NR500 The Value of a Master's-Prepared Nurse (Week 1 Discussion)

Week 1: The Value of a Master's-Prepared Nurse Consider the current healthcare delivery models and practice settings. Reflect on how nursing practice is transforming in response to the current demands of the healthcare system and answer one of the following questions: 1. What differentiates the practice of a master's-prepared nurse compared to that of a baccalaureate-prepared nurse? 2. What is the value of a master's degree in nursing? 3. What do you consider to be the most essential professional competency for a master's-prepared nurse practicing in the 21st century? Refer to AACN Essentials, CCN Nursing Conceptual Framework and other scholarly sources. Use at least one outside scholarly article to support your position. Provide an example to illustrate an application to professional practice. Valerie Sayage Sep 2, 2018Local: Sep 2 at 3:42pm
Course: Sep 2 at 2:42pm Good evening Dr. Bucher and classmates, The baccalaureate program I completed held a great focus on nursing theory, and the program forced you to think differently and use critical thinking skills. We learned about Evidence Based Practices and new technologies and considered how to best integrate them into nursing care. Everything we discussed revolved around doing things better and with a focus on optimal patient outcomes. Along the way I also started to refine my leadership skills. The program provided me with a very strong base within the discipline of nursing. And, just like any discipline there are advancements that can change the practice and upset long held beliefs. That is the beauty of education. Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (Meah, 2015). I firmly believe this statement to be true. Graduate level nurses are taught to promote patient centered care and safety, ask why, and approach new evidence with a critical eye. The program allows the graduate “to engage in higher level of practice and leadership” (AACN, 2011, p. 4) which can influence change. Consider some of the nine Essentials set out by the AACN for a master’s program in nursing: science and humanities, leadership, quality improvement and safety, integrating scholarship into practice, informatics and technology, healthcare policy and advocacy, collaboration and patient outcomes (AACN, 2011). All of these Essentials build on the base of the baccalaureate program and takes it to the next level. The specifics involved with obtaining measurable differences between baccalaureate prepared nurses and master’s level nurses I found was difficult