The Implementation of the IOM Plan in the Field of Nursing
The field of Nursing reveals a summative view of future of development with the documentation of this report. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine authored the comprehensive and innovative report entitled The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (Altman, et al., 2015). This report is a response in some respect to changes in nursing which also came with the Affordable Care Act, and concerns for the protection of patients (Altman, et al., 2015). The report includes ten recommendations that effect the nursing industry, diversity in nursing, cultural awareness, and many other factors (Altman, et al., 2015). This report offers a look at the recommendations, and how they will be implemented, specifically in the state of New York over the current period of time since the recommendations were made.
This report would be remiss without acknowledgment of the world-renowned Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This organization of philanthropy was founded by Robert Wood “General” Johnson II, a businessman who is, incidentally, the founder of Johnson and Johnson products company, and who devoted his life to being a great servant for the public good through charitable gifts (RWJF, 2015). The evidence that The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a life changer is lived by those who have benefitted from the programs that foster hope, and change, and has greatly contributed to the field of nursing, because there are more testimonials and success stories than can be documented in this report. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsored the report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (Altman et al., 2015).
The importance of the IOM Report on Nursing
The report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health has significantly changed nursing forever, because in the few years after the report, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Committee has established the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, and the 51 state action coalitions that support each other (Altman et al., 2015). It is also The Robert Wood Johnson Committee that has made certain to perform a check up on the Institute of Medicine to make certain the institute is implementing the report’s plan. In the state of New York, this task has necessitated the formation of The Future of Nursing New York State Action Coalition (Action Coalition, 2016). The importance of the coalitions, and the IOM report on nursing is that these recommendations enable those who once had limited opportunity to pursue nursing more options, and more affordable options (Action Coalition, 2016). The success of the students who pursue and receive nursing degrees has increased as a result, as have the groups available to assist people who have always wanted the opportunity to study nursing through the coalitions (Action Coalition, 2016).
IOM Implementation Progress in Relationship with AARP
The CCNA, or The Center to Champion Nursing in America is an initiative that is not only a part of the American Association of Retired Persons, but also works together with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The CCNA is the AARP program’s national office for the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program (RWJF, 2013). It is through this office that several of the state coalitions have received lucrative support of the Foundation for 20 states, including the following; “Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming” (RWJF, 2013). In these states, 4.5 million dollars was awarded to assist with the implementation of technical and strategic issues to further promote health care systems through nursing on all levels of profession for families, patients, and communities, according to Senior Vice-President, and chief strategist for AARP’s CCNA, Susan Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN. Unfortunately, not all states have been recipients of this funding or focus, and this fact does present a barrier to progress in the area of funding.
Implementation and Outcomes in the state of New York to Date
In regard to the ten recommendations of the Johnson Committee, the New York State Action Coalition has established these expectations and out of the ten has focused on three points that will include the ten recommendations. They have implemented these three goals, and experienced these outcomes. Firstly, the New York State Action Coalition, which is comprised of the Center for Nursing, and The New York State Nurses, Incorporated, have organized an Academic Progression in Nursing (APIN, under RWJF Grant) Project Leadership Team, the Strategic Advisory Committee and the New York State Nursing Education Collaborative (NYSNEC) to replicate a Dual Degree Model, “an educational model to increase the number of BS prepared nursing graduates in New York state” (Action Coalition, 2016). The dual degree program, or 1 + 2 +1 model was first utilized by the Le Moyne College Department of Nursing, along with the St. Joseph’s College of Nursing, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, NY (Action Coalition, 2016). This means that for the student majoring in nursing, their first year and their fourth year of study would actually take place on the campus of the university that would grant the earned degree, and that their second and third year of study would occur at an associate degree place of study (Action Coalition, 2016). The plan also states that “students are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX) at the conclusion of Year III. Only one additional year is required to complete the baccalaureate degree” (Action Coalition, 2016). The hope of this model has been to [ 1)] create “a seamless avenue for RN to BS mobility in nursing to increase the number of BS prepared nurses in the workforce, [2)] attract recent high school graduates into the nursing profession, [3)] increase the retention rates of BSN students, and [4)] [create the opportunity for] academic institutions [to] share scarce resources rather than compete with one another” (Action Coalition, 2016). The outcome(s) of the model is that 19 initial partnerships were made (interested places of higher learning with programs), and although six were lost through merger, loss of accreditation, and the decision of the universities (two) to adopt another model, the coalition still reports that two more have joined, four have applied, and four are interested in becoming a part of the model (Action Coalition, 2016).
The second goal focus of the Action Coalition is to “increase the number of baccalaureate prepared nurses in New York State” (Action Coalition, 2016). In order to determine the number, a group had to create an effective tool of measurement; Therefore, the Project Leadership Team has devised a way determining the success of the increase(s), and other data over a period of time (Action Coalition, 2016). The quantitative data is being collected by a survey of partners of clinical practice, 77 percent of whom have answered, indicating that 93% of the surveyed facilities have the funds available through various agencies for Registered Nurses “to continue their education to the BS degree while 88% provide funding for RNs to pursue graduate education” (Action Coalition, 2016). The survey also revealed that 2,613 more Registered Nurses are pursuing a higher degree than before, and 3,312 more nurses have been employed than before (Action Coalition, 2016). This is only a few of the facts and results found. More numbers will be made possible as this tool of measurement is implemented again to measure what is hoped will be progress.
The third focus and/or goal of the coalition is to “increase the diversity of historically underrepresented groups in nursing completing the BS degree” (Action Coalition, 2016). The coalition developed a way to statistically register what the increase at the enactment of the coalition is, as well as a way for high schools in New York City to prepare students from groups that might not have been represented in the past to meet the criteria necessary for entry into the field of nursing (Action Coalition, 2016). At the time of the study, there was noted that a two percent increase of students with diverse backgrounds, and that there was 0.5 percent increase in the number of students who are male in the field of nursing enrollment in higher education (Action Coalition, 2016).
Conclusion
At this time, these are the implementation details of the Institute of Nursing’s report recommendations, which have resulted in the action coalitions around the United States. These three goals of the action coalition of New York State have netted some results, but at this time, the whole influence and effect of The Robert Wood Johnson Committee IOM report remains to be seen. In more time, hopefully, there will be an even more evidence, and increase of the implementations from the report. Eventually, in the state of New York, perhaps more schools will participate in the coalition’s model that assists students being educated to become nurses, and more results in every area of positive growth will be addressed, and statistically assessed. However, for now, this is the documentation of the implementations from the report’s recommendations.
References
Altman, S., Butler, A., Shern, L. (2015). Front Matter | Assessing Progress on the Institute of Medicine Report the Future of Nursing | The National Academies Press. (2016). Nap.edu. Retrieved 17 August 2016, from http://www.nap.edu/read/21838/chapter/1
RWJF.org. (2011). Rwjf.org. Retrieved 17 August 2016, from http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/issue_briefs/2011/rwjf70968RWJF.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2013). "RWJF: $1.5 Million in New Grants To Help Transform Health Care Through Nursing." RWJF. N.p., 2013. Web. 20 Aug. 2016.
RWJF. (2015). Our Founder. RWJF. Retrieved 17 August 2016, from http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/our-founder.html
The Future of Nursing New York State Action Coalition. (2016). Campaign for Action. Retrieved 17 August 2016, from http://campaignforaction.org/state/new-york/
