Sierra D. Smith
Purdue University The Controversy of Professionalism in Nursing
When you think of a nurse, what do you think of? Do you picture the typical, traditional nurse – a woman dressed in monotone scrubs standing in a hospital? Now, try and add more detail to that image; add her nametag. Under her name, there is a big red label that clearly states R.N., registered nurse, in bold white letters. If you were to add even more detail, you might be able to see the small black print above the red label stating that this nurse has at the very least two extra years of education in her profession, whether that be an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Now after seeing this person, do you view …show more content…
While there are no federal or state mandated requirements, many nursing schools have requirements setting 3 clinical hours to every credit hour. During these clinical hours, nurses are training and learning new techniques and how to apply those learned in class. In addition to the many hours spent laboring during their clinical rotations, nurses also use simulation labs to prepare for dealing with their real, living patients. Nurses spend hours upon hours working with and without patients to hone their knowledge and skills of the practice. Even after they have undergone all the education and training, their knowledge is tested extensively. Nurses must pass the NCLEX exam before they get that special certification that says they are officially a nurse, no longer a nursing …show more content…
Among these organizations and committees are the American Nurses’ Association and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The American Nurses’ Association, AMA, is known for its purpose of advancing the “profession of nursing by fostering high standards of practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and lobbying the U.S. Congress and regulatory agencies on issues affecting nurses and the public” (Lambert and Lambert, 2005). The AMA is only one of the organizations that promotes and advances the nursing profession. However, there are multiple establishments created for the sole purpose of creating and improving the nursing education and training. One of which is the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, AACN. Without the AACN, there would be a serious lack of leadership in maintaining federal support for nursing education and research (Lambert and Lambert