Nursing Education: Introduction, Principles, Theories, Importance, and More

Nursing Education: Introduction, Principles, Theories, Importance, and More

Nursing Education covers a wide range of studies, and everyone in the medical field is very paramount. However, this article covers a wide range of information you should know about nursing education, starting from the introductory aspect, theories, principles, importance, levels, and many more.

Before we ride into the big deal of this content, let’s know what nursing is all about and some basic facts which might be helpful to you. Just sit tight and enjoy this content.

What is Nursing?

In a simple word, nursing can be credited as a profession that involves caring for patients who are ill or injured. Furthermore, Nurses provide direct patient care, such as administering medications, performing procedures, and providing emotional support. Most Nurses also coordinate health services provided by other professionals.

However, Nurses play a vital role in our society, and their hard work helps save lives every day, making the demand for nurses increase rapidly as the day passes, especially in certain areas where healthcare resources are limited.

What is the Main Role of Nursing?

Nurses’ primary roles include advocating and caring for patients and supporting them through health and illness issues.

Furthermore, there are various other responsibilities that go with nursing, and that include recording medical histories and symptoms and working collaboratively with others to plan for patient care and well-being.

Knowing the few above, let’s jump into the real business of the day, and know more surrounding Nursing education.

Introduction To Nursing Education

Nursing Education is simply referred to as the study of how nurses can provide care that promotes health and prevents illness. Furthermore, nursing education consists of two major components known as, theory and practice.

Theory refers to learning about the body systems, diseases, treatments, and medications. While the practice refers to hands-on training in order to apply what has been learned. Nurses are well educated and trained at the undergraduate level, graduate school, and postgraduate levels, with practical lectures that perfect them for real work.

According to Encyclopedia, Nursing education also refers to the formal learning and training in the science of nursing, and it includes the functions and duties in the physical care of patients, and a combination of different disciplines that both accelerates the patient’s return to health and helps maintain it.

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Principles of Nursing Education

We have well-stated principles of Nursing Education, which include:

  • Caring: It states that in order for you to perfectly care for those, you must first care for yourself.
  • Integrity: This is another principle that encompasses your ability to perfectly encode and decode (Communicate) with all honesty and sincerity, and as well take up all responsibilities for one’s actions.
  • Diversity: This does more work than just acknowledging and advocating for differences in backgrounds and experiences.
  • Excellence: The last principle is known to be achieved through your ability to enhance scholarship, professional growth, and continual improvement.

However, one of the major purposes of nursing education is to also prepare nurses who are able to provide safe, competent care that promotes health and prevents illness, and this act also includes the perfect teaching of all students about the human body and how it functions, disease processes, and treatment options.

Theories of Nursing Education

According to some research, the theories of Nursing Education are based solely on the idea that human behavior and health, or the idea that humans must be knowledgeable about their health problems to provide adequate self-care. Furthermore, the theory of nursing education is made up of 3 essential theories, and these include,

  • Theory of self-care
  • Theory of self-care deficit, and
  • Theory of nursing systems.

Levels of Nursing Education

We have a few basic levels of nursing education, which are well listed below.

  1. The Bachelor’s Degree: This s degree program well designed to prepare all students for entry-level positions in nursing, and all students may as well choose from two tracks: clinical and nonclinical. Where the clinical nurses work under the supervision of registered nurses (RNs) in hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities. and the nonclinical nurses perform duties that do not require direct patient contact, and such people may work in schools, mental health centers, community agencies, and private practice.
  2. The Master’s Degree. This program properly provides advanced training in specific areas of nursing and can lead to successful careers as nurse educators, administrators, researchers, and consultants. Furthermore, all students who completed their master’s degree programs typically earn their degrees after three years of study.
  3. The Doctorate Degree. Lastly, these programs tend to focus more on research and teaching as well. And the doctorate program usually takes up to 5 years to be fully completed, which requires a high level of patience and dedicated work.

Importance of Nursing Education

We have numerous importance of nursing education, which include:

  • Preparing nurses to have the ability to meet diverse patients’ needs.
  • Nursing education helps nurses to able able to communicate effectively with other healthcare professionals and patients.
  • Nurses should know how to make advanced scientific research that will benefit patients, and nurses should as well be capable to handle tough situations and emergency moments.

Factors That Affect Nursing Education

We have numerous factors that affect nursing education, and those factors include;

  • The professional associations
  • New and unfamiliar ethical dilemmas
  • Credentialing requirements
  • Funding for ”public-health”-related activities, and
  • The overall changes in health care delivery as well, tend to affect nursing education.
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Nursing Education Requirements

Some of the minimal nursing education requirements are:

  • An associate degree (ASN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and
  • A passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

Administration in Nursing Education

According to research, the Nursing administration is a leadership role in a given healthcare setting. This strategic management of staff, patients, and facilities is appropriately done by implementing policies written by the nurse administrator or senior staff.

Nursing Education Salary

According to research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), it states that the average salary for a nurse educator is $84,060 per year. Salaries can also vary based on location, education, and experience. Therefore, know their salary range before anything else.

Credit System in Nursing Education

A nursing academic credit system is a standard academic credit system that is also used by Universities, Nursing Colleges, and Nursing Schools to perfectly assess all students’ work and effort during their diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, or their Ph.D. programs. Therefore, the credit system is also great in the Nursing field.

Uses of Computers in Nursing Education

The nursing education sector uses computers for various purposes, and in most cases, the computer helps nurses to access information about their health or illness quickly, and also treatment plans if needed.

Furthermore, the computers are used to store vital data, and can also be used to access vital information such as your laboratory test and x-ray results and health reports from other healthcare team members to give you the best care possible. Therefore, computers are valuable in the nursing field.

Nursing Education for Older Adults

Nursing education for older adults helps educate them about their health and how to care for them so they live healthier and longer. It also helps older adults maintain their independence through assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and care documentation.

Older adults often experience multiple chronic conditions that require ongoing management and nursing education; it can help significantly because older adults need to learn how to manage their medications safely. Medication errors frequently occur among older adults.

Furthermore, Nursing education can help educate older adults about medication safety and as well help reduce the risks associated with taking prescription drugs. Older adults need to understand their rights and responsibilities related to their health care, and nursing education can significantly help in that aspect.

Philosophies of Nursing Education

The nursing education philosophy acknowledges that all students have unique learning needs, as well as learning styles and supports, readiness levels, and cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Importance of Philosophy in Nursing Education

The general philosophy of nursing tends to capture all the intrinsic beliefs and goals within the nursing profession.

Furthermore, when a person Defines his or her philosophy, it provides that person with a deeper connection to those beliefs, and this can also help shape the person as a nurse and provide direction for which skills and specialties he or she wants to focus on strengthening.

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There the philosophy of Nursing education is very essential, and can not be scrapped.

Frequently Asked Questions on Nursing Education

What is Basic Nursing Education?

Basic Nursing Education is simply referred to as a formally recognized program of study, that helps to provide a sound and quality foundation in the life and nursing sciences for all the practical studies of nursing.

Why is it Important for Nurses to be Educated?

Education is a key to every career, and it offers brighter knowledge to all students. Therefore when a nurse is educated, she gains more perfection in her field of work and more professionalism.

With nursing education, every nurse gets to learn more about her field because it deals with human life, and doesn’t require any imperfections.

How Long Does it Take to be in a School of Nursing?

To achieve a degree in Nursing, you will have to spend 5 years, while a Registered Nursing is run for 3 years in a school of nursing or school of midwifery. Therefore how long it will take you, depends on the degree you want.

Can I Become a Nurse Without a Degree?

The answer is NO. You cannot become a nurse without a nursing degree even though it is a practical, hands-on profession, which needs skills, you still need a degree to qualify you can do the work because it deals with human health and life.

What is the Highest Degree in Nursing?

According to my primary research, the highest level of nursing education is the doctoral level, in which you earn the doctoral degree or certificate. However, the positions that need a doctoral nursing degree are a specific type of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and a leadership position, just as a chief nursing officer or director of nursing.

What is the Lowest Level of Nursing?

The lowest level of nursing is the CNAs assist nurses with patient admittance and vitals. This field is regarded as the lowest field, and also requires a degree.

How Much do Nurses Make?

Nurses make no specific amount because it depends on your degree, place of work, state, and country. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median or the minimum average pay for nurses or nurses is around $77,600 per year or $37.31 per hour.

What are Nursing Students Called?

During my schooling days, our teachers prefer calling us ‘Student Nurses”, while others call us “Nursing Students”. There is no specific name or title given.

What Subjects do You Need to Become a Nurse?

Although we have numerous subjects you need to study which all depends also on the institution you are, the major subjects you need are:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Applied Science
  • Health and Social Care
  • Psychology
  • Sociology

How do I Start a Career in Nursing?

Before starting a nursing career, you need to earn a degree from a well-accredited nursing institution. To achieve that, you will need to pass the NCLEX Exam with good grades, obtain state licensure, and seek advanced training if you wish to learn more.

Is 30 Too Late to Become a Nurse?

Becoming a nurse at 30 is okay and a rewarding decision that will offer a fruitful income if you are diligent and hardworking without obstacles. Most people who tend to become nurses a little later in life may benefit from previous professional experience and do great.

Conclusion

I hope our content offers you all the essential information you need and all knowledge about Nursing Education? Feel Free to ask more questions using the comment section below, and our feedback team will respond immediately.

Thanks for your time.

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