Nursing is in the midst of revolutionary changes. But even today nursing remains a vibrant profession. In nursing there is a wealth of positive energy that influences change resulting in the improvement of the lives of both nurses and patients.
As the present health care system continues to evolve nurses proactively define solutions to today's health care dilemmas. Previously most nurses considered hospitals to be the main practice setting available to them after graduation. But in the present scenario as health care trends are advancing with health advancement and disease prevention, nurses are venturing into alternative settings to meet this growing need. This shift in health care settings generated a variety of choices for nurses and helping them to discover new career opportunities.
Nurses today have more liberty to explore and even create job opportunities. Nurses may continue to select the hospital or acute care setting or may venture into less traditional nursing roles. Nowadays nursing as a profession influence to develop and support new nursing roles.
For several decades, health services researchers have reported associations between nursing and the outcomes of hospital care. The quality of care that nurses provide is influenced by individual nurse characteristics such as knowledge and experience, as well as human factors. Many forces are bringing about changes in nursing and healthcare. Healthcare associations continue to bring new guidelines that impact nursing practice. As nursing continues to evolve, so does the present healthcare environment. Affected by a multitude of factors, nursing will forever be in a constant state of fluctuations. An increase in nursing research has led to better patient care as well as an improvement with the way that patients experience treatment. So, in this rapidly changing technological environment, our present issue of The Malaysian Journal of Nursing, with an emphasis on evidence-based research will help nursing profession to forge ahead with vigor and accountability.