Robert Johnsons Foundation Role in the Future of Nursing Leadership and Change

According to Burnes Bolton, nurses are not only needed at the decision-making table but also in leadership positions. When nurses are in leadership positions, they will be in a position to come up with more innovative ways of bringing health care up as well as making the world a better place for all of us. The paper thus discusses the role of RJF in the future of nursing about leadership and change.

Discuss the work of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Committee Initiative on the future of nursing and the institute of medicine research that led to the IOM report.

Due to the increasing challenges facing nurses in the United States which threatened to limit the nurse led solutions, Robert Wood Foundation Committee (RWFC) in collaboration with Institute of Medicine (IOM) came up with ways in which the problems of nursing care will be solved together with other issues that faced the nursing profession. These were aimed at transforming the way Americans received health care. The main purpose of the committee was to reduce costs, increase quality through involving nurses in leadership positions. The committee was also expected to make a review of the education model in the nursing sector and submit a report on the same. The committee was aimed at demonstrating the nurses’ role in the whole workforce, shortage, issues with society as well as current and future technology. It was also aimed at making an examination on nursing faculty which involved redesigning the nursing education, examination of innovative solutions which involved care solutions and making an attraction and retaining the well-prepared nurses (Robert, 2011).

Identify the importance of IOM report related to nursing practice, nursing education, and nursing workforce development.

The importance of the report on nursing practice, education and workforce development is the identification of barriers in the nursing profession that used to prevent nurses from responding effectively to the changing healthcare settings as well as evolving health care systems. From the committee that was formed, it developed three key points that would form the basis of their discussion. To begin with, to enhance quality leadership in the nursing sector, nurses should practice fully in their education and their training. Nursing sector is faced with some challenges which should be overcome first for the nurses to achieve a high level of education. According to the report, the barriers are mainly regulation, nurses’ turnover, aging workforce and other demographic challenges. Once these barriers are dealt with nurses will now be able to progress and even able to relate with other professionals (Finkelman and Kenner, 2009).

Since changes are occurring day by day, the level of education in the nursing sector has to be improved to enhance nurses to fit the system. According to the IOM, it’s important for nurses to achieve a high level of education because of the expansion of the competencies needed to practice nursing. From the report, nurses should now have knowledge on sectors as, public health, geriatrics, leadership skills, and health policy among others. With increasing complexity in hospital care, nurses should now be in a position to make more critical decisions as well as working with more complicated life-saving technology. Consequently, the population is increasing and nurses will be asked by patients to help them in chronic illnesses so as to prevent acute care as well as disease progression. Due to the complexity of the current information system, nurses should now be in a position to advance their studies through collaboration with different health professionals with higher academic qualifications.  Creation of infrastructure in the nursing sector is recommended to enhance workforce data collection and analysis easier which is recommended by the IOM report. According to health system reforms, there is importance in having a solid nursing workforce to enhance the success of a reformed system of health (Buerhaus, 2008).

What is the role of state-based action coalitions and how do they advance goals of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action?

In every state and Washington D.C, the action coalition plays the role of the campaign at local, regional, and also at state levels. The advocates from various communities such as health organizations, businesses, education and much more are now building communities that are healthier through nursing. It is an initiative that ensured that all Americans are access to high-quality healthcare through nurses contributing fully to their capabilities. The coalition works closely with the campaign to enhance implementation of the IOM report. Therefore, participation by states and other national organizations will be of help for the coalition to operate effectively since nurses are seen as essential partners for the coalition to achieve its goals (Fairman et al., 2011).

There are 21 organizations which are working jointly to have 10,000 nurses from various organizations on board whose goal is to support nurses in their leadership roles. The coalition is using various strategies for it to achieve its goals. To begin with, the campaign is aiming at collaborating with a broad array of stakeholders to achieve the set goals. Secondly, it’s aiming at activating on local, state and national levels, communicate the call to action and finally to make sure it is monitoring results to ensure that there is accountability. During the first 13 months of the initiative, it involved information gathering, preparing of the consensus report as well as summaries of the regional reports.

Florida state action coalitions

The Florida Action coalition and campaign can produce a community-based network that comprises various stakeholders in the nursing profession that work in harmony aiming at transforming the healthcare sector through nursing. For example, The Florida Action Coalition aims at spearheading the goals of the IOM report recommendations and changing the entire health care at the state level by nurse-focused inventive solutions. Every state identifies and comes up with initiatives that progress the Institute of Medicine (IOM) objectives.

According to (Center to Champion, 2010), Florida has formed and developed the “Florida AC Toolkit Address Leadership Barriers” for nurses that provide solutions to problems experienced by nurses by guiding and resourcing Florida’s nurse leaders. This step is aimed at motivating them so they can progress their various roles within the nursing profession. The coalition has also merged with the Florida Blue Foundation. The foundation generously awarded mini-grants to one community foundation as well as three Florida universities. Their work supports the Florida Action Coalition that promotes the RWJF and IOM goals for workforce development as well as nursing. The Florida Blue Foundation is mainly improving the quality and patient care safety as well as forming a staff will transform the Florida’s complex health care system and meet the needs of the people. Florida toolkit provides nurses valuable resource which is geared to identify various nursing obstacles that may hinder their progress. The toolkit is able to present solutions to the problems by providing resources and support systems such as awareness and education (OPPAGA, 2007).

Conclusion

The nursing community should work together for it to achieve the future goals set. It's through working together that the strategies set will be followed appropriately and be implemented effectively. Also, nurses play a significant role in terms of hastening change in the health care system. Nurses are the pillar of the healthcare system; therefore, they are mandated to dynamically support the IOM objectives. Hence, they should advance their education, inspire change, and be active in nursing leadership. 

References

Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S. P., Sloane, D. M., Sochalski, J. A., Busse, R., Clarke, H., ... & Shamian, J. (2001). Nurses’ reports on hospital care in five countries. Health Affairs, 20(3), 43-53.

Buerhaus, P. I. (2008). Current and future state of the US nursing workforce. JAMA, 300(20),B 2422-2424.

Center to Champion Nursing in America, (2010). Community posts. Retrieved from

https://www.flcenterfornursing.org/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/API/Entries/Download?Command=Core_Download&EntryId=853&PortalId=0&TabId=151

Fairman, J. A., Rowe, J. W., Hassmiller, S., & Shalala, D. E. (2011). Broadening the scope of nursing practice. New England Journal of Medicine, 364(3), 193-196.

Finkelman, A. W., & Kenner, C. (2009). Teaching IOM: Implications of the Institute of Medicine reports on nursing education. Nurses book. org.

Institute of Medicine (US). Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing. (2011). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

OPPAGA (Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability). Florida Nurse     Practice Act and Board of Nursing Rules Create No Unreasonable Barriers to Producing             New Nurses. Retrieved from

http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/reports/pdf/0704rpt.pdf