The role of nurses in our current health-care system is a widely discussed topic. Nurses have never been relied upon more to pick up additional knowledge and professional qualifications, produce their own research and coordinate care for their patients.
With the U.S. population aging, the demand for qualified nurses has increased dramatically.
Professional Qualifications
Continuing education is a major part of the nursing profession. Nurses must become licensed and have a variety of degree programs through which to further their professional qualifications.
In fact, many schools have implemented “bridge programs,” which allow students to earn two degrees at once (either a BSN and MSN, or an MSN and DPN) or are designed in such a way for students to continue their education from undergraduate to graduate work without interruption. This makes it easy for nurses to advance their education.
Research
Not only must nurses earn continuing education credits to maintain their accreditation, but they also can earn professional certifications to specialize in a certain area of nursing.
They are encouraged to produce their own research for medical journals and contribute to advancements in the field of medicine.
Care Coordination
With the endless stream of specializations and advancements in health care, it is common for a patient to have more than one doctor or need more than one service from a variety of providers.
Providing diverse services is a vital and yet often overlooked duty of the nursing profession. While care coordination is a part of any nursing job, many facilities are hiring nurses to fill this role exclusively as the needs of the population increase.