THE IMPACT OF THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE REPORT ON NURSING

Looking back, the health care system has changed rapidly within decades. Medical discoveries and technical improvements in health care have resulted in exceptional complexity. To be able to provide the best possible care to meet those standards, it becomes a necessity to review and revise guidelines to meet these goals.
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) prepared and published its ambitious report to support the development of a new health care system for the 21st-century. It calls for nurses to take leadership to transition to a high quality care for an increasing number of patients ("IOM," 2010). To meet this goal, a transformation in education, nursing practice and leadership is demanded. It is imperative for nurses to be knowledgeable and to play an active part in this interesting but challenging time of change.
To be prepared for the healthcare modification, the key element towards success is education to build a strong workforce. To ensure safe care and foster critical thinking skills for more complex patient needs, irremissible competencies are required. Beside the basic educational nursing standards, new competencies are emerging. The focus for competencies as improving quality, understanding research and evidence- based practice, making decisions, thinking systematically and leading a team must become part for every nurse in any level of education. A higher level of training becomes necessary to achieve and excel in these goals ("IOM," 2010). Efforts to have eighty percent of nurses with a baccalaureate degree by the year 2020 are on its way ("IOM," 2010). Despite strong efforts, the picture is not all too rosy.
A continuous prolonged shortage of nurses with its origin in the 1980 is projected to remain ("IOM," 2010). The reasons are complex, but the nursing workforce continues