Nursing is a fundamental practice in every country. The quality of nursing determines the nature of care availed to every citizen. The IOM offers some useful recommendations and goals towards improving the quality of healthcare (Sharma & Romas, 2011). One of the IOM’s recommendations is “to increase the number of nurses with baccalaureate degrees to 80 per cent by 2020” (Sharma & Romas, 2011, p. 3). Nurses and caregivers should pursue such degrees. The practice will make them competent and skilled to provide quality support and care to their patients. The practice will also reduce the current shortage of caregivers and physicians in the country. Having such a degree will make me a competent provider of evidence-based care.
The other goal is to double the current number of nurses with doctorate degrees by 2020. Our country has a small number of nurses with such qualifications. The situation also explains many people receive poor healthcare services. This goal seeks to improve the quality of care in the country. Every patient in the country will also receive better and timely care. My future goal is to get a doctorate degree. The strategy will support my learning goals and make me a competent Nurse Leader. Nurses should consider this approach in order to provide quality care to their patients (Sharma & Romas, 2011).
Learning is a critical exercise in every educational field. Nurses should embrace new skills and ideas in order to support the needs of their patients. Researchers always come up with better practices and ideas towards better nursing practice. These ideas are relevant towards providing evidence-based support and care to patients. Nurses and caregivers “should engage in lifelong learning in order to increase their effectiveness” (Pozgar, 2010, p. 47). Continued learning encourages nurses and caregivers to provide the best care to their patients using healthcare information systems (HIS). I am planning to attend new seminars in order to widen my skills. I will also encourage my coworkers to embrace the concept of learning. The approach will “equip these caregivers with new competencies and make nursing a smooth practice” (Pozgar, 2010, p. 68). The practice will improve the quality of care availed to many citizens in our country.
My Options in the Job Market
My current level of education makes me competitive in this sector. The “increasing number of patients and diseases explains why our country is facing a major nursing shortage” (Burns & Grove, 2011, p. 68). Nurses with baccalaureate degrees are no longer providing the needed support to their patients. Some of the major causes of this shortage include poor remunerations and working conditions. I will gain new skills and competencies from this exercise. Employers are looking for qualified nurses who can provide evidence-based support and care to their patients.
The decision to increase my level of education will also affect my role in the future of nursing. A higher education level results in better care and support. The plan will equip me with new abilities in order to deal with every issue affecting my patients. I will acquire better leadership skills and mentorship approaches from this practice. These skills will promote teamwork and eventually support my nursing practices (Burns & Grove, 2011). I will embrace nursing information from different journals and scholarly materials. The strategy will make me a competent and skilled Nurse Practitioner.
Reference List
Burns, N., & Grove, S. (2011). Understanding Nursing Research. New York: Elsevier.
Pozgar, D. (2010). Legal and Ethical Issues for Health Professionals. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Sharma, M., & Romas, J. (2011). Theoretical Foundations of Health Education and Health Promotion. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.