Running head: THE INFLUENCE OF THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE REPORT ON

NURSING

The Influence of the Institute of Medicine Report on Nursing

Grand Canyon University: NRS-420V
August 6, 2016

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The Influence of the Institute of Medicine Report on Nursing

The influence of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on nursing practice and on the
nurses role as a leader can be seen in todays nursing practice. There are four key
recommendations of the IOM report that the main goal is the to improve patient care and health
care in general. The first recommendation is that nurses should be able to exercise their abilities,
learned in school and training learned in the clinical site, to the full extent (American Nurse
Association, 2011). The second recommendation is that nurses need to continue education in an
improved program (American Nurse Association, 2011). Another recommendation it that nurses
should be involve in a team of doctors and other healthcare practitioners in developing an
improved health care system (American Nurse Association, 2011). The last recommendation is to
improve the way data is collected and also to improve information infrastructure, in order to plan
and make policies more effectively (American Nurse Association, 2011). The purpose of this
paper is to address the influence of the IOM report on nursing education, nursing practice, and
the role of nursing in leadership.
The Influence of the Institute of Medicine Report on Nursing Education
One of the most known recommendation by IOM report (2010) is that 80 percent of
nurses should have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) by the year 2020 (Committee,
2010). In 2015, only 55 percent of nurses have a BSN or higher, according to Rosseters last
update (2015). This leaves 25 percent that are require to get their BSN to fulfill the
recommendations of the IOM report and in only 5 years.
Studies have done to assess the influence of IOM report. One of the studies included 447
surveys from nurse executives in hospitals, nurse-led clinics and home and hospice care

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companies (GW Public Health, 2013). The surveys showed that 80 facilities want new nurses to
have a BSN degree and 94 percent of the facilities provided help for the associated degree nurses
to get the bachelors degree; however, only 25 percent had a time limit to acquire the BSN (GW
Public Health, 2013). According to GW Public Health, the employers efforts to hire more
educated nurses have to change and get more serious about it; for example, they could give
nurses higher salaries to reward them (2013).
The Influence of the IOM Report on Nursing Practice
The IOM focuses on the role of nursing in primary care, mainly APRNs, because a
shorted of health care professionals exist (Committee, 2010). One of IOM report
recommendations is that nurses should be able to exercise their abilities to their full capabilities
(Committee, 2010). Even though the nurse practitioners (NP) role has grown, there is many
barriers that still don't allow NPs to practice with their full competencies (Hain, Fleck, 2014).
One of the barriers is the state licensure regulations; this is what allows NPs to evaluate
patients, diagnose, order, and interpret diagnostic tests, initiate and manage treatments-including
prescribing medications-under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
(Hain, Fleck, 2014. Para. 4). As stated in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website, seven
states have removed major barriers to practice and care, and one stateNevadagave advanced
practice registered nurses (APRNs) full practice authority and expanded prescriptive authority
(2013). Only one-third of nations allows NPs to have full practice authority licensure and
practice laws; which leaves most of the nurses with limited practice and licensure (Hain, Fleck,
2014). In order to provide better and affordable health care these barriers still need to be remove
and allow nurses to be independent health care practitioners.

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The Influence of the IOM Report on the Nurses Role as a Leader

The IOM report address the need for and strong leadership skill in nurses, to be able to
collaborate with doctors and other health care professionals in improving health care
(Committee, 2010). As reported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, nurses leadership
positions are continuously growing (2013). In addition, as nurses start getting higher education,
they are going to be able to fill the leadership positions, and help develop an improve health care.
Changing My Practice to Meet the Objectives of the IOM Report
Im not currently working, but I can think of a few things that need to be change in the hospital
where I was taking clinicals. Probably 70 to 80 percent of nurses only had the ADN degree. They
are still hiring ADN nurses without hesitating; however, they offer to paid for tuition to get the
bachelors degree. Also, new nurses were place in leadership positions too soon. To meet the
goals of the IOM report, the hospitals needs to initiate the change from AND nurses to BSN
nurses; and in return nurses would be capable of holding a leadership position.
Conclusion
The IOM report started a sequence of changes in nursing, that gives nurses the opportunity to
grow and make a greater difference in health care. More and more nurses are pursuing higher
education, but they are still retrained by many barriers. Nurses are not in the back seat anymore,
they are at the front of the health care being leaders and making changes. Nursing is an ever
changing practice, but this is the time to make a leap to the future.
References

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American Nurse Association (2011) ANA, CMA, and OA Activities Reflected in the IOM
Recommendations. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/w
orkforce/IOM-Future-of-Nursing-Report-1/ANA-Activities-from-IOM-Future-ofNursing-Report.pdf
Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing (2010).
Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. P 85-255. Retrieved from
http://site.ebrary.com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/lib/grandcanyon/detail.action?docID=10454964
GW Public Health. (2013). Studies Assess Impact of IOM Report on Nursing Reforms. Retrieved
from http://publichealth.gwu.edu/content/studies-assess-impact-iom-report-nursingreforms
Hain, D., Fleck, L., (May 31, 2014) "Barriers to Nurse Practitioner Practice that Impact
Healthcare Redesign" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 19, No. 2,
Manuscript 2. Retrieved from
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/O
JIN/TableofContents/Vol-19-2014/No2-May-2014/Barriers-to-NP-Practice.html
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2013). Three Years Later, Institute of Medicine Report is
Fueling Innovations in Nursing Practice and Education. Retrieved from
http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/articles-and-news/2013/10/three-years-later--institute-ofmedicine-report-is-fueling-innov.html
Rosseter, R. J. (2015) The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice. Retrieved August 6, 2016,
from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/impact-of-education.

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