Discussion on the Future of Nursing

Future of Nursing
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Future of Nursing
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF report contains that would make healthcare in America quality and affordable for all people while minimizing its operating cost to the least minimum. After investigations, they came up with several recommendations that would be implemented over time to align the health care act passed by the Congress with the strategic goals envisioned by the IOM and the public in their health care provision CITATION Don11 \l 1033 (Nickitas, Middaugh, & Aries, 2011). The report which targeted nurses was to serve as a blueprint for future-oriented healthcare reforms. Nurses play a vital role in the healthcare provision industry and therefore an important element of consideration when designing and implementing all-inclusive, affordable, efficient and strategic reforms in the healthcare provision.
One of the key objectives of the committee constituted by the members of RWJF and IOM was to reconceptualize the role and place of the nurses in the context of the entire workforce. The committee was also to recommend ways to expand nursing faculty while redesigning the nursing curriculum to equip nurses with adequate skills to meet the current and future demands in healthcare provision CITATION Rob10 \l 1033 ( Institute of Medicine; Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, at the Institute of Medicine, 2010). The committee was also supposed to examine all innovative solutions related to health care delivery and professional education. The committee objectified to find a lasting solution to attract and retain skilled nurses in any of the healthcare settings.
The report had significant importance to the healthcare industry in the United States and beyond to design, implement and sustain an affordable and quality healthcare. Some of the recommendations the committee put forward are described below. Firstly, all barriers of the scope of practice were to be lifted and allow nurses to be allowed to provide healthcare in various other settings beyond the limits of their licensure. The report also required the government and the key players in the industry to implement nurse residency programs that would favor the nurses’ welfare, especially regarding housing. The committee also suggested and proposed a plan to increase the proportion of nurses holding a baccalaureate degree in the field to increase by more than 80% by the year 2020. The committee also proposed other mechanisms to double the number of nurses holding doctorate should double by the same year. The report also featured some ways in which the nurses would be encouraged to engage in lifelong learning to better their skills. The report also required the nurses to be prepared and empowered to lead the changes necessary for advancing healthcare. The report also proposed the need to design, create and implement a system that would collect and synthesize the extra professional healthcare workforce data.
In matter regarding nursing education, the report has structured a new educational program that equips nurses with skills to deal with current challenges and prepares them for future ones. The new education system is drafted t...