Report on the Future of Nursing: Impacts & Recommendations of IOM

This report provides a critical analysis of the future of nursing, focusing on the impact of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on nursing practice. It discusses the historical evolution of nursing roles, the recommendations put forth by the IOM and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, including the emphasis on autonomous practice, higher education, and collaboration within healthcare teams. The report also addresses the barriers to nursing autonomy, such as language barriers, poor work environments, and workforce shortages. It concludes by highlighting the strides made in the nursing profession and underscoring the importance of addressing the identified barriers to ensure a robust future for nursing.

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Future of Nursing Report
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Future of Nursing
Introduction
Nursing is defined as an autonomous profession that is collaborative and unique in nature
and concerned with the care of individuals and groups of all ages regardless of their political
affiliation, race, creed, gender, economic status, social status and sexual orientation, with the aim
of steering them towards achieving optimum health through preventive, curative, and
rehabilitative strategies (Vincent, Theodore and Steven, 2011). The profession has made
significant strides and transformed immensely over the past few decades. In the past, nurses were
viewed as physicians’ assistants with very little skills and knowledge. That has since changed
because nurses are now viewed as collaborators in patient care together with doctors and other
members of the healthcare team (Blais & Hayes, 2011). The nursing profession is now highly
specialized to include various cadres and sub-specialties for nurses.
There have been immense debates regarding the future of nursing in the diverse health
care sector in view of the highly dynamic, methodological and technological space within the
healthcare system. Some scholars have raised questions about the autonomy and
professionalisms of nursing within the larger healthcare team (Vincent, Theodore and Steven,
2011). Critics of the ideology have been pessimistic despite the attempts by many nursing
scholars to decipher the roles of the autonomous nurse in patient care. This paper will take a
critical look into the report of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine
(IOM) on the future of nursing and the impacts of the later of the roles and practice of nurses in
various settings.
Discussion

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In order to effectively decipher the future of nursing, it is important to try and understand
the history of the profession. Nursing role started as the accomplishment of simple physician-
initiated instructions that mostly focused on hygiene and first aid. The roles of the nurses have
since then advanced and diversified to include higher roles such as academic and research roles,
and interdepartmental clinical practice (Blais & Hayes, 2011). The aforementioned steps have
since shifted the role of nursing from the ancient task-related to a more patient-centered
approach. Nursing education has also introduced different cadres and entry points for different
levels of nurses. The IOM in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2010
released a published report that deciphered on the future of nursing, advancement of health and
the leading of change. The latter was an initiative that lasted for two years and began by the
establishment of a committee that was tasked with the role of assessing and transforming the
nursing profession.
Some of the recommendations that the committee set by the IOM and the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation came up with were that nurses should be allowed to practice autonomously
in accordance with their level of training and experience (Eliseo, 2014). The report led to what is
referred to as a “Campaign for Action” by the nurses. The nurses were also expected to be
steadfast in their pursuit for higher academic progression levels and encourage improved
education and health systems. The nurses were also expected to collaborate with the doctors in
the planning and execution of patient management. The committee also recommended that the
nurse leaders and managers should develop effective policies and systems that would ensure
effective management of the nursing workforce through an infrastructure that is transformative.
The IOM and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation believed that the eight
recommendations stated n their report would improves the nursing prospects in the future

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(Vincent & Steven, 2011). The team noted after their two-year deliberation that there were major
barrier to the attainment of nursing autonomy that had to be removed. The barriers were mainly
revolving around the scope of nursing. The committee set by the duo recommended that nurses
be provided with the opportunity to lead healthcare initiatives that involve a collaborative
healthcare team.
The report by the two bodies has had significant impacts on the nursing practice. The
diversity that is advocated for in the report is viewed by some scholars as a socio-cultural kind of
diversity of the clients rather tats of the different nursing cadres and specialties. Nurses have an
ethical responsibility to care for all patients equally regardless of their political affiliation, race,
creed, gender, economic status, social status and sexual orientation as stipulated by Nurses Code
of Ethics (Eliseo, 2014). The impacts of this diversity had its advantages and shortcomings too.
The advantage of this was that nurses were at liberty to chose their areas of interest and pursue
them I the course of their career progression. The shortcoming of this was that the profession had
highly diversified introducing many specialties making it confusing for some nurses to settle on
one particular field (Ruth & Erik, 2010). The clients have also diversified over time. Currently,
most nurses care for patients drawn from different cultures, religions, backgrounds, and even
countries. The profession must, therefore, be proactive in order to change adapt to the current
trends.
Some of the barriers to the future of nursing as stipulated by the report by the duo were
language barriers that made the dissemination of information difficult. Nurses usually rely on the
information from the patients or the significant others to plan for care. Language barriers could
thus lead to misunderstanding and non-compliance. Other barriers pointed out in the report

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include poor work environment and shortage of the nursing workforce including instructors and
researchers in the academic and research institutions.
Conclusion
The nursing profession has made significant strides and transformed immensely over the
past few decades. In the past, nurses were viewed as physicians’ assistants with very little skills
and knowledge. Nurses are now viewed as collaborators in patient care together with doctors and
other members of the healthcare team. Some of the barriers to the future of nursing as stipulated
by the report by the IOM and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation were language barriers that
made the dissemination of information difficult, shortage of nurses, and poor work environment.
The duo recommended that nurses be steadfast in their pursuit for higher academic progression
levels and encourage improved education and health systems, collaborate with the doctors in the
planning and execution of patient management and the nurse leaders and managers should
develop effective policies and systems that would ensure effective management of the nursing
workforce.

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References
Blais K., & Hayes J. S. (2011). Concepts related to Culture: Professional Nursing Practice
Concepts and Perspectives. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
Eliseo T., (2014). Healing with Rituals and Herbs: The Nursing Profession and Practice.
Albuquerque: UNM Press
Ruth A., & Eric V., (2010). The Nursing Profession: The Hidden Perspective: London:
Cambridge University Press
Vincent, T. Theodore, S. Steven, A. (2011). Nursing: Principles & Practice: A Primer of the
Scope of Nursing Practice. Philadelphia:/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.