Katrina Daae
Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V
September 19, 2013
Future of Professional Nursing Development: Impact of the Institute of Medicine Report
Future of nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (2010) is a report issued by the Instituted of Medicine, which “calls on nurses to take a greater role in America’s increasingly complex health care system” (American Nurses Association [ANA], n.d., para. 1). It gives an in-depth look into the future of the profession, while addressing four key messages, the first three of which are directly related to the nursing practice, education, and leadership.
According to the report, “Many …show more content…
However, reimbursement issues are limiting the progress of APRNs to practice fully of their educational background, thus limiting “American public access to the care they want,” which is “to receive care quickly from a competent person” (Hill, 2012, p. 5). Such barriers not only limit the public’s access to care but also fragment the health care system further. This necessitates a creation of environment with a single goal in mind: patient-centered care, which can be achieved by optimizing APRNs’ role in primary care since “there are simply not enough physicians to care for an aging population” (IOM, 2011, p.112). By expanding practice, APRNs can spend more time doing what they have been for years: patient education and coordination of care, thereby leading the system towards a collaborative approach advocated by the …show more content…
According to the IOM, better patient outcomes can be achieved by working together “in a context of mutual respect and collaboration” (IOM, 2011, p. 223). To contribute to this outcome, nurses need to acquire strong leadership skills through higher education and become more involved in issues such as those concerning health policy, thereby transforming to “thoughtful strategists” (IOM, 2011, p. 223). The report strives to empower nurses to lead “at every level and across all settings” (p. 225).
When looking at the future of nursing based on IOM’s recommendations, it is optimistic but it is also “entirely dependent on the willingness of the profession to develop the role capacities and leadership essential to make a difference” (Porter-O’Grady, 2011, p. 34). Meeting the goals remains in the hands of the profession to play its full role by advocating and participating in the necessary changes that will ultimately create and more skilled and educated workforce.