Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Success

Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Success

Introduction

Nursing education is becoming more demanding each day . At the time nursing students are confronted with a variety of issues that will make their student years full of all kinds of challenges . Future nurses have to consider both theoretical and practical aspects of their careers attend to a number of subjects , and enhance their skills in the practical activity , complementing it with theoretical background . This will identify the major challenges in the nursing education especially those faced by graduate nursing students and outline

br strategies that can be used to cope with these challenges

Changing Environment

Today 's nurses have to function in a rapidly changing environment in which they continuously adapt to the new standards , policies , and procedures . Now , many believe that nurses need to claim the power to raise educational standards for the profession (Nelson , 2002 . The changing environment experiences rapid transformations in the role of the nurse as this professional position acquires more responsibility getting ready to deal with a large variety of issues . If requirements for baccalaureate and associate studies are heightened , the graduate study programs can experience the same , in which case nurses with a Master 's degree will be prevented from having a large advantage over their professional colleagues . In this case , they will have to compete with professionals who have a higher-level background than before . An increase in the number of nurses with a Bachelor 's degree will further raise the standards of the profession

This challenge means that nursing students have to keep up with the demands of the profession . In part , this can be accomplished via a broad acquaintance with a range of subjects in their field that students can enhance by reading a broad range of periodicals . American Journal of Nursing , Journal of Nursing Education , Online Journal of Issues in Nursing are all good sources of information that will allow students maintain a high level of qualification in the rapidly changing environment . Students should also join professional alliances that will permit them to explore new opportunities in their profession . Learning beyond the curriculum should become the norm that will inspire students to improve their qualifications and raise their personal qualification requirements

Specialization

Since graduate study deals with advanced concepts and is in most cases the last barrier to the career of a nurse , it is important to realize that it is a good time to choose an area to specialize in . Many nursing students in graduate programs will select specific areas in which they want to continue their careers . Andreoli (1987 ) argues that specialization is an important attribute of graduate study , signifying its advanced level . At the same time , students should not lose the big picture ' of medical issues as a meaningful career in a medical field is unthinkable without a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the human organism . Striking a balance between specialization and broad scope of knowledge is important to working out an effective approach to studies

To cope...