Nursing and Current Trends in Healthcare in USA

In a reflection of 450-600 words, explain how you see yourself fitting into the following
IOM Future of Nursing recommendations:

1. Recommendation 4: Increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to
   80% by 2020.
2. Recommendation 5: Double the number of nurses with a doctorate by 2020.
3. Recommendation 6: Ensure that nurses engage in lifelong learning.
   Identify your options in the job market based on your educational level.
4. How will increasing your level of education affect how you compete in the current job
   market?
5. How will increasing your level of education affect your role in the future of nursing?
   While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is
   expected and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA
   documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the
   Student Success Cent

Nursing and Current Trends in Healthcare in USA

The increasing complexity in America’s healthcare system has compelled the Institute of
Medicine to give a road map to the future of nursing, by laying out specific recommendations to
ensure that service delivery in all healthcare facilities meet the demands of a competitive and
versatile society. One particularly pressing issue is technology, which has had a huge impact
across all borders of the economic divide(IOM, 2010). It is therefore a requirement that various
organizations step up their expertise, both in form of skills enhancement, and by implementation
of new innovations. This paper provides an analysis of the some of the recommendations, and
gives a prospectus of the same field of practice, based on the current state of affairs.
The baccalaureate degree is an educational program meant to steer learning among
people aged between 3-19 years(Ramendra, Sonya & Gwen, 2011). As most community health
workers have just finished their basic levels of education, this recommendation by IOM is a very
ambitious one that would need a great deal of training. As such, tutors and instructors will be
needed, thus providing an opportunity for me to use my current knowledge to contribute to the
achievement of better efficiency in healthcare. In addition, Recommendation number five comes

NURSING AND CURRENT TRENDS IN HEALTHCARE IN USA2
as a relief to me, as it promises to provide a rare opportunity for me to develop my career and
educational level. With my current undergraduate program, it would be fulfilling to utilize the
resources that would be availed by IOM to further my education, and become part of an
extensive and progressive program aimed at improving the state of nursing.
Lastly, lifelong learning as proposed in the sixth recommendation would a very important
element in the move towards improving service delivery in healthcare facilities. One of the
greatest obstacles to implementation of new ideas such as technological innovation that affect the
mode of operations in organizations is employees’ unwillingness to embrace change(Ramendra,
Sonya & Gwen, 2011). This is propagated by individuals’ natural low propensity to accept
planned change. Engaging in lifelong learning would serve to facilitate this acceptance, and
communicate the benefits of improved services to older nurses(Ramendra, Sonya & Gwen,
2011). I would also use this opportunity to develop my career, and perhaps based on my
educational level, would actively take part in the training program as a facilitator.
As a nurse with an undergraduate degree, I would be very marketable in the job market
that is faced with an alarming shortage of medical practitioners. Furthermore, increasing my
current level of education to, say, doctorate level, would be a huge boost in my career, as I will
not only be proficient in my work as a nurse to the patients, but also in offering training and
skills enhancement to other nurses to help in making the IOM’s recommendations a reality.
Thus, higher level of learning would position me as an ably qualified nurse, with ability and
expertise to participate in the policy making process, and coming up with new suggestions and
innovations to further better the state of service delivery in the healthcare sector. More
importantly, with the realization that the future of nursing relies on improved technology, a

NURSING AND CURRENT TRENDS IN HEALTHCARE IN USA3
higher level of education would position me as a point man in the design, organization and
implementation of these new strategies across the facilities in which I will be working.

References

Institute of Medicine (2010). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. Report
recommendations.
Ramendra, T., Sonya H.Y., H., & Gwen, F. (2011). Innovation in healthcare: Issues and future
trends. Journal Of Business Research,65(1), 562-569.