Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties

You have probably seen one or more of the many inspirational posters about decisions. A visual such as a forked road or a street sign is typically pictured, along with a quote designed to inspire.

Decisions are often not so easily inspired. Perhaps you discovered this when choosing a specialty within the MSN program. This decision is a critical part of your plan for success, and you no doubt want to get it right. This is yet another area where your network can help, as well as other sources of information that can help you make an informed choice.

To Prepare:

Reflect on your decision to pursue a specialty within the MSN program, including your professional and academic goals as they relate to your program/specialization.

By Day 3 of Week 10

Post an explanation of your choice of a nursing specialty within the program. Describe any difficulties you had (or are having) in making your choice, and the factors that drove/are driving your decision. Identify at least one professional organization affiliated with your chosen specialty and provide details on becoming a member. Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003

By Day 6 of Week 10

Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by sharing your thoughts on their specialty, supporting their choice or offering suggestions if they have yet to choose.

Standards of Practice: Examining Nursing Specialties

Nursing is more than a profession; it is a calling. In the early years of my career, I remember carrying that innate desire to provide care for my family and I have always had compassion for those who are sick and suffering. Completing my bachelor’s degree in nursing has helped me conceptualize the feelings I had and gave more meaning and purpose to providing care to patients and their families. The nursing profession is very dynamic, we must keep pushing forward carrying an organized plan and keep pushing through (Laureate Education, 2018). This has always been my mantra that drives me to move forward and progress in what I do. The first decade of my career was the transition phase. I ventured into the different aspects of the Nursing profession seeking for the specialty that I really want to put my heart into. Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003

Challenges. The journey in advancing my career has been long and interesting. It took me almost a decade to decide what field of specialty I really wanted to focus on. I started my career in the Philippines and I can say the work condition has made my choice challenging. There was shortage of staffing, and the workload was tremendous. This pushed the nurse turnover rate to be high because of poor working conditions. The turning point of my career was when I got active in joining nursing organizations. Echevarria (2018) said that professional organizations promote improvement in a profession and heightens the interest of the members it serves. When I worked in the operating room, the surgical organization I attended gave a lot of opportunities to learn and grow in that specialty. It was then that I realized the relevance of joining nursing organizations in further enhancing my knowledge and skills. Cherry, et al. (2019) supported this idea by emphasizing that professional organizations support nursing practice by improving nursing values and stimulate self-regulation. The article further said that the membership in an organization serves as an investment in professional development. My membership to professional groups has indeed propelled my career to greater heights, focusing on the field of specialty I am really interested in. Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003

In the course of my career, I had numerous opportunities to provide education to students and colleagues. I soon realized that teaching and education is the field of nursing that I got really interested in. This drove me to work as a clinical instructor in a local nursing school, and that was the culmination of my specialty in Nursing education. The National League for Nursing (NLN) is one organization that fully supports my field of interest in nursing education. NLN seeks to improve nursing education by focusing on professional advancement activities, research, certification, and networking (National League for Nursing, 2019). The second half of my career has been spent specializing in teaching in the baccalaureate and graduate level. The mission and vision of NLN fully supports my personal goal to improve my teaching strategies. The organization currently has 40,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members from different nursing programs across the nation. This will give me a great opportunity to network with colleagues in the field of nursing education. The NLN website offers individual membership opportunities with a very minimal fee. Membership benefits provide opportunities for growth and promotes excellence in nursing education. I will work on being a member of this organization to further enhance my specialty in nursing education.

References

Cherry, B., Caramanica, L, Everett, L. Q., Fennimore, L., & Elaine, S. (2019). Leveraging the power of board leadership in professional nursing organizations. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(11), 517-519.

Echevarria, I. M. (2018). Make connections by joining a professional nursing organization. Nursing, 48(12), 35–38.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). The Walden Journey to a Masters in Nursing: Standards of Practice [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

RE: Discussion – Week 10

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Online learning program for MSN is designed to assist students in the nursing profession make a difference in the field of health care. When selecting a profession, it is crucial to first consider the passion towards the course. It is also important to reassess your strengths, where you would like to see yourself in the next 5 years, and the group you prefer working with (Alquwez, 2020). In the discussion post written by Romeo, the author has made it clear the type of work setting he prefers. At Walden University, there are about eight distinct specializations. A practitioner can either work as a specialty nurse or nurse practitioner.

The desire to offer better care to family and patients is indeed a good mantra to start with. However, many people believe that nurse practitioners are limited to family practice only. That is not always the case with nursing profession (Vos, Boonstra, Kooistra, Seelen & Offenbeek, 2020). The university offers different nurse specializations. Each specialty offers the student an opportunity to take on extra responsibilities including examining patients, diagnosing illness, providing treatment, and prescribing medications. By choosing one of the specialty, Romeo has demonstrated the wish to focus on nursing education.

Regardless of the choice a person takes, specialization in the nursing profession is crucial as it helps to differentiate a practitioner in the field and aligns one’s interests with career goals. NLN is one organization that supports strategies for improving patient outcomes through effective collaboration and communication. The organization provides students with the opportunity to explore the most current health topics in collaboration with experts who serve as leaders in the healthcare system.

References

Alquwez, N. (2020). Examining the Influence of Workplace Incivility on Nurses’ Patient Safety Competence. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 52, 3, 292-300.

Vos, J. F. J., Boonstra, A., Kooistra, A., Seelen, M., & Offenbeek, M. (2020). The influence of electronic health record use on collaboration among medical specialties. Bmc Health Services Research, 20, 1, 1-11.