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Congratulations to every nurse during National Nurses
Week, and a special thank you to all the readers who
have taken time to respond to my editorials. This tells
me that the future of nursing is alive and well.
Some disagree with what I wrote about valuing and respecting
all nurses, whether ADN, diploma or BSN. Some took issue
with me and suggested that I intended to include LPNs,
CNAs or whatever patient care assistants are used in
the multiple work settings, and reprimanded me for lacking
a futuristic view of the educational preparation of
a registered nurse. The truth is that it would be great
if all nurses could be at least baccalaureate-prepared.
We all know you can't use knowledge you don't have.
But realistically, many individuals would not be able
to be nurses if they did not start with an associate
degree or a diploma.
Some come into nursing as LPNs first. I started as
a nursing assistant in a newborn nursery. So, we all
have to start someplace and some do not have the opportunity
to continue with their education, as there are too many
financial hurdles and responsibilities with families
to support. So, with an everlasting nursing shortage,
let's get on with the job of providing the best care
we can now and into the future. Who knows, we may not
need as many nurses as we are predicting.
But forecasting the future becomes tenuous. We do not
have any guarantees that there will not be some new
and unknown plague that will emerge and destroy populations,
such as the lead poisoning that insidiously infected
the ancient Romans and now is infecting our fishing
industry. Sixteenth-century English philosopher Francis
Bacon said, "Dreams and predictions ought to serve
but for winter talk by the fireside."
No one imagined the unforeseen calamities of Sept.
11. America has demonstrated a generation of resilient,
privileged and highly educated people. There is more
material wealth and people have more personal liberties
than ever before. We have more time to allow creativity
in our personal lives and more meaningful relationships
within families and between people. Health care environments
have changed considerably and missions have become multidimensional.
Nursing has established a new level of professionalism
between the nurse and the patient, a social contract
of expectation as a provider with a direct relationship
to the patient. A clear example is the increasing number
of states in which nurse anesthetists can practice without
physician supervision. Nurses will be the practitioners
of choice to admit patients to nursing home care and
home-based care. After all, this is the business of
nursing.
The entrepreneurial opportunities have expanded tenfold
in the last decade, and third-party reimbursement will
continue to include more direct payment to nurses with
advanced practice certification. The more education
a nurse has, the greater the opportunities will be,
especially in home care and care of the elderly. The
sensitivity and philosophical base that is the heritage
of nursing places the future of health care in the hands
of bright, talented and economically smart nurses.
Celebrate each other and take care of yourself, as
you are the future of health care. We honor you and
appreciate that you are the life force of health care.
Discuss this and other topics with your colleagues
at www.nurseweek.com/rnvillage.
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