Future of Nursing
Review the IOM report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” and explore the “Campaign for Action: State Action Coalition” website. In a 1,000-1,250 word paper, discuss the influence the IOM report and state-based action coalitions have had on nursing practice, nursing education, and nursing workforce development, and how they continue to advance the goals for the nursing profession.
Include the following:
- Describe the work of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Committee Initiative that led to the IOM report, “Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.”
- Outline the four “Key Messages” that structure the IOM Report recommendations. Explain how these have transformed or influenced nursing practice, nursing education and training, nursing leadership, and nursing workforce development. Provide examples.
- Discuss the role of state-based action coalitions. Explain how these coalitions help advance the goals specified in the IOM report, “Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.”
- Research the initiatives on which your state’s action coalition is working. Summarize two initiatives spearheaded by your state’s action coalition. Discuss the ways these initiatives advance the nursing profession.
- Describe barriers to advancement that currently exist in your state and explain how nursing advocates in your state overcome these barriers.
You are required to cite to a minimum of three sources to complete this assignment.
Sample Answer
Healthcare Initiatives
Various factors determine quality health, and in improving the health of an individual or general public, health initiatives should be created. The main players for effective health are the public, the political wing, the healthcare providers, and the policymakers, who provide key advocacies and solutions to specific health problems. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Initiative, designed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), aimed to improve general coordination within the nursing fraternity and improve the performance of the nursing healthcare providers for proper healthcare delivery.
The IOM delivered four main messages in recommending the key practices and determining the future of nursing. The first message was that the nurses should practice what they have been educated and trained on in fullness. This shows that nurses should be facilitated to use their potentials and skills earned through the education system. Barriers limiting the performance of the nurses include high turnover rates, the limited scope of practice, and issues with transitioning from school to the healthcare field (Shalala et al., 2011). The second message is that nurses should achieve high levels of education in delivering improved quality and safe patient-centered care. High levels of education improve the level of expertise among the nurses in making critical nursing decisions for improving the quality of patient care and general public health (Crowe et al., 2018). The third message by the IOM in the initiative was that the nurses should be made full partners with the other healthcare providers such as physicians in designing and redesigning the healthcare. Highly educated nurses have the expertise and capacity to help make critical health decisions, not limited to bedside care. As discussed in the initiative, the fourth message is that there should be improved information infrastructure and data collection for effective workforce planning and policymaking. The initiative emphasized the role of data in monitoring and assessing the workforce needs at the state and national levels.
Influence in Nursing Practices
Various factors have influenced nursing practice and the achievability of key goals set by the nursing fraternity. Nursing education and training are vital factors, which involve educating and training nurses on quality and effective decision-making towards patient-centered care and public health. Education and training improve the skills and competency among the nursing professionals in response to the dynamics within the healthcare sector. The higher the level of education, the higher the level of competency and capacity to participate in decision-making processes for quality healthcare improvement. The nurses with MSN and DNP certifications are enriched with knowledge and skills to establish evidence-based practices and decision-making for quality care. This has largely influenced an improved quality of care delivery among nurses by implementing various health initiatives based on data and expertise in improving the quality of health. Nursing training and education through formal structures weren’t there earlier but, with time, has been institutionalized and enhanced to accommodate higher learning for the nurses. This has influenced an improvement in the scope of practice, with nurses being given authority to make various decisions on patient care previously reserved for physicians, such as medication prescription, patient assessment, and treatment. This can be attributed to the quality of nursing education and training programs.
Nursing leadership provides the direction of the nursing practice within the healthcare programs. Various organizations have been formed to provide nursing leadership to determine the formal directions that the nurses should follow to achieve quality service delivery for patient-centered care and wellness. One of the key influences of nursing leadership is advocating various changes in the healthcare system to incorporate nurses in the decision-making processes. For instance, nursing associations such as AANP and AACN have been at the forefront to lead advocacies and negotiations on nursing scope of practice, improvement of the nursing residence programs, and inclusion of ANPs in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement programs. The leadership has increased the inclusion of nurses as partners in healthcare and not subordinates in the healthcare system. Workforce development within the nursing profession is important in improving the nursing staff’s skills and level of expertise within the healthcare system. Nursing and healthcare, in general, are ever-changing, and thus, nurses should be kept on pace with the numerous changes by providing training and mentorship for personal growth and improved performance. Through the workforce development programs, nurses collaborate with colleagues and other healthcare professionals, learn about new technologies, and are updated on advancements and new regulations within their scope of practice. In the United States, nurses have been given the freedom to develop their skills and expertise through various educational programs while still in their work areas. This has highly developed the nursing workforce. For instance, the large number of nurses joining the MSN and DNP programs while still at work has highly influenced many states to change and improve the scope of practice for nurse practitioners.
State-Based Action Coalitions
The state-based action coalitions are essential groups of professional organizations. The organizations and individuals form a coalition to create a strong wave of advocating and influencing actions within the state for the benefit of the public. According to Perez et al. (2018), the nursing state-based coalitions advocate for health issues such as the rights of patients, the safety of patient care, safety of the working environment, the scope of practice for the healthcare providers, and deregulation of access to essential healthcare services and provisions. The main role of state-based coalitions is to influence actions and changes within the state. For instance, the coalitions have been pushing to broaden the scopes of practice for various healthcare providers, including nurse practitioners. The coalitions have also been developing workforce development programs to empower healthcare providers such as nurses and influence or support them to register for baccalaureate programs to improve their nursing skills.
State Action Coalition
The New Mexico Action Coalition is one of the key coalitions advocating for healthcare improvements within the state. The coalition collaborates with healthcare consumers, providers, and educators to promote health equity through strengthened nursing practice. One of the actions being pushed by the state coalition is the improvement of health equity. According to the New Mexico Action Coalition (2021), the professionals are asking to reduce economic and social factors that impede equal access to quality healthcare within and out of the state. The state re-focused on this issue after the striking of COVID-19, which majorly affected the marginalized social and economic groups in the United States. Reducing barriers can positively impact equal access to quality healthcare and health services. The second call for action by the coalition is to embrace workforce diversity in the nursing fraternity. According to the coalition, nurses from socially and culturally marginalized groups should join nursing for diversified nursing practice. The coalition notes that the call for action is positive as more men are registering for nursing, and other culturally marginalized groups are increasing in numbers towards education and enhancement of nursing skills within the state. Embracing diversity increases the access of care to the members of the particular groups and provides culturally-centered care.
