The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health

Nurse leaders are the background to the nursing care. Effective nurse leaders can promote a positive workforce and a healthy work place for other nurses. Workplace dynamics is an essential part of how each nurse functions. Nurses, being mentally and physically stressed, need to have support and guidance from a nurse leader to feel confident about performance. The impact of nursing leaders can be a positive and guiding force for the younger or more inexperienced nurse. Having strong relationships with solid leaders can instill values in the beginning stages of a newer nurses’ career. Gaining insight and core concepts from a more experienced leader can make a world of difference in the way a new nurse performs, provides patient care, and sets future goals for themselves. A newer nurse with a positive role model and nurse leader can model themselves to become a leader for future nurses.

Change is always vital to progress and the field of nursing is constantly in change. The world that we live in today is creating a higher need for more nurses, changing the way that nurses are educated and creating new approaches to utilize nurses out in the field. On October 5th, 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released the report “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.” The report elaborates on the need for the nursing profession to prepare for the changes that are occurring due to the health care reform and the current

In healthcare it is very important to have strong leaders, especially in the nursing profession. A nurse leader typically uses several styles of leadership depending on the situation presented; this is known as situational leadership. It is important that the professional nurse choose the right style of leadership for any given situation to ensure their employees are performing at their highest potential. Depending on which leadership style a nurse leader uses, it can affect staff retention and the morale of the employees as well as nurse job satisfaction (Azaare & Gross, 2011.) “Nursing leaders have the responsibility to create and maintain a work environment which not only promotes positive patient outcomes but also

Good leadership is demonstrated through educating future nurses, leading within the workplace, and being part of a nursing groups and organizations. Nurses should be working together to improve the care for all patients.

The third barrier discussed in the IOM’s Future of Nursing report was that nurses need to be full partners, with all other health care professionals, in order to redesign health care in the United States (IOM, 2010). To do this nursing education must add leadership aspects to the education programs. In doing this it will ensure that nurse are ready to actively participate and lead in decisions regarding healthcare

To foster strong leaders, nurses need to take responsibility of their own personal and professional growth. Nurses must seek opportunities through nursing associations and education programs to develop and exercise their leadership skills. Strong leadership skills warrant the federal government to ensure that leadership positions are available for nurses so that future health care needs of the changing population can be met effectively.

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the nursing profession is the largest population in the nation 's health care workforce with over three million members. Because of this, nurses have a fundamental role in the transformation of the nation 's rapidly changing health care environment. To achieve this role, the IOM addressed several key recommendations to serve as a guide to the direction of the future of nursing (Institute of Medicine, 2010). This paper will focus on three areas that the IOM considers as obstacles the nursing profession encounter as they tackle the challenges of the changing health care system and how it will impact the future of nursing.

This paper seeks to expand upon the 2010 Institute of Medicine’s report on the future of nursing, leading change, advancing health and illustrating its impact on nursing education, practice and leadership. There is an ongoing transformation in the healthcare system necessitated by the need to achieve a patient centered care in the community, public, and primary care settings in contrast to previous times. Nurses occupying vital roles in the healthcare system, need improvements in the areas mentioned above to

A nurse’s role consists of providing care in a variety of settings to individuals, groups, families, and communities. They have to be strong, consistent and knowledgeable leaders, who inspire others and support professional nursing practice. When it comes to being a nurse in a top ranked hospital, leadership is an important part for a highly qualified professional practice

The nursing profession has evolved throughout the years, but more rapidly in most recent years. The educational roles and responsibilities, in particular, have transformed in alignment with hospital organizations, to provide a more patient-centered focus on the delivery of care. As a member of the largest healthcare profession, nurses work in diverse settings and are the main providers of healthcare services. “Nurses are well poised to meet these needs by virtue of their numbers, scientific knowledge, and adaptive capacity, and health care organizations would benefit from taking advantage of the contributions nurses can make” ("Institute of Medicine," 2010, p. 2).

The United States (US) is currently facing a nursing workforce shortage that is expected to intensify as the population ages, the need for healthcare grows, and the nursing workforce ages and retires. The role of the nursing workforce is being redefined as new health care delivery models are developed and reimbursement strategies are amended. The emphasis that the Affordable Care Act has on health maintenance and illness prevention is providing new opportunities for nurses and is expected to increase the demand for Registered Nurses over the next decade (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014).

Specifically, the nurse leader will acquire the ability to facilitate change, advance a culture of excellence, promote lifelong learning for self and others, foster collaborative multi-disciplinary care teams, design advanced nursing practices, assimilate services across the healthcare organization, and implement evidence into practice (AACN, 2011). These leadership skills are learned and demonstrated through AACN’s (2011) following nine essentials during master’s-level nursing education.

Strong leadership is important for the future of nursing. With all the changes being made today, nurses need to step up and advocate for their profession and working conditions. According to the IOM (2010), nurses should “act as full partners with physicians and other health professionals in redesign and reform efforts across the health care system”. Just as the leaders before us, such as Florence Nightingale, Jean Watson and Betty Neuman, made great contributions to the change in the nursing profession, we need those leaders today to continue making contributions to improve our practice.

Change is constant in the health care system. When new evidence is proven to be better, it is being implemented to improve quality care (i.e. effective, safe, and efficient.) The change agent use leadership skills to affect change and bring the expertise and resources to the table to help create healthier and global communities. “The Nurse of the Future will influence the behavior of individuals or groups of individuals within their environment in a way that will facilitate the establishment and acquisition/achievement of shared goals (Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, 2010). An effective leader must have the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary and be able to anticipate how followers will respond to change and choosing

Nursing is an esteemed profession that has grown and evolved over the past centuries. Through leaders like Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, Mary Eliza Mahoney, and Dorothea Dix, the field of nursing has been developing to command the respect it deserves. Each day, nurse leaders are influencing the profession on a smaller, yet equally as important scale. Through managers, charge nurses, nurse educators, and more, nurses in leadership positions are spearheading changes that improve the state of our health care system. Leadership can be defined as "whenever one person attempts to influence the behavior of an individual or group—up, down, or sideways in the organization—regardless of the reason" (Hersey & Campbell, 2004). This is a very