discuss three professional nursing organizations that you think are most influential in advancing the scope
Scope of practice

Part 1. A discussion of the scope of your future role as an advanced registered nurse, including any regulatory, certification, or accreditation agencies that define that scope.

My motivation for gaining an advanced registered nurse qualification is to become an educator who prepares the next crop of nurses for practice. I expect that being a nurse educator will allow me to engage individuals aspiring to become nurses in a formal education process where I will impart professional nursing skills and concepts. I anticipate that being an educator is a specialty role for advanced registered nurses since it deviates from the traditional role of nurses to engage patients in providing primary care, and instead move towards preparing future nurses for practice (Grinspun & Bajnok, 2018).

I anticipate that my ability to practice as a nurse educator will be determined by four elements. The first element is the regulatory requirements. Like any other education program, nursing programs are managed by professional bodies that determine if the educators are qualified to prepare students at the level of education. This includes having the right accreditation and certification that is recognized by the relevant authorities, and considered as an indication of qualification as an educator. The second element is educational background. A higher level of education is typically preferred since it is indicative of professional proficiency and knowledge, as well as familiarity with important concepts that influence practice. It is not uncommon for educators to be engaged in research activities and to be authorities who have published materials. Successfully completing education courses are also preferred since this is an indication of an understanding of how to educate others having understood the different education theories and what learners require (Cherry & Jacobs, 2013).

The third element is the work conditions. Good earning potential and work conditions can be good motivators for taking on the role of an educator. For instance, a tenured position would be preferable over a non-tenured position since it offers greater job security, autonomy and permanency that reduces work-related stress. The final element is the educator responsibilities and roles. This element influences practice as an educator through matching capabilities to expectations such as advising students, teaching, practicing as a nurse, and conducting research. Each education institution has unique expectations of its faculty members, and these expectations must be matched to capabilities (Milstead & Short, 2019).

There are two agencies that define the scope of practice for advanced registered nurses who take on the role of educators. The first agency is the National League for Nursing (NLN) that offers accreditation services for nurse educators across the USA. The agency exercises its accreditation authority through the Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA), as a branch of NLN whose singular responsibility is to accredit nurse educators with a focus on ensuring that education services focus on the core values of excellence, caring, diversity and integrity. The second agency that defines the scope of practice for nurse educators is the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). This is a national agency that offers certification to nurse educators. It draws its authority from the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA). The NCCA has the primary responsibility of certifying nurse educators using the most current practice standards, a responsibility that it fulfils through regularly updating its certification requirements and ensuring that nurse educators meet the requirements before being permitted to practice.

There are two certification programs that define the scope of practice for nurse educators. Firstly, the certified nurse education program enables nurse educators to facilitate learning activities in nurse education facilities. Some of the activities that the program permits educators to engage in include curriculum design, as well as teaching, advising and evaluating nursing students. Secondly, the certified nurse educator program enables nurse educators to facilitate the clinical components of nurse learning activities (Black, 2016).

Part 2. A discussion of three professional nursing organizations that you think are most influential in advancing the scope and influence of advanced nursing.

The three professional nursing organizations that are most influential in advancing the scope and influence of advanced nursing are the NLN, American Association for Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN). The first organization is the NLN that draws members from among nurses and focuses on ensuring that nursing excellence is not compromised. It achieves this by facilitating professional development among advanced registered nurses. This occurs through managing testing services, research grants and teaching resources for its members. Besides that, the NLN has a direct influence on the scope of nurse educators through managing their qualifications for practice and credentialing (National League of Nursing, 2020). The second organization is the AACN, the national agency whose primary responsibility is to improve the quality of nurse academics. It does this by promoting advanced nursing practice, research and education. This agency focuses on improving health care in general and nursing care delivery in particular through establishing the quality standards for nursing education, In addition, it aids the nursing education institutions to implement these standards. Besides that, it supports professional nursing practice (American Association for Colleges of Nursing, 2020). The third organization is the OADN, the national agency that represents advanced registered nurses and advocates for their interests. It draws its members from among nurses who have associate degree nursing qualifications. The agency’s primary responsibility is to promote an idealized future for advanced registered nurses while enhancing the quality of their education and strengthening their professional roles. Additionally, the agency presents a platform for unifying nurse professionals through supporting networking opportunities and disseminating information even as it partners with other organizations (Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, 2020).

Concerning the three organizations (NLN, AACN and OADN), perhaps the most important organization is the NLN. It is the oldest nurses’ organization in the USA since it was formed in 1893. It has the most number of members and has much influence. It has 37,000 individual members and 1,200 institutions. The organization focuses on promoting nursing education excellence as its primary mission. It does this through building a diverse and strong nursing workforce with the capacity to advance the health agenda at the global and national levels (National League of Nursing, 2020). NLN is distinctive from the AACN and OADN since it draws members from across the world while the two are restricted to drawing members from the USA. Besides that, the members of NLN are not restricted to any single group and include health care organizations, education organizations, the public, nurse practitioners, and nurse educators. As a member of NLN, I expect to be exposed to nurse diversity since I will have access to a global network of nurses. Additionally, NLN members have access to assessment and testing services, research grants, networking opportunities and development programs that help with professional growth and development. In its long history of existence, the NLN has always remained current by revising its objectives and operations, and continuously renewing itself. These measures ensure that the organization remains relevant with regards to improving, enhancing and expanding the provision of nursing services while supporting efforts to deliver high quality nursing education (National League of Nursing, 2020).

The NLN is aligned with my worldview and philosophy of care. All through its long history, the organization has continuously evolved to remain relevant. I believe that nursing is an evolving profession and there is always room for improvement. As such, I am always open to new knowledge and experiences. Through having access to a large network of nurses and other stakeholders, I am able to engage in discussions, discover new knowledge and contribute to practice changes so that I experience professional growth even as the profession matures. In addition, the organization offers research and education opportunities along with access to current evidence that enhance my practice. As a result, the organization presents many resources that nurses can use to improve professional skills, knowledge and practice.

Part 3. A discussion of a controversial or evolving issue that is most likely to affect your scope of practice or role in the next few years.

Nurses play an important role in health care delivery. Although nursing is typically a rewarding career, particularly for those whose primary focus is on providing care, challenges abound to make it a demanding profession. One of the most controversial issues that nurses face is that they are underpaid and overworked. In fact, many nurses feel that their pay rates are low when considering their duties and responsibilities. The pressure is heightened by the fact that medical organizations are forced to comply with industry regulations and standards around nurse-to-patient ratios. This has created a situation in which nurses either find themselves single-handedly doing the work of two nurses or working for longer than they are supposed to work. The issue also places the health of nurses at risk. This controversial issue has had the inevitable distinction of causing high turnover rates among nurses and low recruitment rates so that nurse number populations remain low. The nurse populations are likely to remain low and the available nurses being overworked unless the pay rate and working hours can be improved (Huff, Kline & Peterson, 2015).

References

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (2020). Home. Retrieved from https://www.acenursing.org/

American Association for Colleges of Nursing (2020). About AACN. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/About-AACN

National League of Nursing (2020). About. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/about

Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (2020). About OADN. Retrieved from https://www.oadn.org/about-us/about-oadn

Black, B. (2016). Professional nursing-e-book: concepts & challenges. New York, NY: Elsevier Health Sciences.

Grinspun, D. & Bajnok, I. (2018). Transforming nursing through knowledge: best practices for guideline development, implementation science, and evaluation. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International.

Cherry, B. & Jacob, S. (2013). Contemporary nursing, issues, trends, & management (6th ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier Health Sciences.

Huff, R., Kline, M. & Peterson, D. (2015). Health promotion in multicultural populations: a handbook for practitioners and students (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Stanhope, M. & Lancaster, J. (2014). Public health nursing: population-centered health care in the community (8th ed.). Maryland Heights, MO: Elsevier/Mosby.

Milstead, J. & Short, N. (2019). Health policy and politics: a nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Advanced registered nursing graduates are entering the profession at dynamic time when roles and scope of practice are shifting based on developments in legislation and policy in response to the evolving needs of the health care system. Professional nursing organizations play an important role in making sure the perspectives of advanced registered nurses are heard, and in supporting nurse specialties in their efforts to expand their scope of practice and their full participation throughout the health care system.
For this assignment, you will conduct research on the current scope of practice for your specialty and efforts that are being made to expand that scope and the role of the advanced nurse in positively influencing the health care system. Write a 1,250-1,500-word paper that includes the following:
A discussion of the scope of your future role as an advanced registered nurse, including any regulatory, certification, or accreditation agencies that define that scope.
A discussion of three professional nursing organizations that you think are most influential in advancing the scope and influence of advanced nursing. Of these organizations, evaluate the one that you would most like to join. How do its goals and mission fit in with your worldview and philosophy of care? How might membership in this organization improve your practice?
A discussion of a controversial or evolving issue that is most likely to affect your scope of practice or role in the next few years. How do you think this issue could influence the profession and other stakeholders, and why does it matters to the advanced registered nurse?
You are required to cite five to 10 sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and nursing content.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required