Nurses possess adequate competencies that empower them to meet their patients’ needs. Unfortunately, certain gaps and obstacles make it impossible for many practitioners in the United States to achieve their potential. Consequently, they have been unable to transform the health outcomes of different citizens. These issues informed the report “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health” by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). This paper examines how this document influences various attributes of nursing practice.
Nursing Education
The IOM report was published and released in 2010. During this time, many states in the country had failed to transform nursing education and empower practitioners to meet the diverse needs of more patients. Most of the existing policies and regulations were also limiting or dictating nurses’ scope of practice. According to the report, nurses should be empowered, guided, and supported to offer evidence-based care following their skills (Hassmiller & Reinhard 2015).
The roles and responsibilities of practitioners tend to be limited despite having adequate competencies. Curriculum developers and educationists in nursing are also requested to develop superior programs and courses that resonate with the changing needs of these professionals.
An improved nursing education structure or system can equip nurses with adequate ideas, concepts, and resources. The targeted beneficiaries will be able to offer culturally competent, personalized, safe, and high-quality medical services to their patients (Hooper, 2016). The targeted nurses can make adequate decisions, solve emerging problems, establish new teams, and design appropriate care delivery models. They will also work in diverse settings, liaise with other professionals, and improve their nursing philosophies (Saifan, Safieh, Milbes, & Shibly, 2015). The report suggests an advanced system that promotes leadership skills. If these suggestions are implemented, more nurses will engage in lifelong learning, acquire advanced competencies, and meet the health needs of every citizen.
Nursing Practice
Primary Care
An effective healthcare system should ensure that timely, high-quality, and safe medical services are available to the greatest number of people. The IOM report predicts a situation whereby nurses offer high-quality care in every primary care setting (Hooper, 2016). When more nurses acquire new competencies in medical practice, they will be able to address their patients’ changing needs. They will also be empowered to practice to the extent of their education (Hassmiller & Reinhard 2015).
Proficient nurses will form multidisciplinary teams, use healthcare technologies, and design appropriate care delivery models. This initiative will make it easier for many practitioners to deliver high-quality or superior primary care. The proposed training programs will encourage more nurses to design and implement efficient care delivery models. They will also prescribe a wide range of drugs, diagnose medical conditions (such as malaria), empower caregivers, and support the diverse needs of their patients.
Personal Obligations
Primary caregivers should change their nursing models to meet the goals of the IOM report (Hooper, 2016). I will begin by making teamwork part of my philosophy. The idea of lifelong learning will equip me with superior competencies and concepts that can be embraced to meet the needs of more patients. I will also focus on attributes such as leadership, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking. These competencies will empower me to guide and mentor others. I will interact with different professionals in health practice to improve my care delivery model. I am planning to embrace the power of cultural competence to support the health needs of many from diverse backgrounds. I will also start my clinic that will offer superior medical services to many people in my community.
Leadership Role
The IOM report offers meaningful insights that can guide practitioners to deliver exemplary medical services. The concept of leadership is taken seriously since it can transform nurses’ experiences. According to the report, caregivers should act as change agents, empower others, and promote superior practices that can result in appropriate care delivery models (Hassmiller & Reinhard 2015). Nurses should liaise with each other and make appropriate decisions. They should also develop adequate leadership attributes such as efficient communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, listening, and charisma.
Practitioners who possess the above attributes will collaborate and develop desirable nursing philosophies. They will engage patients’ relatives and guardians throughout the care delivery process. Caregivers who embrace every leadership attribute will engage in policymaking processes and introduce concepts that can result in safe medical services. They will guide their followers, tackle problems such as medication errors, and minimize healthcare costs (Saifan et al., 2015). They will also undertake numerous roles in different units and transform the country’s health sector.
Conclusion
The proposals outlined in the IOM report have the potential to improve America’s healthcare system and address the challenges facing both patients and practitioners. States and policymakers should promote appropriate structures that equip nurses with adequate competencies and empower them to practice in diverse settings. Professionals in the field should also embrace the above competencies, engage in lifelong learning, and improve their philosophies. Such measures will ensure that safe and high-quality services are available to every patient.
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.
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.