Nursing Leadership and Education, Part I
As health care moves into the new millennium, major changes continue to influence the industry. Structural changes within organizations have moved them from horizontal to vertical and even to virtual integration. Reimbursement changes have led to risk-based fixed-price financing and concerns about their effects on access, quality, and consumer satisfaction. Service delivery has shifted to population-based health and disease management across the continuum of care, made more effective and efficient by outcomes research.
Advances in information systems and information technology have been dramatic. Future advances will be required to accommodate changing government regulations, changing vendor and supplier relations, e-health and Internet data transport, and the acquisition and integration of new business lines. Meanwhile, government's increasing role in health policy and regulation is competing with market-based reform efforts, adding to industry volatility.
The nursing profession has experienced equally radical change during the second half of the twentieth century and the early years of the twenty-first. The domain of nursing knowledge has exploded, scope of practice has increased dramatically, and nursing roles now exist that were unimaginable fifty years ago. The roles of those in nursing leadership have evolved significantly in response to changes in the health care industry in the last twenty years and, increasingly, characteristics for success in the marketplace are based on competencies that require sophisticated business knowledge and skills. While on-the-job training and continuing education are important, advanced education must be seen as essential for those seeking to move up the managerial and administrative ladder.
It is unclear how many nurse managers and directors nationally possess graduate degrees and whether they consider the attainment of such degrees, and the competencies this educational foundation provides, essential for successful role performance. However, the literature is clear on the need for advanced education at the graduate level for nurse leaders.
Some sites on which you can search current literature on the subject are www.nursingcenter.com, www.currentnursing.com and www.nursingworld.org.