Future of Nursing IOM Report

Running head: IOM REPORT ON NURSING 1
IOM Report on Nursing
Name
University Name
Date

IOM REPORT ON NURSING 2
Introduction
The United States of America has the absolute opportunity of transforming the health
care system in providing affordable, quality, and seamless care that can be accessed to all
citizens, evidence-based, patient-centered, as well as focusing on improving the health outcomes.
For this transformation to be achieved, it requires and takes account of remodeling the various
aspects within the health care system. Some of these factors are nurses-practice based blueprints
such as ensuring that nurses are able to practice the extent of their training and educational skills
to their fullest, providing opportunities for the nurses to step on leadership positions as well as
serving as full partners within the healthcare improvement efforts and ideology contributors and
lastly, improving data collection for work-force development, including policy-making and
implementation. Thus, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is focused on the future of nursing and
responding to the need to transform the nursing profession despite several challenges in fulfilling
the reformed healthcare sector as well as striving to meet the health needs at local, state, and
national levels.
IOM report and Nursing
The IOM report basically entails the changes encountering health care as a result of
demographics, technology and other factors in nursing. The IOM report strongly suggests
recommendations for improving the future of the healthcare sector by as well as making the
public and monitoring, reviewing, and coordinating the current health care system’s workforce
data on a timely basis. Based on this, the IOM insist that nurses need to achieve higher
educational levels and training skills through an improved system of education that promotes
whole academic progression (Unroe, Ersek & Cagle, 2015). The reports also denote about the
changes and expansion experienced in nursing within the last few decades that encompass

IOM REPORT ON NURSING 3
teamwork, geriatrics, public health, leadership, as well as changes in management systems with
technological advancements (Thom, et al., 2016). According to this report, several barriers are
found to inhibit nurses from being in a good position to effectively respond to the rapidly
changing health care system and the settings as well as the entire healthcare sector which is on a
constant evolution. Nevertheless, these barriers need to be subdued to ensure that they get a well-
positioned stand to lead and advance in the health industry.
Impact on Practice/Primary Care
The differences in the scope of practice occur across different settings, specialties, and
organizations. Nurses should have a platform for exercising and practicing their education and
training to the fullest. There is a need for effective workforce planning in identifying the needs of
healthcare as well as illustrating the possible overlaps existing in the responsibilities and
practices among the primary care provider (Dellefield, Castle, McGilton, & Spilsbury, 2015).
Their roles, duties, and activities can equally be used in assessing and planning for the future
workforce requirements for the nursing unit and used as a guide for any positive changes to
nursing education and practice within the healthcare.
Impact on Nursing Leadership
As full partners in the healthcare sector, nurses should equally be given opportunity and
take responsibility to contribute to the patient’s health. They should also collaboratively work as
a team with the rest of healthcare specialists, from dietitians to doctors (Blumenthal, &
McGinnis, 2015). In achieving this, the IOM report suggests for a gateway of leadership skills to
be recognized as a fundamental competency at all levels of nursing, prioritized, and implemented
throughout the nursing curricula. Nursing leaders should entail proficiency in their
responsibilities of expertise which include identifying possible problems and inefficiencies,

IOM REPORT ON NURSING 4
designing and implementing improvement strategies, assessing the effectiveness of these
strategies, as well as adjusting strategies as needed. They should take leadership responsibilities
in addition to their practical skills by joining commissions, committees, and boards whereby they
can take part in policy making apart from just being policy followers.
Changing Personal Practice to Meet IOM Goals
Nurses have to practice to the optimum extent of their training and education. Despite
having an exceptional amount of experience and education, nurses are required to cover the set
standards in education programs that vary from one state to another in terms of standards, license
requirement, and many other requirements (Dellefield, Castle, McGilton, & Spilsbury, 2015).
There exist quite a number of obstacles such as regulatory, historical, and policy barriers, rocky
transitions from class work to real practical skills, as well as the existence of complexity and
fragmentation of the healthcare system.
Conclusion
Thus, regarding nursing practices, the IOM facilitates aspects within the healthcare unit
that needs to be changed, including the nursing profession for the provision of affordable and
effective health care services as an initiative take concerning the future of nursing. They include
changing nursing practices to meet IOM fundamentals as well as the impact of nursing on
leadership and practices.

IOM REPORT ON NURSING 5
References
Blumenthal, D., & McGinnis, J. M. (2015). Measuring Vital Signs: an IOM report on core
metrics for health and health care progress. Jama, 313(19), 1901-1902.
Dellefield, M. E., Castle, N. G., McGilton, K. S., & Spilsbury, K. (2015). The relationship
between registered nurses and nursing home quality: An integrative review (2008-
2014). Nursing economic$, 33(2), 95-108.
Thom, K. A., Heil, E. L., Croft, L. D., Duffy, A., Morgan, D. J., & Johantgen, M. (2016).
Advancing interprofessional patient safety education for medical, nursing, and pharmacy
learners during clinical rotations. Journal of interprofessional care, 30(6), 819-822.
Unroe, K. T., Ersek, M., & Cagle, J. (2015). The IOM report on dying in America: A call to
action for nursing homes. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 16(2),
90-92.