Advanced Degreed Nurses Improve Patient Safety

ADVANCED DEGREED NURSES IMPROVE PATIENT SAFETY

Nurses have an obligation to patients and to patients’ families to deliver competent and safe quality of care. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing stated “education has a significant impact on the knowledge and competencies of the nurse clinician.” (Fact sheet AACN). My choice to return to school is a direct reflection on my commitment to give the absolute best care possible. In my nursing career I have been privileged to work as both a floor nurse and a management nurse each requiring their own level of nursing and understanding of all aspects of patient quality. As nurses’ duties increase in difficulty and diversity, so must our knowledge base. The Tricouncil for nursing issued a “calling all RN/s to advance their education in the interest of enhancing quality and safety across the settings.”(May 2010). Advanced level nurses not only give excellent patient care increasing safety, but also serve as mentors and role model to new graduate nurses and ancillary nursing staff. This increases patient safety, allow the new nurses to grow in a positive learning environment and results in overall improved quality of care. Throughout the past two years I have worked as a pool nurse going to the various hospital departments improving my clinical skill and adding to by core of nursing knowledge. In that time I have met and worked with several of the advanced level nurses and have benefitted from their years or experience level of expert knowledge. In return when I charge on the Med – Surg floors I am able to return this back and teach our new entry level nurses skills which enable them to provide improved quality of patient care. I look forward to the coming months of expanding my nursing knowledge. I look for to the future of nursing and to improved