The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report – The Future of Nursing – Leading Change, Advancing Health, Focusing on Transforming Education, Leadership, and Practice

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report: The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, Focusing on Transforming Education, Leadership, and Practice

Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report: The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, Focusing on Transforming Education, Leadership, and Practice

The rapid growth and advancement in technology has a merit impact on healthcare system. This growth faces the healthcare professional with numerous challenges as the day proceed. This involves system update, continued education, research on new procedures, leadership roles etc. All these are implemented to provide quality patient care. Research informs us that, as the population increases in the U.S, the number of patients will increase as well. This may inversely increase the demand for nurses, leading to crisis.

To help rectify this crisis, the IOM and the Robert Wood Foundation, set a report concerning this. The report touched on four major categories and three of them focused on nurses. First, nurses are expected to practice according to their educational training, secondly, nurses are encouraged to attain a higher heights in their education and training to promote the academic chain, and lastly, nurses are encouraged to collaborate with other healthcare professionals such as physicians to help with the advancing health system (Institute of Medicine, 2010).

IMPACT ON NURSING EDUCATION

The mission of the IOM is to “serve as an adviser to the nation to improve health” (IOM, 2010). Therefore, the formulation of the report creates an impact on public awareness on the importance of nursing education. Education in general, enhances both clinical competency and care delivery. Valuable patient care rely on having a qualified and well trained nursing labor force. In 2010, the IOM joined with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to recommend expanding the the labor force of BSN prepared nurses to 80% and enlarge the population of nurses with doctorates. The recommendations was based on responding “to the demands of an evolving health care system and meet the challenging needs of patients. Nurses must achieve higher level of education” (AACN, Fact Sheet, 2010). This will help resolve shortage in nurses and improve patient care.

IMPACT ON PRIMARY CARE

The IOM made recommendation on transforming primary care through higher level of education in nursing to “promote seamless academic progression” (IOM, 2010). One of the barriers that the IOM mentioned is that, while Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioners workforce increases, there is a fall in the number of medical students and residents entering primary care (IOM, 2010). Although the PA and NP can provide primary care, some restrictions from many state rules and regulations prevents them from practicing. And these restriction are placed on the exact knowledge and skills thought while in their program. The end result of the restriction brings us back to the insufficiency of primary care providers. This is why the IOM believes that “nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training” (IOM, 2010). A qualified trained advance nurse should be able to practice what he or she is trained for.

I basically would change my practice to suit the IOM report in a sense that, I will advocate, support, and be part of the various nursing associations that fights for the right of the nursing practice in order to execute a change. However, I will continue to follow the rules and regulations of the state I reside in to practice accordingly until some of the restrictions are waved.

IMPACT ON NURSE’S ROLE AS A LEADER

Another recommendation that the IOM states is that, “nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other professional in redesigning the healthcare in the United States” (IOM, 2010). This simply exemplify the leadership role as nurse. The aim of the report is to resolve the barrier of nurses been seen as followers of leaders only or inferior by physicians. Nurse and physician relationship matter, and the old fashioned way of physician giving authoritative orders and expecting nurses to complete task as ordered without accepting suggestions or initiatives from nurses needs to be eradicated. This is what the report is yearning to transform. When this collaboration between nurses and other professionals is functional, it increases satisfaction among various disciplines, and also increases the autonomy of the nurse. It as well encourages staff teamwork, and positive patient outcome.

CONCLUSION

The IOM report released in October 2010, is to improve the health system in the United States specifically on the nursing practice. The report recommend nurses to work according to their education and training, partner with other healthcare professional, attain higher education level, and effective workforce planning and policy making. These recommendations, when followed, enhances clinical competency and care delivery, reduces mortality rate, improves patient safety, doubles population of nurses with doctorates, and provides leadership style that involves working with others with mutual respect and partnership.

References

American Association of College of Nursing, (2015). Fact Sheet: Creating a More Highly Qualified Nursing Workforce. Snapshot of Today’s Nursing Workforce. Retrieved from http://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-Workforce

American Association of College of Nursing (2013). 2012-2013 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate programs in Nursing. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-Workforce

Institute of Medicine (2010). Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Washington, DC: The National Academic Press. Retrieved from http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health.aspx