Modern Nursing: A Rewarding but Challenging Career Choice

Current literature continues to reiterate the indicators of a major shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. The total RN population has been increasing since 1980, which means that we have more RNs in this country than ever before (Nursing Shortage). Even though the RN population is increasing, it is growing at a much slower rate then when compared to the rate of growth of the U.S. population (Nursing Shortage). We are seeing less skilled nurses “at a time of an increasingly aging population with complex care

There is a shortage of all health care professions throughout the United States. One shortage in particular that society should be very concerned about is the shortage of Registered Nurses. Registered Nurses make up the single largest healthcare profession in the United States. A registered nurse is a vital healthcare professional that has earned a two or four year degree and has the upper-most responsibility in providing direct patient care and staff management in a hospital or other treatment facilities (Registered Nurse (RN) Degree and Career Overview., 2009). This shortage issue is imperative because RN's affect everyone sometime in their lifetime. Nurses serve groups, families and individuals to foster

The Institute of Medicine’s 2010 report on The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health acknowledges the changing healthcare sector in the US and describes future vision of healthcare and the role of nurses to fulfill that vision. The United States always strives to provide affordable and quality healthcare to the entire population of the country. In order to achieve this goal an overall restructuring of the healthcare system was necessitated. Nurses are considered to be the central part of the healthcare system to provide high quality and safe patient care. Nursing in the US is the single largest segment of the healthcare workforce with almost 3 million nurses working in different areas across the county. The changing

Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, at the Institute of Medicine; Institute of Medicine. (2011). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. [The National Academies Press]. Retrieved from http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12956&page=R1

Over the past few decades, many drastic changes occurred in U.S health care delivery.   Our current healthcare trends demand nurses to take more active role in the health care decisions in hospital setting, long term care setting and in community healthcare setting. Since “nursing is based upon a body of knowledge that is always changing with new discoveries and innovation” Potter and Perry (2005), nursing profession is compelled to grow from being just a traditional bedside nurse. IOM’s future of nursing report which is released in 2010 calls nurses to be “more highly educated, diverse nursing workforce”.

No matter which perspective the view is from, most everyone would agree that millions of nurses worldwide are involved in a profession that is constantly changing and changing at a very quick pace (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2011). This transformation is due to a number of factors like demographic changes, the shortage of health care professionals, economic downfalls on the health care system, and evolving technology (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2011). In an effort to support and promote the future of nursing and advancement in health care, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) took on a 2 year initiative that

IOM (Institute of Medicine), in partnership with RWJF (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), developed the report “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing health on October 5, 2010.This detailed study focus on the significant connection between the health needs of various, varying populations and the actions of the nursing staff. The health care delivery system and nursing profession consider this report as a framework for transformation. The changes in health care system and nursing workforce are directed to health care researchers, payers, national, state and local government leaders, professionals

“According to the IOM report, the nursing profession is the largest segment of the nation’s healthcare workforce. Nursing represents the largest sector of the health professions, with more than 3 million registered nurses in the United States.”

This paper seeks to expand upon the 2010 Institute of Medicine’s report on the future of nursing, leading change, advancing health and illustrating its impact on nursing education, practice and leadership. There is an ongoing transformation in the healthcare system necessitated by the need to achieve a patient centered care in the community, public, and primary care settings in contrast to previous times. Nurses occupying vital roles in the healthcare system, need improvements in the areas mentioned above to

In 2008, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) launched an initiative to assess and reform the nursing profession to address the complex unique nursing needs for the current world. The IOM report published in 2010 calls on nurses to take greater role in the healthcare system by taking leadership roles and obtaining high level education. The report envisions nurses to use their full potential and attain academic progression to redesign the healthcare profession in United States.

In today’s society, the medical field is constantly thriving with technological improvements and the growth of educated individuals that contribute to the well-being of others. Nurses make up the largest majority of the industry, and with that, nursing is the fastest growing occupation. Nursing is a job that allows people to not only take care of the sick but also to experience, learn, and further their interests of the human body.

The second guideline outlines the need for nurses with higher degrees and competencies. This pursuit of higher education must be seamless. The third suggestion stresses the need to be equal partners in designing the future of healthcare. Nurses must be part of the solution to health care reform. Fourthly, there is a need for accurate numbers of health care workers available. With this data accurate projections can be made. These facts must be provided on a state level as well as regional (Institute of Medicine, 2010). For the nursing workforce, the IOM Future of Nursing report is of great importance.

In November of 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health”. This special report examined the current state of nursing and changing landscape of the American healthcare system and offered recommendations for the future role nurses should play. The committee that released the report, Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, divided it into three parts. Part II of the study, focused on transforming the nursing profession in order to improve America’s healthcare system. In order to achieve this transformation, the committee recommended that nurses attain higher levels of education and training, practice to the full extent of that education and training, and assume more

Changes in the Health Care System and the Practice of Nursing have become complex. Technological changes, complicated client needs, short hospital length of stay, and departure from acute care to community based care, all these changes have underscore the need for professional nurses to think critically in order to provide safe and effective client care. A better educated nursing workforce can provide good health education to patients and their families. The affordable care of 2010 has required the need for nurses to expand their role of practice to meet complicated patient demands. This has prompted the Institute Of Medicine to review the “Future of Nursing, Leading change and Advancing Health”. {Creasia & Fribery,2011}

After reading The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health article by the Institute of Medicine, I gained a clearer view of the overall goal for nursing. Although there are many diverse parties that need to be associated in perfecting the continuously changing health care system, nurses vital to the contribution. Nurses provide direct patient care, deal with the health care system and health care policies, as well as interact with the interdisciplinary team. So the Institute of Medicine has a great nursing blueprint for help nurses make a different for not only the future of the health care system