Following the growing trends in various industries, the health care industry has not been spared either. When nursing began, it had very little to be perceived as a respectable job, particularly because the industry was dominated by women who at that time learned medical skills from their mothers. Furthermore, women were not regarded as a respectable gender either. The growth in the nursing trends saw women take major leadership positions which sequentially enabled them make major contributions to the modern inter-professional groups in the modern day. The nursing field has seen drastic changes in care patients’ care, evidence-based practice, communication and collaboration among interdisciplinary teams, and medical training among others. This paper analyzes the contemporary nursing practices today and their impacts on patient outcomes.
Evolution and the Scope of Nursing
Nursing practice has evolved from nurses being referred as mere maids to currently some of the best occupations in the medicine field. At the beginning of the profession, training was rudimentary and was not perceived necessary. Florence Nightingale was one of the pioneers who offered training to women regarding basic principles in the profession (Jacob, 2018). In the U.S. mere manuals were offered to help women comprehend about child birth and postpartum. Today, qualifications for being a nurse are specific to the extent that certification is required before being allowed to treat a patient. In addition, nurses are required to uphold a patient-centered treatment. center treatment on the patients. Today, patient care has flourished and nurses are at the frontline. Also, nurses today have the capacity to critically think about complex cases that could have been handled only by doctors a few decades ago. Given the concerns about shortage of primary health care professionals, attention has shifted to the role of nurses, particularly BSN-prepared. According to research, nurses provide most health care in the U.S., something that was merely done by physicians prior the evolution (Palatnik, 2016).
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Associate and Baccalaureate Education
Comparing the baccalaureate to the associate degrees in nursing, both practices are Registered Nurses. Usually, Registered Nurses have three courses they can take. They can enroll into a confirmation program for a period of three years, a partner degree into a junior college for three years or alternatively a 4-year baccalaureate degree at a college or university. ADNs and BSNs that have taken either course are eligible for the National Council Licensing test that gives the mandate for practice (Carey & Marcinko, 2019). BSN graduates, however carry a greater consideration when it comes to practice. Furthermore, research reveals that an associate degree is mostly on clinical skills while BSN programs encompass leadership, nursing research, management, and also clinical skills (Beauvais, 2018). BSN nurses are better positioned to understand cultural, economic, and social issues affecting a patient. As such, BSNs to a greater extent play a significant job in consideration of the safety of patients.
Difference Between BSN-Nurse and ADN-Nurse in Patient Care
It is worth noting that BSN and ADN programs prepare nurses to the accepted standards particularly revealed through the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. However, there is significant difference between BSN and ADN-prepared nurses in the context of patient care. For instance, in a situation where a homeless patient is admitted to the cardiac unit following a history of myocardial infarction, the patient may be concerned on where to live upon discharge. In such a situation, the BSN-prepared nurse is more knowledgeable compared to the ADN because they have management skills that can help the patient. An ADN has no management skills and it would have been difficult making the right decision for such a homeless patient. Also, from a standpoint of patient safety, the BSN nurse is more equipped to handle the situation at the cardiac unit better than the AND nurse. Jacob (2018), reveals that higher educated staff are better equipped to handle systems in the health care industry.
Evidence-Based Practice
Notably, nursing today has also incorporated evidence-based practice (EBP). EBP is a crucial tool in the delivery of high-quality patient outcomes across numerous nursing practices. At its core, EBP is a patient-centered approach dependent on scientific research, clinical expertise, as well as the experience of patients (Massey & Bassendowski, 2017). The objective of EBP is to wire the common knowledge into common nursing practices to improve patient outcomes. Another benefit of applying evidence-based practice is to lower the costs of care. Research reveals that the costs of health care in the U.S. has been increasing tremendously (Jacob, 2018). EBP has become a critical part of patient care to the extent that BSN programs support its application. EBP has been incorporated into nurse’s education to help deliver improved patient outcomes.
Communication and Collaboration
In the modern health care system, a patient is involved with various professionals who have varying educational and occupational training. Thus, for clinical practice to be effective patient health information must be accurately communicated. According to Greer et al. (2020), interdisciplinary team work is important for delivery quality care and improved patient outcomes in the health care industry. Nurses communicate through use of basic language, asking patient-centered questions, speaking at a measured pace, and listening actively to the patient. Also, nurses answer to the bells or rather the notifications. They also create a conducive environment where the patient can freely give information about themselves. Collaboration and communication also prevent medical errors and enhances the safety of the patient. Research reveals that, medical errors, particularly those caused by lack of communication are pervasive in nursing today. Effective communication can help lessen the errors and sequentially improve the overall patient outcomes.
In conclusion, nursing is one of the most versatile occupations in the health care workforce. Since Florence Nightingale promoted the education of caregivers for the sick, modern nursing has reinvented itself in numerous ways. Today, women have taken the role of leadership and altered the direction of nursing. As highlighted in the paper, there is incorporation of evidence-based practice both in education and practice, effective communication, and collaboration, and changes in educational requirements among various types of nurses such as BSNs and ADNs. Nursing today is aimed at improving patient outcomes, cutting on costs of health care, and enhancing patient safety. Furthermore, health care is patient-centered nowadays.
References
Beauvais, A. M. (Ed.). (2018). Leadership and Management Competence in Nursing Practice: Competencies, Skills, Decision-Making . Springer Publishing Company.
Carey, E. M., & Marcinko, D. A. (2019). What Life Care Planners Need to Know About the Professional Discipline of Registered Nurse. Journal of Life Care Planning , 17 (1).
Greer, A., Selladurai, R. I., Pfeifle, A. L., Selladurai, R., & Hobson, C. J. (2020). Effective Teamwork and Healthcare Delivery Outcomes. In Evaluating Challenges and Opportunities for Healthcare Reform (pp. 77-99). IGI Global.
Jacob, S. R. (2018). The Evolution of Professional. Contemporary Nursing E-Book: Issues, Trends, & Management , 1.
Mackey, A., & Bassendowski, S. (2017). The history of evidence-based practice in nursing education and practice. Journal of Professional Nursing , 33 (1), 51-55.
Palatnik, A. (2016). The future of nursing: leading change, advancing health... how are we doing.
