IOM In Healthcare

The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) reports on the, in detail, the changes that are needed to occur within the nursing profession in regards to education, nursing practice, and nursing leadership roles in order to support the healthcare changes needing to occur in order to provide patient’s with the utmost safest care (2010). The passing of The Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 has changed the many aspects of what the nursing profession is now and what it will need to be in order to accommodate the growing needs of care for the American people. The nursing profession is not only the largest but has grown to be one of the fastest developing professions in the healthcare industry (IOM, 2010). This paper will examine the report produced by the
There will be a change in the course of patient care related to the ever aging population and how they are to be treated within this changing healthcare system. The IOM report reflects on healthcare changing to specialty care relating this care to long term care covering a variety of services and specific area rather than just acute care (IOM, 2010). It will be through higher education that the nursing profession will be able to transform and change their practice to be a flexible and experienced profession. Since primary care is the focus, nurses will be more depended upon in public health and community services and it will be crucial for the nursing profession to practice and accept these new roles (IOM, 2010). George Washington University performed a study examining how well hospitals and other health care facilities are doing when it comes to a call to reform the nursing profession and professor Patricia Pittman stated, “Nurses need more educational training in order to handle greater responsibilities and the increased complexity of the health care system”(George Washington University,
As the IOM’s report stats “Nursing education should serve as a platform for continued lifelong learning and should include opportunities for seamless transition to higher degree programs. The committee recommends that nurses and nursing students and faculty continue their education and engage in lifelong learning” (IOM, 2010). Mentoring the new nurses and working alongside physician and other healthcare professionals providing quality care is an immense way nurses can excel in their ever changing profession not just in the acute setting but within the entire medical community promoting changes in the healthcare system (IOM, 2010).
In conclusion, the report produced by the Institute of Medicine offers convincing motives for the foreseeable changes that are needed in our shifting of aging population and healthcare system. In order for this evolution to be successful, nurses need to be diligent and work fluently to help obtain the goals the IOM is projecting with higher education being at the utmost importance. The safety and outcome of patient care is reliant on the nursing profession to deliver safe high quality nursing care.