Despite technological progress and the intentions to underline the worth of rights and freedoms, contemporary nursing has hardly gone far away from the offered nursing theories, the Nightingale’s model, and the hierarchy of human needs.
The concept of caring undergoes certain contributions and improvement, and patient safety is promoted through high education, evidence-based practice, and the exchange of experience. In this paper, modern nursing practice will be discussed through the prism of available approaches to treating patients, education competencies, the possibility to apply academic preparation, and the integration of interdisciplinary collaboration.
Changes over Time
During the last several centuries, nursing practice has undergone considerable changes and enhancement. The profession of a nurse has been turned from a purely female job to an occupation that involves the representatives of both genders with a number of qualities being developed. Educational factors may limit the number of nurses in contemporary practice (LeFlore & Thomas, 2016). Much attention is now paid to training and the improvement of qualifications for nurses.
The healthcare setting is not just a place of work for women but the home or a battlefield where both men and women have to demonstrate their qualities and approaches to taking care of patients. The level of responsibilities has dramatically increased, promoting new nursing culture and high-quality patient-centered care. Treatment of an individual includes not only the necessity to take medications and follow the prescribed care plan. It also consists of such aspects as communication, family support, and education to reduce the number of unwanted complications and predict readmissions or deaths.
Associate and Baccalaureate Education
The level of education is a predetermining factor in nursing practice. The obtained degree usually defines nursing responsibilities and the scope of practice. For example, according to the investigations by Yakusheva and Weiss (2017), associate (ADN) or baccalaureate (BSN) degree nurses from first-tier universities demonstrate better qualities and high professionalism compared to the nurses with second-tier education.
In their turn, BSN nurses are responsible for complex procedures under the supervision of therapists and may become chief nurses in charge of the staff. In other words, ADN nurses have lower chances to obtain fast career growth in comparison to those with a baccalaureate degree. This difference does not claim ADN nurses provide patients with less care than BSN nurses, who are just better trained and are able to take more jobs. Still, in many hospitals, BSN-prepared nurses are preferred or only demanded with a possibility to take administrative or leadership positions, whilst ADN nurses need another degree to become leaders.
A Patient Care Situation
The situation is as follows: several medications are prescribed to an adult female patient with high pressure and blurred vision as her main complaints. She takes the same medication two days in a row, and today, she feels depressed and uncomfortable in her bed. During a round, an ADN nurse has to check her vital signs and dispense the already prescribed medications because these are her major duties. A BSN-prepared nurse would ask about her general mood and the reasons for such mood changes. The BSN nurse’s decision-making is based on the information obtained directly from the patient, including the people or the environment to influence this condition. BSN nurses are responsible for finding out the reasons and explanations, and ADN nurses must follow orders and the treatment plan.
Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing Care
Today, evidence-based practice gains better recognition due to its effective problem-solving approach to nursing practice. It includes the results of credible studies and investigations to understand patients and their preferences, as well as improve decisions in patient care and promote effective collaboration in healthcare facilities. According to Correa-de-Araujo (2016), this type of practice helps to “standardize health care practices to the latest and the best science available in order to minimize variations in care and avoid unanticipated health outcomes” (p. 2).
The delivery of nursing care may depend on how well RN-BSN nurses can utilize the information obtained from outsides sources, enhancing their knowledge of hygiene, alternative medicine, follow-up importance, and communication with patients’ families. Using their knowledge and training, BSN-prepared nurses integrate special models and frameworks to help clinicians achieve the best results in treating patients.
First, it is necessary to identify a problem and analyze the results of research connected to the chosen issue. Then, it is important to understand the need for change and evaluate potential barriers in caregiving. Finally, cooperation and standardized actions are required to implement change and observe outcomes.
Interdisciplinary Cooperation in Nursing
In contemporary nursing practice, an interdisciplinary approach is frequently used. It involves several team members, usually from various disciplines, who have to communicate and cooperate in order to achieve a common purpose, make decisions, and share appropriate responsibilities. Effective patient outcomes are supported when nurses succeed in communicating and collaboration, which includes strong leadership, person-centered practice, and teamwork (Correa-de-Araujo, 2016). Communication must be open to encourage free discussion of concerns and caregiving. When nurses are aware of their patients’ needs and exchange this information, there are good results to identify problems from different perspectives and find the necessary treatment quickly.
Conclusion
Education and evidence-based practice improve nursing in a number of different ways. Recent changes in the chosen field of practice show that nurses understand their roles in society and try to do everything possible to achieve the best results. In their communication and collaboration activities, these healthcare workers demonstrate the best qualities regardless of the degrees they have, proving that personal development is as important as professional one.
References
Correa-de-Araujo, R. (2016). Evidence-based practice in the United States: Challenges, progress, and future directions. Health Care for Women International, 37(1), 2-22.
LeFlore, J. L., & Thomas, P. E. (2016). Educational changes to support advanced nursing education. The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, 30(3), 187-190.
Yakusheva, O., & Weiss, M. (2017). Rankings matter: Nurse graduates from higher-ranked institutions have higher productivity. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1). Web.