Implementation Of The IOM Future Of Nursing Report

Implementation of the IOM Future of Nursing Report

NRS-440VN

Grand Canyon University

Implementation of the IOM Future of Nursing Report

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) launched a two-year initiative in 2008 to assess and transform the needs of the nursing profession. This committee understood that nurses take on many different roles in many different settings. They provide direct patient care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other care settings. They may also function as nurse leaders and nurse scientists that seek to find more effective ways to promote health amongst patients. This committee then sought to create a plan for nursing and their role for the future. In this paper, this author will talk about the key points of the IOM Future of Nursing Report as well as what specific states have done in response to the report.

The IOM Future of Nursing Report can be summarized through four key messages. The first is that nurses should have the ability to practice in a manner that is reflective of their education and training. This is so that all RNs may practice safely and effectively. This plan also seeks to reduce the high turnover rates among new nurses by creating more transition-to-practice residency programs that will allow new graduates refine the skills that are necessary to provide an effective and safe practice. Their second message is that nurses should achieve higher levels of of education and training. Higher levels of education and training has been positively correlated with positive patient outcomes. They also believe that opportunities for higher education should be a seamless transition from each level of nursing. The third message is that nurses should be partners with physicians and other healthcare professionals. They believe that nurses are leaders and therefore must be partners in how to deliver high-quality patient care. Nurses should be able to identify issues in healthcare and how to improve them while working with other healthcare professionals. The last message focuses on effective workforce planning and policy that requires better data collection and improved information infrastructure. Essentially, this means that nurses and healthcare as a whole must improve and evolve on how data is retrieved and then develop more effective plans based on this new data (Institute of Medicine, 2010).

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a philanthropic organization that is focused solely on health. The goal of the organization is to build a national “Culture of Health” that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2017). The RWJF is an integral component on the progression of nursing practice. Their initiative donated up to $150,000 to 20 state-based Action Coalitions that have made substantial progress towards implementing the IOM recommendations (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2017). Recipients off grants will be better prepared to improve on nurse education, nurse training, and nurse care in order to improve the quality of health care.

Impact of the IOM Report

The IOM Future of Medicine report is an important aspect of nursing care. This report seeks to lay down and improve on the foundation of nursing practice. Nursing is the largest segment of the United States’ healthcare workforce. Because of the sheer quantity of nurses available, it is important they are able to practice effectively in a profession that is constantly evolving. The IOM Future of Medicine Report seeks to create significant changes in health care by utilizing nursing staff more efficiently and improving their ability to learn and train so that they may provide higher quality care.

California and State-Based Coalitions

State-based action coalitions are important because they can help identify the needs of an area at a more local level. Advocates are included from local health organizations, businesses, and other local communities. They work together with nursing in order to drive and transform health care. The California Action Coalition has received support from the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action in order to make significant progress towards the recommendations of the IOM Future of Medicine Report (Campaign for Action, 2019). In California, 61.5% of all nurses have a BSN or higher degree. Nurses have instituted mentor/mentee programs and conducted survey tools that allows them to assess areas in need of support. California nurses have created standards and guidelines for nurse residency programs to ease the transition for new nurses from school to practice (Health Impact, 2015).

Conclusion

The introduction of the IOM Future of Nursing report has created a tremendous impact on how nurses practice in the United States. It is a call to action to allows nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training while helping them to achieve higher levels of education and training, It also encourages nurses to be full partners with other health care professionals in order to create more of an impact in health care in the US through effective workforce planning and policy making. States such as California are making great strides that are reflective of the IOM’s recommendations and it is important that nurses strive towards the goals in order to improve on their practice.

References

Campaign for Action. (2019). California Action Coalition. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from https://campaignforaction.org/state/california/

Health Impact. (2015). HealthImpact 2015 Annual Report. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from https://healthimpact.org/publication/healthimpact-2015-annual-report/

Institute of Medicine. (2010). The Future of Nursing – Leading Change, Advancing Health. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/~/media/Files/Report Files/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing/Future of Nursing 2010 Recommendations.pdf

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2017, April 14). RWJF Initiative Supports State Efforts to Transform Health Care through Nursing. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/articles-and-news/2013/03/robert-wood-johnson-foundation-announces-initiative-to-support-s.html