Nursing has long been considered a noble and venerable profession, one that is both demanding and rewarding. In recent years, however, the role of nurses has changed dramatically. Different aspects of society have witnessed significant changes, from the use of technology to its economy. Thankfully, the healthcare sector is not left behind in this train of change.
Regardless of these changes, the underlying premise of the nursing field remains to provide quality healthcare. However, such changes ensure professionals are competent enough to engage in their responsibilities more effectively. Hence, we explore some of the more significant changes and their impact on the profession.
- Technology
Evidently, we cannot talk about changes without mentioning technology. The breakneck speed of technological change has swept through the nursing field in numerous ways. One significant aspect of this change in the field has been digitizing and streamlining most responsibilities. For instance, electronic record management, mobile monitoring devices, mobile applications, and intelligent wearable devices have all helped nurses in delivering effective healthcare.
A significant technological innovation — the internet — has also created a platform for the rise of a new aspect of healthcare called telemedicine. This aspect is most predominant in rural areas with limited access to quality healthcare. The importance of technology to different parts of healthcare cannot be overstated. As such, nurses must stay up to date with all relevant technological innovations that aid in more effective healthcare.
- Responsibilities
In 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted to reform different aspects of healthcare, including the responsibilities of nurses. With key emphasis placed on preventive care and community health screenings, nurses’ interaction with patients has significantly changed to feature a more patient-oriented approach.
Along with being caregivers, nurses also became advocates and educators, enlightening patients on proper self-care and healthy lifestyles. Patients also took part in their treatment process, vastly improving recovery time. Telemedicine also features a significant change in nurses’ responsibilities as they are no longer restricted to working in a clinical environment.
The roles and responsibilities of nurses have significantly changed in recent times, with nurses having a critical role in every aspect of healthcare, from clinical duties to management.
- Autonomy
A prevalent issue in the healthcare sector has been specialist shortfalls. This mismatch stems from patients’ longer lifespans, global population growth, and the high number of medical professionals close to retirement age. This shortfall is predicted to increase in the coming decades.
To address these issues, industrial experts identified the need to offer some professionals the freedom to perform more autonomously. This has created an opportunity for nurses, particularly advanced practice nurses, to operate at the same level of independence as doctors.
Today, countries such as the United States offer nurses full practice authority, which allows nursing practitioners to engage in different aspects of healthcare, including making diagnoses and administering medication without the presence of a doctor. The increased autonomy of nurses has not only elevated the profession but has also increased the number of patients that can receive healthcare, regardless of the nursing shortage.
- Education
Nursing education has been perhaps the most remarkable change to the profession as it effectively impacts their ability to embrace other changes. With increased autonomy came the need for more specialized nursing programs, provided by numerous institutions. And while nursing education has become more complex and formal, it is also much more accessible.
One such accessible form of education is online programs. Programs such as the University of Indianapolis online DNP-AGNP program offer nurses the chance to specialize and gain competency in specific primary care. With these programs, nurses become qualified to deliver complex care based on their specialization, autonomously.
Aside from BSN degrees, more advanced degrees such as MSN and DNP can be attained online, which means nurses can conveniently gain the skills to explore top healthcare positions or even set up their own practice. These changes in education have significantly impacted the career potential of nurses and remain a crucial reason for their high demand in the industry.
- Healthcare setting
In the past, nurses were limited to working as skilled helpers in a home or on the battlefield. It took the advent of early nursing programs for nurses to start becoming employed in a clinical setting.
Today, nurses are exposed to working in numerous healthcare settings, from clinics to homes, schools, and assisted living facilities. Having these medical professionals in correctional facilities and the military is also common. In fact, nurses can work in any setting that requires medical care.
Changes to the work setting for nurses became more prevalent with more complex education, making them more respected in the industry as competent medical professionals. With the improved competency of nurses came a higher demand for nurses globally.
- Culture
For most of the time that nursing has existed, the general culture of the occupation has been based on it being a female-only profession that requires an elementary level of medical knowledge. As a result, nurses needed to be presentable, respectable and obedient. This made many people ignore the profession as its culture never featured a heavy workload. However, as time passed, nurses were needed to engage in more demanding schedules, especially during the war.
The nursing culture has recently changed massively compared to previous eras. Nursing is no longer restricted to gender or sexual orientation, but to a person’s passion and competence. Nursing has become a top medical profession, incorporating different responsibilities that point to a clear view of the rising call to care. Nurses are generally regarded as heroes of the medical industry, and they can feel a sense of pride for how resilient, strong, committed, and hopeful they are in carrying out their responsibilities.
Nursing has changed significantly and continues to be an increasingly developing field. For nurses and patients alike, these changes have ensured the profession is transformed from an underappreciated area to a well-respected one. Changes to training, responsibilities, setting and culture, among others, are some of the features that make the field what it is today.
