The Impact of the 2010 IOM Report on the Future of Nursing

Introduction

The United States still has a great window of opportunity which can allow for a transformation in its health care system. With the guidance of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Future of Nursing report released in 2010 as a blueprint, many aspects can be remodeled such that patients are offered affordable yet quality care which is also accessible to all. The report features recommendations which will ensure that all nurses are able to attain the highest level of education and training, enhance their nursing skills through further studies, promote research in the area of nursing, and also ensure that medical organizations provide opportunities that allow nurses to assume leadership positions (Institute of Medicine, 2010).

The Impact of the IOM Report on Nursing Education

The United States healthcare system requires drastic changes in the education of all nurses both students and those who are already practicing. The improved education system suggested by the report will see to it that nurses get a clear understanding of their roles and that they also get the necessary experience in care management. According to Fights (2012), nurses were initially not allowed to perform their expected duties which they were specialized in. Instead, they were expected to scrub floors, prepare meals and other such unsuitable roles. However, things have changed now, and nurses are appreciated as medical professionals. Other healthcare staff no longer looks down on nurses because they go through the same level of professional training as physicians and many other health professionals (Institute of Medicine, 2010).

However, much still needs to be done in the area of their education. If the recommendations are implemented fully, a nursing curriculum will be required to conceptualize and capture the roles of nurses in transformed healthcare. It would be designed to provide a better understanding of care management, instill quality improvement skills, and serve as a platform for a continuous learning process. It will also provide an easier transition from one level of education to another (Institute of Medicine, 2010). Achieving a higher level of education is critical to revolutionizing the nursing profession to meet their modern-day career roles. For example, achieving higher levels of education by proceeding to master’s and doctoral levels will allow nurses to serve in many areas of the medical industry; they can serve as researchers, faculty leadership and also as primary caregivers (Institute of Medicine, 2010).

Fights (2012) agrees with the report, which recommends that the skills of all nurses must be accredited and certified before they are licensed to practice. As a result, they can offer patients high-quality care services. Licensing differentiates those who are committed to professionalism and those who are not. The licensing process should be aimed at equipping nurses with crystal clear knowledge of what is expected of them in a healthcare system, and they will, therefore, perform their duties with the utmost professionalism. The extra acquired skills during training, which is achieved once licensed nurses go back to further their education, results in great competency. With this, nurses can now apply for leadership positions in healthcare systems.

The Impact of the IOM Report on Nursing Practice

Nurses play a big part in the process of transforming healthcare services since they know what patients want and what the do not. According to the Institute of Medicine (2010), patients deserve to be cared for in such a way that their unique needs are considered and simply not what the healthcare provider thinks is most convenient. Nurses, together with other professionals in the medical industry, will play a significant role in transforming the healthcare industry to serve patients even better (Fights, 2012). If the report is fully implemented, nurses will be called upon to endeavor to create an environment where patients have more access to quality healthcare.

The level of trust placed on nurses should also serve as a drive to perform better. According to Fights (2012), eighty-one percent of all the American citizens describe the honesty and ethical standards of nurses as either high or very high. The report also reinstates the need to create a transparent working environment to allow nurses to make wise and tough decisions without fear of intimidation. Also, an implementation of the report’s arguments would see nurses take advantage of the opportunities and roles that come with the Affordable Care Act of 2010. As a practicing nurse, I would endeavor to campaign for the removal of outdated policies, cultural barriers, and regulations.

The Impact of the IOM Report on the Nurse’s Role as a Leader

The IOM 2010 report clearly states, “nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other health professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States” (Institute of Medicine, 2010). In addition to the need for a proper education system to equip nurses with knowledge, the IOM 2010 report takes a clear stand on the issue or leadership. Although not all nurses have ever thought of being leaders in the healthcare system, full implementation of the IOM report argument would see nurses become leaders in the planning, design, actualization, and evaluation of ongoing reforms in the healthcare system.

To achieve this call, the report also calls for training and empowerment programs that instill leadership and competence in nurses to allow them to act as full partners together with other stakeholders in the healthcare industry. This process would also be working for change in how the general population views the nursing profession. Though the public trusts nurses, they still do not consider them as leaders. Part of the report’s impact would be to change the perception that nurses should only play an assisting role, to the point where they can be viewed as equal partners as caregivers and policy makers.

Conclusion

Nurses form the largest segment of the healthcare workforce. They also play a significant role in the realization of healthcare objectives set by different policies and regulations. However, a number of barriers have made it difficult for nurses to respond to the ever-changing needs in the industry. These barriers lie in the area of education, practice, leadership, to mention a few. The IOM report 2010 addresses these issues comprehensively and implementing all the recommendations would provide the much-needed environment to transform healthcare.

References

Fights, S. D. (2012). Nurses Lead from Where We Stand: How Can You Impact the Future of Nursing? MEDSURG Nursing, 21(2), 57-58.

Institute of Medicine. (2010). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Washington, D.C: The National Academies Press.