Returning to work challenges in the nursing industry
Returning to work demands devotion and determination, especially in the nursing industry. The issue arises from the fact that certain changes in their field will bring about certain hurdles, making adaption harder in the long run (Ranard, 2015).
Significant changes in the labor market
Because of the changes made in the sector, most people would not return to the same nursing employment. Margaret would confront a significant change in the labor market as one of the key hurdles she would face when re-entering the nursing profession. During the period of time that she has been away, the profession has undergone a lot of changes which in many ways have made her skills rather irrelevant to some extent. Such situations do force others to struggle when it comes to learning the necessary skills and might even force them to abandon their fields. The traditional form of nursing that she was accustomed to 23 years ago has been phased off due to the ever-changing technology implemented in the medical field (Clune, 2016).
Age discrimination and technological advancements
At the same time, she would face the challenge of age discrimination owing to her age as well as the period at which she has been away from work. Technological development in her field apparently isn't the only challenge she would face, despite the fact that age discrimination is entirely illegal, it might come to haunt her in her search for a job (Ranard, 2015). It is well known that those who have been away from the workforce for a while stand a chance of facing age discrimination due to the fact that they have aged considerably during the most important years, hence seen as if they cannot catch up with the existing technology.
Changing aspects in the nursing field
There are several aspects that have changed over the years that would definitely make the work for her rather difficult. First off is the training regimen that has definitely changed over the period of time if we are to take into consideration the age at which Margaret joined her profession. Back then it is safe to assume that training wasn't a necessary focus and at times it wasn't even offered. Today it definitely has changed as the qualifications for a nursing program require one to pass certain certifications in order to be allowed to provide care to patients or even to acquire a job as a registered nurse (Clune, 2016). Focus nowadays is more on the educational aspects of nursing. At the same time, the apparent settings have also changed as there are quite a lot of changes in the model of health care provision. It's no longer the old hospital-styled caregiving; the nurses nowadays are required to operate from physician's office, assisted living facilities, as well as home health care services.
Responsibilities in the nursing field
The only thing I have noted that has managed to remain the same in the nursing field is the responsibilities that have been awarded to the nurses. Though the concepts of nursing have changed, it is the responsibilities that have remained the same as care for the patients remains a fundamental importance in the field (Ranard, 2015). Back in the day, they were delegated with the task of looking after emergency situations; this sort of responsibility hasn't changed much as though they aid doctors in their work, they still take on the bulk of the duties. At the same time, the nursing culture has not changed much as well though there is some advancement in technology. The job remains to be cumbersome with nurses having little time for them, but it's all in a day's work.
References
Clune, L. (2016). The challenges faced by Registered Nurses returning to work. IWH.
Ranard, C. (2015). How Nursing Has Changed Over Time. Retrieved March 14, 2017, from
Minority Nurse: http://minoritynurse.com/how-nursing-has-changed-over-time/
