registered nurse career research paper

Writing a Nursing Research Paper that Meets Professor's Requirements

As a nursing student, you will spend much time researching, reading, and writing papers. Many students find the entire process of writing research papers challenging.

Imagine on top of spending many hours in clinical practice shifts only to find yourself sparing more time researching and writing, not to mention the overwhelming information condensed in a few hours of in-class lecture sessions. Working shifts and studying while having family duties and obligations worsens it, and when done in a rush, you end up with subpar papers and average grades.

Even though many student nurses find writing research papers tricky and daunting, you can write a perfect paper that ticks all the checkboxes your professor uses to mark them and be sure to get an A+ grade on your nursing paper.

Our expert nursing research writers, who have written thousands of BSN, MSN, DNP, and Ph.D. papers, have compiled this comprehensive guide to help you write a strong nursing research paper that leaves a lasting impression on your professor.

Having marked many papers and supervised many theses, capstone projects, and dissertations, you can trust that the information herein is valuable and timely in your pursuit of nursing career success.

What is a Nursing Research Paper?

A nursing research paper is a scholarly and thesis-driven paper that a nursing student (at ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, or Ph.D. level) writes to comprehensively explore a specific nursing research topic either of their choice or one that the professor assigns.

To write a perfect research paper, the student has to provide concrete, reliable, and trustworthy evidence. In most cases, even professionals such as RNs undertaking clinical practice, nursing education training, clinical studies and evaluations, and nursing research can also write research papers published in journals or conferences to advance and disseminate nursing knowledge. The typical length of most nursing papers ranges from 5 pages to 20 pages, depending mainly on the complexity of the subject, the word count limits, and the requirements. Nurses and nursing students write research papers to share their insights as they learn more about nursing processes and practices. Nursing research papers are used to: document research, organize information, advance nursing scholarship, and improve the writing skills of nurses. Students in the USA, Australia, Japan, and Canada write their research papers in the American Psychological Association (APA) format, while those in Australia and the UK write them in Harvard formats. The research papers fall under three main categories:

• Analytical research papers. These papers present an analysis of the topic using evidence, facts, and examples.
• Argumentative research papers. These research papers are analytical but with a twist where the writer uses evidence to reinforce their opinion and persuade the reader.
• Expository research papers. This category of nursing research papers explains the subject matter using credible evidence such as examples, facts, statistics, and other pieces of evidence.

Structure and Format of a Nursing Research Paper

A simple nursing research paper, especially an expository or informative type, can have 5 paragraphs, like a typical essay. However, longer research papers have additional sections.

Scientific Nursing Research Paper Structure

Here is a breakdown of how a well-formatted and scientific nursing research paper should look like.

• Title Page. The title page comprises the research paper title, details of the student or professional writer, course details, details of the school or institution, and the date. The cover page is the first contact point with the reader. It is brief.
• Abstract. The abstract summarizes the nursing research paper. It is 200-250 words long and should be focused on what the reader expects. It is a condensed version of the paper, which is critical to help professors know what your paper is about. It should not have acronyms. Note that the word count of the abstract is not considered part of the research paper.
• The Introduction. The introduction should have an attention-getter or a hook that can be a statement, statistic, or fact. It should be 10% of the entire word count. It also has background information that details the nursing issue or topic you are exploring. It also comprises a well-thought-out thesis statement related to the topic. If you have a long paper, ensure that your problem and purpose statements are part of the introduction. It should also list your PICOT question .
• Literature Review. This is a critical section of the research paper. Here, you should explore other nursing scholars' thoughts and scholarly findings. Focus on peer-reviewed scholarly articles that address the same issue as your thesis statement or topic. Explore your topic's theories, theoretical frameworks, and other facts. Do it so well that your professor marvels at your research, organization, and writing prowess. Consider the levels of evidence as you choose selection criteria for the papers to include in your nursing literature review.
• Research Methodology. This section of the research paper details the data collection methods, such as ethnographic studies, secondary data collection, literature review, quasi-experimental research, correlational studies, descriptive research, ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, or experiments. Ensure that you state and give a rationale for your research design (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods). If you are writing a quantitative paper, explain how you tested the hypotheses. Also, report the sampling frame and the sampling strategy.
• Results and Discussion. This section of the paper presents the findings. You can use visual aids such as charts and graphs for a quantitative research paper. If you are writing a qualitative research paper, present the evidence chronologically. When presenting the findings, avoid making definitive facts. Instead, ensure that the results suggest something is true or false, even when testing a hypothesis.
• Conclusion and Recommendations. The conclusion should be 10% of the entire word count. You should restate the thesis and give a summary of your entire paper. Explore the recommendations for future research on the topic.
• Ensure that your reference list is arranged alphabetically. The list should adhere to the formatting requirements (Harvard, ASA, or APA formats). Only use scholarly peer-reviewed references.

Format for a General Nursing Research Paper

If you are writing a non-scientific nursing research paper, you will only have three sections as follows:

• Introduction. The introduction paragraph should introduce the topic by providing an attention-getter, background information, and a thesis statement.
• Body of the paper . The body paragraphs should have strong topic sentences, supporting details (examples, evidence, and explanation), and concluding sentences. It should also portray a good use of transition words. You should analyze the topic and use evidence to support the arguments, and give enough explanation. Use in-text citations within the body paragraphs.
• Conclusion. End the paper by recapping the main points, reasserting the thesis statement, and signaling the end of the paper to give your readers good closure.

An excellent nursing research paper follows this structure as long as it is not research-based. The three-part approach is super recommended if you did not conduct any study. In most cases, when assigned to write those 5-12 pages of nursing school research papers, you will be using this format.

So, what are the steps for writing a good nursing research paper? Let’s find out in the next section.

The 6 Main Steps for Writing a Nursing Research Paper

Writing assignments are an essential training aspect for nursing students. No wonder professors will stress that you write essays, discussion posts, responses, or proposals well. They are doing so to prepare you for research roles somewhere in your nursing career.

According to our most successful research paper writers, writing a top-grade research paper involves decoding the instructions, selecting a good topic, planning, researching, writing, and polishing the paper.

Here is a breakdown of each step for clarity and deeper understanding.

Step #1: Understand the Prompt or Instructions

You can only perfect what you know! Therefore, you can begin the research writing process by reading, analyzing, and understanding the instructions. It is an essential pre-writing stage process where you carefully read the instructions.

Although it sounds obvious, most nursing students who write off-topic and subpar research papers jump into writing without reading to understand the instructions.

You need to skim through the instructions on the first attempt, then read keenly and critically as you take note of the scope of the assignment, the topic, and other things you must fulfill in the paper. Take note of the:

• The number of words.
• Type of research paper (argumentative, analytical, exploratory, or persuasive).
• The structure of the paper (thesis-driven or research/study-based (scientific) research paper.
• The deadline.
• Whether you need to draft an outline.
• Reading materials.
• Whether you need external sources.
• Which sources to use and how many?
• The theoretical constructions or conceptual frameworks.
• The age limit of the scholarly sources.

If you need further clarification, ensure that you ask your peers, professor, or a professional writer in time.

Step #2: Select a Good Nursing Research Topic

Compared to average students, top nursing students always remember to select a research topic they are comfortable handling. When you are confident with a topic, you can develop it without procrastinating.

Sometimes you are given a list of nursing research paper topics, issues, and ideas to consider. Other times, you come up with the topic and consult your professor/educator for approval.  

Choose topics related to patient safety, nursing processes, nurse staffing, nursing policies, nurse privileges, nursing legislations, nursing ethics, mental health, health promotion, chronic disease management, healthcare systems, health informatics, changes in healthcare, and working conditions.

Choose any nursing topic that resonates with your specialization interests. It should be manageable, relevant, and explorable.

Related Readings:

• Nursing informatics research topics
• Capstone project ideas and topics for BSN, MSN, and DNP students
• Mental health nursing topics
• Epidemiology nursing topics
• List of the best nursing research paper topics
• Evidence-based nursing topics and ideas
• Nursing ethical dilemmas

Step #3: Plan your Paper

Create a thesis statement for your research paper if it is thesis-driven rather than study-based or scientific (experimental). After writing the thesis, like any of our nursing assignment slayers, write a good outline using Roman numbers and numbers.

List the ideas you wish to have in your paper in chronological order, starting with the introduction, body, and concluding paragraphs. As you outline, do some preliminary research so that you develop arguments the right way.

Include the in-text citations in your nursing research paper outline to simplify the writing process.

Step #4: Research and Organize Resources

Doing in-depth research as you refine the draft would be appropriate because you know what you want the paper to look like. Use scholarly nursing databases for research and limit yourself to topic-related scholarly articles published within the last 5 years.

You can read the abstracts of the articles to determine if they are fit to use in your paper. If you find the best articles, list them using online citation management tools such as RefWorks, Zotero, EndNote, Citefast, or any of your choice.

Ensure to list them in the most appropriate formatting styles. Take notes and list the points and ideas in your outline. Do your research meticulously and ensure that you organize the process to avoid any confusion.

Step #5: Write the First Draft

With the research, synthesis, and outline, you are now left with the chance to put rubber on the road. Use the Pomodoro technique, where you spend stretches of 25 minutes of focused work and have minor 5-minute breaks.

Ensure you cover as much ground in your research paper as possible before three-quarters of the deadline. When writing the paper, and considering that you have the outline, you can start chronologically from the introduction to the appendices.

Most research paper writing pros prefer working on the body section and conclusion before writing the introduction and finalizing the abstract. Whatever works best for you, adopt it. When writing the first draft, focus on piecing together the information rather than perfection.

Ensure you research lightly as you write and assert your voice while giving the right in-text citations for every idea you paraphrase from a source to avoid plagiarism. Each body paragraph should only have one idea.

Step #6: Edit, Proofread, and Polish the Paper

The final step towards completing your nursing research paper is ensuring everything is in its rightful place. A polished research paper scores 90% and above, which is an A. Begin by reading the paper aloud to identify areas that do not make sense.

If there is a need, do not hesitate to rewrite an entire section so that you have the right flow of information.

Check the grammatical, spelling, and syntax errors and make necessary corrections. You should also check the tenses used in the paper. If you feel like polishing the essay is too much work, you are better off hiring a nursing paper proofreader/editor.

When you receive feedback from your educator or professor, address the changes and resend the paper for grading.

Related Reading: How to write an evidence-based nursing paper.

Valuable Tips to Consider as You Write Your Nursing Research Paper

Nursing schools and educators have their standards and guidelines for writing a research paper. Therefore, ensure that before everything else, you familiarize yourself and adhere to these instructions, which include word count and citation styles.

Do not assume anything when writing a paper. You should also access and understand suggestions from your school’s writing lab. Apart from these essential tips, also ensure that you follow the insights we give below:

• Write your paper using a formal tone. Do not use passive voice when writing the paper. Instead, use active voice.
• Your paper should have a good organization from the introduction to the conclusion.
• Whenever you borrow ideas from a scholarly source, ensure you cite them correctly.
• Have a well-thought-out thesis statement that clarifies your arguments.
• Create a complete outline during the early stages of writing. It gives you a roadmap to follow as you write the paper. Organize the ideas chronologically based on their strength and weaknesses.
• Have a plan and schedule to trace your progress with the paper.
• If you have a more extended deadline, contribute to your research paper daily.
• When writing the paper, start with the body, the conclusion, and the introduction last.
• If you are writing a study-based research paper, include the literature review, methodology, discussion, and conclusion sections per the IMRAD format. A general nursing research paper follows the essay structure: introduction, body section, and conclusion.
• Use peer-reviewed scholarly sources from CINAHL, PubMed, Nursing Reference Center, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and other nursing research databases with peer-reviewed articles. Credible sources mean your research paper has rigor since you have strong points.
• Proofread and edit the paper thoroughly to remove any mistakes to signal your seriousness to your professor. If possible, use professional editing services.
• Have a compelling conclusion that is elaborate, clear, and concise.
• Read your paper aloud to identify mistakes.
• Revise the paper, and do not fear rewriting an entire section.

When writing a research paper, adhere to the writing conventions. You should also read well and understand how to communicate through academic writing effectively. Your paper should document evidence that supports your arguments and topic.

Write concisely, coherently, and accurately. It is not all in vain; you are training for your future role as a nurse when you will write conference papers, white papers, essays, policy documents, letters, blog posts, and professional nursing articles.

Checklist for a Great Research Paper in Nursing

Now that you have written your paper, you must align a few things to make it the best your professor will read. Most nursing classes, especially at the graduate levels (MSN, DNP, and Ph.D. levels), have small class sizes, and the professors spend time reading the papers from start to end. This means that you should leave nothing to chance.

Nursing research asserts professional identity, ensures accountability in nursing decision-making, and expands nursing practice. You have to be meticulous when writing a research paper in nursing.

A good research paper demonstrates a complete understanding of nursing knowledge, topic exploration, advanced organization, proper formatting, and mature academic writing skills. The following checklist enlists some main aspects to countercheck before hitting the submit button.

• Have I followed all the instructions outlined in the assignment prompt or rubric?
• Does my paper have the right title page?
• Does the paper have a written title that resonates with the thesis and the research question?
• Is the introduction presenting an attention grabber, background information, and a signpost of the ideas in the paper?
• Is the thesis statement well-thought-out, clear, concise, and elaborate?
• Is the problem statement clearly stated?
• If it is a PICOT-based research paper, is the PICO question well-outlined?
• Does the paper touch well on the nursing issue that the topic needs it to address?
• Is there a logical flow of the paragraphs?
• Are the words in each paragraph balanced?
• Does the paper have correctly formatted headings and subheadings?
• Are the in-text citations done correctly and consistently?
• Does every paragraph in the body of the paper build on the thesis?
• Does the paper demonstrate a mature choice of words and uses nursing lingo?
• Is the literature review section comprehensive? Does it have a theoretical and conceptual framework or constructs?
• Are the data and information presented in the literature review current?
• Has the methodology section listed the sample, sampling strategy, data collection and analyses, and rationale for each?
• Does the discussion section interlink the concepts from the literature review with the findings?
• Does the conclusion offer good closure to the readers? Does it restate the thesis? Does it summarize the recommendations?
• Is the entire paper formatted correctly? Does it follow the formatting guidelines?
• Is the paper devoid of spelling, syntax, and mechanical mistakes?

If your answer to all these questions is a resounding YES, you are sure it will fetch your professor a good grade. Our nursing writers, most of whom are alumni from top nursing universities and colleges such as Chamberlain, Capella, Herzing, Vanderbilt, SFU, Rutgers, Yale, Duke, NYU, UCLA, University of Pennsylvania, University of Toronto, McGill, Ottawa, Queens, and other best colleges in the USA, UK, Canada, and many other places. Besides, they are nursing educators in different capacities, and a couple are nursing professors with big titles; you can trust the checklist to guarantee you an excellent grade.

Where to Get Help When Writing Research Paper

As a nursing student, writing a research paper is something you will most likely enjoy doing. However, unforeseen things happen, prompting you to search the internet for sites to help you do your nursing research paper. NurseMyGrade.com is one such place to pay a nursing writer to do your paper.

Expect a paper that meets all the requirements, is written by a human rather than AI software, and is uniquely tailored to your requirements.  Our rates are affordable, and our writers cover diverse fields. Apart from offering advice about research, writing, and formatting papers, we have resourceful writers whom we allow you to communicate directly with via our platform.

We also maintain high levels of secrecy because we care more about your privacy and confidentiality of your details. Not even your professor can tell you got help from our website because we advise on specific strategies to use the paper. We have assisted students in various levels of nursing education with their writing, and we can do yours too.

Get affordable, well-researched, formatted, and organized nursing research papers done for you today by filling out the order form. Nursing research papers are a chance to stand out. Let our professionals help you achieve your nursing school goals.

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• Open access
• Published: 21 March 2023

Understanding registered nurses’ career choices in home care services: a qualitative study

• Guro Hognestad Haaland 1 , 2 ,
• Olaug Øygarden 3 ,
• Marianne Storm 4 , 5 &
• Aslaug Mikkelsen 1 , 2  

BMC Health Services Research volume  23 , Article number:  273 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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The anticipated growth in number of older people with long-term health problems is associated with a greater need for registered nurses. Home care services needs enough nurses that can deliver high quality services in patients’ homes. This article improves our understanding of nurses’ career choices in home care services.

A qualitative study using individual semi-structured interviews with 20 registered nurses working in home care services. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analyzed.

The analysis resulted in three themes emphasizing the importance of multiple stakeholders and contextual factors, fit with nurses’ private life, and meaning of work. The results offer important insights that can be used to improve organizational policy and HR practices to sustain a workforce of registered nurses in home care services.

The results illustrate the importance of having a whole life perspective to understand nurses’ career choices, and how nurses’ career preferences changes over time.

Peer Review reports

The anticipated growth in number of older people and earlier hospital discharge of patients with more complicated medical diagnosis is associated with a greater need for health care services at home [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Similarly to other Nordic countries, Norwegian municipalities are responsible for providing primary health care services in patients’ homes [ 4 ] irrespective of gender, age, geographical location or socioeconomic status [ 5 ]. Primary care services include home care services, nursing homes, municipal emergency care units, intermediate care, the provision of GPs and preventive services [ 4 ]. Consistent with previous research [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ], this paper makes use of the term home care nurses referring to registered nurses who work in home care services. Home care services include nursing care and other forms of health care such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy or rehabilitation for either a short or a long period [ 5 ]. Health care delivered at home has become more complex, and registered nurses play a critical role providing care to sicker patients needing advanced care [ 8 , 10 ]. The number of recipients receiving nursing care in their own homes has grown rapidly in the recent years [ 11 ], and the growth is expected to increase significantly also in the years to come [ 12 ]. With the worldwide shortage of nurses [ 13 ], there is an urgent need to understand what influences registered nurses’ career choices in home care services. This may provide information to ensure that registered nurses consider home care nursing as an attractive workplace for a lifelong career.

Traditionally, the choice of an occupation was associated with a linear career path and a secure employment within one organization. Nowadays, careers can be unpredictable and complex, and employees are not bound to their initial occupation [ 14 ]. In Norway, one in five registered nurses leave health care services ten years after graduating [ 15 ]. High turnover among nurses who leave their clinical jobs or profession is costly, because it is expensive to train and replace experienced nurses. The result is understaffing, which is a potential risk to patient safety [ 16 ]. Previous studies have mainly focused on nurse students’ career preferences, and identified that primary health care is not the preferred workplace for nursing students [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]; however, the likelihood of working in the municipal health and care services increases with time [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. In a quantitative longitudinal study, Abrahamsen [ 23 ] identified how nurse students’ career expectations relate to their career choices. One year after graduation, choosing to work in nursing homes and home care nursing related to nurses’ expectations of achieving a management position. Ten years later, nurses’ choice to work in nursing homes and home care services rather related to nurses’ expectations to work part time, illustrating that the motives behind career choices change with time. Abrahamsen tested three dimensions of career expectations and emphasized the importance of additional knowledge of registered nurses career choices to improve recruitment and retention strategies in the less popular nursing fields such as home care services.

As contemporary careers are increasingly dynamic and complex, employees can make several career choices over time and adjust to external influences [ 24 ]. Nurses can change occupation, work in different organizations, have a permanent or temporary position, and apply for temporary unpaid leave to raise their children. The shortage of registered nurses means that they can choose between many career options. Researchers have investigated the most and least satisfying aspects of work in primary health care [ 25 ], nurses’ job satisfaction and quality of life [ 26 , 27 ], and why home care nurses remain in their jobs [ 28 , 29 ]. Results of these studies identified autonomy, work-life balance, interaction with patients, role diversity, and patient-family interaction as satisfying aspects of work in primary health care and influence nurses’ intention to remain. In contrast, low pay, lack of a career path, time constraints and workload have been identified as the least satisfying aspects of work in primary health care [ 25 , 27 ]. Although these studies increased our knowledge of important aspects of nurses’ career in primary health care, there is still a need for a more detailed understanding of what affects nurses’ career choices in home care services [ 30 , 31 ]. Since 2015, the municipalities have experienced an increase in challenges recruiting registered nurses to nursing homes and home care services [ 32 ], and previous studies have reported a lack of registered nurses with sufficient competence in primary health care services [ 33 , 34 ]. This stresses the importance to increase our understanding of what influences registered nurses career choices in home care services. This paper seeks to address this gap by asking the following research question; how do contextual and individual factors influence registered nurses’ career choices in home care services ? The results can provide home care services and other health care organizations with important information on how to provide human resource management practices and organizational policies in order to recruit, develop and retain registered nurses. Changing needs and motivations, and contextual demands affect person-career fit and people’s career choices over time [ 35 ]. Examples of registered nurses’ career choices are starting in home care services, working part-or full-time, changing hours of work, becoming a resource nurse, taking a specialization, or leaving home care services. We will use the sustainable career framework that provides a whole-life perspective on careers that is useful for understanding nurses’ career choices [ 24 ].

Sustainable careers

Careers are dynamic, made up of choices and events over time that will determine their sustainability [ 24 ]. Unlike other career paradigms, the sustainable career perspective stresses the importance of context and the role of multiple stakeholders on the sustainability of employees’ career over time [ 36 ]. Sustainable careers draws on theories like selection optimization and compensation [ 37 ], conservation of resources [ 38 ] and self-determination theory [ 39 ], and emphasize the importance of resources and fulfillment of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness for ensuring sustainable growth and continuity in one’s career [ 36 ]. Findings suggests that basic psychological needs relate to registered nurses’ turnover intention [ 40 ] and career commitment [ 41 ]. Something that is sustainable can last for a long time without being depleted or destroyed [ 24 ]. For nurses to have a long career, the home care services needs to create work conditions that endorse motivation and well-being, and nurses themselves needs to stay employable. Sustainable careers are characterized by happy, healthy and productive workers, and are defined as “sequences of career experiences reflected through a variety of patterns of continuity over time, thereby crossing several social spaces characterized by individual agency, herewith providing meaning to the individual” (24, p.7). In order to attract, motivate, develop and retain registered nurses over time, home care services should foster sustainable careers as unsustainable careers increase the risk for career turnover [ 42 ]. Three dimensions can be used to study sustainable careers, the person, the context and time [ 36 ].

The person dimension relates to agency and meaning [ 24 ]. Agency refers to making career choices that are consistent with individual’s needs and aspirations, or adapting to external changes and events [ 36 ]. To have a sustainable career over time, employees need to craft their career, which refers to “proactive behaviours […] to self-manage their career and that are aimed at attaining optimal person-career fit” [ 43 , p. 175–176]. Meaning refers to people being mindful about what and who is important to them in their career, and this might change over time [ 36 ]. Meaning of work is associated with registered nurses’ intention to leave [ 44 , 45 ] and organizational commitment [ 46 ]. Further, people’s values will guide their careers. De Vos et al. [ 47 ] cite the kaleidoscope career model [ 48 ], which distinguishes three values: authenticity, balance and challenge. Although all three values are always active, one value will have priority. In line with the findings by Abrahamsen [ 23 ], this may explain why registered nurses career preferences change and why primary care work becomes more popular with time. As personal needs, interests and aspirations might change, career competencies and career adaptability are important for individuals to achieve their desired career [ 36 ].

Current career literature places a significant focus on personal agency and control, but to understand a career trajectory that is becoming more complex, it is necessary to include the role of context and external events [ 49 ]. The context dimension refers to how the work-related context and private life affect people’s career sustainability, such as first-line managers, colleagues, patients, family, and friends. For example, numerous studies within health care have highlighted the importance of social support from immediate supervisor for registered nurses’ intention to leave the profession [ 50 ], commitment to the organization [ 51 ] and reduced intention to leave [ 44 , 52 ]. The experience of conflict between work and family correlates with nurses’ choice to leave an organization and the profession [ 53 ]. Nurses will most likely experience several career shocks, defined as disruptive and extraordinary events that are, at least to some degree, caused by factors outside the focal individual’s control and that trigger a deliberate thought process concerning one’s career (49, p. 4). For instance, going through a divorce, having children, being diagnosed with a serious illness, accepting a new job or reorganizations are likely to affect nurses’ career choices. Changes in demands or resources at home or at work can make careers more or less sustainable over time [ 54 , 55 ]. If nurses’ work becomes too demanding without an increase in the necessary resources, it could lead to stress and exhaustion according to the job demand- resource (JD-R) model [ 56 ] and affect nurses’ choice to leave home care services or the profession [ 57 ]. Emotional demands [ 58 ] and burnout [ 53 ] are associated with registered nurses’ intention to leave. Although individuals are the “owners” of their careers, both employees and employers are responsible for creating sustainable careers [ 59 , 60 ]. Home care nurses’ ability to perform advanced procedures that had previously been done in hospitals has raised expectations of their work and competence [ 61 ]. To succeed and remain employable, individuals are required to manage and develop their knowledge, abilities and skills to meet changing demands [ 62 , 63 ]. At the same time, employers must provide opportunities for professional learning and development [ 64 ]. Aligning one’s needs with the organization and private context, will benefit all stakeholders, and impact the sustainability of his or her career [ 24 ].

The time dimension relates to the dynamic evolution of careers [ 36 ]. Employees’ careers might be more or less sustainable over time due to changes in demands or resources at home or at work [ 54 , 55 ]. For example, registered nurses often work part-time while the children are young [ 65 ]. Earlier research shows an age differences between younger and older nurses and their wish to leave home care services and nursing homes [ 66 ]. This is in line with previous findings of a negative relationship between registered nurses’ age and turnover intention [ 50 , 67 ].

Setting, design, participants and ethics

This study is part of a larger research project in Leadership and Technology for Integrated Health Care Services. The project explores how home care nurses, general practitioners (GPs) and multimorbid patients experience and contribute to integrated care. In Norway, the municipalities are responsible for the organization and delivery of primary care services, and national health and regional health authorities are responsible for specialist care services. Local authorities are free to determine how to organize community services; the municipality in this study organized home care services in ten units. The responsibilities of the municipalities have increased over time and challenges have been identified in management, recruitment, competency and in the responsibilities assigned to professional groups within primary health care services [ 68 ]. A qualitative research design using individual interviews was chosen for this project, as this enabled us to have a dialogue with the study participants and explore individual experiences [ 69 ].

This qualitative study uses individual semi-structured interviews with 20 home care nurses from a medium-sized municipality in Norway (Table  1 ). In Norway, registered nurses have a bachelor’s degree and are authorized to practice as a nurse by the Norwegian Authority for Health Personnel [ 70 ]. The project group established contact and made a formal agreement to conduct the study with the administrative leader of the municipal division of health and social care. We used purposive sampling and approached first-line managers in relevant units by phone or e-mail, and they helped recruit registered nurses with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and who were familiar with the patients included in the project. Potential participants received written information about the study so that they could decide whether to participate. This included information on the purpose of the project, the person in charge, what their participation involved, how data was stored and used, what would happen with the personal data at the end of the research project, rights and that participation was voluntary. The first-line managers scheduled the interviews, which were held during the participants’ working hours in a quiet room located at the nurses’ workplace. The interviews were held face-to-face with only the interviewer and participant present. None of the registered nurses have subsequently withdrawn from the research project.

The research procedures were reported to the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (ref. no. 228,630). The Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics in Norway (ref. no. 2019/1138) exempted the research project from formal review since the research project was not expected to generate new knowledge about health and disease. Before the interviews, all participants received oral information about the aim of the research project, that the interviewer was a PhD student and had the opportunity to ask questions, before signing a voluntary written consent. The study participants were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time without consequences and could access the data collected. The participants received written contact details to the project leader, Data Protection Officer and Data Protection Services. A voice recorder was used to record the interviews. In the beginning of the interview, the participants were asked not to use any identifiable names, and the interviewers did not mention or record the name of the participants. Each participant received a study number to secure confidentiality. Anonymous transcripts and recordings were stored on a password-protected computer. A list of names and respective codes is locked in a secure cabinet at the University where the project leader is employed, and can only be accessed by the research group. In accordance with the protocol of the Norwegian Center of Research Data all collected data will be deleted in the beginning of 2025.

Data collection

Data collection took place between October 2019 and March 2020. The semi- structured interviews ranged from 48 min to 1 h and 38 min. All were audio recorded with participants’ permission, transcribed verbatim and de-identified. One interview was incomplete, because the participant had to leave before we had asked all the questions. This interview lasted for 30 min, and we included the answers in the study. The research questions were developed by the research group, and the interview guide addressed participants’ gender, age, family situation and open-ended questions explored nurses’ thoughts, reflections, and experiences on their career in home care services and further career interests. The interviews also focused on nurses’ experience of cooperation with the patient and GP on the project. The interview guide included questions such as “How would you describe your working situation in home care services?”, “How do you envision your career as a nurse?” and “what would be important to you in terms of support/incentives/development in order to make your desired career possible?”. The researchers were not acquainted with any of the registered nurses participating in the study.

The research group consists of four females and one male. Two members of the research group are professors experienced with qualitative studies, whereas the other members are PhDs. The first author conducted 15 interviews and another member of the research group conducted five. Both interviewers were PhD students, with previous experience in conducting qualitative interviews. The first author is a female with human resources experience in specialist health care, and the other male researcher is a GP. Other members of the research group are experienced in leadership and nursing, making the group multidisciplinary. The research group had peer debriefing during the project period to discuss and gain different perspectives on the ongoing interviews. In addition, the two researchers conducting the interviews had an ongoing dialogue checking the correspondence between the findings. A sample size of 6–20 + participants is considered satisfactory in qualitative research, depending on the richness of the data and size of the project [ 71 ]. We determined that saturation had been met after about 15 interviews.

An inductive thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. This is a flexible way to identify themes and patterns in qualitative data analysis [ 72 ]. The analysis was guided by Braun and Clarke’s [ 72 ] six-phase process (Table  2 ). The main themes were generated abductively. Preexisting knowledge guided some of the interview questions, and when analyzing the data the first author read career theory to identify the relevance of information to the research aim. To address the trustworthiness of this study we applied strategies from the standardized criteria by Lincoln and Guba [ 73 ], namely credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. In line with Nowell et al. [ 74 ] we used these criteria as guidelines to support a rigorous thematic analysis. To ensure the trustworthiness in the first phase, all co-authors familiarized themselves with the data and individually searched for meaning and patterns enhancing the credibility of the study. The raw data and transcripts were organized in folders representing each nurse. In the second phase when generating initial codes, research triangulation enhanced confirmability. In phase three, the first author used Microsoft Excel and drew visual mind maps in the search for themes and connections. This process was documented and discussed with co-authors. In phase four and five of the thematic analysis themes were examined by co-authors and themes was reviewed in relation to the raw data before everyone agreed on the final naming. In phase six, we used the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ) as a guideline to ensure the transferability and confirmability of the research process [ 75 ].

The data analysis produced three distinctive themes for nurses’ career choices in home care services: (1) as a result of influence from multiple stakeholders and contextual factors; (2) as a result of fit with nurses’ private life; and (3) as a result of enhancing meaning of work.

Career choices as a result of influence from multiple stakeholders and contextual factors

The nurses described their choice to start working in home care services as resulting from coincidences, stakeholder influence, organizational policies and educational factors. Some participants started working in a part-time position in home care services while they were in their late teens. One nurse said:

I started working here as a student during my second year. Then a family member of a friend asked if I would like to work here as an extra and I thought yes, I could try that. And I’ve been here ever since. So yeah, it was really just coincidental that I ended up working in home care services. (Informant 18)

Clinical practice placements, part of the bachelor program in nursing, take place in hospitals, nursing homes, and home care services. The hospitals and municipalities are responsible for organizing the clinical practice, where a student gains experience with departments under clinical supervision. One nurse said:

We have many practicums at school and for my last one I also chose home care services. It was really just because I thought it had been the most fun practicum, and I ended up here. (Informant 16)

Clinical practice placements or part-time jobs familiarize nursing students with home care services as a potential employer. A good work environment, supportive colleagues and first-line managers, interesting work tasks and autonomy were among the factors influencing some nurses’ view of home care services as a potential workplace. Other nurses applied for a position in home care services as a result of changes in their personal life, like moving to a new city. We also found that different stakeholders and organizational factors influenced nurses’ choice to apply for postgraduate education or become a resource nurse. Nurses emphasized the importance of financial support from the employer in entering a specialization. The municipality provides financial support for unpaid leave and school expenses for relevant specializations. People or experiences in nurses’ surroundings often influenced their choice of specialization. One nurse explained how she had been inspired by the skilled geriatric nurses she met during clinical practice. Another nurse described why she became a resource nurse in palliative care:

It was basically because they asked me. They probably thought it was a good fit for me, even though I didn’t think so myself at that time because I thought it was a bit scary to speak to people who were in their last stage of life. “I don’t think I would be good at that” I said, but then I thought well, I just have to give it a go. So that’s what happened. I don’t really know another reason. (Informant 8)

Especially first-line managers appears to have both a positive and a negative effect on nurses’ career choices in home care services. The nurses had different experiences of management. Some unit leaders were inspiring, encouraging and supportive, while other units experienced instability and absence of a first-line manager. One nurse had applied for unpaid leave, to start working in a nursing home. Her unit had been chronically understaffed. She thought that her managers were not advertising vacancies, and were inattentive to employees’ needs. When she read a newspaper article reporting that politicians would not provide more resources to home care services, she doubted that she would return. She said:

That’s the reason I feel that I can’t do this anymore. I feel that I give, give, give all the time, while my superior is away a lot, and that really affects my motivation. (Informant 17).

Career choices as a result of fit with nurses’ private life

An overarching theme that explains nurses’ career choices in home care services can be seen as a result of fit with their private life. It captures the ways in which nurses make career choices that improve their work-life balance and how their needs change. Some of the nurses had previously worked, or considered working, at a hospital in a nearby municipality. However, the geographical location of work, shift arrangements and family situation affected nurses’ choice to work in home care services. As one nurse said:

From 2013, I think it was, when I started working a bit at the hospital and I thought I should give it a go again. So I was there a couple of years, I think, but then it became quite hard to combine with family life, especially because my husband travels a lot. That just made it too hard to work there. (informant 6).

Some nurses applied for a position in home care services, as the workplace is closer to home, and they would have a shorter commute and spend less time in traffic. Even though work in a hospital is considered professionally attractive, some nurses found it difficult to combine with their family life. As the example illustrates, when both parents have irregular work schedules, organizing family life is not easy. This was especially true for nurses with children, who struggled to balance their responsibilities to work and family. One nurse said:

After I had children it’s been quite practical. I didn’t have to work a three split schedule for example. My evening shifts start 3.30 pm or 4.30 pm. It’s a flexible job, and because you start at 7.30 am you are able to bring your children to nursery first. (Informant 18)

Nurses identified working hours to be better in home care services than at a hospital or nursing home. Shift arrangements in home care services involves more flexible working hours and does not include work at night. However, nurses still experience shift work as demanding, as it includes evening, weekend, and holiday work. To accommodate this kind of schedule, nurses had to depend on a partner who worked standard business hours and who could pick up the slack with family responsibilities. Nurses described how they and their partner shared household and childcare responsibilities. Several nurses who had small children worked fewer hours to spend more time at home. However, none of the nurses mentioned having a male partner taking unpaid leave to be at home with their children, illustrating a traditional gendered division of childcare. A nurse said:

When the children were little we really had enough just trying to keep our heads above water so I worked part time and as the children have had less need of me I’ve increased my work hours. I’ve felt that my work at home has been the most important one, and that I’ve worked as a nurse in addition to that one. But as time has gone by, and I’ve gotten more energetic, and my children get by more on their own, I’ve been working full time. (Informant 20).

In Norway, parents are entitled to 12 months of paid leave. In addition, each parent is then entitled to one year of unpaid leave. Most children between the ages of one and five attend kindergarten. There is one admission every year facilitated by the municipality. This means that some parents need to apply for unpaid leave so that they can stay home with their children who are waiting to start kindergarten. Several nurses chose to work part-time evening shifts while waiting for a place in kindergarten, so they were able to combine work and family. Other nurses whose children were eligible for kindergarten preferred to apply for unpaid leave in order to stay at home with them. Their colleagues and first-line manager supported their decision to work part time and adjust their working situation. However, as their children became less dependent on them, some nurses opted to return to work full time, in the evenings, and apply for a specialization. Nurses felt a tension between personal and professional wishes. One nurse described how she wanted to take a specialization, but adjusted the time and place to accommodate her children. However, younger informants did not want to delay pursing a specialization or master’s degree for too long. Nurses in the later stages of the careers and without a specialization, supported this view, as they believed that they were too old for further education. However, they expressed an interest in developing their skills and knowledge at work.

Career choices as a result of enhancing meaning of work

Nurses can work in different clinical fields and types of organizations. Work content and organization of work influenced participants’ application for a position in home care services. One nurse explained why she started in home care services:

It’s very special to go into people’s houses, it’s a very pleasant atmosphere. You get to see the whole person in a way, not just their illnesses. And you get to see how they live, which gives you an idea of who they are as people. It’s also very exciting to hear their stories and not just see them when they are at their lowest. (Informant 5).

In home care services, many patients receive treatment for years, so their nurses know their complete history, needs, routines, and interests, all of which affect quality of care. Nurses can take a holistic approach to patients. An important part of nurse’s job is to monitor changes in a patient’s condition. Spending time in the patient’s home and getting to know them and their family help nurses to understand that patient’s needs. A nurse described why knowing the patients is important:

I think it’s important. Because you care about their well-being, and….The fact that you can get a bit close to them so that you’re able to help in the best possible way. And to not just see their illnesses, but also everything around them. Their next of kin, contact with their doctor….to be able follow up properly. (Informant 13).

Knowing patients well is an antecedent for providing quality of care, something the organization of work in home care services facilitate. Nurses enjoyed the coordination of care among stakeholders, like the patient’s family, GP, physiotherapy services and allocation office. However, nurses were frustrated with the lack of collaboration with GPs or hospitals, because it led to uncertainty and extra work for nurses who often work alone in patient’s homes. Although it can be difficult to work independently, it can also be motivating. One nurse said:

Yes, I did consider the hospital. I thought it might be more challenging, as there are a lot of procedures. But the thing with home care services is that you work quite independently because you’re out there driving. So I figured I’m learning just as much here, and maybe even more. You become independent, and you have to make your own choices and I feel more in charge of my own work situation here. (Informant 14).

The nurse mentions the importance of having an interesting job and recognizes autonomy as a factor in her choice to work in home care services. When driving from patient to patient, nurses have time to reflect. In addition, informants expressed happiness at not being tied to an institution. At the same time, they noted the importance of professional support, and described daily arenas where they were able to discuss challenges and patients’ conditions with colleagues and first-line manager. They also discussed patient’s conditions with the patients themselves, their families, GP, and contacted acute care if necessary. The motivation for enhancing the welfare of others influenced nurses’ career choices, like specialization, becoming a resource nurse and leaving home care services. Several of the informants had taken a specialization. According to one nurse:

And that’s why I wanted to do further postgraduate studies too. I felt I needed it. And I feel that it’s good that we are three, rotating it, because there are so many wounds it’s needed. (Informant 5).

Nurses described how work in home care services has become more specialized in the past decade, and diagnoses have become more complicated. Hospitals discharge patients sooner and nurses are expected to perform unfamiliar procedures. To provide quality of care, nurses stressed the importance of professional knowledge. However, some considered postgraduate education as a possible alternative to home care services and shift work. Some nurses who study for a master’s degree were unsure about their future in home care services, and how the municipality would make use of their competence after graduation. One nurse with a specialization had resigned from her job in home care services to accept a position in the specialist health care services. Work in home care services is diverse, as nurses usually serve a variety of patients with different diagnoses. She had thrived in home care services, but wanted to use her skills to help patients with more serious diagnoses.

The aim of this study was to increase our knowledge of home care nurses’ career choices. Three themes emerged: (1) career choices as a result of influence from multiple stakeholders and contextual factors; (2) career choices as a result of fit with nurses private life; and (3) career choices as a result of enhancing the meaning of work. Based on the sustainable career perspective [ 24 ], we expected that the dimensions of person, context and time would relate to the career choices of home care nurses. Previous career literature has been criticized for putting too much attention on people’s agency [ 14 , 49 , 76 ]. This study advances knowledge by highlighting the importance of context and time on registered nurses’ career choices, and provide support for the use of the sustainable career perspective as a broad theoretical framework in understanding registered nurses career choices. It contributes to a field where previous research is largely based on quantitative data [ 17 , 23 , 31 ] and illustrates how nurses themselves, their private context and work context influence their career choices over time.

The results identified how stakeholders and factors within multiple contexts influenced nurses’ career agency over time. Clinical practice and the offer of a part-time job, considered a positive career shock, provided job resources and experience. This appeared to affect nurses’ perception of home care services as a potential employer, the person-job fit, and their choice to apply for a permanent position after graduation. This supports previous research [ 18 , 77 , 78 ], in which clinical experience and curriculum content are identified as the main tools for changing nurse students’ negative perceptions about work in primary health care [ 79 ]. The implication of this is that managers and employees in home care services are proactive and encourage people to work in home care services and create opportunities for learning and development in line with registered nurses and home care services needs for competence. This will benefit both employer and employees need for development [ 80 ]. Home care services could offer mentors, role models, interesting work tasks, encourage voice, feedback and support in order to provide high-quality work experiences, as lack of support, uninspiring work tasks, and time constraints could lead to stress and frustration and preclude employment in home care services [ 25 , 27 , 81 ].

Two nurses had applied for a position outside home care services; however, the motives and types of agency behind their choices differed. One nurse wanted to quit because of increased workload, time pressure, and lack of support from managers and politicians (push factors), resulting in an unsustainable career. The other nurse was drawn to another job where her competence would be put to better use (pull factors). Previous research has identified burnout as a threat to career sustainability by causing career turnover [ 42 ]. Time pressure and heavy workload may hinder nurses from performing work that meets their professional standards, leading to stress and frustration. In line with the JD-R theory [ 56 ], high demands and low resources over time can decrease person-job fit, which causes nurses to leave home care services for a more sustainable career. However, research has indicated that employers can mitigate the negative effects of increased work demands by offering job resources [ 54 ]. In line with previous research [ 29 , 44 , 50 ], this study highlights the important role of first-line managers for nurses’ career choices. To develop first-line managers skills by offering training programs which focus on understanding employee needs, how to provide support and encourage nurses career development will be important. This can prevent nurses from seeking other job opportunities, something that will serve the interests of home care services by ensuring a stable workforce.

Nurses started to work and continue to work in home care services as it fits their private life, supporting previous research identifying work-life balance as one of the most satisfying aspects of work in primary health care [ 3 , 25 , 82 ]. When nurses become mothers, they seem to give the top priority to balancing work and home. Our results show that organizational factors such as the location of work, shift arrangements, and the possibility to adjust work based on the demands of family life becomes important for nurses’ choices. Previous research has showed that working night shifts is associated with negative family outcomes such at work-family conflict, especially when children are small [ 83 ]. Nurses adapt to family demands by working part-time, changing their hours of work and postponing their plans for higher education. However, none of the nurses stated that their choices depended on the limits set by a full-time working partner. This study supports the importance of including non-work domains in research on sustainable careers [ 82 , 84 ]. Kossek and Ollier-Malaterre [ 59 ] and Straub et al., [ 60 ] have emphasized the importance of both employees and employer to foster sustainable careers. This implies that to retain registered nurses, home care services should adjust HR politics and practices with employees’ expectations, norms and values through different phases of life, as this can facilitate nurses’ experience of fit between their personal life and their work in home care services. For several nurses the desire to work part-time appears to be temporary for parts of their lives when they experience increased family obligations, supporting earlier findings [ 20 ]. Registered nurses in the last phase of their career seem to have other career aspirations than nurses in their first phase. As the proportion of adults is increasing, health care organizations should motivate registered nurses to continue until a later age. In line with suggestions by Kooij et al. [ 85 ], municipalities can offer HRM practices such as training, career planning or lateral job moves.

The results show that nurses experience meaning of work by helping their patients. Autonomy, helping people and having a close relationship with patients have been identified as some of the most satisfying aspects of work in primary health care [ 3 , 25 ]. The ability to derive meaning from work is important for people’s psychological well-being [ 86 ], and this highlights the importance of considering meaning of work as an important resource. Some nurses proactively shaped their careers by undergoing or completing postgraduate education. In line with self- determination theory [ 39 ], nurses expressed a need for knowledge, to improve patient care for a growing number of patients with complicated diagnoses. Studies indicate that home care nurses must perform increasingly advanced procedures and assessments, and call for more information and training about specific procedures [ 8 ]. To encourage, facilitate, and support registered nurses’ development of competence will be important. In line with previous research [ 6 , 87 ], our findings demonstrate the importance of home care services continuously working to ensure improved collaboration with other health care providers in order to reduce uncertainty and extra work for registered nurses. A sense of accomplishment has been identified as important for nurses’ intention to remain in home care services [ 28 ], and our results indicate that this guides additional career choices. In line with the principle of conservation of resources [ 38 ], acquiring resources makes nurses more employable and provides them with career opportunities inside and outside primary health care. Some nurses who studied for a specialization were unsure about their future in home care services, and did not see their employer as taking the initiative in discussing possible career paths. Providing career planning support, with a perspective of possible career alternatives within home care services that are valuable to the organization and provides meaning to registered nurses will be important to develop and retain registered nurses. At the same time, nurses need to be aware of what matters to them and act in the interests of their own needs and values. This will improve the chance of person-career fit and of a sustainable career [ 36 ]. Home care services should align work with nurses’ interests, strengths, and values, as this would benefit both the municipality and nurses in terms of improved job performance, meaningfulness, and organizational commitment [ 64 ].

Limitations

This study has several limitations. First, the sample consisted only of women from a single municipality in Norway. Further research should be conducted in different health care settings and cultures. A second limitation is that the results may be biased as it can be hard to recall what happened many years ago. Additional research should use a longitudinal design to increase our understanding of nurses’ career choices. Finally, future research should examine the role of age and the perspective of the organization.

The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of nurses’ career choices to offer insights that can be used to attract, motivate, develop and retain registered nurses in home care services. The results illustrate the importance of having a whole life perspective to understand nurses’ career choices, and how nurses’ career preferences change over time. To meet the population’s increased need for health and care services it is important for the municipality to facilitate sustainable careers across the life span through HR policies, motivating and stable managers, which support nurses changing needs, interests and values. Nurses need to be mindful and act according to what is most important to them.

Data Availability

The datasets generated from the study are not publicly available due to reasons of confidentiality. Additional knowledge of the de-identified data can be available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

General practitioners

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the participants and the local municipality for participation in the study, and members of the research group who are not co-authors of this article. We thank the University of Stavanger and Stavanger University Hospital for supporting this study.

This study has been supported by the University of Stavanger and Stavanger University Hospital.

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Guro Hognestad Haaland & Aslaug Mikkelsen

Business School, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway

NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS, Stavanger, Norway

Olaug Øygarden

Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway

Marianne Storm

Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Care, Molde University College, Molde, Norway

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GHH contributed to the study by recruiting study participants, developing the interview guide, collecting and analysing data, and writing the first draft of the manuscript. AM, OØ and MS contributed to the development of the interview guide, interpretation the data and critically revising all drafts of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Guro Hognestad Haaland .

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Ethics approval and consent to participate.

The research procedures was reported to the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (ref. no. 228630). The Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics in Norway (ref. no. 2019/1138) exempt the research project from formal review since the research project did not intend to generate new knowledge about health and disease. The study was carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and the declaration of Helsinki. A formal approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Divisions of health and social care services in the municipality. All participants signed a voluntary written consent before the interviews and were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time without consequences.

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GHH, MSc, HR Adviser at Stavanger University Hospital and currently a PhD candidate at Stavanger University Hospital and University of Stavanger Business School. OØ, PhD, Research associate professor at NORCE Norwegian Research Centre. MS, PhD, Professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, AM, PhD, Professor at the University of Stavanger Business School.

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Haaland, G.H., Øygarden, O., Storm, M. et al. Understanding registered nurses’ career choices in home care services: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res 23 , 273 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09259-0

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• Career choices
• Career events
• Home care services
• Sustainable workforce
• HR policies

Writing Tips for Nursing School Students

• Nursing School Writing Types
• Writing a Nursing Essay
• Citations Guide
• Common Writing Mistakes
• Writing Resources

Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?

Writing is an essential skill nurses should achieve proficiency in early in their career. It is a crucial part of the profession, as nurses need to be able to effectively communicate with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.

While verbal communication also plays a vital role in nursing, being able to write well builds the nurse’s ability to provide better care.

Being able to accurately detail a patient’s personal history, symptoms, and diagnosis allows for the execution of a precise treatment plan that is clearly communicated to all parties involved, both professional and personal.

From registered nurses to clinical nurses and beyond, being able to communicate effectively and efficiently is a critical soft skill that will help nurses in any role increase their ability to treat their patients.

This guide provides an overview of the types of writing nurses will experience throughout their educational training. Utilize the following tips and tricks to help strengthen your writing skills, which will ultimately help in the development of transferable career skills .

Types of Writing Nurses Will Do in School

Personal statements for nursing school.

Nursing schools want candidates who meet academic and professional requirements. They also want a candidate who demonstrates a sincere passion for patient care and individual connections. You should always craft a personal statement, even when the application doesn’t explicitly require one. Personal statements allow you to describe your goals, characteristics, credentials, volunteer work, and meaningful life experiences. A well-crafted essay can help you stand out among other qualified applicants. And, as with any piece of writing, you must take the time to revise.

In your personal statement, you should portray yourself as determined and empathetic, with characteristics, goals, work ethic, and healthcare philosophy that align with a program’s values. Some nursing schools ask for a general personal statement, while others require a specific prompt. Colleges commonly ask students to describe a hardship they overcame, a difficult task they accomplished, or a professional goal they hope to achieve through the program. Many schools also ask students to detail previous experiences in healthcare. You may decide to write about how you connect with patients or how you provide practical and emotional support to loved ones.

You will also encounter writing prompts during examinations, including standardized tests like the GRE or MCAT, nursing school entrance exams , and course-specific evaluations. You may also take exams to get state licensure or professional certification. In most of these instances, you will need to write one or several long-form essays. Proper planning is key. Though you won’t know what specific prompt the test will require, you can expect certain common topics. You can search online or use study guides to determine which prompts usually appear on each test.

On test day, you should begin by creating an outline that lists three main points in response to the prompt. Using these points, work backwards to write a central thesis to guide the essay’s structure. Review what you’ve written to ensure that the essay actually responds to the prompt at hand. Be sure to leave time to correct spelling, grammar, and stylistic errors.

Research Papers

Like essays, research papers follow a long-form structure. Unlike an essay, which heavily relies on the writer’s point of view, a research paper presents an in-depth investigation of a topic using data, expert opinions, and insights. While an essay evaluates general critical thinking and writing skills, a research paper tests your knowledge, research skills, and original contributions. Research papers also allow you to prove you understand what has been argued and discovered about a topic. Research papers, especially at the graduate and doctoral levels, require independent research and analyses. These papers sometimes take months or years to complete.

To write a successful research paper, you should pick a topic relevant to your interests and the nursing field. Possibilities include elderly care challenges, patient safety and ethics, mental health treatment and regulations in the U.S., and nursing shortages and possible solutions. Whatever your choice, you must plan accordingly. Advanced papers such as dissertations may require funding or help from professors. Research papers often consist of the following sections: abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. You should keep this general structure in mind as you prepare notes and outlines.

How Do You Write a Nursing Essay?

In nursing school, essay writing includes academic papers, personal narratives, and professional compositions. You should become familiar with each of the five major forms below. There are many similarities between these essay types, such as an overarching thesis and a supportive, logical structure. You should support claims with factual, statistical, anecdotal, and rhetorical evidence. However, each form requires distinct skills to achieve specific results.

Comparative

Cause and effect, citations guide for nursing students.

Citations allow readers to know where information came from. By citing sources, you avoid plagiarizing or stealing another person’s ideas, research, language, and analyses. Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is one of the most egregious errors one can make. Consequences for plagiarism include automatic course failure, disciplinary actions from the university, and even legal repercussions. You should take special care to ensure you properly cite sources.

American Psychological Association (APA) Style

APA is the most commonly used style among natural scientists, social scientists, educators, and nurses. Like other citation styles, APA emphasizes clarity of font style, font size, spacing, and paragraph structure. APA citations focus on publication date, and in most cases, the date comes right after the author’s name. This order makes the style particularly useful for scientists, who value new research and updates on current findings. For more information on APA style, visit this official website .

(Author and year of publication, page number) “Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process” (Foucault, 1977, p. 9).

Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)

CMS (also known as CMOS or, simply, Chicago) features two citation systems, the notes and bibliography, and the author and date. This style is used primarily by historians, who place high importance on a text’s origin. The notes and bibliography include a superscript number with a corresponding footnote or endnote. Scientific professionals use the author and date citation, a generic parenthetical system with similarities to other citation styles. The CMS official website provides additional information, including changes to citation systems in the current edition.

“Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process”. 1 1. Michel Foucault, trans. Alan Sheridan, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (New York: Pantheon Books, 1977), 9.

(Author and year of publication, page number) “Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process” (Foucault 1977, 9).

Modern Language Association (MLA) Format

MLA format traces its history to 1951 when it was first published as a thin booklet. Today, MLA is the primary format used by academics and professionals in humanities, English, literature, media studies, and cultural studies. To adapt to the rapid growth of new mediums over the past few decades, MLA updates its citation system. Visit the MLA Style Center for in-depth information on new guidelines and ongoing changes. In general, in text citations consist of author and page number, or just page number if the author’s name appears in the text.

(Author and page number) “Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process” (Foucault 9).

Associated Press (AP) Style

Published in 1952, the original AP Stylebook was marketed to journalists and other professionals related to the Associated Press. AP now stands as the go-to style for professionals in business, public relations, media, mass communications, and journalism. AP style prioritizes brevity and accuracy. The style includes specific guidelines regarding technological terms, titles, locations, and abbreviations and acronyms. Unlike the previous styles, AP does not use parenthetical or in-text citations. Rather, writers cite sources directly in the prose. For more information, including style-checking tools and quizzes, visit the Associated Press Stylebook .

In the book, “Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison,” first published in English in 1977, philosopher Michel Foucault argues that “Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process”.

Which Style Should Nursing Students Use?

Because nurses rely on scientific terms and information, professionals in the field usually use APA style. Regardless of the purpose and specific genre of your text, you should always strive for concise, objective, and evidenced-based writing. You can expect to learn APA style as soon as you enroll in a major course. However, you should also prepare to learn other styles as part of your academic training. For example, freshman composition classes tend to focus on MLA guidelines.

Common Writing Mistakes Students Make

Active vs. passive voice.

Active and passive voice represent two different ways to present the same piece of information. Active voice focuses on the subject performing an action. For example, the dog bites the boy. This format creates clear, concise, and engaging writing. Using active voice, nurses might write, I administered patient care at 11:00. Passive voice, on the other hand, focuses on the object of the sentence or the action being performed. For example, the boy was bitten by the dog. A passive sentence is usually one that contains the verb “to be.” Using passive voice, you might write, patient care was administered at 11:00.

Professionals in the sciences often use passive voice in their writing to create an objective tone and authorial distance. Passive voice can prioritize specific terms, actions, evidence, or research over the writer’s presence. Additionally, nurses use passive voice because it is usually clear that the reported thoughts, actions, and opinions come from them. However, you must also learn how to use active voice.

Punctuation

There are 14 punctuation marks in the English language, each with multiple and sometimes overlapping uses. Additionally, certain punctuation marks only make sense in highly specific and nuanced grammatical instances. To master punctuation, you must learn through practice, particularly by revising your own writing.

For example, colons and semicolons are often used interchangeably, when they actually serve distinct purposes. Generally used before itemized lists, colons stand in for the phrases “here is what I mean” or “that is to say.” For example, I am bringing three things to the picnic: applesauce, napkins, and lemonade. Semicolons separate two independent clauses connected through topic or meaning. For example, It was below zero; Ricardo wondered if he would freeze to death. Comma splices, which create run on sentences, are another common mistake. You can identify a comma splice by learning the differences between an independent and dependent clause.

Grammar refers to the rules of a particular language system. Grammar determines how users can structure words and form sentences with coherent meaning. Aspects include syntax (the arrangement of words to convey their mutual relations in a sentence) and semantics (how individual words and word groups are understood). Unless you major in writing, literature, etymology, or another related field, you generally won’t examine English grammar deeply. Through years of cognitive development and practice, native users implicitly understand how to effectively employ the language.

Distinct grammatical systems exist for each language and, sometimes, even within a single language. For example, African American Vernacular English uses different syntactic rules than General American English. You should learn grammatical terms and definitions. Common errors include subject/verb agreement, sentence fragments, dangling modifiers, and vague or incorrect pronoun usage. Hasty writers can also misuse phonetically similar words (your/you’re, its/it’s, and there/their/they’re).

Writing Resources for Nursing Students

Apa style central, reviewed by:.

Shrilekha Deshaies, MSN, RN

Shri Deshaies is a nurse educator with over 20 years of experience teaching in hospital, nursing school, and community settings. Deshaies’ clinical area of expertise is critical care nursing and she is a certified critical care nurse. She has worked in various surgical ICUs throughout her career, including cardiovascular, trauma, and neurosurgery.

Shri Deshaies is a paid member of our Healthcare Review Partner Network. Learn more about our review partners here .

Page last reviewed November 30, 2021

Whether you’re looking to get your pre-licensure degree or taking the next step in your career, the education you need could be more affordable than you think. Find the right nursing program for you.

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Clinician researcher career pathway for registered nurses and midwives: A proposal

Affiliations.

• 1 Lung, Sleep and Heart Health Research Network, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW Australia.
• 2 Respiratory, Sleep and Environmental Health Research Academic Unit @ Ingham Institute, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, Australia.
• 3 Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.
• 4 Nursing & Midwifery Directorate, Far West Local Health District, Broken Hill, Australia.
• 5 Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
• PMID: 29575330
• DOI: 10.1111/ijn.12640

Aim: To consider clinician researcher career frameworks and propose a new pathway, integrating university and health service components to support research career progression within nursing and midwifery practice.

Background: Hospitals with research-active clinicians report fewer adverse events and better patient outcomes. Nursing clinician researcher career development is therefore an international priority, yet positions and expectations associated with this are not always well articulated, with nurses and midwives challenged to accommodate research and clinical careers.

Design: This discussion paper describes nurse/midwife clinician researcher career frameworks and a new pathway that aligns academic and nursing role descriptions.

Data sources: The new framework was informed by a brief literature search for international framework documents, three Australian state-based Nurses and Midwives Awards: the Australian Qualifications Framework, publically available University Academic (Research) Award schedules and academic staff descriptions, and state health department and health services publications.

Implications for nursing: The implementation of research-based practice is a key element of nursing and midwifery roles and "advanced practice" position descriptions have well-defined research expectations. This paper considers structures to support their achievement.

Conclusion: This paper provides a blueprint for clinician researcher career development. It elevates the research domain as an equal alongside clinical, managerial and educational clinical career development.

Keywords: career; clinician; framework; midwifery; nursing; pathway; research.

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

• Career Mobility*
• Midwifery / organization & administration*
• Nurse Clinicians*
• Nurse Midwives*
• Nurse's Role*

Nursing Research Paper

Sample Nursing Research Paper. Browse other research paper examples and check the list of nursing research paper topics for more inspiration. If you need a research paper written according to all academic standards, you can always turn to our experienced writers for help. This is how your paper can get an A! Also, check out our custom research paper writing service for professional assistance. We offer high-quality assignments at reasonable rates.

This sample nursing research paper provides a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted nursing profession, examining its historical development, theoretical foundations, and the current state of nursing education and practice. The paper delves into the evolution of nursing roles, the impact of significant figures in the field, and the progression towards advanced nursing practices. It also scrutinizes the ethical and legal frameworks that govern nursing, highlighting the importance of these considerations in daily practice. Furthermore, it discusses the challenges and opportunities that the future holds for nursing, including technological advancements, changes in healthcare delivery, and the ongoing development of nursing as a profession. Through a synthesis of scholarly literature, this paper aims to offer a nuanced understanding of the critical role nurses play in healthcare and the dynamic nature of nursing as it adapts to meet the changing needs of society.

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This sample nursing research paper seeks to clarify the domain of nursing within the broader context of healthcare, charting its historical progression and delineating the contemporary role of nurses within healthcare systems. Nursing, traditionally rooted in care and compassion, has evolved into a complex, evidence-based discipline integral to healthcare delivery (Alligood, 2017). Its domain extends beyond bedside care into realms of research, policy, and education, reflecting a breadth of influence on patient outcomes and healthcare efficacy.

The historical trajectory of nursing is rich and varied, with its modern form shaped significantly by the pioneering work of figures such as Florence Nightingale, whose emphasis on sanitary conditions during the Crimean War set a precedent for the integration of environmental factors in patient care (Dossey, 2010). As the profession has developed, so too have the educational and regulatory frameworks that support it, transitioning from informal apprenticeships to advanced degree programs and licensure requirements (Judd & Sitzman, 2014).

In contemporary healthcare systems, nurses function as the linchpin of patient services, providing not only direct patient care but also engaging in health promotion, disease prevention, and advocacy across a variety of settings. Their roles have expanded to include leadership positions where they influence healthcare policies and contribute to interdisciplinary teams aimed at improving healthcare quality and accessibility (Institute of Medicine, 2010). The role of nurses continues to adapt, driven by changes in healthcare needs, advances in medical knowledge, and shifts in societal expectations.

More Nursing Research Papers:

• Nursing Approaches to Pain Management
• Nursing Interventions for Chronic Illnesses
• Geriatric Care Challenges in Nursing
• The Role of Nursing in Mental Health Treatment
• Occupational Health and Safety for Nurses
• Emergency Nursing Procedures and Protocols
• Oncology Nursing and Patient Support
• Nursing Ethics in Genetic Counseling
• The Impact of Nursing on Hospital Readmissions
• Trauma and Critical Care Nursing Practices

Historical Context of Nursing

Influential figures have been instrumental in shaping the trajectory of nursing. Florence Nightingale, often revered as the pioneer of modern nursing, introduced principles of hygiene and sanitation during the Crimean War, dramatically reducing mortality rates (McDonald, 2001). Her subsequent establishment of the first secular nursing school at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London set the foundation for formal nursing education. Another seminal figure, Clara Barton, known for her role in founding the American Red Cross, emphasized the importance of nursing in public health and disaster response (Pryor, 1988). These pioneers not only advanced nursing practice but also elevated the status of nursing to a respected profession.

The emergence and development of nursing education and professional standards have further defined nursing as a critical component of the healthcare system. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the establishment of nursing schools that not only imparted technical skills but also instilled a professional ethos. The American Nurses Association, formed in 1911, and the International Council of Nurses, established in 1899, began setting professional standards and advocating for the rights of nurses and the nursing profession worldwide (Dock & Stewart, 1938). As the 20th century progressed, nursing education expanded to universities, embracing scientific research and evidence-based practice, which has continued to elevate the profession’s standards and scope of practice.

Theoretical Foundations of Nursing

The theoretical underpinnings of nursing serve as the scaffolding for the profession, offering guidance and a framework for nursing practice, research, and education. Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory, which emphasizes the importance of the patient’s environment in healing, laid the groundwork for modern nursing theory (Nightingale, 1860). Subsequent nursing theories have expanded on this foundation, integrating concepts from health, personhood, environment, and nursing itself. For instance, Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory focuses on the nurse’s role in assisting patients to achieve independence and wholeness through the fulfillment of basic human needs (Henderson, 1966).

The utilization of these theories in clinical practice is not merely academic; it directly influences patient care. Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, for instance, centers on the relationship between patient and nurse and proposes that caring can promote health better than a simple medical cure (Watson, 1979). This theory has been employed in various healthcare settings, shaping patient-nurse interactions by fostering a holistic approach to care that encompasses physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

The progression from basic nursing practice to advanced practice is also deeply intertwined with theoretical knowledge. Advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse anesthetists, draw upon a rich theoretical foundation to inform their decision-making and practice. For example, Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory outlines the stages of clinical competence, providing a framework for the continual growth and development that characterize the journey from novice nurse to expert practitioner (Benner, 1984). This theoretical model not only guides nurses in their personal professional development but also underscores the value of experience and education in delivering high-quality, nuanced patient care.

In essence, nursing theories are not static constructs but are dynamic and integral to the ongoing development of nursing as a science and an art. They provide a lens through which nurses can understand their practice, contribute to patient outcomes, and advance the field of nursing.

Nursing Education and Professional Development

Educational pathways and licensing for nurses.

The educational journey for nurses is a cornerstone of the healthcare profession, ensuring that the individuals caring for patients possess the necessary knowledge and skills. This journey typically begins with foundational programs that lead to initial licensure. Prospective nurses may choose between several educational pathways, such as diploma programs, which historically were the most common route, associate degree programs (ADN), which offer a balance of time-efficiency and thorough preparation, and bachelor’s degree programs in nursing (BSN), which have become increasingly favored in recent years (Institute of Medicine, 2010). The BSN programs, in particular, are gaining prominence due to research indicating that a higher level of education among nursing staff is correlated with better patient outcomes, including lower mortality rates and improved quality of care (Aiken et al., 2014). Following the completion of these academic programs, graduates must successfully pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN for registered nurses) to practice as licensed professionals. This examination serves as a critical gatekeeper, ensuring that all practicing nurses meet a standardized competency level to provide safe and effective patient care.

Ongoing Education and Areas of Specialization within Nursing

The field of nursing is one characterized by lifelong learning, with ongoing education seen as both a professional responsibility and a personal commitment to excellence in patient care. Advanced practice nurses (APNs), including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives, often require a master’s degree (MSN) or doctoral degrees (DNP or PhD) to specialize and practice independently or in advanced roles (Institute of Medicine, 2010). Specialized areas such as pediatrics, gerontology, oncology, and cardiac care not only require advanced knowledge but also specific clinical skills that are often acquired through additional certification programs and clinical practice hours. These specialized roles are integral to the healthcare system, providing targeted care that addresses the specific needs of diverse patient populations. The demand for specialization is anticipated to grow, particularly as healthcare becomes more complex and the population ages, necessitating a workforce adept in specialized care (Buerhaus et al., 2017).

Influence of Professional Nursing Organizations on Career Advancement

The role of professional nursing organizations is pivotal in fostering a nurse’s career development. These organizations, such as the American Nurses Association (ANA), Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), and the International Council of Nurses (ICN), provide members with access to a wealth of resources that are essential for professional growth and development. They offer opportunities for continuing education, professional networking, and leadership development, all of which are critical for career advancement (Matthews, 2012). In addition to educational benefits, these organizations advocate for the profession’s interests, influencing policy and legislation that affect nursing practice and healthcare delivery. Active participation in these organizations can elevate a nurse’s professional profile, open doors to leadership positions, and contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession as a whole.

In conclusion, nursing education and professional development are essential components of a robust healthcare system. As the demands of healthcare evolve, so too must the educational and professional development opportunities available to nurses. Ensuring that nurses have access to quality education and ongoing professional development is critical not only for their personal career advancement but also for the provision of high-quality patient care.

Ethical and Legal Considerations in Nursing

The practice of nursing is deeply entrenched in ethical and legal principles that guide the profession in providing safe, compassionate, and competent care to patients. Nursing ethics, a subset of bioethics, involves dilemmas and decisions nurses must navigate in their daily practice, often relating to issues such as patient autonomy, informed consent, confidentiality, and the allocation of healthcare resources (Fry & Johnstone, 2002). Nurses are commonly faced with ethical issues like end-of-life care decisions, handling cases of potential abuse, and respecting patients’ wishes even when they conflict with the family’s desires or the healthcare team’s opinions (ANA, 2015).

Legal responsibilities in nursing practice are equally important, as nurses must operate within the boundaries of the law to protect their patients, themselves, and their employers. In the United States, for instance, nurses must adhere to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which governs the confidentiality and security of patient health information (Annas, 2003). Furthermore, nurses are legally obligated to report any suspected abuse or neglect and must maintain a high standard of care to avoid negligence claims.

The critical nature of ethical decision-making and adherence to legal standards in nursing cannot be overstated. Ethical decision-making models can assist nurses in systematically approaching difficult decisions, allowing them to consider all aspects of a situation before taking action (Butts & Rich, 2013). The American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics provides a foundational framework for nurses to carry out their responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession (ANA, 2015).

In essence, the convergence of ethics and law in nursing practice serves as the bedrock upon which the integrity of the profession stands. It is imperative for nurses to continually educate themselves on ethical principles and legal requirements, which are ever-changing as societal norms evolve and new health care laws and regulations emerge.

Nursing Practice and Patient Care

Nursing practice encompasses a broad range of responsibilities that vary significantly across different healthcare environments. In hospitals, nurses are involved in direct patient care, administering medications, monitoring vital signs, and collaborating with physicians to provide comprehensive care plans (Blegen, Goode, & Spetz, 2013). In community settings, nurses may focus more on health promotion and disease prevention, conducting screenings, and educational programs. In long-term care facilities, nurses often manage chronic conditions, support rehabilitation, and provide end-of-life care. The scope of practice is also influenced by state laws and licensure requirements, which delineate the level of autonomy a nurse has in performing procedures and making clinical decisions (Huston, 2013).

Nursing care methodologies are guided by the principles of evidence-based practice, which involves integrating clinical expertise with the best available evidence and patient preferences (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011). This approach ensures that nursing interventions are not only scientifically sound but also tailored to individual patient needs. For instance, patient-centered care models emphasize the importance of understanding the patient’s experience and values, leading to personalized care plans that can result in higher patient satisfaction and better adherence to treatment recommendations.

The impact of nursing on patient care outcomes is well-documented. Research has consistently shown that higher staffing levels of nurses with baccalaureate education are associated with lower rates of hospital-acquired conditions, such as infections, falls, and pressure ulcers, and lower patient mortality rates (Aiken et al., 2014). Furthermore, the presence of advanced practice nurses, such as nurse practitioners, has been associated with improved management of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, leading to better patient outcomes (Kleinpell et al., 2014).

In conclusion, the scope of nursing practice is diverse, adapting to the unique demands of various healthcare settings. Nursing care methodologies grounded in evidence-based practice are fundamental to delivering high-quality care. The positive effects of nursing on patient care outcomes underline the importance of investing in a well-educated nursing workforce and supporting nurses in their practice to ensure optimal patient care.

Advanced Nursing Practice

Responsibilities of advanced practice nurses (apns).

Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) are registered nurses who have achieved advanced levels of education and training. Their responsibilities extend well beyond those of a registered nurse (RN) and are characterized by a higher degree of clinical autonomy and expertise. Nurse Practitioners (NPs), one of the four primary APN roles, provide a full spectrum of healthcare services, including the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses. Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) offer expertise in specialized areas such as oncology, pediatrics, or geriatrics, and focus on improving health care systems and outcomes. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) provide anesthesia and related care before, during, and after surgical procedures, while Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) offer primary care for women, including gynecological and obstetric services (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2006).

APNs are expected to lead initiatives to improve health care quality and patient safety. They are involved in developing and implementing evidence-based practices, conducting research, and contributing to health policy. In primary care settings, NPs often serve as patients’ primary healthcare provider, coordinating care, counseling on preventive health measures, and managing overall patient wellness. This level of responsibility has proven particularly vital in rural and underserved urban areas, where APNs frequently serve as the most accessible health care providers (Stanley, 2005).

The Role of APNs in Healthcare Delivery and Patient Outcomes

The contribution of APNs to healthcare delivery is substantial, with research consistently demonstrating positive patient outcomes under their care. Studies have shown that patients under the care of NPs often experience lower hospital readmission rates, shorter hospital stays, and higher satisfaction with care. Similarly, CNSs have been shown to significantly improve patient outcomes through their expert interventions and system changes in specialty and acute care settings (Begley et al., 2010).

The role of APNs extends into the management of chronic diseases, where their patient-centered approach and emphasis on education and self-care have resulted in improved management of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and respiratory diseases. Their unique blend of clinical expertise and holistic care aligns well with contemporary healthcare delivery models that emphasize patient engagement and chronic disease management (Kaplan & Brown, 2017).

Regulatory Considerations for APNs

The regulatory framework for APNs is complex and varies by jurisdiction. In the United States, for example, the scope of practice for APNs is determined at the state level, leading to a patchwork of regulations that can vary widely. Some states grant “full practice” status, allowing APNs to evaluate patients; diagnose, initiate, and manage treatments; and prescribe medications independently. Other states have “reduced” or “restricted” practice, requiring collaboration, supervision, or team management by another health provider, such as a physician (Pearson, 2015).

Ongoing debates regarding the scope of practice for APNs often center on patient safety, access to care, and the utilization of the full capabilities of APNs. Proponents of expanding APN practice authority argue that such measures are essential to address the shortage of primary care providers, especially in underserved areas. Conversely, opponents express concerns about ensuring consistent quality of care across diverse healthcare settings (Auerbach et al., 2012).

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, it is likely that the roles and regulations governing APNs will also change. The future may see a greater harmonization of scope-of-practice laws to reflect the growing body of evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of APN care. Professional organizations like the AACN and the American Nurses Association (ANA) continue to advocate for the removal of practice barriers for APNs, emphasizing the need for healthcare policy to adapt to the modern realities of healthcare delivery and to optimize the contributions of these skilled professionals.

In summary, Advanced Practice Nurses hold crucial roles in the healthcare delivery system, with their advanced clinical skills and education significantly impacting patient care outcomes. As the demand for high-quality healthcare increases, the responsibilities and autonomy of APNs are likely to expand, necessitating a regulatory environment that supports their full contribution to patient care.

Challenges and Opportunities in Nursing

The nursing profession, while deeply rewarding, is not without its challenges. Contemporary issues in nursing span a variety of complex and interrelated themes, from addressing the nursing shortage to managing the stress and burnout associated with increasingly high patient loads and administrative duties (Kovner, Brewer, & Djukic, 2009). The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted these challenges, placing unprecedented demands on nurses and the healthcare system at large.

Despite these challenges, the future of nursing is ripe with potential for innovation and growth. Technological advancements are rapidly transforming healthcare, and with it, the nursing profession. Telehealth, electronic health records, and advanced medical devices are creating new realms of practice and opportunities for improving patient care. Nurses are poised to play a crucial role in the integration and optimization of these technologies within healthcare delivery (Risling, 2017).

The prospects for professional growth and leadership within nursing are also expanding. There is a growing recognition of the need for nurses to occupy decision-making roles in healthcare policy and administration. Leadership programs and doctoral education, including the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, are preparing nurses to lead change in healthcare, ensuring that nurses have a voice in shaping the policies and practices that affect their profession and the care of their patients (Institute of Medicine, 2010).

Furthermore, the push towards interprofessional education and collaborative practice models is creating new avenues for nurses to lead in the coordination of patient care. As patient advocates and care coordinators, nurses are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap among various healthcare disciplines, contributing to more holistic, patient-centered care (Institute of Medicine, 2010).

Nurses are also expanding their roles in public health, community outreach, and global health initiatives, addressing broader social determinants of health and working to reduce health disparities. The expertise of nurses in health promotion, disease prevention, and emergency preparedness is increasingly vital in the face of global health challenges such as pandemics, climate change, and population aging (Kovner et al., 2009).

In conclusion, while nursing faces a set of substantial challenges, the profession is also presented with numerous opportunities for innovation, growth, and leadership. The future will likely see nurses stepping into more diverse roles, leveraging technology to improve patient care, and taking on greater leadership in health policy and system design. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, the nursing profession will remain an indispensable pillar, adapting to meet the changing needs of patients and communities worldwide.

Global Nursing and Healthcare

Nursing’s role in global health is both vast and essential, encompassing a wide range of activities from direct patient care to participation in policy development and implementation. Nurses are often at the forefront of international health initiatives, working with communities to address health concerns, improve access to care, and reduce health disparities. Their involvement is crucial in areas such as infectious disease control, maternal and child health, and non-communicable disease management. Global health nursing not only refers to the work done by nurses within their own countries but also includes their contributions on an international scale, such as through humanitarian relief efforts or health education programs in low-resource settings (Benton, Ferguson, & Pérez, 2016).

International nursing standards and practices are developed to ensure a consistent and high-quality level of nursing care across different countries and healthcare systems. These standards, often set by professional nursing organizations like the International Council of Nurses (ICN), guide the education, licensure, and practice of nurses globally. They serve as a framework for the delivery of culturally sensitive and evidence-based care and are integral to the advancement of the nursing profession worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) also contributes to setting global standards for nursing and midwifery, recognizing the critical role these professionals play in achieving international health goals (World Health Organization, 2020).

Cultural competence in nursing is increasingly recognized as a critical component of healthcare delivery in a globalized world. As populations become more diverse, nurses must be equipped with the skills and knowledge to provide care that respects cultural differences and values. This includes understanding how cultural backgrounds can influence health beliefs, practices, and patient interactions. Developing cultural competence involves a combination of education, self-awareness, and experiential learning, and is an ongoing process. Culturally competent nurses are better able to establish trust with patients, leading to improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction (Campinha-Bacote, 2011).

In summary, the impact of nursing on global health is profound and multifaceted. Nurses contribute significantly to healthcare delivery in diverse cultural contexts, and their role in the international healthcare landscape continues to expand. As they advocate for and implement global health initiatives, nurses are also instrumental in setting international standards and practices. Moreover, cultural competence remains a critical skill for nurses as they navigate the complexities of a global patient population. The future of global nursing is one of increased interconnectivity, cultural understanding, and collaboration across borders to meet the health challenges of the 21st century.

Nursing Leadership and Administration

Leadership theories applicable to nursing.

Leadership within nursing is not just a positional role but a pivotal function that influences healthcare delivery at all levels. Various leadership theories have been adapted to the nursing context to promote effective management and guide professional practice. Transformational leadership, which fosters an inspiring vision and encourages team members to exceed their own interests for the sake of the group or organization, is particularly resonant in nursing (Doody & Doody, 2012). This leadership style aligns well with the collaborative nature of healthcare, encouraging nurses to take initiative and contribute innovatively to patient care. Similarly, servant leadership, which emphasizes the leader’s role as a caretaker who prioritizes the needs of others, including team members and patients, is another model that has proven effective in nursing settings. It promotes a people-first approach, crucial in the patient-centered environment of healthcare.

Management of Healthcare Teams and Resources by Nurses

Nurse leaders are responsible for the management of healthcare teams, often navigating complex dynamics to ensure cohesive and efficient functioning. Effective team management involves conflict resolution, delegation, communication, and advocacy. Nurse administrators also play a critical role in resource management, which includes staffing, budgeting, and ensuring that the clinical setting is equipped to provide high-quality care (Marquis & Huston, 2015). They must be adept at balancing fiscal responsibility with the ethical imperative to provide the best possible patient care, which can involve making tough decisions about resource allocation in a healthcare landscape often characterized by scarcity and competing needs.

Strategic Planning for Nursing Quality Improvement

Strategic planning in nursing is essential to foster quality improvement and advance healthcare goals. Nurse leaders are integral to this process, as they help to set objectives, outline strategies, and implement plans that aim to improve patient outcomes and care delivery processes. Quality improvement in nursing can encompass a wide array of initiatives, from reducing hospital-acquired infections to improving patient satisfaction scores or streamlining discharge processes. Through the use of quality improvement models such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles or Six Sigma, nurse leaders can systematically analyze current practices, identify areas for improvement, and measure the impact of implemented changes (Sherwood & Barnsteiner, 2012).

In summary, nursing leadership and administration are critical to the functioning and advancement of healthcare services. Nurse leaders and administrators must be well-versed in leadership theories that can be applied effectively within healthcare environments. They are tasked with the important responsibilities of managing diverse healthcare teams, efficiently utilizing resources, and leading strategic initiatives for quality improvement. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, the roles of nurse leaders and administrators become increasingly vital in shaping the future of patient care and nursing practice.

Technology and Innovation in Nursing

The integration of information technology into healthcare has had a transformative effect on the nursing profession. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have become a standard in modern healthcare facilities, significantly impacting the way nurses manage and record patient care. EHRs enhance communication between healthcare providers, improve access to patient information, and facilitate more accurate and efficient documentation (Hebda & Czar, 2013). Moreover, information technology has streamlined many processes, such as medication ordering and lab results retrieval, reducing the potential for errors and allowing nurses more time for direct patient care.

Telehealth has emerged as a rapidly expanding sector within nursing, propelled by advances in technology and the need for accessible healthcare. Telehealth nursing allows patients to receive care remotely, increasing access for those in rural or underserved areas. It also enables continuous patient monitoring and management of chronic conditions, improving patient outcomes while reducing hospital visits and readmissions (Rutledge et al., 2017). For nurses, telehealth has opened new roles and responsibilities, including serving as telehealth coordinators or specialists, requiring them to develop new skill sets for the effective delivery of remote care.

Innovation in nursing care is continually advancing, with new technologies being applied to improve patient outcomes and nursing workflows. Wearable health devices and sensors can now provide real-time data on patient vitals, allowing for immediate interventions when necessary. Robotics in nursing, although still in its early stages, is beginning to assist in tasks ranging from patient transport to surgery, potentially revolutionizing the future of nursing practice. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) applications in nursing are being explored for their ability to analyze vast amounts of health data to assist in clinical decision-making (Topol, 2019).

In conclusion, technology and innovation are driving significant changes in nursing practice, offering opportunities to enhance patient care and improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery. As the adoption of these technologies continues to grow, nursing education and professional development programs will need to evolve to equip nurses with the necessary competencies to thrive in a technologically advanced healthcare environment.

Public Health and Community Nursing

Community health nursing is a vital branch of nursing that focuses on the health needs of entire populations. It operates on the principles of social justice, equity, and the social determinants of health, aiming to provide and improve access to care, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. This practice is characterized by a holistic approach that considers the multifaceted aspects of health, including physical, psychological, social, and environmental factors. Community health nurses work in various settings, from schools and community centers to homes and neighborhood clinics, delivering care that is culturally sensitive and tailored to the specific needs of the community (Maurer & Smith, 2013). They engage in comprehensive care that includes health education, advocacy, and policy development to facilitate environments that promote good health.

Nurses play an integral role in public health initiatives, often serving as the primary link between healthcare systems and communities. They are involved in designing and implementing programs that target major public health concerns such as infectious diseases, obesity, substance abuse, and mental health. Their involvement is not limited to the provision of direct care but also includes policy advocacy and collaboration with governmental and non-governmental organizations to address health disparities and influence health policy (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2015). Public health nurses may also participate in emergency preparedness and response, playing critical roles in managing and mitigating the effects of natural disasters, epidemics, and bioterrorism threats.

The strategies employed by nurses in disease prevention and health promotion are grounded in evidence-based practice and public health science. Nurses conduct screenings and immunization clinics, provide counseling and education on healthy lifestyle choices, and support chronic disease management programs. They also utilize community assessment techniques to identify health risks and develop targeted interventions that can prevent disease and promote health across populations (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2014). By focusing on prevention, nurses contribute to the reduction of healthcare costs and the burden of disease, ultimately improving the overall health and well-being of the communities they serve.

In conclusion, public health and community nursing are essential components of the healthcare system, emphasizing prevention, health promotion, and the well-being of populations. Nurses in this field are advocates, educators, and leaders in health initiatives, committed to improving community health and shaping health policies. As society continues to face complex health challenges, the role of public health and community nurses will remain critical in fostering healthy and resilient communities.

Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice

The role of research in nursing practice development.

Research in nursing is pivotal for the development and enhancement of nursing practice. It forms the backbone of clinical decision-making, ensuring that nursing care is based on the latest and most reliable evidence. Engaging in research activities empowers nurses to validate and refine existing knowledge and to discover new insights into patient care, disease management, health promotion, and prevention (Polit & Beck, 2017). Moreover, nursing research drives the profession forward by fostering a culture of inquiry and lifelong learning among nurses. It enables practitioners to stay abreast of advancements in healthcare, thereby continually improving practices and patient care outcomes. This dedication to research also helps elevate the nursing profession by demonstrating the complexity and scientific rigor involved in nursing practice, which is critical for gaining recognition and respect from interdisciplinary team members and stakeholders.

Research Methods in Nursing

Nursing research encompasses a variety of methods tailored to the specific questions being addressed. Quantitative research methods, such as experimental and quasi-experimental designs, provide a means to test hypotheses and establish causal relationships. Surveys and epidemiological studies are also common quantitative methods that allow for the examination of trends, attitudes, and the prevalence of health-related issues within populations. On the other hand, qualitative research methods, including phenomenology, grounded theory, and ethnography, enable researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the human experience related to health, illness, and nursing care (Creswell & Creswell, 2017). These methodologies can reveal the complexities of patient behaviors, the meanings individuals ascribe to health experiences, and the social context of health and illness.

Mixed-methods research, which combines both quantitative and qualitative approaches, has gained popularity in nursing research. This methodological approach provides a comprehensive perspective, allowing for the exploration of multifaceted health phenomena. It enables nurse researchers to address research questions with a broader scope, enhancing the depth and breadth of understanding required to inform practice. By employing a mixed-methods approach, researchers can corroborate findings across different methods, increasing the validity and reliability of the results (Creswell & Creswell, 2017).

Application of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing

The application of evidence-based practice (EBP) is a hallmark of modern nursing care. EBP involves a systematic process of appraising and incorporating the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and patient preferences. It is an ongoing, dynamic process that requires the ability to ask relevant clinical questions, search for and critically appraise the literature, implement appropriate interventions, and evaluate outcomes (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011). The use of EBP allows nurses to provide care that is not only scientifically justified but also aligned with the values and needs of patients, resulting in higher quality and more personalized care.

Nursing education programs now emphasize the importance of EBP, equipping future nurses with the skills needed to integrate research findings into their clinical practice. Furthermore, many healthcare organizations have developed EBP guidelines and protocols to standardize care and ensure that all patients receive the most effective treatments. Nurse leaders and managers play a critical role in fostering an organizational culture that values EBP, by providing resources, facilitating training, and encouraging the dissemination and implementation of research findings.

Healthcare organizations that prioritize EBP often establish dedicated roles or departments focused on research and quality improvement. These departments work to translate research findings into practice, develop policies, and evaluate the impact of care interventions on patient outcomes. They also collaborate with academic institutions and research organizations to conduct clinical trials and other research studies within the clinical setting.

Challenges and Future Directions in Nursing Research and EBP

Despite the recognized value of EBP, there are several challenges to its full integration into nursing practice. These include a lack of time, limited access to research resources, and insufficient training in research methods and critical appraisal skills. Addressing these barriers is crucial for the advancement of nursing practice and requires a concerted effort from educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and the nursing profession itself.

The future of nursing research and EBP is promising, with advancements in technology providing new avenues for research dissemination and education. Online databases, digital libraries, and mobile applications are making research findings more accessible than ever before. Virtual reality and simulation technologies offer innovative ways to educate nurses on EBP and to evaluate the impact of care without risking patient safety.

As nursing continues to advance as a research-based profession, it is likely that more nurses will engage in research activities and contribute to the body of knowledge that underpins nursing practice. The integration of EBP into all levels of nursing care will continue to be a priority, ensuring that patients receive care that is not only compassionate and patient-centered but also empirically sound.

In summarizing the central themes of this comprehensive examination of nursing, it is clear that the nursing profession serves as a linchpin within the health sector. From the historical context to the modern evolution of nursing practices, this paper has underscored the dynamic and essential role that nurses play in patient care and the broader healthcare system. Nurses not only provide hands-on care but also engage in critical thinking, leadership, and advocacy that shape healthcare delivery and policy (Institute of Medicine, 2010).

The scope of nursing practice, as discussed, has expanded far beyond its traditional boundaries, now encompassing advanced practice roles, a commitment to public health, and a central role in global healthcare initiatives. Nurses are at the forefront of integrating evidence-based practice into clinical settings, ensuring that patient care is guided by the best available evidence and patient values. The profession has risen to the challenge of embracing technological advancements and innovations, from telehealth to sophisticated health informatics systems, which have revolutionized the way nursing care is delivered and documented (Huston, 2013).

Looking to the future, nursing is poised to continue its trajectory of growth and influence. As the demands of healthcare evolve with an aging population, emerging global health threats, and complex chronic health conditions, the need for skilled, compassionate, and innovative nurses is more pronounced than ever. The profession must continue to advocate for advanced education, research opportunities, and practice environments that enable nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training.

Nursing’s future will also be characterized by a continued emphasis on interprofessional collaboration, as patient care becomes more integrated and team-based. Nurses will undoubtedly take on leadership roles in these teams, utilizing their expertise in patient care coordination and holistic care to improve health outcomes and patient experiences (American Nurses Association, 2015).

In conclusion, the field of nursing is not static but continually advancing, driven by research, technological innovations, and an unwavering commitment to patient care. As this paper has demonstrated, nursing is central to the health sector, and its future trajectory is one of greater impact, with the potential to shape the face of healthcare in the years to come.

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• Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2015). Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community . Elsevier Health Sciences.
• Stanley, J. M. (2005). Advanced practice nursing: Emphasizing common roles. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.
• Topol, E. J. (2019). Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again . Basic Books.
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• World Health Organization. (2020). State of the World’s Nursing 2020: Investing in Education, Jobs and Leadership. Geneva: World Health Organization.

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Why Choose Nursing as a Career?

Whether you’re passionate about healthcare, seeking security, or craving a meaningful profession, nursing could be a great career for you.

Nursing offers many professional and moral advantages, making it a very popular career path. But is it right for you? In this article, we'll run through the basics of nursing, this career's potential benefits, how you become a nurse, and more to help you decide what your next steps should be.

What Are a Nurse’s Main Responsibilities?

First, let's run through what it's like to be a nurse. These care providers' main responsibilities include: 

• Assessing and observing patients.
• Administering medications and treatments.
• Creating and implementing patient care plans.
• Performing wound care.
• Assisting in medical procedures.
• Drawing blood and taking urine samples.
• Educating patients and family members about care plans and answering questions.
• Supervising vocational nurses. 
• Documenting detailed and accurate patient records.

It's important to note the emotional aspect of a career in nursing. You’ll work with people experiencing varying levels of challenges, meaning you’ll also provide emotional support to them. This is especially true when dealing with severe illness, injuries, or difficult medical decisions.

Ultimately, no two days will ever look the same, but what remains constant is a nurse’s responsibility to patients' health and well-being, no matter what. 

What Are the Advantages of Becoming a Nurse?

Despite the challenges you'll encounter as a nurse, there are tangible benefits to this line of work. Let's break down just a few of the many.

Significant Contribution to Society

Nursing allows you to make an immediate, positive impact on patients' lives. You can offer hope to those who are nervous or struggling via essential medical advice. Despite the challenges nurses encounter, professionals in this field report high levels of job satisfaction because of the sense of accomplishment they get from their work.

High Salaries

Nursing salaries will vary based on where you work, but they tend to be competitive wages. You can earn a nursing degree in two to six years, which means you're looking at an extremely advantageous salary with very little time required to learn. As of May 2022, registered nurses' median annual wage was $81,220, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Flexibility With Work Scheduling

A huge benefit to becoming a nurse is the flexibility within a weekly work schedule. As you begin your nursing career, you may work more hours or be required to work the night shift until you’ve gained enough experience to have more autonomy in your career. To be a full-time employee, you must work at least 36-40 hours per week, but part-time hours are also available to those looking to be on-call for less than 36 hours. 

Many Opportunities for Specialization and Growth

You don't need to stop at the registered nurse role. While a rewarding role on its own, if you're interested in focusing your nursing career in a specific area, there are several paths to choose from, such as critical care, pediatrics, and oncology. You can start as a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse and pursue advanced degrees or certifications to become a nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, or clinical nurse specialist, among other roles. 

Nurses Are Needed Everywhere

When you graduate with a nursing degree, the world is your oyster. That's because nurses are needed around the globe. Should you choose to become a travel nurse, either for a short- or long-term period, you could enjoy competitive compensation packages, making this decision even more rewarding beyond the opportunity to practice in new locations.

What To Expect From Nursing School

If everything sounds appealing to you so far, it's time to discuss what your nursing education would be like. At Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, several degree options will prepare you for a career in the nursing field .

Undergraduate Nursing School Programs

Bachelor of science in nursing - accelerated.

A Bachelor of Science (BSN) is an accelerated 32-month program that helps students gain real-world experience while studying and accomplishing nursing courses. The BSN program covers a wide range of materials, from biology and chemistry to pharmacology and community health. What normally takes four years can be accomplished in three, enabling students to jump into their careers even faster than a traditional pathway. Those who complete the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Postbaccalaureate

A Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Postbaccalaureate program is designed for individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree and wish to gain the skill sets necessary to enter the nursing field. This 16-month program allows students to work alongside professionals during clinical experiences in both classroom settings and within prestigious healthcare centers. The intensive curriculum covers nursing theory, clinical skills, pharmacology, and other essential nursing knowledge areas. Upon completion of this program, learners are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). 

Family Nurse Practitioner Bridge Program - (RN to MSN)

Through the Family Nurse Practitioner Bridge Program - (RN to MSN) , students can build on their associate’s degree without needing a bachelor’s degree in nursing. This allows a smooth transition from undergraduate to graduate-level coursework. The three-year, part-time program offers clinical experience as students expand their collegiate nursing education. They widen their understanding of the professional nursing industry and move from the bridge program into the MSN-FNP portion of their study, ultimately allowing them to sit for the Family Nurse Practitioner Board Certification Exam upon completion. 

Master and Doctoral Nursing School Programs

Master of science in nursing - family nurse practitioner.

A Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program is a 24-month, part-time course of study that provides students the flexibility to work while earning a nursing diploma. Like the Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Postbaccalaureate program, the Master of Science in Nursing - FNP path offers students the opportunity to advance their bachelor’s degree with a specialty in family nursing. Students become advanced practice registered nurses who are trained to provide comprehensive healthcare services to individuals and families across a range of ages. From delivering primary patient care services to diagnosing and treating a variety of health care concerns, nursing students learn more about what it takes to become an FNP. 

Master of Science in Nursing - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

A Master of Science in Nursing - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program allows learners to achieve a specialty in psychiatric mental health in just 24 months. This part-time, online program helps nursing students build a firm, foundational knowledge of dementia, depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions. Students also dive into the doctor-patient relationship and learn about counseling best practices. After two years, learners are eligible to sit for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification. 

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a program that helps students earn an advanced degree in the hopes of achieving the highest level in the nursing profession. This 24-month, online doctoral program focuses on organization and systems leadership. Those who wish to enter this program must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, which will give them the foundational knowledge necessary to excel in this course of study. Over four semesters, they'll cover information about local and global healthcare policies, study different methods and procedures in population health, and choose from doctoral-level courses within the School of Nursing. 

Nursing Job Outlook 

After completing your education, you can expect a healthy job outlook for years to come due to several factors, including current professionals switching careers or retiring, as well as an aging population needing increased medical attention. Per the BLS, opportunities for registered nurses are expected to rise by 6% through 2032.

Get Started at MCPHS

MCPHS has helped hundreds of students enter fulfilling careers in the medical sector. Our students take nursing courses from a wide range of industry professionals, allowing them to learn from the very best. 

Here are just a few of the great comments current or past students have shared about their time at MCPHS:

“The educators here set up the labs to be as realistic as possible” - Allan St. Pierre, BS in Nursing. 

“I’m a first-generation student, so school has been everything to me. I think MCPHS has really prepared me for a career. The professors and the students here are all really amicable. The support is there, and it’s felt.” - Michele Bravo-Moran, BS in Nursing.

“I’m a very independent person, and I wanted more autonomy in my career. My work now can be difficult, but it’s very rewarding. I’m helping people rehabilitate their lives.” - Jennifer Onwuka, Doctor of Nursing Practice.

If you think nursing could be a great career for you, start on the right path by applying to our nursing program  today. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the program or the nursing sector.

Take the next step toward your academic and career goals at MCPHS.

Explore our campuses with an in-person or virtual tour.

Start the path toward a fulfilling future in healthcare and life sciences.

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Curious about the length of nursing school? Learn what nursing program options the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has to offer.

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• v.7(4); 2020 Jul

The role of registered nurses in primary care and public health collaboration: A scoping review

Monica swanson.

1 School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada

4 Present address: North Island College, Courtenay BC, Canada

Sabrina T. Wong

2 School of Nursing and Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada

Ruth Martin‐Misener

3 School of Nursing, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS, Canada

Annette J. Browne

Associated data.

The purpose of this work was to examine the roles of Registered Nurses (RNs) in primary care (PC) and public health (PH) collaboration. Additionally, we aimed to explore whether the current scope of practice for RNs is adequate to support their roles in PC/PH collaboration.

A scoping review of current literature relating to the RN’s role in PC/PH collaboration was conducted using the PRISMA 2009 checklist.

The review used key terms: primary care, public health, collaboration, nursing and nurse role across six electronic databases; 23 articles that were included in the final review were published over a 7‐year span.

Four key RN roles relating to PC/PH collaboration were identified: relationship builder, outreach professional, programme facilitator and care coordinator. RNs supported transitions in chronic disease, communicable disease care and maternity care at various healthcare system levels including systemic, organizational, intrapersonal and interpersonal levels.

1. INTRODUCTION

Worldwide, attention is being given to the transformation of healthcare systems from an illness focus to one that is person‐centred and health‐promotive (World Health Organization (WHO), 2016 ), with calls for improving access to high‐quality collaborative care (Farmanova et al., 2016 ), especially in community‐based primary health care (Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD), 2017 ; WHO, 2016 ). Healthcare systems with poor collaboration are inefficient, expensive and not well equipped to handle the potential “tsunami wave effect” of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and mental illness (Millar, Bruce, Cheng, Masse, & McKeown, 2013 ) in addition to episodic crises such as avian flu or fentanyl overdose epidemics.

2. BACKGROUND

There are increasing calls for the improvement of collaborative care, which would promote optimal patient care. One way to improve the effectiveness of the healthcare system is collaboration between primary care (PC) and public health (PH) (Institute of Medicine, 2012 ; Strumpf et al., 2012 ; Valaitis et al., 2013 ). The public health system, generally, is legally driven to administer communicable disease management, environmental monitoring and health promotion. Primary care is responsible for being the “first door” to the healthcare system, providing generalized health care throughout the lifespan from infancy to older adulthood. Evidence suggests that collaboration between PC and PH systems can be especially beneficial in circumstances where care delivery and management is complex (Valaitis et al., 2013 ). Communicable disease management such as influenza, chronic disease care such as diabetes and asthma, complex maternal/child health care and care delivery to vulnerable populations experiencing health and social inequities are examples of areas of care that would benefit from collaboration between PC and PH. However, health care can be fragmented and discontinuous, making PH/PC collaboration difficult (Hutchison, Levesque, Strumpf, & Coyle, 2011 ). Collaboration for the purposes of this paper means healthcare professionals assuming complementary roles and working together towards a common goal enhanced patient care (O’Daniel & Rosentein, 2008 ). Workforce analysis of who would do this collaborative work falls on physicians and nurses as the largest health professionals in the two systems. Based on their size in numbers, Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) could play an important role in strengthening collaboration between PC and PH (Valaitis et al., 2013 ).

Nurses constitute the largest workforce in PH and increasingly in PC (Ammi, Ambrose, Hogg, & Wong, 2017 ; Wong et al., 2015 ). Based on their scope of practice, which includes health promotion, collaboration and chronic disease care (Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association, 2017 ; British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals, 2018 ), nurses should be considered in primary healthcare system renewal (Fraher, Spetz, & Naylor, 2015 ; Smolowitz et al., 2015 ).

There is a clear need to clarify and optimize the RN’s role in PC/PH collaboration (Bauer & Bodenheimer, 2017 ; Fraher et al., 2015 ; Halcomb, Stephens, Bryce, Foley, & Ashley, 2016 ; Martin‐Misener & Bryant‐Lukosius, 2014 ), using their skills in health promotion and disease prevention and collaboration. Yet, the lack of RN role clarification and competency standards in this area (Halcomb et al., 2016 ; Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, 2012 ) and structural challenges such as restrictive funding models that inhibit team‐based care (Bauer & Bodenheimer, 2017 ; Hutchinson et al., 2011 ) impedes the uptake of the RN role in these areas (Martin‐Misener & Bryant‐Lukosius, 2014 ).

The purpose of this work was to examine the roles of RN in PC/PH collaboration in relation to their scope of practice. Specifically, we answer the following questions: (a) What are the roles of RNs in PC/PH collaboration; and (b) is the current scope of practice for RNs adequate to support their roles and activities in PC/PH collaboration? This research focused specifically on RN degree‐prepared nurses; other nursing designations such as NPs and LPNs were not included in this review due to RNs’ size in numbers and potential impact on the healthcare system and the differing scopes of practice of NPs and LPNs.

A scoping review of the RN’s role in PC/PH collaboration was conducted. One of the goals of using a scoping review is to further enhance understanding, applicability and refinement of research questions that are broad and complex or have not been studied, for example RNs’ role in collaboration between PC and PH in this research (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005 ; Colquhoun et al., 2014 ). Using this methodology illuminates the RN’s role in PC/PH collaboration and may assist in the development of future research questions. The PRISMA checklist (see File S1 ) provided support for reporting findings.

Drawing on the work of Arksey and O’Malley ( 2005 ), Levac, Colquhoun, and O’Brien ( 2010 ) and Valaitis et al. ( 2012 ), we followed six steps in conducting our research: identifying the research questions; searching for relevant studies; selecting studies; charting the data and collating; summarizing; and reporting the results.

4.1. Search strategy and study selection

Our database search consisted of: PubMed, CINAHL; Cochrane; PsycInfo; Sociological Abstracts; Web of Science; and Dissertation International. We also scanned reference lists of included articles and conducted Web searches of government, healthcare associations and research networks for key documents and information. Finally, a general Internet search using key terms was used to capture grey literature and/or other information not gained from formal databases. Key terms used in the search included the following: primary care, public health, collaboration, public health nurse, community health nurse, nurse, patient care teams and nurse's roles. A health science librarian at the University of British Columbia supported this scoping review (Appendix S1 ).

Papers addressed at least one of the following: structures and processes supporting RN’s role in PC/PH collaboration or patient population indicators and outcomes of RN collaboration between PC and PH. Papers were excluded if they addressed PH or PC alone; contained no evidence of collaboration; did not describe the RN’s role in collaboration; or were not published in English (Figure  1 ). Articles published between January 2009– January 2016 were screened for applicability. These dates were chosen to build on the Canadian scoping review completed by Martin‐Misener et al. ( 2012 ) and to capture additional international literature around PC/PH RN implementation. Literature published from 2016–present (Pratt et al., 2018 ; Valaitis, Meagher‐Stewart, Martin‐Misener, Wong, & MacDonald, 2018 ; Wong et al., 2017 ) provides more information on systemic and organizational considerations in PC/PH collaboration; however, they do not specifically address the nurse role.

PRISMA Diagram

Papers were from the USA, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, the UK and New Zealand. Commentaries were included if they brought context to the research question. In this scoping review, limited grey literature was retrieved and did not inform this study.

4.2. Analysis

Data were extracted using the concept of “charting the data” as suggested in Arksey and O’Malley ( 2005 ). This process is similar to data extraction in a systematic review but involves taking a comprehensive approach to the material and compiling it in a manner that contextualizes the outcomes; this makes it more suitable to readers who will use the findings to inform practice and policy decisions. Data were coded into the following categories: type and/or purpose of collaboration; participants involved in the collaboration; RN’s role in the collaboration; geographic context/situation (urban/rural); health focus such as mental health, maternal or communicable disease; motivators for collaboration; characteristics and attributes of collaboration; and results and indicators of success. We used an interpretive description approach (Thorne, 2016 ) to analyse the coded data and formulate themes.

Data pertaining to the RN’s role in PC/PH collaboration were also analysed using intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational and systemic levels identified in the Ecological Framework for Building Successful Collaboration between Primary Care and Public Health (Appendix S2 ; Valaitis et al., 2013 ). This framework identifies supporting factors at each level that enhance collaboration between PH and PC sectors. It also provided guidance in the data analysis phase of by allowing us to understand the RN’s role in the context of collaboration and from a lens that identifies collaboration beyond the interpersonal and intrapersonal levels. To ensure credibility and study rigour, data coding and analysis were reviewed by the study team throughout. To examine whether reported RN roles in PC/PH collaboration were in their general scope of practice, we examined these roles against the example of British Columbia's RN scope of practice.

In conducting this scoping review, no research ethics committee approval or patient consent was needed and therefore not obtained. No funding was obtained through this research by the authors or any conflict of interest identified.

The combined search strategy yielded a total of 56 papers, and of these, 23 papers met the inclusion criteria (Figure  1 ). Twelve papers were removed as there was no clear collaboration between PC and PH. The remaining 44 papers were read in detail, and 21 papers were excluded for no identification of nurse role. Most papers were published from 2012–2014 (see Table  1 ).

Papers included in the scoping review

The number of papers from each country, Canada ( N  = 5), the USA ( N  = 9), Europe (UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands) ( N  = 6) and Australia ( N  = 3), was included.

PC/PH collaboration was evident at various stages from full collaboration to no collaboration. Studies from the USA (Bodenheimer, Chen, & Bennett, 2009 ; Elliott et al., 2014 ; Ferrer et al., 2013 ; Lebrun et al., 2012 ; Levy et al., 2011 ; Monsen et al., 2015 ; Serpas et al., 2013 ; Weinstein et al., 2013 ) and Canada (Davies, 2012 ; Green et al., 2013 ; Kates et al., 2012 ; Levesque et al., 2013 ; Wynn & Moore, 2012 ) report the youngest collaborative PC/PH systems versus studies from the European countries (van Avendonk, Mensink, Ton Drenthen, & van binsbergen, 2012 ; Clancy, Gressnes, & Svensson, 2013 ; Kardakis, Weinehall, Jerdén, Nyström, & Johansson, 2014 ; Kelly, Glitenane, & Dowling, 2015 ; Korhonen, Järvenpää, & Kautiainen, 2014 ; Peckham, Econ, Hann, & Hons, 2011 ), which discussed PC and PH systems that merged in the early 2000s.

The most common health areas of PC/PH collaboration that involved the RN’s role were maternal/child health and primary and secondary chronic disease prevention (Table  2 ). Many of the collaborations involved a targeted approach to vulnerable populations for health issues such as childhood obesity (Ferrer et al., 2013 ), access to maternity care for Indigenous women and other vulnerable populations (Davies, 2012 ; Psaila, Kruske, Kruske, Fowler, Homer, & Schmied, 2014 ), and chronic and communicable disease screening and prevention (Ferrer et al., 2013 ; Weinstein et al., 2013 ).

Areas of focus for RN collaboration in primary care and public health

No articles focused entirely on the role of the RN in PC/PH collaborations, and when this role was discussed, it was mentioned briefly. Four main RN roles were identified from the data: (a) relationship builder, (b) care coordinator, (c) outreach professional and (d) programme facilitator. These roles were identified at a variety of levels (systemic, organizational and interpersonal/intrapersonal), using the Ecological Framework (Appendix S2 ). For clarity, most of the RN roles discussed in the studies were community‐based public health nurses (PH RNs). The European studies’ primary care systems employed both primary care and public health nurses.

6.1. Relationship builder

At the intrapersonal/interpersonal level, PH RNs played an integral role in team‐based primary care and collaboration between PC and PH. Their role as frontline nurses, working with other providers, placed them in key roles to enhance communication through face‐to‐face interactions (Green et al., 2013 ; Kelly et al., 2015 ; Kempe et al., 2014 ; Monsen et al., 2015 ; Psaila, Kruske, et al., 2014 ; Wynn & Moore, 2012 ). Statements from PC providers about the PH RNs included words such as supportive, sharing, checking in, reminding, visiting and talking (Monsen et al., 2015 ). For example, a PC provider stated, “it gives us a face and a name so we can call (the public health department) if we have other problems” (Kempe et al., 2014 , p. 115). From the PH perspective, it was stated “I think the better they (PC providers) know us and the more they see us as an actual resource, the more comfortable they are when there's really a public health issue that has to be dealt with” (Kempe et al., 2014 , p. 115).

At the organizational level, PH RNs built relationships with organizations in and outside the healthcare sector to improve access to care by providing PC in locations where people work, live and play (Kempe et al., 2014 ) rather than at stationary PC sites. As PH RNs spent time and resources to support PC staff in their practice setting, face‐to‐face communication between PH and PC was enhanced and described as a “network of communication” by Wynn and Moore ( 2012 ), where future initiatives between PC and PH such as chronic disease management and disease surveillance could be supported.

6.2. Care coordinator

At the intra/interpersonal level, the care coordinator role was seen in collaborative clinics and hospital community transition programmes. It was often motivated by the need to increase access to care for vulnerable individuals and families, particularly in maternal/child and chronic disease management health services (Davies, 2012 ; Ferrer et al., 2013 ; Psaila, Fowler, Kruske, & Schmied, 2014 ). Evidence from these studies suggests that PH and PC RN care coordinators improved access to care, streamlined services and increased referrals to community services. RNs integrated care between hospital and community, ran group visits to support chronic disease management and maternal care and addressed the social determinants of health (Ferrer et al., 2013 ).

At the organizational level, care coordination occurred with PH RNs collaborating with community agencies (Elliott et al., 2014 ) and working with PC to improve vertical and horizontal continuity of care, specifically in addressing the social determinants of health for complex maternity patients (Davies, 2012 ; Psaila, Fowler, et al., 2014 ) and chronic disease management (Ferrer et al., 2013 ; Weinstein et al., 2013 ).

6.3. Outreach professional

At the intra/interpersonal level, the literature showed that the PH RN’s role as an “outreach professional” improved patient access to PC, improved prevention and supported a variety of community service and care models. This role is particularly relevant to vulnerable populations. For example, outreach to home settings (only seen in European studies) targeted primary and secondary prevention of chronic disease and obesity. RN activities included assessment and education (Korhonen et al., 2014 ), monitoring of food intake and body weight and implementation of advice from a dietician (van Avendonk et al.., 2012 ). RN‐led screening achieved meaningful weight loss with brief lifestyle counselling (Korhonen et al., 2014 ).

At the organizational level, this outreach care was often associated with team‐based care models such as the Primary Care Medical Home. This care delivery model provides comprehensive and coordinated patient care by providers such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists and social workers ( www.pcmh.ahrq.gov ). Public health RNs worked either as consultants or as members of Primary Care Medical Home models and often in association with academic collaborative PC settings (Weinstein et al., 2013 ). An example of this approach occurred during the H1N1 pandemic in 2010 where family health teams (PC) and PH RNs collaborated in the management of a flu pandemic by creating assessment centres in the community to ensure universal and easy access to care. At these sites, PH RNs liaised with PC sites to provide supplemental staffing for flu immunization clinics and infection control measures such as cough etiquette, education and quarantine, and coordination of clinical care guidelines (Wynn & Moore, 2012 ).

Beyond traditional healthcare sites, PH RN‐led outreach immunization clinics improved access to care and increased vaccination rates by providing immunizations at community‐based venues allowing care to be provided in unique locations and unusual times (Kempe et al., 2014 ; Lebrun et al., 2012 ). Notably, the largest immunization rate increase was seen among healthy children who do not regularly interface with the PC system. This highlights a unique feature of the RN’s role in communicable disease reduction by immunization outreach to people who face barriers in access or do not regularly access PC (Kempe et al., 2014 ).

6.4. Programme facilitator

At the organizational level, the PH RN programme facilitator role supported the transfer of PH knowledge to PC in areas such as communicable disease (immunization and pandemic management) (Green et al., 2013 ; Kempe et al., 2014 ; Wynn & Moore, 2012 ) and chronic disease prevention, for example healthy eating strategies (van Avendonk et al., 2012 ; Levy et al., 2011 ; Monsen et al., 2015 ). The RN’s role at this level not only supported interorganizational collaboration, but also enabled future collaboration and increased awareness of population‐level needs in PC (Kempe et al., 2014 ; Levy et al., 2011 ; Monsen et al., 2015 ; Wynn & Moore, 2012 ).

At the system level, the RN’s role supported the use of tools, guides and programmes in PC/PH collaboration. Examples of RNs working at the system level include the following: (a) supporting the use of the Institute for Systems Improvement—Adult Obesity Guideline into the PC setting in Minnesota (Monsen et al., 2015 ); (b) implementing the Primary Care Nutrition Training Program to targeted underserved PC sites in New York (Levy et al., 2011 ); (c) liaising with schools and community organizations and PC to implement weight screening and healthy eating with The San Diego Healthy Weight Collaborative (Serpas et al., 2013 ); and (d) assisting PC obesity guideline translation, including goal setting with PC sites in the use of guidelines and tools, educating PC site staff on motivational interviewing techniques, supplying resources (food models and portion control plates) and facilitating shared best practices in obesity management (Monsen et al., 2015 ).

6.5. RN scope of practice supported RN’s role identified in the scoping review

The roles identified in this scoping review are in legal regulations in the RN scope of practice (British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP) 2018 ). However, as new roles emerge in the face of changing healthcare demands, challenges with scope of practice documents maintaining their currency have been noted internationally (Birks, Davis, Smithson, & Cant, 2016 ; Fealy et al., 2015 ).

Conclusion . In supporting new roles, regulatory bodies can work with nurse associations and health authorities to advance the concept of individual‐level accountability and self‐reliance in determining best practice decisions.

These results suggest a growing body of evidence of RNs working to strengthen collaboration across PC and PH sectors. We provide evidence to extend our understanding around the various roles RNs can undertake and the kinds of activities they can perform in their scope of practice. Most of what RNs are undertaking in strengthening collaboration across PC and PH sectors occurs at the inter/intrapersonal and organizational levels. Worldwide, RNs play an ever important role in delivering primary healthcare services (Bauer & Bodenheimer, 2017 ; Smolowitz et al., 2015 ), and given the rise of health and social inequities globally (OECD, 2017 ; WHO, 2008 ), these roles and activities strengthen the primary healthcare system by increasing health promotion and prevention and access to care (OECD, 2017 ).

RNs contributed to improved organizational‐level collaboration through increased personal connections and information communication pathways (Levy et al., 2011 ; Psaila, Kruske, et al., 2014 ; Wynn & Moore, 2012 ). Past work suggests that building and sustaining relationships can be more important than structural considerations such as colocation (Clancy et al., 2013 ; Kempe et al., 2014 ). Termed “boundary spanners” by Fraher et al. ( 2015 ), RNs can perform new roles for a new healthcare system with a population health focus. Improved care coordination and transition between the sectors can be supported by these RN roles, highlighting their importance in change management process that occurs with any healthcare reform efforts. As outreach professionals and care coordinators, RNs increased access to PC and PH especially with populations made vulnerable by multiple intersecting determinants of health such as those living on or close to the street and facing homelessness. This role is key to future in the management of disease outbreaks. Programme facilitator roles were particularly important at the organizational and systemic levels. This scoping review reveals the importance of the primary healthcare RN to be used beyond the walls of the office setting to provide care in the community from interpersonal to interorganizational and system levels.

We found less evidence of RN roles in PC and PH at the system level. There are many political, policy, structural and workforce barriers that prevent the expansion of the RN role to collaborative work at the interorganizational and system levels. Societal attitudes, government policy and structural barriers that include the current GP private practice and lack of funding models to support PC nursing (APNA, 2017 ) and perceived fiscal constraints all constrain RN roles. In PC transformation, RN role development will be under pressure from these complex factors. Without due consideration in role development, as has occurred in Australia and Ireland (Brookes, Daly, Davidson, & Halcomb, 2007 ; Kelly et al., 2015 ), RN roles may devolve into roles and activities that focus on “acute care” delivered in the community missing out on important health prevention and promotion activities.

In performing collaborative roles, RNs were more commonly employed by public health than RNs working in PC practice. This could be due to their specific PH RN expertise such as collaboration, community interface/outreach and relationship building and the small number of generalist PC RNs in North American PC settings (Martin‐Misener & Bryant‐Lukosius, 2014 ; Valaitis et al., 2013 ). Structural issues such as the fee‐for‐service remuneration model and the fact that the PC system is separate from the hospital/PH system also act as barriers to employing more RNs in primary care (Bauer & Bodenheimer, 2017 ). Further research to support the RN roles includes evaluation of the RN’s basic education preparation specific to these roles.

To ensure that nurses are able to work in these roles, awareness of the RN scope of practice by government and health authorities and PC providers is essential, and as Bauer and Bodenheimer ( 2017 ) suggest, reversing overly cautious interpretations of scope of practice regulations. Inclusion of primary healthcare content and clinical practice into pre‐licensure training will ensure RNs are well prepared for skills in cross‐sector collaboration and primary care (Bodenheimer & Mason, 2017 ). Ensuring that nursing educators have PC experience could support the establishment of theory and practice into these unique roles and skills into nursing education (Fraher et al., 2015 ). Opening opportunities for RNs in new models of primary care (Hutchison et al., 2011 ) and improving RNs in supporting their own role development will also support appropriate nurse's roles in PC (Ashley, Halcomb, Brown, & Peters, 2018 ).

7. CONCLUSION

There are limitations to this scoping review that require consideration. There was an opportunity of some literature being missed due to database selection, search limitations in language and country and possibly missing some grey literature. There was also a lack of depth in the broadscale nature of the scoping review, and no articles specifically about nurse's roles were obtained, which may have affected the results of the study. The focus of scoping reviews is to provide breadth rather than depth of information; thus, a meta‐analysis is generally not conducted (Tricco et al., 2016 ). However, this method was appropriate for our research given our objectives and the current broad understanding of this topic. Finally, it is possible that there are additional roles for RNs in PC/PH collaboration, as our review included work up to 2016. However, the RN roles described here form a foundation for any new and emerging roles.

Strengthening PC/PH collaboration supports a population health approach and targeted prevention strategies called for by multiple agencies throughout the world (OECD, 2017 ; WHO, 2017). RN roles in PC/PH collaboration, in terms of both the activities performed and populations served, could strengthen cross‐sector work and therefore increase the effectiveness of the primary healthcare system in addressing the healthcare needs of the population. This collaborative role is particularly relevant to vulnerable populations whose health and social needs are optimally met through a team‐based, patient‐centred approach (Browne et al., 2012 ). RN’s roles and activities in PC/PH can support greater continuity of care and health promotion through individual‐, organizational‐ and systemic‐level interventions.

RNs act as the “glue” between PC and PH for patients, providers, organizations and health systems. This role is important in reducing gaps in care and improving health outcomes, especially for vulnerable populations. To optimize the RN role in PC and PH collaboration, government and health authorities should enhance their understanding of the competencies and scope of practice of RNs (APNA, 2017 ; Canadian Nurses Association, 2015 ; Fraher et al., 2015 ; Halcomb et al., 2016 ) and resources should be provided to support professional development for RNs in new and emerging roles. When designing effective primary care teams, policymakers should consider these diverse and varied RN roles and activities and ensure that they are allowed to flourish in a flexible and responsive primary healthcare system with improved health outcomes.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Supporting information

Appendix S1‐S2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not‐for‐profit sectors.

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Clinical Research Associate 1

Coordination of clinical research studies. performance of regulatory tasks including irb and sponsor/cro regulatory correspondence..

• Science and Medical Research
• Opening on: Apr 22 2024
• Research Foundation
• Clinical Research Associate I, E99

Job Summary:

Coordination of clinical research studies. Performance of regulatory tasks including IRB and sponsor/CRO regulatory correspondence. Communication with IRBs, sponsors, and protocol-related Upstate Departments. Pre-screen, Screen, and enroll research participants in outpatient and inpatient clinical trials. Process and ship lab samples. Schedule and conduct follow up research appointments for clinical trial participants. Data collection and entry into paper and electronic databases. Maintenance of clinical research supply inventory. Processing clinical trial billing and payments. Administration of study questionnaires and assessments. Occasional travel.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and 2-year's related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

Prior experience with clinical research protocols and/or experience with coordinating clinical trials. ACRP and/or SOCRA certification.

Mon- Fri 8-4:30 with occasional after hours

Message to Applicants:

Salary Range-$58,000-$60,000

Recruitment Office: Human Resources

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status or disability or other protected classes under State and Federal law.

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