The Importance of Nursing Education and Its Impact on Overall Educational Goals

Reflection Paper
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Reflection Paper
Nursing is one of the most in-demand professions in America, especially with many retiring nurses and the expanding aging population that will heighten the level of care patients require. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) will provide me with the knowledge and skills healthcare institutions expect their registered nurses (RNs) to possess. A BSN degree provides me with deep clinical knowledge and experience that contributes to a rich background in patient-centered care, clinical research, physical assessments, leadership, and community advocacy. I can therefore qualify for most entry-level positions in inpatient care and can apply for jobs as a nurse leader, charge nurse, or nurse manager, primarily if I pursue specialty certification.
Nurses with a BSN are generally given more responsibility, managerial roles, and higher compensation packages. Because of the high demand for BSN nurses, a degree in nursing will open a broad range of career options for me, from working as a frontline nurse in the emergency to caring for specific patient populations such as the elderly and children. Some of the jobs I can choose from within and outside patient care include: licensed practical nurse, acute care nurse, community nurse, burn unit nurse, critical care nurse, camp nurse, emergency room nurse, health administration nurse, epidemics research nurse, federal healthcare nurse, home health nurse, nurse educator, family nurse practitioner, nurse informatics specialist, and hospice nurse, among others (Schneider, 2019).
The professional certification I would want to receive is an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNPs). An ACNP is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specializing in providing care to acutely ill or injured patients in urgent care centers or hospitals. The advanced degree I want to pursue is a master's degree in nursing (MSN). I can only become an ACNP after first completing a Master’s in Nursing (MSN) and a Nurse Practitioner (NP) degree (MSN-NP) and then passing the certification exam provided by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) (Gaines, 2021). I want to attain the education because it would allow me to pursue my chosen career as an ACNP. There is currently a shortage of physicians in America. As the population of patients with exacerbated chronic conditions or sudden illness/injury continues to grow, nurse practitioners with advanced knowledge of medical problems, order treatments, and medications will be required to help fill the gap.
I have always been interested in working in emergency rooms and intensive care units. I am also eager to embrace the duties of performing invasive procedures such as intubation and placing central lines, over and above, collecting comprehensive patient health histories. Overall, I find being an ACNP a challenging and fulfilling career path. I hope to complete the ACNP program in the next five years before taking the AACN certification exam a year after getting my MSN-NP. I plan on applying for an APRN license immediately after passing the certification exam. The healthcare sector is rapidly changing, and those...