Abstract
The aim of this paper is to review the IOM Report 2010 by focusing on impacts on nursing education, nursing practices and nurse role as a leader. The IOM provides a fundamental framework that reflects changes in the nursing profession and practices.
The report recommends improved nurse education with support from both public and private stakeholders. It requires nurses to practice to full extent based on their qualifications and training. Finally, it recommends nurse leadership participation at all the levels to promote change and policymaking.
Introduction
This is a review of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report 2010 with a specific focus on nursing education, nursing practices and nurse role as a leader. The aim of the report is to reflect changes in the nursing profession and provision of healthcare services.
The Impact of IOM Report on Nursing Education
The IOM report recommends further nurse education and academic progression. It recommends that nurses should achieve bachelor’s degree and doctorate degree in the coming years. Nurse education requires support from both private and public sectors. Nurses should progress academically from diplomas to doctorate dissertation in nursing practice (DNP). The focus is to ensure that nurses have the highest qualifications.
Nurses should specialize in specific areas, develop their skills, enrich their knowledge and focus on continued training to enhance the quality of care.
Nurses continue to face regulatory and institutional challenges as they seek for further training, education and practice. Nurse leaders must advocate for the removal of such barriers. For instance, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) have high-levels of qualification but cannot practice in some areas because of such challenges (Fitzgerald, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Katz, & Hirsch, 2012). APRNs have opportunities to improve the quality of healthcare if they are given chances to practice.
Besides, APRNs’ roles and responsibilities have given them opportunities to acquire necessary skills and knowledge. Implementation of the IOM report will give APRNs opportunities to “practice to the fullest extent of their education and training” (Institute of Medicine, 2011).
The fundamental goal of nursing education, therefore, is to equip nurses with the highest qualification so that they can practice effectively and deliver quality health care for patients.
The Impact of IOM Report on Nursing Practice
The IOM report recommends that nurses should practice to develop the skills gained from the education they received (Institute of Medicine, 2011). Nurses must, therefore, use their skills to deliver quality healthcare services. Studies have established that nurses face barriers with regard to their practices (Hain & Fleck, 2014). The IOM report wants nurses to practice without restrictions in order to meet shortage in nurse staffing, manage chronic diseases and facilitate changes in nursing profession.
Nursing practice in the USA is undergoing significant reforms, which will alter nurse roles and practices. Hence, nurses must understand how such changes will affect them in the future. In this regard, nurses must pursue further studies to acquire necessary knowledge and skills that would allow them to embrace changing roles.
Today, nurse practice is more demanding than it was yesterday. Therefore, nurses must acquire skills that would ensure they deliver quality care for enhanced patient outcomes. As ongoing reforms create new issues in healthcare practice, nurses must recognize that the number of American citizens who will access medical care will rise significantly, and therefore, they must adapt to such changes and practice in the dynamic healthcare system.
The Impact of IOM Report on the Nurse Role as a Leader
The IOM report recommends effective nurse leadership in the healthcare sector. Nurse leaders must strive to ensure improved practices with positive healthcare. Nurses can demonstrate their leadership abilities in decision-making processes, advocacy and take part in healthcare reforms (Ferguson-Paré, 2003). These roles require competency and problem-solving abilities to overcome multifaceted challenges in the healthcare sector.
As healthcare reforms continue in the US, nurse leaders must participate at all levels and work with various stakeholders to redesign the system for solving contemporary challenges. Nurses understand current challenges in the healthcare system. Therefore, they can focus on enhancing quality of care and reducing costs of healthcare delivery. They must serve in advisory boards and influence policymaking.
The IOM report has recognized the diverse American population, which requires healthcare services. Consequently, nurse leaders must understand such characteristics and prepare their teams to work in diverse environments. Nurses must work in collaboration with other healthcare stakeholders to optimize healthcare delivery, implement changes and ensure continued support from relevant bodies.
Nurse leaders should promote partnership in the healthcare system so that they can take responsibilities in different areas of operations. Still, nurses require education to prepare them for leadership positions and service provision. Leadership nurturing, development and mentoring programs are imperative for potential nurse leaders.
They also require a culture that promotes and values leadership development (Institute of Medicine, 2011). Nurse leadership requires nurses to take personal and professional responsibilities for their growth by developing competencies and applying them in different areas. For instance, nurse leaders must understand fundamentals of planning in wide-ranging dynamics noted in practices, education and deployment of nurses.
References
Ferguson-Paré, M. (2003). Administration: What Is Leadership in Nursing Administration? Nursing Leadership, 16(1), 35-37.doi:10.12927/cjnl.2003.16240.
Fitzgerald, C., Kantrowitz-Gordon, I., Katz, J., & Hirsch, A. (2012). Advanced Practice Nursing Education: Challenges and Strategies. Nursing Research and Practice, 2012(854918), 1-8. Web.
Hain, D., & Fleck, L. M. (2014). Barriers to Nurse Practitioner Practice that Impact Healthcare Redesign. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 19(2), Manuscript 2. doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol19No02Man02.
Institute of Medicine. (2011). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.