Future of Nursing

Future of Nursing

Name

Institution

Future of Nursing

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Committee Initiative on the Future of Nursing and the IOM report

In 2008, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Committee and Institute of Medicine (IOM) launched an initiative that was supposed to take two years. The main aim of this initiative was to respond to the need of assessing and transforming the nursing profession as a whole. The purpose of the committee that was created was to produce a report with recommendations that are action-oriented on the future of nursing.

The study committee was tasked with reviewing the available innovative education and nursing care models and produce a transformational report. The transformational report was to include the solutions that can be provided by the nursing sector in order to improve patient care quality while controlling costs at the same time. Chief among the challenges that the committee identified in nursing was the projected nurse shortage. The shortage was estimated to escalate to half a million nurses by 2025 (Lavizzo-Mourey, 2010). This was due to the reason that more nurses would be retiring while older Americans would require more health care needs. 

After deliberations, the committee came up with the following four key messages: First was that nurses were supposed to practice to the full extent of their training and education. Secondly, nurses would strive to achieve higher education levels and training through an education system that is improved and one that promotes progression of education. Thirdly, nurses are supposed to fully partner with physicians and other health care professionals in order to redesign health care in the United States. Lastly, a good information infrastructure and better data collection would create an effective planning of the workforce as well as policy creation (Stout et al., 2015). 

Importance of the IOM Report In Relation To Nursing Practice, Nursing Education and Nursing Workforce Development

The nursing profession is one of the largest sectors in the health care workforce of the nation. If nurses are committed on the work, working on patient care, they can greatly help in achieving objectives that were set by the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA is one legislation representing the largest health care overhaul ever since Medicaid and Medicare programs were created in 1965. Ever since the programs were created, nurses have come across barriers that prevent them from responding effectively to health care settings that have been changing rapidly. The IOM report is important since it helps nurses to overcome the barriers to ensure that they are well-positioned to advance health and lead change (Lavizzo-Mourey, 2010).

There were projections that health care would face a large shortage of nurses at a time when elderly Americans will require more health care. The importance of the IOM report was to ensure that nursing education produced enough nurses. The shortage was projected to be increased by lack of educational capacity that would train the next generation of nurses (Fitzpatrick, 2010). The educational programs available needed to be revised in order to match clinical practice advancement as well as quality and safety. 

The recommendations that were given by the RWJF committee in the IOM report clearly indicates that if implemented, nursing workforce will develop. Through the report, the U.S. has an opportunity to transform the health care system. If nurses play their fundamental role in the transformation, then the nursing workforce will largely transform. According to Stout et al. (2015), nursing development will only occur if the nurses work in collaboration with the government, professional associations, health care organizations, and businesses. Working together with such diverse parties would ensure that accessible and improved quality care is achieved in a developed workforce. 

Role of State-Based Action Coalitions and How They Advance Goals of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action

After the IOM report on the Future of Nursing was released in 2010, various leaders have engaged in country work to ensure a significant progress. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has also announced ‘action for Coalitions’, which is a 21 state based collaboration. The role of these state-based action coalitions is to help in advancing the recommendations of the IOM report. In addition to the 15 Action Coalitions that were already in place, these coalitions work to improve Healthcare by strengthening nursing workforce and nurse leadership.

The American population is continually growing and will soon become older and sicker. This will increase care demands. The ‘Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action’ addresses these increased health care demands by ensuring that all skills, knowledge, talents, and nurse experience are utilized.  The obligation for Campaign for Action is to provide guidance on how to implement the IOM report recommendations (Brassard, 2013). The ‘Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action’ will in the end ensure that all Americans access quality and care that is patient oriented and in a health care system in which the contribution of nurses is essential in achieving success.

In order to achieve its goal, the campaign will use several strategies. First, the campaign has to collaborate with a large number of stakeholders. These may include the government and different businesses. Secondly, the campaign has to be active at all levels, that is, national, state and locally. This will ensure that the recommendations are implemented in every part of the nation. Thirdly, the campaign will communicate their call to action to ensure that all the stakeholders are involved at the right time. The final strategy will be to monitor results in order to ensure accountability. These strategies are essential in ensuring that the campaign achieves its objectives (Brassard, 2013).  

Initiatives Spearheaded by Maryland State’s Action Coalition

In order to ensure lifelong learning and advanced learning in nursing, our state of action coalition initiated the funding opportunities campaign. In collaboration with other stakeholders, Maryland higher education commission awarded more than $17 million institutional grants as well as fellowships and scholarships to finance the nursing doctoral degree (Campaign for Action, 2016). This initiative ensures that nurses continual advancing their knowledge and skills by overcoming finance issue.

The Maryland Campaign for Action coalition also initiated the bill that was recently passed. The bill allows nurse practitioners within the state to practice fullest in accordance with their training and education. With this initiative, the state joins about 20 states to modernize scope laws so that consumers can access health care that is affordable and of high quality. The legislature removed the confusing mandate where nurse practitioners work with their physicians so that they can attain licenses and be able to practice within the state (Campaign for Action, 2016). One of the barriers that exist is reaching out to all nurses and help them understand the importance of implementing the recommendations on the IOM report.

References

Brassard, A. (2013). The Campaign for Action: An Update. American Journal of Nursing, 113(3), 48-51 

Campaign for Action, (2016). Maryland Action Coalition: Campaign for Action. Campaign for Action. Retrieved 28 September 2016, from http://campaignforaction.org/state/maryland/ 

Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2010). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Nursing Education Perspectives (National League for Nursing), 31(6), 347.

Lavizzo-Mourey, R. (2010). A Call to Action: The Future of Nursing Begins Now. Vital Speeches of the Day, 76(12), 544-548

Stout, C., Short, N., Aldrich, K., Cintron, R. J., & Provencio-Vasquez, E. (2015). Meeting the Future of Nursing Report™ Recommendations: A Successful Practice-Academic Partnership. Nursing Economic$, 33(3), 161-166.