Nursing Professional Development and the 2010 IOM Report

Grand Canyon University: NUR-430V

Nursing Professional Development and the 2010 IOM Report

In this paper, I will discuss the impact of 2010 IOM report on the future of nursing in transformation of nursing practice, leadership and education.IOM is a non-profit organization that works on evidence based research to provide recommendations on public health and gives advices to people in decision making positions. A study from The Institute of Medicine (IOM, 2010) reports that nurses needs to take a significant role in US. increasing health care system. There are many barriers that prevent nurses from effectively respond to changes occurring in health care. These barriers should be overcome so that nurses can help in advancing the change in health care system. These changes do not depend on nurses only, but by working together with professional organizations, and government that can help ensure better health care system and improvement in health care outcomes.

Transformation of Nursing Profession:

The Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, at the Institute of Medicine came up with the report on need for transformation of nursing profession (practice, education and leadership) by introducing some important key messages, (“IOM Future of Nursing: Focus on Education,” 2010, p.1), which are as follows:

1. Nurses should be given authority to full practice according to their education, training and licensure.

2. High education programs should be provided to nurses to promote progress in academic goals. 3. Nurses should help in redesigning the health care in US by working with physicians and other health care professionals.

4. There should be proper planning and procedures/policies for data collection that would help in improving the overall infrastructure of qualified nursing workforce.

These messages given by the committee shows that there is a need for transformation of nursing profession in practice, education and leadership to improve the overall health care in US.

EDUCATION:

After the launch of 2010 Affordable care act, there was a need to transform health care system to provide, safe, patient-centered and affordable care, and to achieve these goals, there was a need to improve nursing education. So, RWJF committee at IOM came with a report on recommendations for future of nursing, the challenges that nursing education is facing and provided some recommendations to improve the nursing education system (Nationalacadmies.org).

IOM recommendations, Institute of Medicine (2010):

1. Schools of nursing and health care organizations and other accredited bodies should encourage nurses to continue their education and get more competences to provide excellent care to the patients throughout the lifespan.

2. Nurses need support in completion of their education at a higher level, to achieve that state boards, federal government, and other healthcare organizations should come forward and take appropriate actions in supporting the nurses for the same.

3. There is a need to increase the ratio of BSN program nurses from 50 to 80% by 2020, and implementation of nurse residency programs. Thus, leaders from school of nursing, private and public funders, educational institutes should work together so that they can monitor the progress of students and helps in creating a nursing powerful workforce to meet the needs and demands of growing population.

NURSING PRACTICE:

The definition of primary care as per IOM- “Primary care is the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community.” (IOM, 1978).

Due to lack of primary care health professionals, the IOM and RWJF committee brought attention to the role of APRNs. Nurse practitioners (NPs), work together with physicians and PA’s and provide most of the primary care in the United States. The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) emphasizes and provides opportunity for APRNs (nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists) in offering primary care, promoting health care and providing preventive services. It is reported in many states ARPNs (nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists) and other health care providers are not able to practice successfully as per their education and training.

IOM Recommendations in transforming the practice:

Advanced practice RNs should be allowed to provide patient care in which they are qualified, and regulations and organizational barriers should be eliminated that act as barriers and prevents the nurses to practice according to their gained education, training, skills and competence. (The Future of Nursing, 2010).

• Medicare program should be expanded so that advanced care nursing practice services can be covered just like physician services are covered, and this needs to be included in the scope of nursing practice under the state law, (The Future of Nursing, 2010: The National Academies Press).

LEADERSHIP:

IOM (Institute of Medicine, 2010) report states that, ” Although the public is not used to viewing nurses as leaders, and not all nurses begin their career with thoughts of becoming a leader, all nurses must be leaders in the design, implementation, and evaluation of – as well as advocacy for – the ongoing reforms to the system that will be needed.”

IOM report recommends that (The Future of Nursing, 2010):

It also recommends that leadership positions should be available to nurses. Nursing workforce through educational associations and programs should come in play in helping nurses achieving the role of leadership positions at all levels including decision-making, whether at governmental, private or public level.

• Nurses need opportunities to expand their career in leadership and management, and for acquiring that – all health care either public or private funders, professional organizations, programs related to nursing education and associations should maintain collaborative efforts to improve nursing practice and ensure healthy situations. It should provide opportunities to nurses for successful practicing.

Nurses need to have strong leadership at every level and across all settings to ensure patient safety and high quality of care.

Change in my Practice:

I would like to change few things in my practice. I would like my institution to have low cost or free of cost treatment plans for the population who have no insurance and who cannot afford to go to clinics for their medical check-ups, or who cannot pay for their medications. I would like my institution to have health care teams visiting these kinds of population after they get discharged and provide them with care they need despite of cost. I would like more of nurses to get their BSN and train and educate themselves for the better future of nursing and qualified patient care.

CONCLUSION:

Nursing has come a long way as a profession. IOM states that there is a need for some action to take place that can bring nurses together so that they can help eliminate those barriers that prevent nurses from full practicing. These barriers include rules/regulations and policies by law that limit their scope of practice and results in high turnover rate of nurses. Nursing profession takes challenges to remove barriers to scope of practice, transforming care, and promoting a better educated nursing workforce and the value of nursing through evidence-based practice and research. There should be access to advanced nursing practice degrees to all the nurses. Nurses have these skills of leadership and management; which can help them to work with doctors and other medical professionals to improve patient care outcome and thus reduce costs.

References

IOM. Primary Care in Medicine: A Definition. In A Manpower Policy for Primary Health Care:

Report of a Study. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1978. Ch. 2

Institute of Medicine. (2010, October 5). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing

Health. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. Retrieved from http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2010/the-future-of-

nursing-leading-change-advancing-health.aspx

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the AARP partnered to establish The Future of Nursing:

The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, Retrieved from

http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-

Change-Advancing-Health/Action-Taken.aspx