Institute of Medicine Report
Abstract The purpose of this essay is to discuss the Institute of medicine report (IOM) and its impact on the future of nursing, nursing is one of the fastest growing professions in healthcare industry today, there have been ongoing changes to the way we practice, and to keep up with these changes we need to educate nurses and prepare them to meet the present and future demands of healthcare.
The report proposes that nurses are best positioned to fill such new and expanded roles in a redesigned healthcare system and states that…nursing education…. must better prepare them to deliver patient? centered, equitable, safe, high? quality health care services. ” Nurses must “engage with physicians and others” to deliver care and “assume leadership roles in the redesign…” of the system. (The Forum of state 2010). The Institute of medicine report talks about different aspects of nursing, but this paper will focus on Nursing practice, Nursing education and Nursing leadership.
Development of nursing: Impact of report on future of nursing.In the institute of medicine report it was discussed that nurses should be able to practice to their full ability based on their training and education, (Transforming practice ),nursing education should be improved, nurses should be able to achieve higher level of academic and clinical training to respond to increasing demands, ( Transforming education ),Nurses should work along with other health care professionals and be responsible for their own contributions in delivering quality health care to patients,( Transforming leadership ).Impact of report on Nursing Education. The report recommended that nurses should have higher levels of training and education, because patients’ needs have changed, they have become more complex, competencies must be in place so that nurses can deliver quality care to patients, the report also places importance on five core competencies which are, patient centered care, working with multidisciplinary team, evidence based practice, quality care, informatics.Computer skills are required to keep up with technological advancement in medical field, the committee recommends that baccalaureate degrees be increased to 80% by 2020, there are different educational pathways to facilitate academic progression to higher level of education, programs such as licensed practical nurse to baccalaureate ( LPN-to- BSN ), Associate degree to BSN, and ADN to Masters in nursing.
Joint commission has recommended nurse residency programs for new graduated nurse and those nurses who are transitioning into a new area of practice, these residency programs can also help develop leadership and technical skills in order to provide quality care to patients. Expanding education and knowledge of nurses should be a priority in all states. Impact of report on nursing practice.The committee considered the obstacles nurses encounter as they take on new roles in transformation of healthcare, they face challenges at all levels particularly legal barriers, many states prohibit nurses from practicing to their full education and training, the health care system is seeing ongoing changes, more focus has been on primary care, nurses not only work in acute care settings, but also in health promotion, disease prevention and early diagnosis to prevent or limit disability, they asses patients, order and evaluate tests, they also incorporate other services, such as social work, nutrition and physical therapy.The committee also discussed about the inconsistent state regulations which restricted the ability of nurses to provide care legally, evidence has shown that nurses provide quality care to patients, and ease the transition of patients from hospital to home. In today’s aging population there are not enough primary care physicians available to take care of patients, expanding the scope of practice for nurses will help to bring about effective healthcare to the population.
Legislation needs to be encouraged to expand the scope of practice in all the other states in order to increase access to critically needed primary care (The Forum of State 2010). By encouraging nurses to return to school to pursue advance practice nursing, this will support having nurses work as partners with physicians and other healthcare professionals to redesign health care. Nurses should keep up with their practice with ongoing education as the health care industry is always changing, and they need to meet the goals of IOM report, and keep up with current trends in health care. Impact of report on Nursing leadership.Leadership skills need to be applied to issues of civic and personal concern in healthcare today, nurses need to show these skills by being involved in organizations such as their state associations, they have to be advocates for nurses and patients, they must partner with the health care team for transforming health care, they should be able to take responsibility and also be accountable for identifying problems, and try to solve them, Nurses need to be active in decision making of their organization regarding policies and practice changes, nurse should be involved in any decision making process on improving patient care.
Nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals are all interdependent on each other in providing quality care to patients, Nurses now are educated and assume leadership roles in community, are advocating for changes that promote physical, psychological, and social wellbeing in the society.The institute of medicine report for necessary changes in the healthcare is an important advancement for nurses, the report allows nurses to advance in their profession and provide the knowledge and skills which is an important part of being a nurse, the focus on education in this report has made me realize how important it is for me to obtain my bachelors degree. References http://www. iom. edu/Reports/2010/Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (2011) 3 Transforming Practice (85-162) 4 Transforming Education (163-220), 5 Transforming Leadership (221-254) What Does the IOM Report on Nursing Mean to Each State, the Forum of State Nursing? Workforce Centers (10-15-10) http://www.
nursingworkforcecenters,org Impact of IOM Report on Nursing (PDF file) http://www. acteonline. org The Impact of Informatics on Nursing Education (PDF file)
