Nursing: Learning Objectives - Essay Example

"Nursing: Learning Objectives" is an outstanding example of a paper on care.
After five weeks of study, I am sure I have met all the objectives of the course. The various learning methods employed (PowerPoint presentations, reading books, assignments, and discussions) made me develop a better understanding of the role nursing plays in the formulation of public policy, politics, finance, and how health care is organized and delivered. I was surprised, as Anderson (2012) notes too, at how issues that most nursing practitioners pay lip service to like politics, economics, and developments in technology play a significant role in the implementation of the policies that affect public health in general and the nursing profession in particular. According to a comprehensive study of these issues, I feel strongly that better understanding and participation in the political process, as well as better knowledge of economics and emerging IT trends in the healthcare industry, will go a long way in making nursing practitioners informed participants in the formulation of public policy.

Areas to Learn More

In the course of the five weeks of learning, I developed a lot of interest in a wide range of issues affecting the healthcare industry that I would love to learn more about. Chief among these issues is the development of technology, especially the development of robotics, and the future impact of such technology in the nursing sector. For example, is there a possibility that the development of robotics technology will make humans redundant in the nursing profession in the future? In addition, if robots will not replace humans, what is likely to be their relationship with nursing practitioners? I have a lot of interests because it has a direct implication for the future of my career in this issue.

Application of What Was Learnt in the Course

I plan to become a competent APN in the future. I intend to apply most of what I have learned in this course in my future career. In particular, having discovered the financial and health benefits of disease prevention, I intend to spend a considerable amount of time and effort in future running programs that educate the public on disease prevention measures as the best way of tackling health problems.

Response to the Discussion Posts

I agree with Peng Anderson's observation about the vast differences in health care delivery among the various USA states and the need to standardize healthcare in all these states. Having a standardized system will no doubt increase the effectiveness of the healthcare system across the whole country. Like Anderson, I also feel the issue of IT's role in the healthcare industry is an area every aspiring and the current nursing practitioner should interest themselves in. As Graham-Jones et al. (2015) note, technology will play a far greater role in healthcare delivery in the future than it is the case now. Every nursing practitioner should anticipate this by improving their knowledge and skills in incorporating technology in their practice for more efficiency and better service delivery (Huston, 2013).

I also agree with Teresa Salemeron's proposition that perhaps the most significant part of the coursework was disease prevention. One of the greatest ironies of the USA healthcare industry is that, even though the USA outspends all the other developed countries on healthcare per capita, its health status is not the best in the world. Countries like Switzerland that spend much less on health care per person are nevertheless significantly healthier. By emphasizing disease prevention measures like regular medical checks, maintaining healthy diets, and being physically active, it is possible to have a healthier nation without spending a fortune, as is currently the case (Anderson, 2012).