VOICE | May 2021
PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF NURSES
The May 2021 issue of Voice of Nursing Leadership explores ways current nurse leaders can create an environment for the next generation of nurses to be successful in.
Since the year 2000, the RN workforce has experienced rapid growth with more than 1 million new RNs joining the profession. Recent projections are that 1 million more will be added to our ranks by 2030. Given the concurrent shifts that occurred during this same time period—a large proportion of RNs approaching eligibility for retirement, an increase in educational preparation, a focus on quality and safety, and the explosion of technology as part of our care delivery—this is remarkable growth...continue reading.
Nursing leaders and schools are being called upon to educate and prepare the next generation of nurses with the skill sets necessary to lead in meeting the distinctive needs of the U. S. population. With nearly 4 million U.S. RNs, the landmark 2011 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report The Future of Nursing; Leading Change, Advancing Health detailed the importance of educating nurses to lead in the creation of healthy communities and the delivery of patient care...continue reading.
The current health care environment has created new and intensified challenges for the development of the future nursing workforce. Historically, traditional nurse residency programs (NRPs) have successfully transitioned new graduate nurses (NGNs) from academia to practice. The pandemic has added to existing challenges of human and financial resources needed to implement and operationalize NRPs, as well as forcing organizations to use virtual learning platforms...continuing reading.
Student nurse clinical placement has long been hampered with many challenges including adequate placement sites, validation of drug screens, background checks, immunizations and site orientation. In addition, the placements entail paperwork for both health care organizations and nursing schools. Before the use of electronic clinical placement tools (ECPTs) for student clinical assignments, much of the burden to track student compliance with hospital regulations fell to the education department at the receiving hospital...continuing reading.
