Nursing and Future Changes: The IOM Report

Grand Canyon University

Nursing and Future Changes: The IOM Report
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report from 2011 titled “The Future of Nursing Leading Change, Advancing Health” focuses on the future of health care. The primary focus is on advanced nursing roles such as Nurse Practitioners. However, it does include the future roles of the RN. Although the primary focus is on Nurse Practitioners it is still relevant to the RN because health care changes will affect all roles of nursing. This report focuses on the future of nursing education, nursing practice, and the nurse’s role as a leader. All of these areas affect nurses, no matter what level of education you have obtained. We are all educated, we all practice nursing, and we are all leaders in some capacity.
The IOM Report on Nursing Education
Within the IOM report there are recommendations. Recommendation numbers three and four are about education. Recommendation number three recommends that nurses should have a residency program. It suggests that nurses should be more equipped to transition into the field after formal education. In providing a residency program the nurse would be more familiar with the work field and how to interact with patients as well as with other professionals in the medical field (Institute of Medicine, 2011). Through personal experience it is known that in 2007 120 hours of on floor time with a staff nurse was required of nursing students before sitting for the NCLEX. These hours were completed after finishing the required course work but before graduating. Since then the requirements have changed and the hours are included in class room clinical time under an instructor, not under an assigned staff nurse. Having the 120 hours after class time was a beneficial experience. This made the transition into work easier. It