Times have changed. Good character is always important but nurses have established themselves as valued and vital members of the health care team with much to contribute.  Their education now requires a broad base of knowledge to prepare them for the demands of critical thinking, clinical judgment and decision-making that they will face in their practice. Learning doesn’t stop with graduation; continuing education and re-certification are expectations for modern nurses, especially for those in specialized areas. Demands on the skills of modern nurses include an aging population living with chronic illnesses, complex medications, and evolving technology. As well, there are clinical skills performed by today’s nurses that less then twenty years ago were only performed by doctors. Nurses are inserting and accessing invasive lines, prescribing medications, and initiating treatments.

Attitudes

      Modern career opportunities are not limited solely to a hospital-based practice. For example, advanced practice nurses have an independent role in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses, either collaboratively with a physician or as part of a health care team. They practice in anesthesia, health maintenance, counseling, and patient education (The North Carolina Centre for Nursing, 2004). Today’s nurses also have careers in education, public health, and industry. Nurses hold positions in management and are involved in policy decisions. Times have certainly changed.

Conclusion

      Nursing has clearly risen to a level of professional autonomy. The modern nurse has evolved to meet the demands of her peers and of a changing health care system. There can be no returning to the “good old days”.  But even with all the changes the focus of the profession remains the same. Nursing from the time of Florence Nightingale has focused on the patients, their needs, and how they could be met. Just like nurses from the “good old days”, modern day nurses strive to ensure that their patients receive the best care that they can provide. The tools and the delivery have changed dramatically but the focus of the profession will always be on the patient.   

References

  Aranda, N. 2007. A brief history of nursing education. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Brief-History-of-Nursing-Education&id=476012

  Best Quotes Poems. 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://www.best-quotes-poems.com/change-quotes.html 

  Byrd R., 2008. A history of nursing uniforms. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/a-history-of-nursing-uniforms.html

  Ministery of Health and Long-term Care. 2006. A history of nursing in Ontario. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/program/hhr/nurses/history.html 

  The North Carolina Centre for Nursing. 2004. Nurse practitioner. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://nccn.northcarolina.edu/recruitmentandretention/youth/roles/nursepractitioner.htm 

  University of Saskatchewan. 2009. Healthcare uniforms: Who’s who. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from https://wiki.usask.ca/nursing/index.php/Healthcare_Uniforms:_Who%27s_who%3F 

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