Leading Change, Advancing Health Report
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Leading Change, Advancing Health Report
Work of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Committee Initiative on the Future of Nursing
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Committee developed a vision for more affordable and more accessible health care (Institute of Medicine, Altman, Butler, Shern, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, & Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, at the Institute of Medicine, 2016). They envisioned a future health care system that provides access to quality health care to the citizens of the United States. The health care system will also help in disease prevention and promote wellness of the citizens of the U.S. (Institute of Medicine et al., 2016).
The health care system will also improve health outcomes and provide good care in the lives of U.S. citizens. Primary care and prevention are the most important aspects of this health care system. In this vision, the committee also envisioned payment of health care services as a reward of value and not payment of volume of services (Finkelman & American Nurses Association, 2017). Quality health care services will be provided at an affordable price to individuals and the society.
This future vision also looks forward to reduce health care expenses. The health care system will be a system that is responsive to patient’s needs and desires through the delivery of health care that truly focuses on the patient (Institute of Medicine et al., 2016). The committee examined the capacity of the nursing workforce to meet the demands of a reformed health care and public health system and developed recommendations in addressing the delivery of nursing services in a shortage environment and the capacity of the nursing education system.
The committee came up with a clear agenda and a clear blue print for action including changes in public and institutional policies at the national, state, and local levels. In addition, the committee came up with innovative ways to solve the nursing shortage in the U.S. The committee examined and produced recommendations related to health care and identified vital roles for nurses in designing and implementing a more effective and efficient health care system (Institute of Medicine et al., 2016).
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Importance of the IOM “Future of Nursing” Report
The report analyzed a number of barriers that prevent nurses from being able to respond effectively to changing and evolving health care settings and how to overcome these barriers so that nurses are well positioned to lead change and advance health (Institute of Medicine et al., 2016).
The Report Recommendations
Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training. The report found out that historical, regulatory, and policy barriers have prevented nurses from being able to perform the full range of activities, which they have been trained. The committee formulated recommendations on actions that could help remove these barriers (Finkelmanb ; American Nurses Association, 2017).
Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training, through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression. The committee observed that major changes in the health care system would require equally major changes in the education of nurses to train them on how to use advanced technology, analyze, and synthesize complex information to make critical decisions, and work together with other health professionals. To meet these advanced needs, the committee recommended that more nurses obtain higher degrees so that by 2020, 80 percent of nurses would have a baccalaureate degree and the number of nurses with a doctorate would double (Institute of Medicine et al., 2016). The committee also recommended that nurses engage in continuous learning throughout their careers.
Nurses should be full partners with physicians and other health professionals in redesigning health care in the United States. The committee recommended that, for nurses to participate fully in the transformation of the health care system, they need to act in positions of leadership and work together with leaders from other health professions. The committee noted that nurses needed to contribute actively to policy making by serving on committees, commissions, and boards (Institute of Medicine et al., 2016). To develop this leadership capacity, the committee recommended that health care organizations, funders, and education programs provide, expand, and fund opportunities for nurses to develop leadership skills and assume leadership positions, and that health care decision makers ensure that nurses are represented in key leadership positions on boards and management teams (Institute of Medicine et al., 2016).
Effective workforce planning and policy making requires better data collection and improved information infrastructure. The committee determined that to plan and prepare for fundamental changes in the health care system, it is necessary to have available and reliable on the health care workforce (Institute of Medicine et al., 2016). These data are necessary to plan for workforce needs and to establish a baseline upon which to improve. The committee recommended that the National Health Care Workforce Commission work with the Health Resources and Services Administration to improve research and the collection and analysis of data in this area. The committee also recommended that insurers, health care organizations, and nursing schools should expand opportunities for nurses to conduct research and lead practice improvement efforts. Since nurses are the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, they should be playing a vital role in realizing healthcare reforms (Institute of Medicine et al., 2016).
Role of State-Based Action Coalitions
The role of state-based action coalitions is to implement the recommendations of the IOM Future of Nursing report through strategic partnerships for healthy states (Rowitz, 2014). The State-Based Action Coalitions will create a transformed health care workforce through the implementation of the report recommendations. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is building on existing groundwork and creating new collaborations to engage national organizations to commit to playing key roles in guiding implementation. There are 36 state based action coalitions, which are moving the recommendations forward at the community and state levels (Institute of Medicine et al., 2016). This will result to improved health care services for the citizens of United States.
Initiatives Spearheaded By Texas Action Coalition
Improving access to care
State laws and federal policies are among factors that keep nurses from contributing all they can to America’s health needs and wellness. The action coalition is pushing for changes that would allow nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training. Lifting restrictions means that more Americans will have better access to high quality, affordable health care when and where they need it, including in rural and other underserved areas of the country (Rowitz, 2014).
Building healthier communities
It is the desire of everyone to live a healthy life. However, this depends on some factors beyond one’s control, which include environment, income levels, and education. Nurses are important in addressing various aspects of health, and so build healthier communities (Rowitz, 2014).
Barriers to Advancement
Barriers to advancement in Texas include high costs in the health care operations. There is a lot of management costs involved in the provision and implementation of the recommendations. Another barrier in Texas is the slow response and slow progress in the implementation process (Finkelman ; American Nurses Association, 2017).
Overcoming the Barriers
Nursing advocates can overcome the barriers of cost by seeking alternative sponsors and non-governmental agencies to fund and support in the implementation process of the report and focus on the short-term results more for motivation and encouragement while still developing and implementing the long-term goals (Finkelman ; American Nurses Association, 2017).
ReferencesFinkelman, A. W., ; American Nurses Association,. (2017). Teaching IOM/HMD: Implications of the Institute of Medicine and Health ; Medicine Division reports for nursing education. Silver, Md: American Nurses Association.
Institute of Medicine (U.S.)., In Altman, S. H., In Butler, A. S., In Shern, L., Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,, ; Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, at the Institute of Medicine. (2016). Assessing progress on the Institute of Medicine report The future of nursing. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Rowitz, L. (2014). Public health leadership: Putting principles into practice. Burlington, Mass: Jones ; Bartlett Learning.
