The passing of the Affordable Care Act by congress in 2010 will require the health care system to transform the future of nursing in order to keep up with the changes in health care in the United States. This paper will discuss the 2010 Institute of Medicine’s report on the impact of nursing education, nursing practice with a focus on primary care, how it will change current nursing practice and the nurse’s role as a leader.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report was written to explore how the nursing profession should change to build a stronger health care system. A vision was developed to make quality care accessible to the diverse population of the United States, promote wellness and disease prevention, improve health outcomes and provide compassionate care across the lifespan (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2011). Nurses must achieve higher levels of education and utilize this education and training to meet the challenges facing health care. An associate degree nurse is excellent; however a Bachelor of Science nurse (BSN) is encouraged. A BSN possesses a broader foundation of nursing including community health and leadership content. The link between lower mortality rates and educational level has also caused the BSN to be preferred. An all BSN workforce at the entry level would provide a more uniform foundation for the reconceptualized roles for nurses and new models of care that are envisioned (IOM).
The ability for people to seek quality, affordable health care means nurses will be taking on new roles. The center of the health care system will be changed to primary care and prevention and will allow more advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) to take on the primary care role. Nurses will expand their scope of practice and increase their responsibilities through teaching and counseling patients about their health care problems. They will coordinate care, act as an advocate and refer to physicians.
References: IOM (Institute of Medicine). (2011). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health.aspx National Rural Health Association (2010). What’s different about rural health care? Retrieved September 13, 2010, from http://www.ruralhealthweb.org/go/left/about-rural-health/what-s- different-about-rural-health-care