Professional Development of Nursing Professionals
Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V
September 21, 2014

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in conjunction with The Institute of Medicine (IOM) began an initiative that lasted two-years, beginning in 2008 in an attempt to assess and transform the profession of nursing. The culmination of this report in 2010 left several recommendation on “The future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health”. With nurses being the majority of the healthcare workforce, they are encouraged to lead the charge on changes in the healthcare system. This report discusses the effects of safe, effective and affordable care rendered at the primary level. Nurses can further this initiative by taking their education to the next level, which will allow stronger leadership roles and in turn will lead directly to improved care at the primary level.
Transforming Practice
Access to healthcare has been rewritten with the implementation of The Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA). This will allow open access to healthcare for millions; in turn increasing demands on healthcare professionals. In keeping with IOM report, ways in which a practicing nurse can implement changes are varied; in current practice it would begin with education and prevention early in the acute care stay in order to be preemptive in post-acute care period also early in a nurse’s education familiarizing oneself with the patient care needs in under-served communities, which allows for an insightful nurse to keep with the goals of primary care. Finally, continuously seeking reeducation on providing culturally competent care. The changes nursing will endure following the ACA are: Practice Setting- At the height of transforming practice in healthcare is the when and where of primary care. The need to shift care from acute care settings, and into the homes,