Value of Education in Nursing
Becoming a nurse means befriending education for a lifetime. Well, this isn’t surprising because being in the healthcare profession, one has to stay updated about the new developments and medical advancements taking place. An Austrian-American author Peter Drucker once quoted, “Today knowledge has power, and it controls access to opportunity and advancement”.
This thought by Drucker implies very well in the field of nursing, where only knowledge and life-saving skills can help you to get through the professional journey. Also, it’s notable that a well-educated nurse can make all the difference in a patient’s life.
It is important to understand the value of practical care because a nurse who’s treating a patient should always focus on doing what is essential for the patient in that very moment. The question, “What can I do?” should be replaced with the required call-to-action in that moment.
As far as the importance of international education for nurses is concerned, one must not forget that by studying global nursing programs, nurses can broaden their scope of growth on a global level as every international program brings along new learning and exposes you to different methods and approaches being used worldwide.
The magnitude at which the need for patient-care is increasing, one must not forget that patients will have more diverse needs which will further complicate the healthcare environment too if there’s no proper education about what needs to be done. So, this is also one of the major reasons why nurses should be highly educated about multiple specializations taking place on a global level.
International nursing education: Meaning
The concept of International nursing education has been quite popular among the aspiring nurses. However, before choosing a path, it’s important to know what direction it will lead to. So, before choosing an international pathway to study nursing programs, here’s a little information about what exactly international education for nurses is and how does it benefit you in the long run.
International study programs for nurses have different training models depending upon the area of specialization and the demographic structure of the country. If a nurse from an emerging nation goes to a developed nation like Canada, the difference is going to be in leaps.
There can be challenges in terms of understanding the different work ethics and adapting to a multicultural environment too. However, with a broad mindset and a zeal to learn, one can notice the graph of personal growth and development rising upwards.
The education model followed to educate nurses in Canada is highly advanced since it focuses on training nurses in a way that the large population of patients can be served efficiently. By studying specialized nursing programs in Canada the primary goal of furthering international career opportunities can be met and also in the process, one can gain exposure to inter-cultural skills too.
Benefits of international nursing education
- 1. By acquiring knowledge in a foreign country, nurses can open a gateway of opportunities and utilize the skills taught in the curriculum, to pave a way into the practical field. One gets to shape a broader perspective about patient care by treating a variety of patients with varying illnesses. However, one must not forget that the focus is always towards prioritizing the best interest of the patient and work towards it.
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- 2. When one chooses to study
global nursing programs
- it brings forth the potential working opportunities that can also help to build nursing research skills. These skills prove to be helpful in understanding different healthcare delivery systems.
- 3. Hands-on nursing care is seen as one of the parameters to determine a successful learning experience and majorly the internationally recognized programs can expose you to such opportunities.
- 4. Studying international nursing programs in well developed countries leaves an impressive mark on your job application. It creates an impression that you’re resourceful, determined and culturally aware.
- 5. You can actually start looking at healthcare with a new perspective as you move out from your environment of comfort and observe the practices in a new place. Learning the way other countries provide healthcare services can make you review your traditional practices too.
6. Studying nursing programs abroad could be your first step towards joining the emerging global community. Being around the students hailing from different backgrounds, one can learn a variety of disciplines and their implications in the patient care practices.
- 7. Nursing education in a different demo graphical setting can also bring forward an opportunity to share the skills and knowledge from your country. However, it is very important to keep an open mind, to grow professionally and take criticism in your stride.
Source: researchgate.com
Importance of International nursing experience
After completing a global nursing program it is important to explore some opportunities around the globe because the practices learnt in a theoretical way should be implemented practically to add value to your nursing career. One must also understand that there are plenty of strong nations which are in a dire need of nursing professionals to help the aging population. The leading names in the list of these countries include Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
By working in different locations, one also develops insights on how the process of sharing information varies from country to country. Apart from this, it also enhances the quality of nursing care being provided from your end. Say, if you would have worked in your native country, the set norms and parameters would have been understood to you and no new practices would have been taken into consideration.
However, in a foreign land, one tends to be extra observant and careful while delivering treatment to the patients. If you start working as an internationally educated nurse in Canada, you can observe how there’s a fair share of priority given to patient care. Nurses can actually be the decision-makers and make the right call whenever required. Not only this, but nursing professionals also have a life separate from their professional boundaries.
The fact remains intact that nursing is a profession which brings long and undecided working hours along with it but there still are a few countries which try to minimize the effect by providing major support services to the nursing professionals and their children.
While working in a foreign setting, you also strike a comparison between the strongly followed policies and how they help you to challenge yourself on a professional front. The patient requirements can vary as per the illness in consideration and what serves to be an advantage of being an international nurse is that you are entitled to take a call, best suitable in the interest of the patient.
Opportunities
Once you become a registered nurse, there can be multiple pathways lying ahead and you have to choose the path you associate with the most. Say, if you are a registered nurse in Canada, the country with the highest requirement for nursing professionals, the opportunities can be on a broader scale. You can choose to work in a general healthcare setting, select a discipline to specialize in, and also choose the kind of medical environment which inches you closer to your goals.
Trusting the facts of The Conference Board of Canada, for now, the country is crunched with a shortage of nursing professionals as compared to the ever-increasing number of ill patients in a need of healthcare services. As Canada’s population ages, the annual demand for nurses has risen by 3.4 per cent.
So, for all the nursing professionals looking around for international working opportunities, Canada is on top of the charts when it comes to exploring multicultural work experience with a vision of adding value to the healthcare system.
Also, further if you want to understand the ins and outs of a specific location or a country of your choice, then International Council for Nurses can help registered nurses to have a fair knowledge about the varying requirements of international communities.
Make the right choice
By choosing the education pathways to international career options, you can enhance your nursing skills, cultural insights, and communication strategies. Irrespective of what you choose to practice, international exposure comes with life changing lessons. So, take in all that global nursing programs have to offer and hone your skills with a vision to be better at what you do. The results are intangible, but extremely valuable.
