How To Advance Your Career in Nursing
Some people may think that a nurse's job is to simply assist doctors in clinics and hospitals. In reality, nurses' duties are far more challenging. Just look at the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, where tremendous demands continue to fall on nurses, especially when hospitals are overwhelmed.
14 Jun 2021
5 mins read
Some people may think that a nurse's job is to simply assist doctors in clinics and hospitals. In reality, nurses' duties are far more challenging. Just look at the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, where tremendous demands continue to fall on nurses, especially when hospitals are overwhelmed. A 2020 International Council of Nurses survey even highlighted how 90% of National Nurses Associations worldwide are increasingly concerned that heavy workloads, insufficient resourcing, burnout and stress are causing nurses to leave the profession altogether1.
It may come as no surprise then, that according to the World Health Organisation, there was a global shortage of 5.9 million nurses in 20182. They further state that the total number of nursing graduates would need to increase by 8% every year on average to address this shortage by 2030, in all countries.
All these details may sound extremely daunting to the average person; but not for nurses who see their work as their true calling. Case in point: the American Nurses Association found that at least 69% of US nurses agree that they put their patients' health and safety before their own3.
If you're reading this, you most likely belong to this special group of nurses! You're here to learn how you can continue providing the best care to your patients, while taking your nursing career to the next level. Here's a look at how evidence-based nursing may be your answer.
An Overview of Evidence-based Nursing
In general, a nurse takes charge of patients' holistic care and well-being by applying validated interventions. But to deliver top-class patient care, this is where focused care strategies like evidence-based nursing comes in.
Evidence-based nursing is a problem-solving approach that incorporates research evidence, clinical expertise and a patient's preferences, allowing nurses to provide more thorough and personalised patient care.4 It includes the following steps:
- Form a clinical question to identify a problem
- Gather case-specific evidence
- Analyse the evidence
- Apply findings to clinical practice
- Evaluate the outcome
Through these steps, nurses will be able to tap on scientific research and evaluate the risks or effectiveness of a test or treatment. This in turn enables them to involve patients when determining their preferred course of treatment, as patients can voice their concerns or make suggestions. By applying documented interventions that fit patients' profiles, their chances of recovery can greatly increase.
Besides acquiring knowledge during the process, nurses can also stay up-to-date with the latest medical protocols. This is especially relevant in the current COVID-19 climate, as nurses can draw on information from past global pandemics to guide their daily duties - from performing health-related procedures (e.g. conducting blood tests and nasal swabs) to educating patients on best practices such as frequent hand washing and use of protective equipment.
Now that you have learnt the significance of evidence-based nursing, how can you go about acquiring the relevant skills?
Get the Nursing Education You Deserve
If you are looking to upgrade your skills in preparation for a leadership role in nursing, a good place to start would be the Singapore Nursing Board-accredited Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) degree offered by SIM GE in collaboration with The University of Sydney, a globally renowed university that's consistently placed among the world's Top 60.
By completing this 2-year part-time programme, you will:
- Gain a comprehensive overview of contemporary research philosophy and methodologies
- Learn more about ethical considerations, research design, data collection, data management and analysis
- Develop skills for comprehensively searching, reviewing and critiquing research literature
- Be familiar with higher degree research studies and research in a clinical setting
For complete information about the varied nursing courses in Singapore that SIM GE offers, simply visit our website to make a more informed decision!
In conjunction with Singapore Nurses' Day, SIM has partnered with The University of Sydney to hold a series of Nursing Webinars from 18 Aug to 20 Aug, to help nurses further develop their nursing skills and deepen their knowledge on the field of healthcare.
Those interested can register for the webinars here.
1 International Council of Nurses: The Global Nursing Shortage and Nurse Retention (https://www.icn.ch/sites/default/files/inline-files/ICN%20Policy%20Brief_Nurse%20Shortage%20and%20Retention_0.pdf)
2 World Economic Forum, 7 Apr 2020: On World Health Day, new report says the world needs 6 million more nurses (https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/nursing-report-who-nurses-coronavirus-pandemic-health-goals/)
3 American Nurses Association Enterprise: Year 3 Highlights 2019-2020 (https://www.healthynursehealthynation.org/globalassets/all-images-view-with-media/about/2020-hnhn_sup-8.pdf)
4 American Nurses Association: The Impact of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and the Next Big Ideas (http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-18-2013/No2-May-2013/Impact-of-Evidence-Based-Practice.html)
Posted online, 14 Jun 2021