Education is an ongoing process that requires focus, dedication, and planning to reach the set goals in those disciplines that will bring true value to a future career. As of the present time, I have received an Associate Degree in Registered Nursing and am currently working in the cardiovascular department as a cardiovascular registered nurse with experience in ICU, GI, and PACU. Moreover, I am studying to receive a Master’s Degree in Nursing Administration, a specialization that differs from my field of expertise; thus, I need to do some extensive planning to successfully finish the master’s program.
First, I would like to outline the key responsibilities and competencies of a nurse administrator to get a better idea of how my plan for continuing education should be structured. A nurse administrator (NA) is responsible for managing the nursing staff within the environment of a healthcare facility. Usually, an NA is a licensed registered nurse who has received advanced education in the field of nursing, for example, a Master’s in Nursing Administration.
Curricula for master’s programs in Nursing Administration include subjects like finance, management, nursing research, health policy, and many others. Because my previous educational program did not include subjects such as finance, my first activity planned for next year is to take an online finance course to learn this topic and how to apply it better in my future practice. Even though my master’s program includes finance as a subject, I would like to engage in extra-curricular learning to become more proficient. Moreover, online courses will not disrupt my schedule and will be convenient for me when I have extra time to spend.
While studying for a Master’s in Nursing Administration, I am planning to engage more in volunteer activities to develop more of the organizational and management skills that I will need in my future career as a nurse administrator. Volunteering in various healthcare facilities in my area will give me better insight into how managers organize the work of their departments in different healthcare settings.
I think that moving from one healthcare facility to another to do some volunteer work will accustom me to a broad range of perspectives on nursing management and the administration that I can use in my future career; moreover, such a learning experience will become the basis for my practical use of theoretical knowledge.
After finishing my master’s degree, I am planning to work in a healthcare facility to gain the experience necessary for my future profession. I would like to assist a nursing manager to acquire new knowledge and start implementing nursing leadership and management skills in practice. Working for two years in a facility will give me enough skill and knowledge to go back to the academic field and study for the Doctor of Medicine degree in the field of Nurse Administration.
I feel that the area of nursing management is heavily underappreciated by modern scholars because they focus more on clinical interventions for improving patient outcomes and disregard the importance of identifying how the nursing practice could be enhanced through efficient management. My main goal is to combine high-quality modern healthcare with structuring and systematization of processes occurring in a healthcare facility toward reaching high standards of care and improving patient outcomes through teamwork.