Graduate Nursing

Graduate degree nurses have an impact on nursing today, more than nursing during Barton’s time. Throughout Civil War times, nurses were not formally educated. Nursing was simply based on experience and practice. Currently, graduate nurses are valued for their critical thinking skills, leadership management skills, research skills, and the capability to practice in various inpatient and outpatient settings. These skills give graduate degree nurses the opportunity to shape current nursing history. The way nurses were educated during earlier centuries is not sufficient for the reality of nursing in today’s health care system (The Future of Nursing, 2011). While patient's needs and technology advances, nurses need to acquire higher-level skills and education to provide quality care (The Future of Nursing, 2011). Graduate nurses are properly educated to meet the necessities of the health care population, including providing direct patient care, implementing new regulations, and writing new policies or procedures.