Introduction
State laws have affected primary care workers, especially nurses, negatively over the years. State laws consider primary care workers as equals, despite their differences in education, training, and specialization. Thus, the nurses lack a chance to work based on their educational qualification. The realization of these problems resulted in the development of new policies and recommendations as a means of solving the problems.
The RWJF and IOM Initiative
There were two organizations that decided to assess the situation in the nursing profession and find solutions to the problems. These were the “Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM)”, which came up with the idea in 2008 and compiled a report in the course of two years. A committee appointed by the IOM conducted research and came up with strategies that would see nurses become more involved in transforming the profession (Institute of Medicine, 2010). In other words, the report that was compiled focused on the future of the nursing profession.
Various recommendations arose from the research. For instance, the report suggested that nurses were supposed to be classified according to their educational level (TheFutureofNursing.org, 2011). A large number of nurses are registered nurses (RN), although some are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with specialized education. Despite the advanced training among APRNs, this group lacks the support of states to conduct its activities the same way physicians who have similar credentials do. Thus, the scope of their services varies from state to state, but it is similar to the registered nurses (RNs) in most cases. The federal government can help this group of primary care workers by influencing changes in state laws to ensure that APRNs can practice to the best of their abilities.
The RWJF also recommends that nurses should advance and improve their education and training with ease through educational reforms. The health care market demands a lot, thus nurses should have the opportunity to pursue education in order to meet the various unique needs of the market. The RWJF also suggests that nurses are part of the decisions that affect the health sector. Therefore, their opinions must be included in the discussions about redesigning the health care market. Information about the number of nurses should also be collected when trying to meet the demands of the health care market (Feldman & Alexander, 2012). The collected and analyzed data should help in coming up with the best methods of implementing change in nursing practice and education.
Importance of the IOM Report
The IMO report is an important document in nursing practice, education, and workforce development. It acts as a means of establishing rules that guide nursing practice. For instance, the implementation of its recommendations will allow for greater independence of nurses. It means that a nurse, once certified in a state, can offer services in other states. Moreover, all the rules governing nursing practice in different states will be similar (TheFutureofNursing.org, 2011).
The IMO report has also encouraged nurses to take advantage of educational opportunities. Therefore, they can gain admission into learning institutions in order to improve their knowledge when the need arises, or as a strategy for meeting the demands of the new challenges affecting the health care industry. The IMO report is also important for the development of the workforce in the nursing profession. The report allows for greater control of the workforce by determining the needs of the health care sector. This can help in the identification of specific skills required in the market (Institute of Medicine, 2010). Educational institutions can then be involved in meeting these demands by enrolling more students to provide the required skills.
State-based action coalitions: The State of Florida
State-based action coalitions have been an important force in advancing the demands of nurses. The state based action coalitions are important because they are aware of the needs of the state. The coalitions are involved in the implementation of the IOM report, as it is the case with the Florida Action Coalition. The Florida Action Coalition has led to sweeping changes in health care in the state of Florida. Florida has unique health care needs, thus nurses can help the state’s health care sector undergo a transformation (Campaign for Action, 2015).
One initiative spearheaded by the state of Florida is data collection. There has been a need for reliable and valid data collection in the state to aid in making decisions about future and current needs of the health care industry. Comprehensive data for the nursing profession is beyond the scope of a single organization. Thus, the state is an important partner in data collection. This initiative advances the nursing profession by determining the best way to create and deploy a nursing workforce that caters for all the Floridians (Campaign for Action, 2015). Therefore, the workforce needs of the state and the nursing skills required are determined using the collected data.
The second initiative involves communication, which is comprised of inter-professional collaboration. It means that all members within the health care sector in Florida work together and share knowledge when they are carrying out their duties. This initiative advances the nursing profession by encouraging an increase in the quality of the health care services. Collaboration allows sharing of information, which results in improvements in the sector. Action coalitions in Florida have also been able to advance the nursing profession by encouraging and allowing discussions about the health care reforms (Feldman & Alexander, 2012).
Barriers
There are several barriers to nursing practice that are encountered in the state of Florida. For instance, the advanced practitioner nurses, such as the APRNs, follow the same rules as the NRs. Moreover, the ratio of primary care nurses does not match the size of the population in the state. These barriers can be overcome by coming up with policies where the responsibilities of nurses at all levels are established. The establishment of collaborations and partnerships involving educating and training nurses can also help in overcoming the barriers. The state is also establishing a practice-benchmarking tool that will determine advantage points and find ways of overcoming the barriers (Campaign for Action, 2015).
Nursing advocates in the state legislature can also be helpful in overcoming the barriers through changing the laws so that regulations, like the Model Nursing Administrative Rules (Article XVIII, Chapter 18), can guide the scope of activities that nurses can carry out. Moreover, the state can establish laws that require third-party payers who have a fee-for-service arrangement to reimburse APRNs directly, based on their education and training (Feldman & Alexander, 2012).
In conclusion, nurses should be included during the formation of policies affecting the health care sector. Nurses play a huge role in the health industry, thus they should be active stakeholders in the health care industry. Their involvement can lead to changes in the health care system by improving its quality. Many states, such as Florida, are facing challenges in health care. Thus, improving the nursing profession can be advantageous in the transformation of the health care sectors in the states.
References
Campaign for Action. (2015). State action coalitions: Florida. Web.
Feldman, H. R., & Alexander, G. R. (2012). Nursing leadership: a concise encyclopedia. New York, NY: Springer.
Institute of Medicine. (2010). Report. The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. Web.
TheFutureofNursing.org (2011). IOM recommendations. Web.