Changes for the Future of Nursing
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) set forth to identify how nurses could be better utilized in the health care changes occurring in the United States of America. There is an increased strain on our current health care system due to longer life spans and with more people obtaining health coverage. The number of primary care physicians is unable to increase at a rate to alleviate the need from the general population. Nurses provide a fundamental role to the doctors and the patients they serve. The nursing role has transformed throughout the profession’s lifespan. Nursing care is in a pivotal transformation in the evolving health care system. Nurses are being underutilized while demand for educated providers has increased. “While most nurses are registered nurses (RNs), more than a quarter million nurses are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), who have master’s or doctoral degrees and pass national certification exams.” (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2010a, p. 2). A report from the IOM identified four recommendations to improve the role nurses play in healthcare. These recommendations expanded on nursing education, providing care to full extent of education and training; reshaping relationship between nurses and doctors; and changing policies to improve data collection and the information infrastructure. (Institute of Medicine [IOM]. 2010a).
To produce enough educated nurses during World War II, a two-year associates degree of nursing was established. These schools were very popular and expanded the profession quickly. Currently there are approximately 3.1 million RN’s in the United States of America. While the number may seem large, only approximately 13% of those nurses hold a Master’s degree or higher. (How many nurses are there?, 2009). There have been multiple studies released proving that higher educated