Summary
The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2010, is a comprehensive examination of the nursing workforce in response to the need to transform the nursing profession. The report’s recommendations center on the crucial point where the activities of the nursing workforce and the health needs of different, varying patient populations across the lifespan converge (Academic Progression in Nursing [APIN], 2022). Generally, the major highlights of the IOM report are categorized into four main issues. The first was that nurses should be able to use their education and teaching to the fullest extent possible. Secondly, they should obtain higher training through an improved learning system that promotes continuous academic advancement (APIN, 2022). Thirdly, medical assistants, physicians, and other health professionals should fully partner in redesigning health care in the United States. Finally, effective workforce planning and policymaking necessitate improved data collection and information infrastructure (APIN, 2022). Generally, these suggestions are meant to promote initiatives to enhance Americans’ health.
The Primary Recommendations
Barriers to the scope of the practice continued to hinder efforts to ensure quality care delivery. One of the primary recommendations was to remove scope-of-practice barriers (S G, 2020). Secondly, it was necessary to create a workforce to meet the future demand for nurses in the United States health care system. There was a need to double the number of nurses pursuing doctorates and raise the proportion of nurses with bachelor’s degrees to 80% by 2020 (Stella Ekeocha Anele et al., 2022). Thirdly, it was suggested that nurses be given more opportunities to direct and coordinate group improvement initiatives. Essentially, it was crucial that the public and private investors collaborate and, whenever possible, pull funding to enhance research (S G, 2020). Furthermore, the report recommended that nurses be prepared and enabled to lead change to advance health by taking charge of their personal and professional development by furthering their education. Finally, nursing associations should provide their members with leadership development, mentoring programs, and leadership opportunities.
Strategies to Implement the Recommendations
Removing the scope-of-practice barriers could be achieved by expanding the Medicare program to include advanced practice registered nurse (RNs) services that fall within their practice area as defined by the relevant state legislation. Additionally, it was crucial to permit RNs with advanced training to provide patient certifications and admission assessments for hospice and skilled nursing facility admissions and home health care services. Healthcare institutions may give tuition reimbursement to nurses with associate’s and diploma degrees to improve the workforce. Essentially, this was to entice them to enroll in baccalaureate nursing programs in addition to fostering a culture that values lifelong learning and offering a pay increase and promotion. The state board of nursing should incentivize nurses to finish a residency program in cooperation with accrediting organizations after completing an advanced practice degree program or moving into new clinical practice areas. Moreover, a campaign was launched to encourage nurses to continue their education throughout their careers. All hospitals, clinics, and nursing programs support a culture of lifelong learning and offer to fund interprofessional continuing competency initiatives (APIN, 2022). Finally, academic administrators should require all faculty to participate in continuing professional development and to practice, teach, and research with cutting-edge competence.
Perspectives on the Recommendations
In my opinion, every nurse should implement as many of the IOM report’s recommendations into their practices as feasible since they are crucial. First, I believe that individual and institutional efforts are required to improve healthcare. Essentially, this will promote collaboration and evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM). EIPM considers the political climate, the availability of resources, as well as people’s and customers’ experiences to deliver the correct evidence at the right time and language for decision-making (Doshmangir et al., 2022). Secondly, it is impossible to improve healthcare services without empowering nurses, as they are an essential component of healthcare. Generally, this involves effectively inspiring and mobilizing oneself and others to achieve favorable results in nursing practice and the workplace. Providing leadership development through training programs is crucial in this process. Additionally, motivating caregivers can take other approaches, like involving them in the decision-making process, an area that has long been dominated by administrative and management personnel. Finally, giving nurses more responsibilities can significantly reduce healthcare costs and enhance the quality of care.
References
Academic Progression in Nursing. (2022). Future of nursing IOM report. Web.
Doshmangir, L., Mostafavi, H., Behzadifar, M., Yazdizadeh, B., Sajadi, H. S., Hasanpoor, E., Mahdavi, M., & Majdzadeh, R. (2022). Individual and institutional capacity-building for evidence-informed health policy-making in Iran: A mix of local and global evidence. Health Research Policy and Systems, 20(1).
S G, R. (2020). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. IP Journal of Paediatrics and Nursing Science, 3(3), 60-63.
Stella Ekeocha Anele, Dorothy C Nwanonyiri, Josephine N Ezemobi, Margaret Okodua, Grace Ogiehor-Enoma, Ednah N Madu, Julia U Ugorji, Emilia N Iwu, Ruth O Ifediora, & Teresa N Nwaneri. (2022). Professional development strategies: Organization experience in addressing the call to action, the future of nursing, leading change, and advancing health. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 5(2), 125-137.