Improved Nursing Care Through Masters-Level Education: A 20th Century Revolution - Essay Sample

Introduction

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In the 20th century, there was an increased demand for better-trained nursing practitioners. There was also the need for specialists such as public health nurses, nursing anesthetists, and midwives with advanced education and clinical practice. Nursing leaders saw the need to expand the scope of nursing education to produce even better-trained experts in this profession. They, therefore, developed the master's program in nursing, with the first such certification being awarded in the year 1956 at Columbia University School of Nursing (Keating, 2014). Today, there are over 537 master's level nursing programs in the US (Keating, 2014). These programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for education in nursing and the commission on collegiate nursing education. This paper will review the recommendations from these bodies and Analyze issues surrounding graduate-level nursing at the master's level.

Recommendations

The recommendations pertaining to these programs are different, depending on the type of program:

Entry-Level Master's Degree Programs in Nursing

There are minimum requirements through which can achieve the qualification for admittance into these programs. There is a common requirement that an applicant must hold a baccalaureate in nursing prior to earning a master's degree in the same discipline. If they hold this certification, but in a non-nursing field, they can achieve this qualification through either of the following two ways: completion of a course that equips them with necessary nursing skills and clinical practice; of completion of courses equivalent to or the same as existing courses in baccalaureate-level nursing programs. Various types of master's degree programs may have additional recommendations and requirements.

Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)

The American Association of Critical Care Nurses AACN recommends undertaking this program to produce a master trained nurse who can work across the continuum of care to improve patient outcomes. This program should equip the individual with leadership skills ranging from interprofessional coordination to measurement of patient outcomes.

Advanced Practice Master's Degree Programs in Nursing

These programs include master programs in nursing anesthetists, nurse practitioners, clinical specialists, and nurse-midwife. The entry-level of these programs is baccalaureate in nursing, or sometimes, its equivalent. There are a few exceptions, including the certified nurse practitioner (CNP) program that requires additional qualifications like more than one chemistry course.

Public Health Nursing

Most states and institutions require a bachelor's degree in nursing for entry-level. This program prepares these professionals with specialized skills in community health in sectors such as Epidemiology, primary health care, maternal and child health, among others.

Master's Degrees in Nursing for Functional Roles

These programs include leadership roles such as nursing administration, case management, an educator. These programs offer courses that train nurses to hold specific positions in the healthcare system, such as healthcare policies and research.

Issues Surrounding Graduate-Level Nursing at the Master's Level.

Various issues have been arising over the years regarding graduate-level nursing at the master's level. These issues can be assessed categorically based on the multiple stages of the program.

Entry Into Practice

There are issues surrounding qualifications for entry into these programs. This primarily arises in the event of people with another baccalaureate in another discipline other than nursing. These may be required additional courses to be on par with the other entrants at the master's level.

Terminal Degrees and Advanced Practice

Since 2015, entry into this program requires a doctorate degree in nursing practice (Keating, 2014). Therefore, several advanced practitioners who joined the program before this directive was issued continue to practice depending on the state licensing laws. Questions have also been raised regarding the suitability of the ARPN regulations on the evolving health Sector of the United States. These regulations are contained in the consensus report provided by the National Council of State Boards. The safety margins within witch advanced nursing practitioners can operate have been queried depending on their licenses, level of education, and board regulations. There have also been challenges with role clarity, as many health systems still lack a clear cut definition of the part played by these specialists. This is potentially frustrating for these practitioners, as their advanced knowledge may end up being underutilized.

Quality and Safety

There have been issues surrounding the safety and quality of nursing education offered to people with a baccalaureate in another discipline other than nursing. The courses undertaken by this group of people joining masters programs have sometimes been incomparable to the full baccalaureate programs in nursing. The safety of the roles of these practitioners post-masters certification has raised questions, with many skeptical about the overlapping functions with medical Doctors (Fawaz et al, 2018).

Adoption of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

These practitioners experience various challenges that have undermined continuously the adoption of EBP. These include time constraints for bedside clinical nurses and heavy workload (Flanders, 2014). This issue has further cast doubt on the continued teaching and research into these programs.

Conclusion

The evolving United States health sector has continued to strain the available medical personnel, including nursing practitioners. These professionals have been forced to expand their nursing education and clinical practice by enrolling in masters programs. The accrediting, professional specialty, and educational organizations and certification agencies for master's degrees, such as the AACN, have continued to make recommendations and regulations for these programs. Some issues surrounding graduate-level nursing at the master's level include quality and safety, role clarity, and challenged with the adoption of EBP.

References

Fawaz. Et al. (2018). Challenges Facing Nursing Education in the Advanced Healthcare Environment. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 9, 105-110. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214139118300076/

Flanders, Sonya. (2014). Challenges in Clinical Nurse Specialist Education and Practice. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 19(2), 32. Retrieved from: http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-19-2014/No2-May-2014/Challenges-in-CNS-Education-and-Practice.html/

Keating, S. B. (Ed.). (2014). Curriculum Development and Evaluation in Nursing. Springer Publishing Company. Retrieved from: https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780826174420/cfi/6/2!/4/2/2@0:0.125/