IOM Future of Nursing Recommendations

Fitting in the IOM Future of Nursing recommendations

The healthcare industry is changing and healthcare workers need to be up to date with the changes by upgrading their training regularly regardless of whether they have been licensed or not. Nurses are expected to be part of those that are expected to develop the behavior of continuous learning in order to be able to make better decisions that would improve the healthcare outcomes of their patients (Nelson, n.d; EBSCO Health, 2017). As a nurse, I appreciate the fact that my field is one that is at the core of healthcare and, therefore, whenever changes in healthcare are adopted, like other nurses, I am expected to respond to them positively and to learn more. Being one of those nurses who are committed to upgrading their healthcare knowledge will be my contribution to increasing the number of those licensed and competent workers needed to address the increasing healthcare needs in the society.

The main goal of recommendation 5 noted in the report of the Institute of Medicine on the future of nursing is to increase the number of professional nurses that will be capable of leading changes in healthcare in an effort to improve healthcare outcomes. Presently, the number of nurses that can handle this task is insufficient, as most nurses are those that have reached up to Master’s level or lower (Broome, 2012).  I find the goal vital because healthcare, like other industries, needs to identify and work on areas that need improvement. To achieve this, the health industry requires effective leaders who can effectively lead change and influence others to understand the need for change and embrace it. With the knowledge I have, I find myself fitting with this goal as I will be one of the stakeholders that will be needed to support change when needed (Kotter, 2012). Therefore, I will be keen to support those nurses who will make it to the leadership position as I continue to upgrade my learning to the Doctorate level.

The goal of recommendation 6 in the Institute of Medicine report is to motivate nurses to continue learning and this effort affects employers as well. Employers are key in promoting continuous training and development of nurses as part of employee motivation and organizational culture. However, engaging in continuous learning also requires each nurse to be committed to the process and take it as a professional responsibility (Steelman, 2014). In this regard, I fit in the recommendation by understanding this will be a duty that I shall undertake to promote healthcare in the society.

The forces that drive economic growth nationally influence the job market and this implies that every individual willing to remain relevant in this market needs to be highly skilled and experienced. My goal as a nurse is to offer excellent patient care and to achieve this, my educational level needs to be higher and reinforced by continuous learning. To be considered as one of those nurses that are committed to continuous learning, I will need to prove my interest in learning by ensuring that my education is regularly upgraded through credible institutions and get certified at every stage.

My effort of increasing my education level will affect my nursing role in the future by acting as an example to other upcoming nurses and promoting continuous learning in nursing. Moreover, I will be among those leaders that advocate for the promotion of healthcare through continuous learning.

References

Broome, M. E. (2012). Doubling the number of doctorally prepared nurses. Nursing Outlook, 60, 111-113.

EBSCO Health (2017). The increasing importance of lifelong learning in healthcare, and especially nursing. Retrieved https://health.ebsco.com/blog/article/the-increasing-importance-of-lifelong-learning-in-healthcare-and-especially.

Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading change, with a new preface by the author: Part 1: the change problem and its solution. New York: Harvard Business Press

Nelson, L. (n.d). Report: 80% of nursing workforce should have a BSN by 2020. Retrieved https://nurse.org/articles/BSN-initiative-80-2020/.

Steelman, V. M. (2014). Engaging in lifelong learning to lead the way. AORN Journal, 99(5), 557-559