Reflection (IOM Future of Nursing Recommendation)
In the days to come, nurses will have more opportunities for practicing their profession. That is for sure given the inevitable evolution of nursing profession, which will lead to an increase in the nursing roles throughout various healthcare settings. That said, nurses have no option but to show their readiness if they are to have an active contribution in nursing in the future. Central to the nurses’ readiness for the assumption of the expected increased nursing roles is the commitment to lifelong nursing education advancement. Currently, the IOM Future of Nursing has come up with recommendations for nursing education advancement that will assist nurses in the adaptation to the future demands (Altman, Butler, & Shern, 2016). In essence, this paper aims at providing an assessment of self-preparation for the future expanded nursing roles with consideration of the IOM Future of Nursing recommendations.
To begin with, the current job options available for my nursing practice based on the present educational status are worth highlighting. Precisely, on completion of my current nursing educational training, I would match the competencies of an entry level Registered Nurse (RN). Pozgar, (2012) asserts that the competencies of an RN include but not limited to teaching, availing and coordinating nursing care as well as working with others in the medical team. Conclusively, completion of the present nursing education training I will be able to match the competency level of an RN.
Based on the IOM’srecommendationsfor increasing nursing education, I am of the belief that it will improve my competitive edginess in the future flooded job market. Strengthening this belief is the inevitability of attainment of more nursing competencies with an increased level of education, which is impossible with the basic level of nursing education. For example, achievement of a high educational status such as doctorate level will equip an individual with more knowledge and skills, which are vital in the widening the scope of practice of a nurse at the highest level of the nursing profession. Notwithstanding, the already flooded job market demands that employers go fornurses with unique skill-set, which are non-existent in their institution and are necessary in the achievement of the organizational goals (Garmise, 2015). For nurses to bear such qualifications they ought to have an increased competency level attained through advanced nursing education.As such, advancement of the educational training will increase the competitive advantage of an individual in the extremely flooded job market.
Lastly, a higher educational status comes with increased opportunities for nurses to assume expanded nursing roles in the days ahead. With increased nursing education to the level of a doctorate in nursing, future nurses will be working as nursing practitioner, educator and researcher (Altman, Butler & Shern, 2016). However, this is not the casewith a basic BSN qualification, where one has a limited scope of practice within the healthcare setting. With such illustrations, it is beyond doubt that nurses prepared at the highest level of nursing education have more opportunities for assuming upcoming new roles in the future.
In conclusion, this paper aimed at providing an assessment of self-preparation for the future expanded nursing roles with consideration of the IOM Future of Nursing recommendations. A key learning point drawn from this discussion is the need for advancement of nursing education if nurses are to adapt to the nursing demands in the days to come. In the absence of such a consideration, nurses are likely to become unproductive in the future given the demands for a high educational status.
References
Altman, S., Butler, A., & Shern, L. (2016). Assessing progress on the Institute of Medicine report The future of nursing (1st ed.).
Garmise, S. (2015). People and the competitive advantage of place (1st ed.). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Pozgar, G. D. (2012). Legal aspects of health care administration. Sudbury, Mass: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
