In 1999, the IOM Report established change intervention objectives for the healthcare industry, especially regarding nursing practices, pharmacology, and patient safety. The report highlighted the importance of quality change so that hospitals, clinicians, and patients can obtain better and efficient tools to address diseases, preventive methodologies, and health risk mitigation practices. Nonetheless, after 20 years from its publication, the IOM Report is still uncompleted, as most experts and nurses indicate that some objectives are not met.
Foremost, the IOM Report has significantly contributed to the nurse education standards and benchmarks. This objective is the most crucial for patient safety and health quality outcomes. The report suggested that the number of nurses with a higher degree should be more due to the importance of highly qualified, trained, and certified medical personnel. Indeed, the number of nurse graduates increased from 54% to 60%, as well as the minority groups showed improvement regarding their representatives’ graduation (National Academy of Medicine, 2017). In return, the growth of nurse graduates positively affects communities, as more and more specialists and trained nurses can contribute to their welfare, health practices, and preventive strategies.
Furthermore, the IOM Report stated that diagnostic and pharmacological literacy should continuously grow within nurse practitioners. While pharmacology is one of the most complicated disciplines, nurses should know, understand, and utilize evidence-based practices to prescribe and use medications appropriately (AHRQ, 2015). Such competencies are vital for patient safety and adequate treatment; however, it is based on the education level among nurses.
Nonetheless, the development of communication teams and nursing leadership can be marked as the least essential objective regarding patient safety. No doubt that nurses should be equipped with the most convenient workplace tools and methodologies. Yet, the internal organization of the workplace proved to affect nurses more rather than patients (Stringer, 2019). As a result, this objective should be accomplished only to support nurses and their welfare.
From this perspective, the IOM Report laid down a path for the health industry’s development. Since 1999, hospitals and clinics made a significant improvement regarding nurse practitioners and patient safety. Despite its success, some objectives are still in progress, even after twenty years of industry experts’ joint efforts.
References
AHRQ. (2015). Diagnostic Safety and Quality. Agency for Health Research and Quality; Agency for Health Research and Quality. Web.
National Academy of Medicine. (2017). 20 Years After “To Err is Human,” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades Prove Transparency Can Save Lives. Leapfrog; National Academy of Medicine.
Stringer, H. (2019). IOM Future of Nursing Report Card: Progress after 10 Years. Nurse.