Nursing Education
When the field of nursing was still in its infancy those who entered it were required to do little more than have a caring heart and a willing hand. They were primarily charged with soothing the patient, helping the doctor and perhaps changing a dressing or two. Over the years however, the field evolved and today it is a field that is highly specialized, requiring intensive education and training. Research has shown that many nurses believe more education is needed if they are to be trained to the best of their ability(Nelson, 2005). "Why, almost forty years after the American Nurses Association published its position calling for the baccalaureate degree as the minimum preparation for nursing practice, has the nursing profession failed to come to agreement on a questions so critical to the future of nursing and its role in health care(Nelson, 2005)? "Part of the answer may lay in the fact that it is impossible to predict where the field of medicine will go over the next few decades. The world is at the threshold of extremely interesting abilities including stem cell research, and the ability to prolong not only life but also the quality of life as well. Nursing students are being asked to complete rigorous an
When it comes to phasing out associate degree programs and requiring nurses to have four year degrees the nursing profession faces several obstacles. They are able to receive funding for medical departments that can include cadavers or departments that include real patients that come to take part in studies and research projects. The gap is growing and will eventually become so wide that nurses will be limited in the assistance and help they will be able to provide those who work in the medical field and have advanced educations(Nelson, 2005). "Nursing is a premier program for community colleges. CONCLUSIONThe nursing profession has exploded in recent history. Other disciplines have followed suit but the nursing profession continues to allow non degreed people to enter the field and work. The study recognized the increasing complexity of health care and raised concerns about the hospital-based diploma programs(Nelson, 2005). A baccalaureate education or higher is needed if nurses are to maintain equal status with other health care professionals and to participate as full partners on interdisciplinary teams(Nelson, 2005). The significant advances the medical field has made since that time now put a similar question to the profession. In 1997, registered nursing was sixth in terms of average starting salary among "hot programs" offered by community colleges. Back in 1965 it became clear to the nursing profession that nursing had outgrown the confines of the hospital diploma programs because of the continued advances in the field of medicine that would require not only medical skill sets but would also require technology skill sets. "It was the passage of the Comprehensive Nurse Training Act in 1964 that prompted the ANA Committee on Education to study nursing education, practice, and scope of responsibilities. That number dropped to 29 percent by the year 2000 with 40 percent of nurses having associate degrees. These are things that a medical student is exposed to however, a nursing student at a community college will miss out on. As the health industry continues to expand and the life expectancy of mankind continues to rise it will be important for nurses to be as educated as possible so that they can provide the most professional care that they are capable of to their patients.
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Acceptance Essays
