Over the years, the healthcare sector has grappled with numerous challenges such as nursing shortage, chronic conditions, and sentinel events. These obstacles continue to affect the quality of health services available to different populations across the country. Such issues explain why the Institute of Medicine (IOM) presented its findings in 2010 in an attempt to improve this sector. This paper discusses some of the proposals outlined in the 2010 IOM report.
Impact on Nursing Education
The IOM report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health has been embraced by many professionals in the nursing field because it offers meaningful recommendations that can transform the sector. The area of education is considered since many states in the country have not presented adequate measures to empower both practitioners and patients. Nurse practitioners (NPs) have been unable to offer their services in a wide range of settings due to existing guidelines (Hassmiller & Reinhard, 2015). This report indicates that NPs must be empowered and guided to practice in accordance with their educational levels and competencies.
This proposal will ensure that more patients have access to quality services. It will also encourage nursing curriculum developers to come up with evidence-based instructions and courses that can empower NPs to provide exemplary services in diverse health settings (Hassmiller & Reinhard, 2015). For instance, residency programs are taken into consideration since they can guide NPs to offer high-quality, sustainable, and efficient patient care.
According to this report, a superior system will ensure that NPs make better or informed clinical decisions. They will also acquire new competencies and be in a position to provide exemplary services to patients across the lifespan (Hooper, 2016). Evidence-based attributes such as team work, cultural competence, clinical leadership, and critical thinking should also be available to nursing students. Another proposal is that registered nurses (RNs) should be able to pursue higher degree programs seamlessly (Hooper, 2016). The implementation of these aspects will make lifelong learning a reality and improve people’s health outcomes.
Impact on Nursing Practice
Primary Care
The IOM report has the potential to transform the nature of primary care. This is the case because nurses who pursue different educational programs or courses will be able to offer advanced medical care. Additionally, professionals who practice depending on their education attainment will support the needs of more patients. The acquired competencies will result in superior care delivery models and support the primary health care sector. When a greater number of nurses are empowered and informed about practices such as cultural competence and teamwork, they will be willing to deliver quality services. Empowered nurses will also diagnose and treat a wide range of medical conditions (Hooper, 2016). They will avoid sentinel events and improve their nursing philosophies. Lifelong learning will result in evidence-based practice, thereby advancing the nature of primary care.
Meeting the Goals of the IOM Report
NPs can use this report to redesign their care delivery models and transform nursing practice (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). Personally, I am ready to improve my philosophy so that it features skills such as cultural competence, evidence-based practice, and lifelong learning. These attributes will make it easier for me to acquire new competencies for addressing my patients’ health demands. I will form multidisciplinary teams and attract different professionals to deliver quality services. Concepts such as critical thinking, efficient communication, and leadership will also be developed continuously. I am also planning to practice in a wide range of settings and pursue new academic programs. Consequently, I will be in a position to meet the IOM report’s goals and improve the sector.
Impact on Nursing Leadership
The IOM report indicates that a new leadership model is needed in nursing practice. This managerial approach will empower practitioners and physicians to collaborate, make combined decisions, and share their clinical ideas. This report also guides stakeholders in this field to act as change agents (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). This means that nurses will be on the frontline to come up with desirable plans for implementing change and delivering positive results.
NPs must be ready to take up leadership roles and become equal partners in the healthcare sector. Consequently, they will be willing to listen, solve problems, and make decisions that can improve the outcomes of more patients. They should also form multidisciplinary teams if the level of professionalism is to increase (Saifan, Safieh, Milbes, & Shibly, 2015). Competencies such as patient safety, critical thinking, cost management, and process improvement should be developed (Hooper, 2016). Practitioners must also be ready to offer leadership and medical services in a wide range of settings.
Conclusion
The major issues affecting the healthcare sector have informed most of the proposals outlined in the IOM report. The presented ideas have the potential to transform nursing practice and eventually improve the health outcomes of every underserved population. Nurses should, therefore, be keen to embrace new ideas such as superior care models, education attainment, and improved leadership. By so doing, every NP in this country will be in a position to respond to his or her patients’ medical needs.
References
Hassmiller, S. B., & Reinhard, S. C. (2015). A bold new vision for America’s health care system. Nursing Outlook, 63(1), 41-47. Web.
Hooper, V. D. (2016). The Institute of Medicine report on the future of nursing: Where are we 5 years later? Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 31(5), 367-369. Web.
Mackey, A., & Bassendowski, S. (2017). The history and evidence-based practice in nursing education and practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 33(1), 51-55. Web.
Saifan, A. R., Safieh, H. A., Milbes, R., & Shibly, R. (2015). Suggestions to close the gap in nursing education: Nursing students’ perceptions. International Journal of Nursing Didactics, 5(10), 5-12. Web.