Response to peers DQ One

I’m studying for my Writing class and don’t understand how to answer this. Can you help me study?

*** please comments each peers response separately, add citations and references for each separately thanks:) **

Response one: Higher levels of nursing education has been shown to have a direct impact on the quality of patient care. For example, one research carried out by the University of Michigan found out that by increasing the percentage of BSN trained nurses by 10% in a facility, the administrators were able to achieve a 10% fall in the rate of patient mortality in the facility (McHugh & Lake, 2010). Hence, it is clear from this study the value nurses with the BSN degree bring into a facility in comparison to those with just the associate degree. This may be due to many different reasons. A nurse is generally responsible for patient education and ensure that the patient understands all the instructions completely. The fact that nurses with BSN nurses undergo a lot more rigorous training and education in communication and patient behaviors, it is very likely that the patient education would be more effective through a BSN educated nurse compared to an ADN-educated nurse. This is indicated in various researches which show that when BSN educated nurses provide patient education, the patients tend to follow the instructions more carefully and generally have less instances of returning to the hospital for post-surgery complications as well as lower patient mortality. For instance, a study at the University of Toronto demonstrated that by increasing the number of BSN educated nurses by about 10%, a facility experienced 9 less fatalities due to post-surgery complications per 1000 patients (McHugh & Lake, 2010). Lastly, BSN education makes it possible for nurses to collaborate better with other departments. The greater education level ensures that the BSN trained nurses are more adept at communication and collaboration, which is often very important in the modern healthcare setting. I definitely agree with the research findings, which is one of the reason I have decided to pursue higher education in nursing.

McHugh, M. D., & Lake, E. T. (2010). Understanding clinical expertise: nurse education, experience, and the hospital context. Research in nursing & health, 33(4), 276-87.

DQ TWO: The more educated a nurse is, the better off they are to help a patient in need. This education can come through more years of academic courses or more years on the floor with first-hand experience. There have been many studies over the years to demonstrate the impact that nursing education has on patient outcomes. A study conducted in 2009 to 2010 through various hospitals showed that with only a ten percent increase in BSN nurses there was a seven percent decrease in patient mortality (Thomas, 2018).

There are many ways that nurses can continue and are encouraged to improve their education; this also supports the idea that higher education creates a safer result for the patient. Nurses must accept that this career requires lifelong learning; this also includes annual continued education (CE) credits prior to renewing a nursing license. Specialty areas also have certifications available which offer yet another way of expanding education and providing positive patient outcomes. Some of these certifications include areas of surgery, emergency medicine, critical care, hospice, and psychiatric nursing (Thomas, 2018). Another study conducted demonstrated that nurses with specialized education had a decrease in patient falls in the acute care setting (Thomas, 2018).

Although I have only been a nurse for less than two years, I absolutely feel that higher levels of education allow for greater levels of patient care and positive outcomes. Nurses with higher degrees definitely stand out, however, I feel that the more first-hand experience a nurse has, the more knowledgeable they are as well. For example, although I learned a huge amount of nursing knowledge in school, I was able to put the pieces together more when I started on the floor and experienced situations for myself, while learning alongside the other nurses. One of my coworkers was a wound care nurse for several years. She has helped me numerous times with dressing changes and because of this I feel more confident and aware of how to provide care to these patients. If I were to continue my education in this specialty area, I feel I would also be able to provide a higher level of care to patients with wounds.

Thomas, J. (2018). Grand Canyon University (Ed). Trends in Health Care: A Nursing Perspective. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-…

Response three: According to Thomas, studies have shown a link between nursing education and improved patient outcomes over the past few decades (Thomas, 2018). In 2010 a report by the IOM called The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health determined that increasing educational preparation improves quality of care and patient outcomes. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), in March 2019 a study was performed by Dr. Djukic in an issue of The Joint Commision Journal of Quality and Patient Safety reporting BSN-RN’s were found to be better prepared than ASN graduates (AACN,2019). The study found 12 of 16 areas related to quality, safety, evidenced-based practice, data analysis, and project implementation were significantly better prepared when comparing BSN and ADN degrees (AACN, 2019).

Even though the research has supported evidenced of better patient outcomes with BSN prepared nurses, I must disagree partially because of my own real-life experiences. It may be the specific school I went to, but as an ADN program we had a lot of focus on evidenced based practice and had a whole semester dedicated to community nursing. This may differ from other ADN programs throughout the country. In addition to this, we had high focus on skills and critical thinking. As far as safety and the quality of care a patient receives, in my opinion, I feel I was properly prepared for because my program focused so much on skills and critical thinking in the clinical setting. I say this because I have precepted last semester students that did not even know how to spike an IV bag. Yes, they could tell me all new evidenced based practice, but they were unable to perform it. Again, this may just be the school that I attended, but for this reason I must disagree.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2019). The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-information/fact-sheets/impact-of-education

Thomas, J. (2018). Professional Development in Nursing. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.1/#/chapter/3