Benchmark assignment

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) which is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve as an advisor to the country on health improvement, published a consensus report on The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. The report was a result of the collaboration between the IOM and the RWJF Initiative on the Future of Nursing.

The objective of RWJF is to improve the health of the United States citizens through assisting the society to transform for better (Institute of Medicine (US); Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Initiative on the Future of Nursing (2011).

 RWJF is a major contributor with the IOM in the Initiative on the Future of Nursing, an initiative to transform nursing for the future. In 2008, RWJF made a proposal to the IOM to form a partnership to assess and respond to the need to transform the nursing profession.  RWJF launched a two-year initiative in 2008 to respond to the need to evaluate and transform the nursing profession in the nation. The IOM made the appointment of the Committee on the RWJF Initiative on the Future of Nursing. The basis of the initiative for this committee responsible for giving a recommendation report for an action-oriented blueprint for the future of nursing on matters such as changes in public and institutional policies at the national, state and local levels. The Committee that structured the recommendations presented in the report formulated four core messages that get described below:

i.            Effective workforce planning, as well as policy making, needs an improved data collection and information infrastructure.

ii.            Nurses should undertake their practice to the full extent of their education and training.

iii.            Nurses get required to achieve higher levels of education and training through an enhanced education system that promoted seamless academic progression.

iv.            Nurses should collaborate with other partners, who include physicians and other health care professionals, so as to redesign and provide better healthcare in America.

The National Health Care Workforce Commission will assist to determine the demand for health care workers as well as the National Center for Workforce Analysis will offer aid to workforce data collection and analysis. The recommendation by IOM is that these programs get priority on systematic monitoring of the supply of health care personnel, review data, and approaches required. It is so as to make accurate predictions of the staff needs, and coordinate the collection of data on the medical workforce at the State and local levels. The report also focuses the need for timely data and that the data is publicly accessible.

The nurse practice is in many settings that include hospitals, homes, schools, community and public health centers, and retail health clinics. Nurses have different levels of education qualification and competencies. These nurses include licensed practical nurses who substantially contribute to direct patient care in nursing homes and nurse scientists who undertake research and assess effective methods of caring for patients and enhancing health. In developing the report, the committee made consideration of nurses’ roles, clinical settings, and education levels so as to envision the future of the nursing profession. It is essential that these barriers get overcome so as to ensure that nurses get well-positioned to cause change and advance health. Through the implementation of the report, the United States can transform the health care system, and nurses play a significant role in this transformation. The recommendations contained in this report get directed towards the national and regional policy makers, healthcare researchers, executives, players, national and local administration leaders, and professionals such as nurses. Different oversight bodies and groups such as licensing organizations, educational institutions, philanthropic groups and consumer advocacy organizations, also get targeted by the report. The cooperation and collaboration of these diverse parties lead to improved health care through ensuring that the health care system gives seamless, affordable, and easily accessible quality care. The report emphasizes the need for the nursing profession to assume more leadership in health care, as well as to achieve this nurse’s need greater leadership competency (Finkelman & Kenner, 2013).

The Washington Nursing Action Coalition results in the collaborative work in Washington State so as to transform health care through nursing profession. The efforts aim at executing major changes in nursing so that the transformation occurs.  The main goal of the Washington State is to have a healthier population that gets supported by a well-educated nursing staff. The Washington state aims to achieve effective leadership and capability in the nursing profession by encouraging nurses to build knowledge and competencies. Health care professionals that include nurses must lead and influence transformation so as to ensure that patients receive quality care and support they require. The leadership philosophy guides the work of healthcare professionals who include nurses and emerging leaders. Leadership in the nursing profession consists of knowledge, skills and attitudes more than a role.  The Washington state holds leadership workshop for nurses that emphasize on knowing self so as to become effective leaders. The Washington state has also identified approaches to teaching nurses on how to take various leadership roles in the communities and professional groups. Nurses have to believe themselves to be able public leaders and leaders within nursing agencies, so as to transform the current image of nurses.

Effective leadership is the primary need in the nursing profession in today’s health care environment. There are different challenges relating to administration such as lack of innovative nursing leadership due to lack of mentors in the sector, insufficient knowledge and skill, inadequate rewards, and insufficient role adaptation. Leadership in health care industry is critical to providing quality care, improving patient experience and achieving patient satisfaction and nurses play a significant role in leading and managing care (McSherry, MSherry & Watson, 2012).

State action coalitions refer to the driving force of the Campaign at the national and regional levels, developing a strong network of different stakeholders working together to provide transformation in health care through nursing. Two initiatives spearheaded by the Washington state action coalition get described below.

The Washington Center for Nursing has collaborated with The Seattle Times so as to promote Nursing to K-12 learners. In The Seattle Times Newspaper in Education series, The Washington Center for Nursing published an article on the topic “Careers in Nursing”. Through the partnership 31, 112 teachers and students in K-12 education throughout the Washington State will receive print and electronic newspapers along with lesson plans and interactive worksheets that supplement their education content (Future of Nursing; Campaign for Action (2015) (a)). Also, Washington State Community and Technical Colleges have partnered with four-year universities to advance the nursing profession in the region. The partnership creates a shorter and smoother process for learners to get a nursing degree (Future of Nursing, Campaign for Action: (2015) (b)). Different barriers exist in the Washington state that prevents nurses from the ability to respond effectively to rapidly changing health care environment and an evolving health care system. Strategies and measures have to get implemented to overcome these barriers so as to ensure that nurses are adequately equipped and competent to effective achieve quality health care.

 References

Future of Nursing, Campaign for Action: (2015) (a): Community posts

Future of Nursing, Campaign for Action: (2015) (b): Community posts

Institute of Medicine (US). Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing (2011): The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. National Academies Press.

Finkelman, A., & Kenner, C. (2013): Professional nursing concepts. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

McSherry, W., MSherry, R., & Watson, R. (2012): Care in Nursing: Principles, values, and skills. Oxford University Press.

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in legitimate paper writing services if you need a similar paper you can place your order for custom college essay services.