Nursing: The Next Generation

Abstract

My recent attendance at the National Student Nurses' Association meeting was exciting and stimulating. The next generation of nurses is lull of energy, anticipation, and thoughtfulness, and eager to take on the challenges of nursing. Spending time with these exceptional students led me to think about, and explore more fully, what many call diversity and what it means for nursing practice and education. A brief review of the literature identified several astonishing facts. The current nursing workforce includes four generations - Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and Nexters. While these groups share some commonalities in terms of their values and beliefs, there are notable differences among them. The Nexlers, also known as Millennial, Generation Y, and Generation Next, constitute 30 percent of the overall population and are greater in number than the Baby Boomers. They will enter the workforce in large numbers and will influence changes in the work environment, just as Baby Boomers did in the past. Characteristics of this generation include, but are not limited to, self-reliance and mobility, family and group orientation, media orientation, multitasking, fun seeking, and hopefulness (f). As nurse educators, how do we interact with and educate this next generation of nurses? How do we harness their realistic views of the present and their optimism about the future? Zemke, Raines, and Filipc/ak describe the Nexters as the ideal workforce (2). They combine the work ethic of Baby Boomers with the can-do attitude of Veterans and the technological savvy of Generation Xers. In addition, they value participation, collaboration, and support as opposed to competition. Nexters will change positions and professions five to eight times, pursue lifelong learning, have a good work ethic, desire flexible working hours, and adapt readily to changing technology. Members of this generation respect and admire their parents. The four generations have mental models of nursing and education that will at times merge, and at other times collide. Baby Boomers define themselves by jobs or positions that they may have held for many years. Nexters, on the other hand, may change jobs more frequently and be viewed by others as lacking commitment to the nursing profession. There is a need to respect the differences among the generations and to value the contributions that each will bring to nursing. Given the generational differences that exist, communication and learning styles become very important in nursing education. Communication for Nextcrs will take place in fully networked, computing environments. Bedside computers, Palm Pilots, and other devices will he readily adapted (or nursing care. …

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