Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing Report, Key Messages In the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing Report,

Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing Report, Key Messages In the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing Report,

Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing Report, Key Messages In the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing Report, which thoroughly examines the nursing workforce, there were 4 key messages outlined. They were, that nurses should practice to the full extent of their scope. Nurses should strive to achieve a higher level of education through seamless education programs. That effective workplace planning and policy making require improved data collection and information infrastructure. Lastly, nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other health professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States 4 (Institute of Medicine (IOM), 2010). One very important key message from this information is that the nurse should strive to achieve a higher level of education, utilizing a system that promotes progression. Of the types of patients that are hospitalized in today’s healthcare sector, it is the patient with multiple comorbidities and illnesses that are highly complex. It is extremely important for the bedside nurse to be able to make in depth assessments and use evidence-based practice with highly honed critical thinking skills to effectively care for these types of patients. With advances in the education of nurses, we see improved patient outcomes for complex patients and overall improved patient satisfaction. Increasing technology demands for nurses also make higher education a must as we need to be able to know our way around the technology to treat our patients effectively (DeCelle, 2015). Many patients who need advanced levels of care no longer meet the very tight criteria needed for admission to a critical care unit and are therefore being cared for on general medicine and surgical units. Situations like this require the bedside nurse to have the knowledge, skill and ability to care for the patient effectively and safely (DeCelle, 2015). Higher education attainment is often difficult for nurses who are already a part of the workforce, they may have family, and are daunted by the thought of the demands that a baccalaureate degree will put on them and their family. Having accessible, flexible and largely online education is the only way Canada and the US will be able to overcome this obstacle and many Universities have begun to answer the call of this much needed education type (DeCelle, 2015).