A Brief Description of the Nursing Career
Technology is changing rapidly. With the advancement of technology, new ways of life emerge that have an impact on health and work. More so, changes in technology have led to an increase in lifestyle diseases (McGrath, Scanaill & Nafus, 2014). Today, management of chronic diseases that were impossible to do in the past is becoming possible, and lifespan is increasing. All these developments have a burden on the economy, and soon economies such as that of US will find it difficult to afford health care services due to increased lifespan and a huge number of older people with chronic diseases. The impact of technology on the health sector necessitates the transformation of nursing practice (Sherry Greenberg, 2010). Nurses, as well as other medical practitioners, have to advance with technology and in the knowledge of new diseases resulting from the improvement in technology (Sherry Greenberg, 2010). There is never the best practice in nursing. Nursing practices have to evolve with technology and the evolution of diseases.
Application of super’s theory to nursing career
Lifespan
The process of career development is a lifelong process that begins in childhood through a person's entire life. During this period, one goes through a circle of events that determine the best career orientation that they want. People undergo five major stages such as growth, exploration, establishment, maintenance, and disengagement (American Counseling Association, 2015, pg. 323). During the growth phase, a person develops a self-concept that will be useful later in career paths (American Counseling Association, 2015). The five stages of development take place within a range of years as one progress to adulthood to the point that one is established and maintained in one career (Freeman, 1993). This cycle may be repeated especially when one disengages from a career path and opts for another. In the nursing career, with the increasing diversification and evolution of nursing practices and health problems, one may develop an interest in one field or niche and seek to explore, establish, and maintain in as he disengages from one level of nursing. It can be observed that the early stage of developing self-concept is not reversible and that based on the earlier developed principles of self-concept one is swung from one career to another or one level of career to the next level.
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Self-concept
Self-concept can be understood to imply one’s understanding of self as he goes through a career and as he observes things that make him unique. These features include traits, preference, and competence (Freeman, 1993). These features are subtle and unique in every individual. For example, at college level two students may decide to practice nursing. As they develop through their career development, one realizes that he cannot fit in the field because he lacks the affection or empathy trait necessary in nursing. He may be led to select on another career that fits his personality (Freeman, 1993). Similarly, a practitioner practicing nursing may identify that he is unfit for the job. This person may change career and divert into another field of health practice.
Life space
Balancing between career and normal life is a challenging aspect of career development and progress (Hughey, Nelson, Damminger & McCalla-Wriggins, 2012). Major career shifts can take place because of availability of space or lack of it. For example, a female nurse may decide to change her occupation because she has kids and she would like to take care of her kids up to a certain stage in life. The mother nurse may choose alternative careers that may enable her to work at home or work for a shorter duration as she creates more time to watch over her kids.
Overall, the career path is influenced by environmental factors some of which may be influenced as others are fixed. This makes career path a fluid-like mass that keeps changing in shape. With super's theory, it is impossible for one to determine at an early stage that this is what they will do throughout their lifetime (Freeman, 1993). On the contrary, as one interacts with the environment, self and career, there is often a realization and desire to develop in one field or change career. Nurses are faced with the same scenario compelled to change or improve with the flexibility of their career. Technology and health are not constant but keeps changing thereby causing major shifts in nursing. Based on self-concept, a person may be compelled to change with circumstances.
References
American Counseling Association. (2015). The ACA Encyclopedia of Counseling . New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Freeman, S. C. (1993). Donald Super: A perspective on career development. Journal of Career Development, 19 (4), 255–264.
Hughey, K. F., Nelson, D., Damminger, J. K., & McCalla-Wriggins, B. (2012). The handbook of career advising . New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
McGrath, M. J., Scanaill, C. N., & Nafus, D. (2014). Sensor technologies: healthcare, wellness, and environmental applications . New York, NY: Apress.
Sherry Greenberg, M. S. N. (Ed.). (2010). Nurse Practitioners: The Evolution and Future of Advanced Practice . New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
