 Holistic Care Plan Stressors come in many forms during a person’s life and at the most inopportune times; a number of factors determine how one handles the stress; their emotional, physical, spiritual, mental, social health, and support systems. Nursing incorporates holistic care while developing a care plan for patients and their support system. Holistic care looks at all of these factors and the impact the stress is having upon the patient and their support system. The nursing care plan is not only a tool for the nurse to use but also can act as a guide for the patient and family in gathering information and provide realistic expectations regarding the current diagnosis and prognosis. Nursing care plans are used whether prognosis is good, as when a patient is expecting a healthy baby without complications or when prognosis is poor, such as when a patient has terminal cancer and shortened life expectancy.
The way in which a nurse practices can greatly affect the outcome of the patient (Potter & Perry, 2006). For this reason, nursing practices based on theories and concepts should be researched. The process of using concepts, theories, research and practices to form rationales usually begins with a concept or theory and is cyclic in nature, as each component may lead to the other (see Appendix A). In the nursing profession, several concept-directed theories guide both research and practice. The purpose of this paper is to select and analyze one of the many nursing theories that exist.
According to Ulrich and Zimring there are 600 articles that explain that the healthcare design can influence patient outcomes are published. When a hospital has a stressful environment to the patient’s healing process with loud intercom systems and machinery, long hallways that echo, bland colors and cramped rooms, it contributes to the patients stress level. These things will hinder a patients healing ability. Promoting and allow the patient to experience their spirituality and assisting them if needed will promote healing by allowing them a feeling of control and familiarity as being at
Difference between an RN and an LPN Many people who are interested in nursing as a career confuse the duties of an LPN and an RN. Both fulfill vital roles in the health care industry and are a part of the largest, fastest, and steadily growing career sectors. While LPNs and RNs both work closely with doctors and patients, there are a few things that separate the titles. The main differences are education, duties and salaries. One of the main differences between an LPN and an RN is the amount of education required to be certified in each field of expertise.
Today there is several levels of education of nursing. Nursing degrees include associate and baccalaureate degrees where one can advance to nursing doctoral degrees. Treatments have changed over time along side of the new equipment made available due to the latest technology. Some of the equipment and tools used in the past for medical treatment was quite scary looking and unsanitary. This includes knifes, saws, and augers.
Contemporary Issues in Adult Nursing: Preoperative Fasting Trends in healthcare are continually evolving and changing, these fluctuations can often have massive implications for nursing practice. How we practice as nurses is often dictated by new policy and guidelines which are brought about by the evolving healthcare system. For an issue to be contemporary it has to be occurring in the present and in the sense of nursing it would seem that many issues could be deemed as contemporary due to the ever fluctuating nature of our healthcare service. For the purpose of this assignment I am going to address the issue of pre-operative fasting and the tradition of fasting patients from midnight until surgery the following day. Evidence suggests that this practice is outdated and unnecessary but still the practice occurs on many surgical wards.