Introduction
Nursing as a profession characterized by a long history of development entails multiple changes that have occurred throughout the time of this profession’s evolution. The changes have impacted the immediate roles of nurses, expanded the settings in which they can perform their professional roles, and the body of skills and knowledge the sphere of nursing contains. Moreover, the advancing efforts aimed at improving the nursing practice as people know it today have been focused on the primary goals of nurses’ work, namely patient care. Thus, this paper is designed to explore the particularities of modern nursing practice via its scope, competencies, evidence-based care, and communicational skills discussion.
Historical Changes to Nursing Practice and Their Impact on the Scope of Practice and the Approach to Treating the Individual
The profession of nursing has significantly evolved over time of its existence. In particular, nurses, who initially performed limited roles of providing care to the ill, are now viewed as leaders in the healthcare system. They are empowered to lead change and integrate innovative solutions to care procedures via academic and clinical efforts, thus becoming change agents and patient advocates (Dino & Ong, 2019). Under the influence of the industrial revolutions, which have boosted the development of all domains of human life, the advancement of nursing was impacted by the enhancement of the scope of practice. Indeed, in today’s healthcare system, nurses’ practice reaches, if possessing necessary competencies and education, preventative and palliative care, community-based care and academic performance, leadership, and mentorship, to name a few (Frogner et al., 2020). Consequently, the expansion of the scope of practice has empowered and promoted nurses’ facilitated approach to the treatment of individuals due to the integration of patient-centered, evidence-based care. Thus, the quality of care has significantly improved due to the integration of higher education efforts and research-based practices in nursing.
Comparison of Competencies and Scope of Practice between Associate (ADN) and Baccalaureate (BSN) Education in Nursing
In contemporary nursing practice, both ADN and BSN are possible educational degrees that prepare competent nurses. When obtaining a license as a registered nurse, one might comply when they have either an ADN or a BSN (Thielmann et al., 2019). However, there are differences in the competencies and scope of practice between these degrees. In particular, ADN is limited to day-to-day clinical tasks of providing immediate patient care, while BSN implies involvement in leadership, decision-making, and innovative research-based solutions (Thielmann et al., 2019). In this regard, the scope of practice of ADN is limited to the clinical setting, while BSN might be in managerial and leadership positions, as well as involved in academic work. Thus, when advancing from AD to BSN, the scope of practice changes significantly by providing a nurse with a larger pool of possible roles in the healthcare system.
ADN and BSN Decision-Making in a Care Situation
When speculating on a hypothetical care situation, one might refer to a case of a post-operative patient staying at a ward. If attended by an ADN, the patient will receive conventional physician-prescribed medications and follow the protocol as trained. However, when a BSN works with the same patient, they are likely to identify the particularities of the cultural background and the health history of the patient when making a decision on how to improve their well-being (Thielmann et al., 2019). A BSN is empowered to engage in communication with the patient to identify possible concerns and address them through individualized care relevant to the patient’s needs beyond conventional practices.
The Significance of Applying Evidence-Based Practice to Nursing Care
The term evidence-based practice entails the fundamental role of scientific and research-supported data in the delivery of high-quality and safe care to patients. According to Gigli et al. (2020), evidence-based practice allows for continuous improvement of patient care due to the contribution of the latest knowledge and best practice evidence to the nursing practice. Thus, it is imperative that contemporary registered nurses are knowledgeable of the latest advancements in their professional domain and use best practices to facilitate the safety and well-being of their patients. As research demonstrates, a higher level of education implies a better understanding and implementation of evidence-based practice, which is illustrated by BSN’s better awareness of evidence-based care approaches (Gigli et al., 2020). Thus, for safe and advanced nursing practice, nurses should engage in continuous improvement of their educational and competence levels.
Nurses’ Communication and Collaboration with Interdisciplinary Teams
Another pivotal aspect of contemporary qualitative nursing care is interdisciplinary ties. In the context of the prioritization of providing holistic care, the inclusion of multifaceted professionals in healthcare teams is essential for patient outcomes improvement (Liu, 2020). When engaging in fruitful collaboration with professionals from different fields, such as surgeons, physicians, pharmacists, and others, nurses are capable of advancing the accuracy of care decisions and more effectively implementing evidence-based care (Liu, 2020). For that matter, nurses communicate clearly and openly with all the involved members of the interdisciplinary teams to facilitate their awareness of the decision-making process informed by the expertise of each professional.
Conclusion
In summation, the evolution of the nursing profession is characterized by the expansion of the scope of practice, the academic preparedness of registered nurses, and their implementation of evidence-based practice for better patient outcomes. Today, nursing is a profession where knowledge, skills, and competencies in patient-centered and evidence-based care are highly prioritized. With leadership and quality-improvement opportunities, nurses collaborate in interdisciplinary teams to drive positive change in achieving better health outcomes for the served populations.
References
Dino, M. J. S., & Ong, I. L. (2019). Research, technology, education & scholarship in the fourth industrial revolution [4IR]: Influences in nursing and the health sciences. The Journal of Medical Investigation, 66(1.2), 3-7.
Frogner, B. K., Fraher, E. P., Spetz, J., Pittman, P., Moore, J., Beck, A. J., Armstrong, D., & Buerhaus, P. I. (2020). Modernizing scope-of-practice regulations – time to prioritize patients. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(7), 591-593.
Gigli, K. H., Davis, B. S., Ervin, J., & Kahn, J. M. (2020). Factors associated with nurses’ knowledge of and perceived value in evidence-based practices. American Journal of Critical Care, 29(1), 1-8.
Liu, H. Y. (2020). Inter-professional nursing education and the roles of swift trust, interaction behaviors, and creativity: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Nurse Education Today, 95, 1-9.
Thielmann, B., Parker, K. K., Post, J. M., & Abraham, S. P. (2019). Factors influencing nurses’ perceptions of the baccalaureate degree in nursing as minimum requirement for professional practice. Nursing Education Perspectives, 40(1), 25-29.