Future of Nursing

The career of nursing (Registered Nurse, Licensed Vocational Nurse, and advanced practice nurse) has more than three million working affiliates. Nurses are the predominant portion of the healthcare personnel. There are multiple barriers that stand in the way of nurses’ being able to react quickly to the ever-evolving health care field and changing health care organizations. In 2008, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the IOM (Institute of Medicine) started a group process that took two years to look at these needs, looking to evaluate and modify the nursing occupation.

The findings show that 1 ) nurses- need to perform to the all-inclusive expanse of their schooling and achievements. 2) nurses- need to commit to reach the most prestigious levels of education and training through a refined educational network that advocates consistent advancement through academia. 3 ) nurses- need to endeavor to be fully engaged with physicians and other health care experts, in modernizing/rejuvenating the health care organization in the United States. 4) Efficient labor pool planning and strategy making needs better collection of data and framework of information.

(Berwick 2011). Student nurses will need capabilities in the new patient care conveyance framework that is on the horizon. Need a working knowledge in community health/illness and community based patient care. (Tanner 2011). They will need to know how to distribute patient care with other patient care modalities for appropriate patient care (Tilden 2011). The future nurse will need to have skills based on unchanging science prerequisite courses (Dracup, Tanner 2011). Health care policy knowledge, skills, and beliefs will need to be taught (Tilden 2011). Abilities related to unfolding health care needs will need to be fostered. For example: the elderly population (Tanner 2011). They will need to accept technology-immersed education, multifaceted approach to patient care. Universities and colleges will need to come up with a plan that will make sure that the number and the equal allocation of new Registered Nurses who have graduated from their institutions with a baccalaureate degree or higher in nursing should be greatly increased (Aiken, Cronenwett 2011). Society should embrace community colleges/ universities that have affiliations, they may increase AND graduates that would complete a BSN degree if given encouragement, and could get it completed within a certain timeframe. (Dracup, Tanner 2011).

The post-graduate residency programs will need to develop and test clinical education models that would include post-graduate intern and residency programs in appropriate facilities. (Tanner 2011). What the faculty members of the future need to be on the look-out 1) look for a person that has the bedrock for a nomination and appointment to faculty and promotion, including recognition of practice-based accomplishments, including working toward bettering healthcare (Berwick, Dracup, Cronenwett 2011). This person, who can, during their working life, move easily between practice (patient care), and academia (Gilliss 2011). The person, who within a short time span, has obtained a BSN, then a Doctoral degree (Aiken, Dracup 2011). The person must maintain professional certification and/or clinical proficiency (Gilliss 2011). This person builds working relationships with teachers and staff in other occupations. (medicine, engineering, business, public health, and law). (Gilliss 2011). The person must take time to advance his/her education using two or more professions and foster cooperative practice furnishing patient-centered care (Dracup, Tilden 2011). Society needs to make sure that the universities produce a commensurate number of nurse practitioners (NP’s) for primary care roles at a time when access to health care will most likely increase the general public’s need for primary care providers (Cronenwett, Gilliss 2011). Universities will need to change their course of study in nursing education that has come about secondary to the advances made in nursing science and practice.

These changes are guided by breakthroughs made in science (Tanner 2011). Universities will need to continue to state specialist preparation is needed for Master’s program level, and advance Post-Masters DNP education. At this time, requirements for Nurse Scientists interested in translational research needs to be clarified- will a DNP and a PhD both be needed in order to be able to follow through and become a researcher? The older population age averages, those who have chronic illnesses, added to the fast-moving science and technology fields, plus the blurred lines between medicine and nursing, creates a level of unpredictability to the health care scene. It is reasonable to expect a more educated health care team to care for these patients. Research has shown that hospitals that have a larger proportion of BSN bedside nurses, have a lower patient mortality/death (JAMA 1999). There is some research evidence that has shown BSN nurses are more cost-effective. Evidence is encouraging in showing that a more highly balanced BSN labor pool might allow for a smaller staff without negatively affecting patient end results. In the ambulatory out-patient care clinic setting, there is strong research-based evidence that shows that nurses with advanced degrees, usually a masters, can provide patient care with patient conclusions that are comparable to that of a Medical Doctors in some areas, like that of pain control and patient satisfaction.

The cost for care is lower, also. Griffiths 2010)(Horrocks 2002). The evidence shows that the increased number of advanced degree nurses practicing has improved admittance to general patient care. (Aiken 2009). Advanced nurses staff ambulatory care clinics and see approximately three million patients a year. Nurse Practitioners also staff Community Health Centers. The Role of Nursing Organizations to Nurse Leaders: The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), states that the BSN is the minimal degree for nurses in leadership roles. Nurse leaders in a supervisory leadership role should seek education at a doctoral level. The IOM recommends lifelong learning for nurses. Nurse leaders need to help and assist as needed bed-side, clinic, and home-health care nurses in exploring and promoting new, more unprecedented, patient and family-centered care models. Nurses at all levels of the health care continuum, should be planning for leadership roles.

The more experienced nurses must mentor the nurse with less proficiency, show them the way. Nurse leaders should also sit on boards of health care organizations and sit on policy-making committees. As for me, I am not sure what the future holds for me. I think maybe I would stay a bedside nurse in an acute care hospital. That is what I have done for over twenty years and that is what I love doing. I see nursing becoming more involved in the evidence-based prevention policies. Finding new ways to assist patients in reducing disease and/or promoting health, once they go home. The bedside nurse would do more of the inter-agency care coordination, for example discharge planning. Nurses must be able to function and collaborate with multiple agencies in order to get the supplies and care a patient might need once they go home.

References
AmericaInstitute of Medicine. (2011). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. Washington, DC:
Cronenwett, Linda R. (09/01/2012). “Molding the future of advanced practice nursing 1.”. Nursing outlook (0029-6554), 60 (_5), 241. WNA working to advance the recommendations in the RWJF/IOM report: “the future of nursing:
leading change, advancing health?”. Stat: Bulletin Of The Wisconsin Nurses Association [serial online]. June 2011;80(6)Available from: CINAHL Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 11, 2014. Retrieved from ISNA Bulletin Aug/Sep/Oct 2011 pg10 Independent Study Visioning the Future of Nursing: Analysis of the IOM/RWJ Foundation Report Nurse Leader Vol9 Issue6 Dec2011 pg30-32