NR 500 Week 1 Graded Collaborative Discussion: The Value of a Master’s-Prepared Nurse
NR500 Week 1 Graded Collaborative Discussion: The Value of a Maste
... [Show More] r’s-Prepared Nurse
The Value of a Master’s-Prepared Nurse.
NR 500
NR500
NR 500 Week 1 Graded Collaborative Discussion: The Value of a Master’s-Prepared Nurse.
This discussion will explore the value of a master’s education in nursing. Please provide an initial response to the discussion question by Wednesday at 11:59pm MT and two interactive dialogue responses no later than Sunday 11:59 PM MT at the end of WEEK 1. The discussion is worth 75 points. Please refer to the discussion grading rubric for additional criteria ……..continue
What do you consider to … the most essential professional competency for a master’s-prepared nurse practicing in the 21st century?
ANSWER
Lifelong learning should be at the core of all nurses throughout their careers. We all know that knowledge is powerful and for most, it impacts our lives in so many ways; how we perceive and translate those experiences. In the 20th century, the value of continued education through advanced degrees was not an area that was encouraged for the nursing profession. When I began my nursing career almost 35 years ago, very few advanced practice nursing programs existed, and no one encouraged that progression as we were the bedside care givers and the physicians were the team who impacted patient outcomes. Today over half of the nursing staff I work with are obtaining advanced degrees. The true value of master’s degrees and higher in nursing is now seen as exceptionally advantageous for the providing quality outcomes in the ever-changing healthcare industry in the 21st century.
Master’s prepared nurses achieve knowledge through management research, clinical practice applied from advanced theories, leadership roles, emerging technologies as well as applied sciences. Emerging research is beginning to show the direct correlation between advanced nursing degrees and patient outcomes along with improved quality throughout our expanding healthcare systems today. The growing needs of healthcare has increased the need for master’s level prepared nurses to address the gaps between those of the bachelor’s level prepared nurses. ("Essentials of Master's Education," 2011). The governing bodies of our profession, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), ANA and the National League for Nursing (NLN) have collaborated to improve patient care through safety and quality initiatives that are achieved with highly educated professional nurses. Interprofessional Education that is required for master’s prepared nurses focuses on the interdisciplinary models to improve health outcomes and health care delivery systems (Gerard, Kazer, &, 2014). The interprofessional behaviors taught in master’s level curriculums, encourages behaviors such as engaging other professionals to compliment one’s own expertise, patient- centered problem solving, collaborative communication between all care providers, the patient and their support system to impact quality patient outcomes.
Going back to my initial statement that knowledge is power. Obtaining an advanced degree in nursing will allow me to collaborate at a much higher level and continue impacting my patients outcomes.
References
Gerard, S. O., & Kazer, M. W. (2014, July-August). Past, present, and future trends of master's education in nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 30, 326-332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2014.01.005
("Essentials of Master's Education," 2011) The essentials of master's education in nursing . (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/Publications/MastersEssentials11.pdf [Show Less]