The consensus report of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Equity, is a report that outlines recommendations for improving patient care and achieving health equity. Some of the recommendations for nursing education can be key in causing desired change within the industry. Two of the recommendations are recommendation three, which revolves around promoting nurses’ well-being and health, and the eighth recommendation, which revolves around enabling nurses to address iniquities within communities by strengthening and protecting the workforce (Wakefield et al., 2021, pg 370).
Among the key focuses of nursing is improved patient care and ensuring that patients are safe in the care environment (Wei et al., 2018, pg 288). These can better be achieved by promoting the well-being and health of the nurses as they take on new roles to help advance health equity. Promoting their well-being and health will make nurses feel more valued and hence improve and work towards offering the patients the best. Recommendation eight is also more likely to cause notable change and improvements. It is important to address inequities within communities by strengthening and protecting the nursing workforce during emergencies such as natural disasters and pandemics (Wakefield et al, pg. 377). This recommendation became more relevant to me during the Covid-19 pandemic, where the organization made no efforts to ensure our safety since sometimes the nurses found it difficult to even access vital supplies. The management was at a distance, and the nurses felt neglected. As such, fulfilling the requirements stated in this recommendation will go along the way in ensuring that inequities are eliminated.
I agree with how the report describes the evolution of the advanced practice registered nurse role. From the report, it is recommended that the nurses should be allowed to practice to the full extent of their education as well as training. This is to be achieved by eliminating the practice barriers preventing them from practice and ensuring that they appropriately address the social determinants of health and social needs to enhance healthcare value, quality and access. Addressing the social determinants of health are all key to better patient outcomes (Hill-Briggs et al., 2021, pg 259).
References
Hill-Briggs, F., Adler, N. E., Berkowitz, S. A., Chin, M. H., Gary-Webb, T. L., Navas-Acien, A., … & Haire-Joshu, D. (2021). Social determinants of health and diabetes: a scientific review. Diabetes Care, 44(1), 258–279. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci20-0053
Wakefield, M., Williams, D. R., & Le Menestrel, S. (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. National Academy of Sciences.
Wei, H., Sewell, K. A., Woody, G., & Rose, M. A. (2018). The state of the science of nurse work environments in the United States: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 5(3), 287–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2018.04.010
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