Nursing education in the united states

Nurses in the United States are educated at a variety of levels. In 1965, the American Nurses Association^A voted to accept the baccalaureate degree, that is^B, university preparation as the minimum education necessary to practice as a professional nurse. This is a 4-year educational program, including nursing courses, sciences and the humanities. However, since regulations governing the standards and practice of nursing are governed at the state level^С and not the national level^D, this recommendation has not been implemented legally in the country.

Graduate or master's programs in nursing were established on many university campuses^E with doctoral programs following later, from the mid — 1960's to the present. Nurses are prepared in graduate programs for advanced practice in a variety of specialty areas such as midwifery, nurse practitioner^F or clinical nurse specialist^G in psychiatric nursing. Their added knowledge is recognized by the regulatory agencies" at the state level, and they receive a different license authorizing them to practice in what is called an «expanded role».

Today there are many doctoral programs in nursing in the United States, preparing nurses to conduct research on health problems and issues related to the delivery of nursing care. Doctorally prepared nurses are still a small number of the total profession, but their impact is felt in published research, roles in policy development and in education as well as practice. They work to collaborate with nurses at every level to investigate ways of providing care which will make a difference to the health of the individual, family and community.

Many employers now require a master's degree in nursing to hold management or staff educator^I positions, and all colleges and universities that offer nursing education programs must have faculty with at least a master's degree in nursing. Many universities are now moving to all faculty holding doctoral degrees. The U.S. is not unique in these requirements. According to a WHO report, there is a global trend to require the doctoral degree to teach in universities or to conduct research.

Notes:

^A American Nurses Association — Американская ассоциация медсестер

^B that is — т.е. (то есть)

^с at the state level — на уровне штата (административное деление США включает 50 штатов)

^D at the national level — на уровне государства в целом

^Е on many university campuses зд.: во многих университетах (university campus - университетский городок)

^F nurse practitioner — медсестра-практик (медсестра с магистерской степенью, самостоятельно занимающаяся диагностикой и лечением пациентов)

^G Clinical Nurse Specialist — медсестра-клинический специалист (медсестра с магистерской степенью, роль такой медсестры в клинике заключается в обучении других медсестер, пациентов и их семей)

^H regulatory agencies — агентства, осуществляющие регулирование сестринской практики

^I staff educator — штатный преподаватель

Nursing process: four major steps

The nursing process is a systematic approach to the delivery of nursing care. The word «process» simply means a course of action. In this case, the process is a series of steps used by nurses engaged in the activity of nursing. The nurse, along with the patient and the family, assesses, plans, implements and evaluates outcomes of the care. Involving people throughout the process can help them to assume a greater involvement in self-care and can provide an important way of evaluating the quality of care provided.

There are four major steps of the nursing process. The written or documented record of these four stages is known as the nursing care plan. Each of the steps in the nursing process has a number of key components, which are outlined below.

Step 1 involves collecting the information you need, interpreting the information collected, and identifying the person's actual and potential problems and needs for care. It also involves working out priorities for care and collaborating with the patient to be sure that needs and priorities have been identified.

Step 2 focuses on deciding the desired outcomes of care and which nursing interventions are needed by the person and then discussing the plan of care with the person.

Step 3 implies coordinating and carrying out the agreed upon plan of care^A and adjusting care as needs arise.

Step 4 involves judging progress and outcomes as well as the effectiveness of care: Is the plan working? Is this the best way to meet the patient's needs?

Nurses who have used the nursing process identify a number of benefits:

• It is a way of ensuring that the nursing care you give is specifically planned to meet the identified needs of the patient as an individual

• The continuity of care given to the patient is improved

• The information needed by all members of the nursing team (and other health care workers) is available in the nursing care plan

• It encourages the person's participation in his or her own care, because people prefer to be cared for as individuals, and not as either bodies in bed or medical diagnoses

• The investment in individually planned care^B can lead to an overall saving of nursing time by eliminating unnecessary and time-consuming routines^С, such as regular recording of temperatures, blood pressures and bowel movements that for certain patients serve no clinical purpose

• It provides greater awareness of the effectiveness of different nursing interventions.

Notes

^A the agreed upon plan of care — согласованный ранее план ухода (за больным)

^в the investment in individually planned care — зд.: усилия, потраченные на разработку плана лечения конкретного больного

^с by eliminating unnecessary and time-consuming routines — зд.: за счет исключения нецелесообразных (в конкретном случае) и занимающих много времени обычных сестринских манипуляций