Issues in Advanced Nursing Roles

What? This semester reinforced the idea that nurses are continual learners as professionals. It also emphasized that the role of the nurse to be a leader is becoming more prominent and imperative. Individuals are empowered to make change and be leaders when they create a vision and are able to work toward their goal. Throughout the classes, I was introduced to several different nursing and leadership theories and also learned about different ethical ideas and policy development roles that nurses in advance degree roles may assume.

So what? This information is important for a nurse educator because he/she must take a leadership role and apply skills and theories to create change with knowledge growth. I learned that change is critical and continual in the health care field. Leaders create change. Leaders, especially nurse educators, must know how to encourage collaboration among health care professionals and be the role-model and change others inspire from in order to learn and grow themselves and as an organization. Good nurse educators are considered leaders because they influence those who they teach and use their vision to invest in an organization’s purpose. Nurse educators can enhance their leadership skills by surrounding themselves in an institution that fosters role-modeling, guidance training, and leadership/management. With the expansion in health care comes the need for more leaders and nursing professionals in advanced roles. It is vital for nurses in advanced roles to be a part of an environment where the standard of care is continuously improving, does not just maintain the status quo.

Now What? After the completion of this semester I have learned that my career as a leader in the nurse educator position will be key to the creation of skills and visions to help others learn and ultimately create an influential, desired nursing profession. “The opportunities to promote excellence and function as a leader are limitless, and each time a nurse engages in activities that advance nursing or that demonstrate leadership to realize a vision, he or she is contributing to the creation of a preferred future for the profession” (Grossman & Valiga, 2012, p. 212).

Reference

Grossman, S.C., & Valiga, T.M. (2012). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of nursing (4th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.