NUR 2058 Contemporary Issues and Trends Essay
NUR 2058 Contemporary Issues and Trends Essay
In this written assignment, identify one specific contemporary issue or trend that you are interested in learning more about. Choose from the categories below. For example you might want to learn more about why it is more difficult for some groups to receive care than others, which would fall under Client Access to Care. Or, you might want to compare nursing practice in the U.S. with how nurses practice in Japan, which would fall under the category of Global Healthcare and Nursing.
Global Healthcare and Nursing
Healthcare Reform
U.S. Healthcare Financing
Nursing’s Role in the U.S. Healthcare System
Integrative Healthcare
Nursing Leadership and Management
Nursing Education
NUR 2058 Contemporary Issues and Trends Essay
Nursing Professionalism
Advancing Nursing as a Profession
Client Access to Care
Delivering Client Care
Interdisciplinary Teamwork and Collaboration
Ethical Practices in Healthcare
Quality and Safety in Healthcare Delivery
Health/Nursing Informatics
Once the issue or trend is identified, find five important/significant facts about it, substantiated by an evidence-based article or reference. Include the article or references in your submission.
Submit your completed assignment by following the directions linked below. Please check the Course Calendar for specific due dates.
1. Continued Growth of Telehealth and Privacy Concerns
Use of telehealth services increased dramatically in 2020 due to the pandemic, and with this came security and privacy concerns for all health care providers. It’s vital that nurses who provide care via telehealth know the rules of informed consent and HIPAA.
“Every nurse should obtain a patient’s consent prior to engaging in telehealth services,” says Bonnie Fuller, certified nurse educator, School of Nursing, Purdue University Global. Fuller says, “That consent should include the steps to take in the event of a technology failure during the appointment.”
Compliance with HIPAA is always important, but the rapid expansion of telehealth has brought it to the forefront. Nurses must ensure the platform they’re using is secure for the communication of sensitive data. The need for privacy and the security of protected health information is a health care trend that we’ll see well through 2021.
2. Increased Specialization
“The demand for RNs who specialize in specific areas of medicine—psychiatry, obstetrics, gerontology, etc.—is on the rise,” says Fuller.
“Specialization enables the nurse to be an expert in the area in which he or she is providing care,” Fuller says. “It also opens the door to opportunities for career advancement.”
Specialization, and subsequent certification, provides the patient and the health care institution with assurances that the nurse is highly knowledgeable and competent in a specific area of care. There are many nursing professional organizations that provide certifications in nursing.† Read our list of nursing specialties to learn more.
3. Nurses Moving Into the Community Outpatient Setting
Health care has been increasingly shifting from inpatient to outpatient settings. According to the American Hospital Association’s 2019 Hospital Statistics report, outpatient revenue in 2017 was 95% of inpatient revenue, further closing the gap that existed between the two. This shift is in response to the need to control health care costs and the emergence of new and better health care technologies.
“Wellness is what nurses work toward, and wellness begins in the community,” Fuller says. “Our goal is to help people get and stay healthy, and this is enhanced when nurses are working in the community, providing preventive and restorative care. Decreasing unnecessary visits and stays in acute care institutions helps decrease health care costs, and nurses are in a prime position to make a great impact.”
4. Rise of the Nurse Navigator
Nurse navigators are nurses who use their medical knowledge along with their management and people skills to guide patients through their health care journey. They help patients navigate the health care system and take holistic approaches to improving their overall quality of life.
“The nurse navigator is an expanded nurse case manager role,” says Fuller. “The navigator specifically helps the patient with smooth transitions and care. They help patients understand what’s happening to them—the tests, the diagnosis, the medicine, all of the care that they need.”
This role has gained importance as the population ages and chronic health conditions become more prevalent. Nurse navigators can work for themselves (more on entrepreneurship opportunities below), for an independent nurse company, for an insurance company, or for physician groups and medical facilities.
Nurse navigators can get certified in care coordination and transition by the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing.
5. Expanding Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Entrepreneurship is a trend in nursing that’s on the rise.
“There are many opportunities for nurses to set up their own businesses,” says Fuller. “Nurse navigators and nurse practitioners, who provide direct services to patients, are two examples. This is particularly important in rural areas that need services. Those areas are ripe for having nurse entrepreneurs go in and set up a business.”
There are also entrepreneur opportunities that don’t involve direct patient care. “Nurse informatics is an example,” says Fuller. “There are also nurse consultants who visit doctors’ offices and clinics to consult on electronic health records (EHRs) to help with scheduling and with documentation. And there are nurse entrepreneurs who work as quality management experts for assisted care and long-term care facilities.” For nurses who value independence and autonomy, entrepreneurship may be a good fit.