Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health was issued in 2010 to encourage the transformation of the nursing profession in education, practice, and leadership. The four key messages outlined in the report are the committee’s main recommendations designed to ensure the proper transformation of the health care system. In general, the report highlights nurses’ growing role and expanding duties in the near future, thus increasing the need for related changes. Successful transformation of the health care system is not possible without ongoing advancements in nursing skills and knowledge.
Nurses form a health care team that plays a central role in health care delivery. Thus, to improve the latter’s service, they “should practice to the full extent of their education and training” (IOM, 2010). The report reveals historical barriers, regulations, and policy as the main obstacles for the nursing profession’s continuous development and reaching maximum individual potential. For that reason, states should regularly update scope-of-practice regulations to keep pace with the profession’s development optimizing collaboration and supervision. Moreover, the report encourages higher dissemination of nursing roles in different health care settings such as care coordinators or primary care providers. It also asks to address inefficiencies in hospital designs/technology infrastructure to ensure nurses’ efficient employment.
The second message makes clear the importance of seamless academic progression for nurses (life-long learning). The latter should achieve the highest level of education possible with the help of an improved education system. Such challenges as a faculty shortage or lack of incentives to pursue advanced education do not secure a well-educated nurse workforce (IOM, 2010). This recommendation is significant because it encourages teaching nurses to cooperate with physicians and other staff.
The third recommendation wants nurses to become full partners of other medical staff in redesigning healthcare in the US. Nurses’ reconceptualized roles should ensure their greater leadership in shaping health policies, planning improvements, influencing the decision-making process, and identifying current inefficiencies. The ultimate message encourages the continuous altering of information infrastructure and data collection for effective policymaking and workforce planning (IOM, 2010). Reliable and granular data is required for better health care management to balance various healthcare professionals’ skills and contributions. In general, the IOM report and recommendations are significant because it aims to increase nurses’ role in improving regulations, policies, education, and cooperation with others within the health care settings. It leads to more optimal, patient-oriented, and safe care provided by nurses than ever before.
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