Nursing according to the Institute of Medicine report
With over three million nurses in the United States nurses play an important role in healthcare today. As the future of health care changes the nurses’ role will change as well. In 2008, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) combined partnership and put together a committee to assess nursing practices and make recommendations for the future transformations in the health care system. This report was released in 2010 and included four key components in which three will be discussed in this paper. One key component stated in the report was “Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seem less academic progression” (Institute of Medicine 2010, pg. #). At this time achieving and Associates Degree of Nursing (ADN) through a two year program was the most common pathway for Registered Nurses (RN). Although there are many evidenced based reasoning that the higher level or Baccalaureate Degree Nurses (BSN) possess better professional behaviors such as, critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills, the ADN program continues to be more cost effective and requires less amount of schooling. Many believe that education has a strong impact on the nursing profession and the report emphasizes the goal to achieve 80% BSN by 2020 (citation). “The education system should ensure that nurses have the intellectual capacity, human responsiveness, flexibility, and leadership skills, to provide care and promote wherever and whenever needed” (Institute of Medicine 2010, pg. #). As health care heads toward a more community based atmosphere there is a greater need for nurses to further their education. Another key component discussed in the IOM report states “Nurses should be full partners with physicians, and