Abstract
The essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing is a document which shows how the profession of nursing has evolved and developed overtime. An in-depth analysis of the main points covered in this document reveals that the nursing profession today requires creative thinking, imagination and dynamic change in order to realize its potential (Allan, 2004, p. 471).
Specifically when it comes to graduate education, the rule of the academic degree is to prepare nurses to perform a variety of roles in the healthcare sector which range from leadership positions, critical patient care as well as the changing dynamics and environment of health organizations. There are primarily nine Essentials that have been listed in this document in order to highlight the areas of competency that nurses who are enrolled in graduate programs must acquire and develop. Furthermore, the document also presents the future requirements that nurses will be expected to comply with in order to do justice to their core responsibilities.
Introduction
The essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing is an essential document that was developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing on March 21, 2011. The primary aim of formulating such a document was to establish guidelines for nurses who are currently studying in various graduate programs, or are planning to earn a Doctorate or a Baccalaureate. Regardless of the area of specialization, the essentials that have been presented in this document are designed to serve as a guideline for nurses to operate effectively in a constantly changing environment. By understanding and implementing this framework, nurses will be able to maximize their contributions to improve the quality of healthcare that is administered to patients while also being the leaders of change for the profession (Bakken, 2007, p. 208).
It is important to understand at the essentials stated here are simply a means of identifying and establishing the basic educational framework for nursing education. The objective is not to prepare nurses for specialized disciplines. The document also establishes the fact that the nursing professionals that are able to master the competencies mentioned here become extremely valuable members of any organizational workforce. This is primarily because not only has theoretical knowledge been studied but also there has been an increased focus on forming, developing and grooming leadership skills (Brown, 2009).
Once nursing professionals complete their graduate degree in which all nine areas have been mastered, they are able to provide collaborative and integrated healthcare to the patients. What is also important to be aware of is that these essentials are not meant to be considered as providing comprehensive training and education to nursing professionals. Rather, they are meant to serve as a foundation on which higher levels of degrees may be required to enhance capabilities and efficiencies (Grace, 2001, p. 156).
The Nine Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing
The pillars of Master’s Education in Nursing constitute nine essentials, mastering which is considered to be an integral and unavoidable component of nursing education today.
Essential 1 is Background for Practice from Sciences and Humanities. This implies that graduate nursing programs must be formulated keeping in mind that the research findings of different disciplines such as psychology, biology, social psychology, genetics as well as public health are utilized. This is an important realization because taking advantage of the diverse knowledge from each of these fields will ultimately result in improved quality of healthcare that is provided by nursing professionals to their patients (Sloane, 2003, p. 1620).
Essential 2 is Organizational and Systems Leadership. This essential emphasizes the importance for prospective nurses currently studying in graduate programs who develop strong leadership skills. This is because nurses interact regularly with patients and are often required to make big decisions on the spot that have long term consequences. Contrary to popular opinion, nurses today are not meant to only serve as primary caregivers. Rather, their role has expanded to include providing consultation to patients and families as well as having the authority and influence to help patients reach the best possible decision regarding their treatment options. Therefore being educated about the Code of Ethics that they will be required to follow is an important stepping stone towards ensuring that when these individuals enter the workforce, they have a sound ethical and moral system in place (Grace, 2001).
Essential 3 is Quality Improvement and Safety. It is interesting to note that Total Quality Management is no longer a concept limited only to the manufacturing industries. The healthcare industry also has an important need to have quality Standard Operating Procedures in place. Therefore, a Master’s level nursing program must include information on the latest quality standards as well as the methods and tools that minimize variants and mistakes. This directly impacts the health and wellbeing of the patients (Bakken, 2007, p. 216).
Essential 4 is Translating and Integrating Scholarship into Practice. This essential is particularly important because it emphasizes the importance of research for nursing professionals. It is generally believed that research based activities and projects are reserved only for general physicians, specialists, surgeons or those working in product research and development department. However, nursing graduate programs must train potential nurses on the principles of conducting medical research as well as develop an understanding of the best possible use of the research information. The nurse has now become a lot more than the person who takes care of the daily needs of patients. Rather, they are acting as chained agents and influencers in the decision making process through which patients decide their optimal healthcare plan (Allan, 2004, p. 460).
Essential 5 is Informatics and Healthcare Technologies. Given the prevalent use of healthcare technologies in the industry, it has become more important than ever for nurses to be familiar with the latest technologies on offer. This is particularly true when it comes to patient care technologies that may allow nurses to provide quality healthcare remotely. Furthermore, technology apps and platforms also enable more in-depth and engaged conversations between nurses and patients at all times (Bakken, 2007, p. 212).
Essentials 6, 7 and 8 relate to Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes through health policies and advocacies. Since nurses often develop very personalized relationships with patients and their families, they are in a unique position to influence the decisions and actions of patients. Furthermore, a nurse who graduates from a program in which all nine essentials were successfully incorporated will result in developing a nursing professional who is focused on providing improved healthcare service (Grace, 2001, p. 161).
Essential 9 is Master’s Level Nursing Practice. This essential requires that a graduate level nursing professional must acquire information and facts from a variety of sources, including the patient himself. Having such a rich source of information will allow the nurse will prepare the nursing graduate to implement theoretical concepts learned in textbooks. In cases where the nursing professional is skilled and knowledgeable, it automatically results in creating a far more enabling environment for the patient (Brown, 2009).
Conclusion
At the end of the day, nursing graduates who are educated and well informed in the nine essentials discussed above, are more likely than their counterparts to perform exceedingly well. What needs to be clearly communicated and understood is the fact that this document only provides a checklist of the pillars of nursing education. Those professionals who are interested in acquiring more specialized knowledge have no other choice but to pursue other core areas during or after their nursing education phase.
Similarly, another emerging field within the healthcare industry is that of the educator. This relates very closely to the detailed regulations stated in the essential 9. However, in order to assume the role of the educator, nursing professionals will also have to learn the various teaching and learning theories that are to be used with patients. As mentioned in the 2009 report Educating Nurses; A Call for Radical Transformation, educators are required to have in-depth knowledge about each of the nine areas covered in the essentials stated in this document. Therefore, it is extremely important that the curriculum of nursing education programs is updated regularly to ensure that it stays current and relevant with industry trends (Bakken, 2007, p. 214).
References
Allan, J. (2004). Clinical Prevention and Population Health. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 470-481.
Bakken, S. (2007). A Nursing informatics research agenda for 2008-18: Contextual influences and key components. Nursing Outlook, 206-214.
Brown, S. (2009). Evidence Based Nursing: The Research Practice Connection. Norwich: Jones & Bartlett.
Grace, P. (2001). Professional Advocacy: Widening the Scope of Accountability. Nursing Philosophy, 151-162.
Sloane, D. (2003). Education levels of Hospital Nurses and Surgical Patient Mortality. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1617-1623.
