Nursing Education: Career Goals, Competitiveness, and the IOM Report

This essay discusses the importance of nursing education and outlines specific career goals, including pursuing Pediatric Nursing Certification and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). It examines the job market options available to a registered nurse and explores how increasing education levels enhances competitiveness and shapes the future of nursing. The essay also addresses the relationship between continuing nursing education, competency, adherence to practice standards, and ethical codes, arguing for mandatory continuing education to ensure quality patient care. The essay references the IOM's "Future of Nursing" report and other relevant sources to support its claims about the evolving healthcare system and the need for advanced nursing education. This document is contributed by a student to be published on the website Desklib, a platform which provides all the necessary AI based study tools for students.

Running head: Nursing 1
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Options in the job market based on my educational level
There exist multiple job opportunities for a registered nurse. I have pursued a bachelor's degree
in nursing and I have taken the registered nurse licensing examination thus making me a
qualified registered nurse. My education level as a registered nurse allows working in different
specialities including paediatrics, ambulatory care, practitioner and anaesthetist and can provide
primary care services to patients (Yee, Boukus, Cross, & Samuel, 2013).
My educational prospects in pursuing professional certification and an advanced degree.
I intend to pursue Pediatric Nursing Certification and Master of Science in Nursing. Pediatric
Nursing Certification is a proficiency-based assessment that offers an effective and dependable
examinations in basic clinical knowledge for practicing nurses. An individual is only granted the
credential of a registered nurse after a successful completion of the certification exams and
eligibility requirements.
A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is an advanced degree for RN and is perceived to be a
basic entry-level degree for nurse professors and managers.
It is vital to becoming a certified nurse because it proves that an individual has the knowledge,
skills, and capacity to deliver quality care to patients and their families. A registered nurse is a
continuous learner whose emphasis or focus is on delivering quality healthcare. With such
qualifications, I will be well equipped to adequately meet the varying needs of patient and be
able to keep up with a dynamic healthcare system.
Certified nurses are self-confident in their nursing practice and are cognizant of the current
changes in the healthcare system. Moreover, they are proud of their educational achievement and
often take the leading role for nurses and other healthcare professionals. Nursing certification is

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an indication that the healthcare provider is focused on patient needs and preferences and thus
able to deliver quality healthcare services (Institute of Medicine, 2011).
I want to attain masters in nursing education so that I can work as a nurse professor in either
nursing schools, universities, hospitals, or vocational schools to impart the knowledge I will have
learnt throughout my career to the next generation of nurses. My timeline for accomplishing my
advanced degree will be approximately two years which will comprise of both classwork and a
thesis. After a break of one year, I plan to take one year to complete the certification in pediatric
nursing.
Increasing my level of education and its effect on competitiveness in the current job market
The current change of the health care system and practice environments requires an equivalent
transformation of nursing education. The demand for qualified nurses will continue to increase
thus a need to increase my level of education. Increasing my level of education will help me gain
specialized knowledge to advance in my nursing profession. Master of Science in nursing shows
I am dedicated to enhancing my healthcare proficiency and reliability. It will also help me build
on my current capabilities, gain new expertise, or even shift to an entirely new field.
The advancement of my education level in nursing would significantly affect my role in the
future of nursing in several ways. With the qualification of Masters in nursing and certification in
Pediatric Nursing Certification, my role in the future of nursing is on transforming nursing
practice (Kunic & Jackson, 2013) and leadership (Ponti & Devet, 2012). As a registered nurse I
will be important in transforming the healthcare system to be patient-driven by making it more
accessible in line with the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Huntington, Covington, Center,
Covington & Manchikanti, 2011). This will be possible because I will be equipped to combine

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office and hospital practice, reduce the length of hospital stay due to effectiveness and the
evolution of the high-technology hospital.
Furthermore, I will play a critical role in transforming nursing leadership based on my advanced
training and qualification. This will be accomplished by working as full partners with doctors
and other healthcare providers. Furthermore, my competencies and skills will also be important
in nursing research and practice to identify and develop evidence-based improvements to
healthcare which will be tested and implemented through policy changes in the healthcare
system (Hutchinson, & Jackson, 2013).
The association of continuing nursing education to competency and Standards for Practice
and Code of Ethics.
The advancement in nursing education is associated with competency and delivery of quality
healthcare. Continuing nursing education provides new perspectives and ensures that a
healthcare provider is updated on the society’s changing healthcare needs, the expanding
knowledge base, and political flows affecting health care. Continuing nursing education can
boost clinical outcomes, change attitudes and behaviours, and advance knowledge base. It also
enhances the professional conduct of nurses and also increases their knowledge inpatient
management and their general nursing practice (James, & Francis, 2011).
Continuing nursing education does not only improve the competency of a nurse but also the
adherence to standards for practice and code of ethics. This is because the healthcare expert
becomes more informative on the importance of a healthcare system centred on the patient needs
and not on the preference of the healthcare provider. Moreover, the healthcare expert becomes
more knowledgeable about their ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics thus

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improving quality of patient care, expand knowledge and add to career growth, ensure
competency in practice and provide the best proof-based nursing care.
Is continuing nursing education mandatory?
Continuing nursing education should be mandatory. The fundamental nursing practices and
standards of care are constantly evolving and with an emphasis on evidence-based nursing and
technological advancement, nurses have several opportunities to improve patient care, reduce
mortality and improve quality of life. Continuing education provides nurses with new
information that can be applied to improve patient outcomes (Collins, 2013; Cotterill-Walker,
2012; James, & Francis, 2011). Continuing nursing education will create awareness to nurses on
the latest evidence-based practice and knowledge, the latest standards in the field and research so
that they can provide quality care (Marzuki, Hassan, Wichaikhum, & Nantsupawat, 2012).

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References
Collins, A. (2013). Effect of continuing nursing education on nurses' attitude toward and
accuracy of nursing diagnosis. International journal of nursing knowledge, 24(3), 122-
128.
Cotterill-Walker, S. M. (2012). Where is the evidence that master's level nursing education
makes a difference to patient care? A literature review. Nurse Education Today, 32(1),
57-64.
Huntington, W. V., Covington, L. A., Center, P. P., Covington, L. A., & Manchikanti, L. (2011).
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: reforming the health care reform for
the new decade. Pain physician, 14(1), E35-E67.
Hutchinson, M., & Jackson, D. (2013). Transformational leadership in nursing: towards a more
critical interpretation. Nursing inquiry, 20(1), 11-22.
Institute of Medicine (US). Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the
Future of Nursing. (2011). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health.
Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
James, A., & Francis, K. (2011). Mandatory continuing professional education: What is the
prognosis?. Collegian, 18(3), 131-136.
Kunic, R. J., & Jackson, D. (2013). Transforming nursing practice: Barriers and
solutions. AORN
journal, 98(3), 235-248.

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Marzuki, M. A., Hassan, H., Wichaikhum, O., & Nantsupawat, R. (2012). Continuing nursing
education: best practice initiative in nursing practice environment. Procedia-Social and
Behavioral Sciences, 60, 450-455.
Ponti, M. A. D., & Devet, R. (2012). Transforming nursing leadership roles: From CNO to
CEO. Nursing administration quarterly, 36(1), 12-16.
Yee, T., Boukus, E., Cross, D., & Samuel, D. (2013). Primary care workforce shortages: Nurse
practitioner scope-of-practice laws and payment policies. National Institute for Health
Care Reform Research Brief, 13, 1-7.