Future of Nursing: Options in the Job Market and Increasing Level of Education

The Future of Nursing
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Introduction
Nursing is among the most sought-after professions in healthcare. Nurses are crucial in ensuring individualized patient care through their essential nursing services. Nursing education is key because it allows nurses to dive deeper into their professions and be in a position to offer better and more effective patient care. According to AACN (2021), advanced nursing education leads to improved patient outcomes, reduced mortality rates, reduced rates of patient readmission, and short periods of hospital stay. Therefore, nurses are called upon to pursue continuous education and ensure they are up-to-date with current standards and guidelines on patient care. Having elaborate educational goals will prepare the nurse to maintain an upward trend in efficiency.
Options in the Job Market
As a nurse who holds an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and is pursuing my higher-level nursing degree, there are several options and opportunities in the job market. First, with an ADN degree, I can work in every healthcare facility or the community, providing several duties, which include patient assessments, recording and documentation of assessment data, counseling and educating patients, using and operating medical equipment, carrying out diagnostic tests, and actively collaborating with other healthcare professions to promote effective care delivery for quality care (Nurse.org, 2023). There are several places I can work as a nurse with an ADN. These places include hospitals, residential care facilities, government agencies, and outpatient settings, to mention a few. I can also work in various specialties, including oncology, surgery, emergency, and psychiatry, to mention a few.
Achieving Higher Education Levels
As a nurse with a clear vision and zeal to grow, I want to pursue an MSN degree after completing my BSN. An MSN degree would allow me to advance as I specialize in mental health. The intense practical and theoretical classes offered in an MSN program would be ideal for growing my skills and knowledge, a journey I cannot wait to undertake. My reasons for wanting to attain an MSN degree include getting advanced knowledge and recognition for higher nursing positions. I plan to accomplish this goal within the next four years from now, keeping in mind that I will only take two years to complete the program.
After completing the MSN program, I plan to enroll in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Being the highest level of practice, the DNP would equip me with the necessary skills to improve and elevate nursing research into practice. I will be able to deliver content in evidence-based practice, improvement of nursing, and quality care and leadership. I plan to achieve this within seven years, remembering that the DNP program takes one to two years. My main reasons for pursuing a DNP program are primarily due to the current complexity in healthcare that demands a very critical and high level of scientific research and practice to ensure top-notch quality regarding care delivery and patient outcomes.
How Increasing Education Level would affect one’s Competitiveness in the Job Market
Increasing my education level would undoubtedly increase my value and ability to offer quality nursing services. In the United States (US), nurses who have taken advanced degree programs are more sought-after and receive better pay than nurses with basic nursing education (AACN, 2021). It is indisputable that increasing one's education level sparks higher skills and improves career develo...