It is not off beam to say that current is the time of nurses all over the world. With the pandemic ravaging the whole world, nurses are standing strong and supporting healthcare through this extremely difficult time.
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They work at the frontlines of the hospitals and give prompt care to patients flocking to the hospitals’ floors with the deadly virus that engulfed all aspects of their life. At one point, it felt like the pandemic will wipe out the whole populace of human beings from the face of the earth, just like the apocalypse that we often see in Hollywood movies only.
Nurses faced unheard-of challenges. Nowhere in the entire world was the healthcare system ready for this kind of onslaught. Nurses demonstrated inner strength, positive decision making, and excellent critical thinking ability that cleared the thick clouds of uncertainty, pessimism, and hopelessness hovering over the earth. Many nurses working at the frontline demonstrated their ability to go beyond their job duties. They showed a willingness to excel and advance in their careers, unlearn and relearn, and be better versions of themselves.
Career Advancement Drive Among Nurses
The shortage of nurses during the recent pandemic was a glaring problem throughout the world. Recently, many nurses have returned to school to learn new skills and fight viruses and infections that challenged their knowledge. Owing to this trend, nurses are more motivated to enroll in higher education degrees to advance their careers and better prepare for misfortunes. If you are a nurse with a BSN, there is no better time to complete your MSN in nursing degree than now when acute nursing shortages create healthcare problems. Getting a new degree is one way to advance your career. The desire to progress in your career through an advanced nursing degree is driven by the fact that a higher degree allows you to have the most current industry knowledge.
The advanced BSN and MSN degrees include courses to teach nurses the use of technology, help them understand new and improved medications, and administer novel treatments to patients. Other motivations to advance your career with an advanced degree include the following:
- Attain Leadership Positions
Many nurses seek to advance their nursing career in their quest to attain leadership and management positions in nursing. After years of experience, it is justifiable for these nurses to demand more autonomy and control over their work environment. More nurses want to play an important role in bringing change in healthcare; they want a seat on the decision-making table, policies are developed, and new patient treatment plans are devised. Getting higher education is one way to transition to administrative and leadership roles.
Due to this trend, there is an increased interest in nurses to obtain leadership and management degrees in nursing and assume the roles of nurse managers and administrators. These nurse managers are responsible for the working and performance of their whole unit; they fulfill the hiring and firing, training, and development needs of the nurses in their unit, develop the budgets and manage the financial sides, make sure organizational and departmental goals are met, staff nurses are motivated, and patient care standards are fulfilled.
- Increase Earning Potential
Nursing is an extremely taxing job that is emotionally draining, but it is also physically strenuous. So, nurses require a salary that justifies their effort. That means working with agencies that charge fair travel nurse bill rates leaving enough margin profits for the nurses.
One way to increase your grossing potential is by advancing your education. There is a general idea that diploma holders RNs earn less than those with a BSN degree. According to recent estimates, a BSN nurse earns an average of $83,034 per year.
In contrast, a diploma nurse earns $70,820 a year. The salary further increases when you transition from BSN to MSN degree and more. For many people earning a good salary, improving their lifestyle is a highlighting factor for getting an advanced degree. A perk of better earning also means improved social standing. People who earn more often find their place among professionals from high echelons in society and healthcare hierarchies.
- Need For A Skilled Workforce
The pandemic was an eye-opener for society, but it also gave a reality check to the healthcare systems. It showed the fractures and shortages. The biggest problem facing healthcare is the shortage of skilled personnel, including nurses. According to the BLS, healthcare needs 11 million nurses to make up for the shortage. Skilled nurses are needed to tackle complex medical conditions and prepare healthcare for emergencies such as the pandemic. Healthcare needs nurses who can make prompt decisions on the go, apply their critical thinking ability to assess the situation and avoid crisis, effectively communicate with teams of nurses and higher management, use evidence-based practices, and work in high-performance teams. Training on these aspects is an integral part of the advanced degree courses. Today, nurses with just basic knowledge about healthcare may not survive for an extended time.
- Improve Patient Satisfaction
The primary role of healthcare is to provide patient care services to the population. But, like other corporate organizations, hospitals are also facilities that can provide better patent care owing to their ability to work as businesses. Business leaders present in these facilities play an important role in helping them run smoothly. Hospitals with qualified nurse managers can provide better patient care services to their patients due to better capabilities, knowledge, and skill. Moreover, nurses who have better qualifications can demonstrate confidence in their skills. This confidence has a domino effect on patients assuring them that their lives are in skilled hands. When patients get treatment from skilled professionals, it enhances their satisfaction and makes them brand ambassadors of the facility. When these patients leave the facility, they recommend the hospital to their acquaintances.
Advanced education is a gateway of opportunities for nurses. It is a journey that starts from improving your skills and ends at increasing patient satisfaction and garnering improved patient outcomes. Today, hospitals also prefer nurses with advanced education to promote their business and uplift the overall healthcare standards at their facility.
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