Nurses as Entrepreneurs - Research Paper Example

? Nurses as Entrepreneurs Nurses as Entrepreneurs The growing demand for healthcare services has exposed the nursing profession intoadvancing entrepreneurship skills. Nurse entrepreneurship provides an opportunity for the individual nurses to exploit their talents. Largely, the entrepreneurship in nursing changes the way nurses practice their profession. The mode of practice has expanded the boundaries of acquisition to nursing services thereby creating health care reform. Nurses working as entrepreneurs promote independent practice. Largely, the practices enable the nurses to intervene for patients as caregivers. Various faculties in nursing prepare nurses for the entrepreneurship projects for example community health, mental health among others. Ideally, the opportunity that the nurses have does not only help them to utilize their potential but also promote assistance to the community. Benefits of Nurse as Entrepreneur The nursing business does not necessarily need to take place in an office or room. Nurses are able to make mobile community visits where there are able to conduct their services. Studies show that nurse entrepreneurs conduct their activities using electronic terminal (Fero, et.al. 2010). In addition, a nurse may have a small office where patients can report to or place their request for services. Instituting a nursing business enables a nurse to increase her or his visibility, direct their creativity in providing services to the society. Ideally, challenges in the business would expose the nurse thereby influencing his or her approach in the profession. The adventures is rewarding because it does not constraint the nurse to achieve a given job target. However, it makes the nurse to work at her own convenience. The nurses who operate their activities as entrepreneurs show credible work because they have to demonstrate high standard of service delivery. Failure to supply the same would lead to low profits. The entrepreneurial skills required in the business are similar to the ones in other business activities (Fero, et.al. 2010). For examples, nurse entrepreneurs must demonstrate the following attributes in order to be successful excellent interpersonal skills, collaboration skills, critical thinking, and credibility. Nurse as an entrepreneur has numerous rewards ranging from financial benefits to professional benefits. Many nurses who opt to practices as entrepreneurs demonstrate satisfaction to the services and the duties they conduct. Barriers Entry into the nursing business may poses challenges to nurses. Some of the barriers identified in nursing entrepreneurship include lack of skills to operate successful as an entrepreneur nurse. Knowledge is critical in defining the model of the business. While nurses attend professional training, business skill is not the central subject they do learn. Thus, the success of the business would depend on the business skills that the nurse has acquired from other forms of training. Critical evaluation and administration of the business skills is vital to the future of the success of any given business. Some nurses are unable to acquire the privileges they receive while practicing in hospitals. Since the duty depends with the work input of the nurse, it means that failure to input enough effort would lead to business failure. Studies shows that requirements such as malpractice insurance cover, statutory requirements and start up cost may hinder the efforts of nurses that wish to start their own business (Fitzpatrick & Ea, 2011). Largely, any business model has requirements, which influence the entry behavior. The government requirement or a restriction is another factor that influences nurse entrepreneur. While financial capability of the individual willing to institute the business would be instrumental in its growth, the outcome or the service trend of the business will also influence the number of client that the business is likely to receive (Fitzpatrick & Ea, 2011). For instance, the government evaluates and offer license for nurses who wish to practice. This statutory requirement is critical in setting a business office. Further, the individual skills to run the business are crucial factor that shapes the nursing practice. Issues Influencing Nurse Entrepreneurs Other than the aforementioned barriers, nurse entrepreneurs must meet certain standards. These standards do not necessarily depend on the training that an individual acquired as a nurse, but they tend to incline on the business. First, the nurse should be able to demonstrate business acumen skills. It is arguable that nurse entrepreneur would be selling his or her products in the market. Since the market players tend to influence the amount of sales that any given business receive, the nurses must influence the factors in the market in order to realize their goals. Interpersonal skills influence the relationship that the entrepreneur will be building in the society. This means that nurse entrepreneur has to learn how to relate with clients he or she meets. Good relationship built usually promotes or influence client satisfaction. In service business, client satisfaction influences the number of clients that the business will receive (Marshall, 2010). A dejected client would taint the name of the business especially when the client speaks about the business service to the public. The nurse entrepreneur has to be able to combine the nursing skills and the business skills. Critics have observed that business acumen is not a subject in the nursing school (Marshall, 2010). This means that balancing business acumen and nursing profession would require commitment of the nurse. The demographical factors are factors that a nurse entrepreneur has to consider. For instance, a nurse entrepreneur may be willing to practice by attending to clients in their residential apartments. While the business model is ideal, conditions such as transportation may restrict the number of client that the nurse would serve. Some critics argue that there is lack of collaboration between the health care organization and the environment under which they operate that the nurse entrepreneur may capitalize on (Fitzpatrick & Ea, 2011). Despite the above challenges, nurse entrepreneurs tend to utilize the advancing technology in conducting their businesses. For examples, nurse entrepreneurs can offer their telephone numbers to a given number of clients. This approach enables the nurse entrepreneur to penetrate the market by servicing clients of varied demands. Learning the market techniques is critical in building lasting relationship in the market (Carr, et.al. 2010). Further, the services offered the nurse entrepreneur must meet the standards demanded by the government and the clients. Failure to meet the above may influence the future of the business. Factors Governing Nursing Entrepreneurs Handling human beings is sensitive because it dictates whether the service the individual sources would promote life or lead to death. In this area, nurses have to observe the following requirements. First, the government influences the entry behavior into the nursing practice. Government requirement obliges nurses to seek permit from the authority. This means that the nursing willing to practice must demonstrate the ability to implement the requirement. Second, nurses must demonstrate ethical requirements. Patient’s protection is important because it enables the patient to heal or receive the treatment without any hindrance. In practice, nurses should observe this requirement. It means that the nurse entrepreneur must demonstrate the standard set for the ethical practice. Other than the influence that the practice would affect of the client, the nurse entrepreneur may not receive any client because of the fear that clients will develop. While nurse entrepreneurs may view the service they would wish to offer business wise, it should demonstrate social obligation. Unlike other businesses, nurse entrepreneur has to fight through odds in order to restore life in the community. The moral will in the practice is to help the community to achieve happiness. It is arguable that nursing entrepreneurship is more than a mere business. In this case, clients must demonstrate that the nurse has offered a satisfactory service. The cultural aspects do not play any instrumental role in the success of the business; however, the nurse entrepreneur must show that the services that he or she intends to offer in the community would instigate social growth (Royal College of Nursing. 2007). In some countries where the community perceives the nursing culture as a common, the nurse entrepreneur should show that he or she is able to create a lasting relation with the community. It is important to demonstrate professionalism while performing the entrepreneurial. Professional profile of the nurse is another factor that is critical to the nurse entrepreneurship. The experience that a nurse has accumulated should better place the nurse for the career he or she is about to take. The choice to establish a business is a risk because of the uncertainties anticipated. The choice to nurse entrepreneur involves the following risks unpredictable and irregular income, working as your own boss without leave of absence, pensions among other benefits, responsible for the mistakes incurred, and spell with or without work. Once an individual has settled on the above he or she will be able to handle challenges that the business would bring. Business critics believe that a plan on how to handle business risks enables the business to face the challenges. Recommendation Nurse entrepreneurship is a lucrative activity that has both financial and technical benefits. However, nurse entrepreneurs should evaluate risks involved as well as the benefits before settling on the business. Consultative work is critical in planning as well as developing the entry behavior into the business. Further, nurses willing to join the business should have adequate experience. Education in the nursing profession does not give the necessary skills in the market. It is advisable to acquire business acumen in order to succeed in the business. Largely, the nurse must be ready to meet the challenges in market. In conclusion, the choice to practice as a private nurse enables an individual to exploit his talents as well as promoting service delivery at the community level. The enterprise has various advantages such as working at the convenience of the nurse, building individual’s experience as well acquiring financial benefit. The success of the venture depends on the social, ethical and government requirements. These requirements define the model of the business operation. The nurse entrepreneur must balance the nursing profession and the business skills in order to serve his or her clients effectively. The success of the entrepreneurial venture would depend on both business and the professional skills. A research on entry behavior is important before establishing the enterprise. References Carr, E. et.al. (2010). Advancing Nursing Practice in Pain Management. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Fero, L. et.al. (2010). Introduction to Care Coordination and Nursing Management. New Jersey: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Fitzpatrick, J. & Ea, E. E. (2011). 201 Careers in Nursing. London: Springer Publishing Company.. Marshall, E. (2010). Transformational Leadership in Nursing: From Expert Clinician to Influential Leader. London: Springer Publishing Company. Royal College of Nursing. (2007). Nurse entrepreneurs. Retrieved from http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/115632/003215.pdf Read More