- The Impact of the IOM Report on Nursing Education
The nursing profession will experience a lot of improvement in proficiency with improvement in the education system that trains them into their profession. The education system ought to cater for constant improvement and advancement in the nursing career as the nurses proceed with their work. The IOM report recommends the need to ensure that nurses acquire sufficient in-care training procedures to help improve the care provided to patients. Furthermore, nursing education at various levels will allow for a change in the traditional roles assigned to a nurse by equipping them with capabilities that are more technical. Most importantly, a proficient education system for the nurses allows for a smooth transition to higher education levels (especially from diploma to degree levels or even higher levels of academia). The essence of practical competencies ought to be incorporated in the determination of accreditation and licensing of nurses, including the consideration of written examinations (IOM, 2011).
The nursing education system must be flexible to incorporative of other medics. The training of nurses in alienation undermines their interaction with other physicians and change in this system is bound to make them more equipped in their careers as professionals. The IOM report provides that the primary targets for nursing education remain as they initially were, and only slight modifications in the system are necessary. Other than being conversant with upcoming technologies in the medical world, nurses must continue to deliver on their roles as leaders, team players and attention to the needs of the patients. The transformation of the nursing education system allows them to be able to collaborate with other physicians in the future. This is important since the health care system is transforming rapidly, and nurses ought to be trained on how to react to these complexities and other changes in the diverse settings (Masters, 2014).
This may be through providing a smooth transition from the theoretical to the practical aspect of nursing for nurses at the entry level. Graduate programs provide an avenue for advanced practice registered nurses to acquire the preparation for delivery on their roles of adept care for patients. In order for nurses to develop in their education, it is crucial for most of them acquire an undergraduate degree to improve their technical competencies. If possible, nurses with diplomas ought to be encouraged to undertake the progression to undergraduate level while young in their careers. Nurses can significantly change the health sector by attaining doctorate degrees. The nursing education system ought to be aligned to their careers with breaks for study and advancement in their education. This will require the transformation of the nursing curricula in order to improve the educational capacities of nurses in the future (IOM, 2011).
- The Impact of the IOM Report on Nursing Practice
The IOM report provides that it is crucial for nurses to aim at practicing at their full potential. This means optimum utilization of their education and technical training into their profession. Patients should receive the best(in terms of quality of care). They ought not to be victims of convenience and complacency in the nursing profession. One of the ways through which such a transformation in the nursing practice is possible is through a change from the outdated policies that are currently in use. Cultural barriers offer one of the greatest impediments to the provision of quality nursing care. This is because the assignment of nurses to various hospitals is based on tribal lines or cultural backgrounds. This means that some hospitals will lack the services of skilled nurses because of this discrimination. This also results in complacency at work because of the ignorance of the discipline that comes with work ethics.
The deployment of nurses ought to be based on the needs of the hospital and the technical capability of the nurses including their performance in the final exams, both practically and theoretically. The training of nurses on new technology, both in terms of medical advancements and equipment will offer an opportunity for nurses to be able to improve the services they offer. Registered nurses ought to be trained and allowed to take on new roles in nursing. This includes training and the management of chronic diseases.
- The Impact of the IOM Report on the Nurse's Role as a Leader.
In nursing leadership is a goal, vision, and expectation for most professionals practicing in the health system (Klainberg and Dirschel, 2010). Nursing leadership plays a key role in the immediate lives of nurses and has an impact on the entire health care system it serves.
A strong leadership is fundamental in the achievement of a transformed health care system. Leadership in the nursing profession starts from the bedside to the boardroom and trickle down throughout the health care system (IOM, 2011). Nurses serving in the health care system must serve as full partners in conjunction with other health professionals. Accountability is critical in order to deliver high quality care while working with other leaders in the health profession. The general public is not accustomed in viewing nurses as leaders. In turn, most nurses beginning their careers don’t envision themselves as becoming leaders (IOM, 2011). The ongoing reforms in the nursing industry demand that all nurses be leaders in the design, implementation, evaluation and advocacy of the new system. In addition to this, leadership skills and competencies are critical in order for the nurses to act as a full partner with physicians and other health professionals, in redesigning and reforming the health care system. The continuity of nursing research and practice is critical in developing evidence based improvements to care. Improvements identified must be tested in order to be adopted through policy change across the health care system. Nursing leaders must implement new research findings into the practice environment, then into nursing education and finally into practice and policy (IOM, 2011). In the day to day running of the healthcare system by nurses, physicians, patients and others, different problems are encountered. These different health care professionals play increasingly interdependent role hence the problems encountered do not have singular solutions. These problems demand a new style of leadership that involves working in collaboration with others in an environment of mutual respect. Collaboration helps in improving patient outcomes, less staff turnover and reduction in medical errors (IOM, 2011).
References
Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, at the
Masters, K. (2014). Role development in professional nursing practice. Burlington, MA: Jones &
Bartlett Learning.
Klainberg, M. B., & Dirschel, K. M. (2010). Today's nursing leader: managing, succeeding,
excelling. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
