NRSG 320 Unit 1: Discussion Board 2 CTU

NRSG 320 Unit 1: Discussion Board 2 CTU

NRSG 320 Unit 1: Discussion Board 2 CTU

Part One

Nursing as a profession has been in existence for several years. However, there has been an evolution in both the profession and the role of the nurse over the years. One way in which the role has evolved is in the nurse work environment. In the earlier years, nurses were mainly working on the battlefield or at home, with home visits a common phenomenon. This has evolved, and these days, nurses work in several medical settings such as military bases, schools, assisted living facilities, doctors’ offices, and hospitals (Egenes, 2017). Nursing roles are also more enhanced with the current technological advancements, which help the nurses to prioritize care and save more lives in comparison to the previous years.

The responsibilities of the nurse have also changed a lot in the evolution period. In the early years, the nurse’s responsibility was like a list of things that had to be accomplished. However, with the more extensive training, nurses are taught what was initially only meant for physicians (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). The perception about nursing has also dramatically changed as nurses can obtain bachelor’s degrees and even higher to enable them to undertake more complex care tasks. The nurses also take many more responsibilities in the care environment since they now have extensive schooling. It is known that there has been a growing need for better patient care due to the increasing number of patients; hence, nurse responsibilities have also evolved to handle medical emergencies without requesting help from physicians. They are not seen as assistants to doctors anymore.

My role as a nurse has also changed throughout my career. For example, I am in a better position to handle patients more confidently and competently. This has resulted from a considerable duration of the experience. Therefore, the changes in the roles have come up based on the experience. Some other changes have also come due to the health care system. For example, to gain a specialty in practice, various licensure exams have to be taken.

References

Egenes, K. J. (2017). History of nursing. Issues and trends in nursing: Essential knowledge for today and tomorrow, 1-26.

Mackey, A., & Bassendowski, S. (2017). The history of evidence-based practice in nursing education and practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 33(1), 51-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2016.05.009