1. What are the implications for following (or not following) the IOM recommendations for nurses?
The implications for following the IOM recommendations for nurses will allow for nurses to provide good quality care by increasing the number of nurses in different stages of care ranging from primary to chronic care. "Evidence suggests that access to quality care can be greatly expanded by increasing the use of RNs and APRNs in primary, chronic, and transitional care" (Stringer, 2019).Also the value of nurses and their roles in relation to costs can significantly make a change."Value in health care is expressed as the physical health and sense of well-being achieved relative to the cost” (Stringer, 2019).
2. What implications are specific and relevant to the APRN?
Barriers placed on APRNS continue to be an issue in some states. "States and insurance companies must follow through with specific regulatory, policy, and financial changes that give patients the freedom to choose from a range of providers, including APRNs, to best meet their health needs. Removing regulatory, policy, and financial barriers to promote patient choice and patient-centered care should be foundational in the building of a reformed health care system" (Stringer, 2019). I firmly believe that removing a wide variety of barriers will allow for patients to have better access to preventive and primary care through the use of APRNs. If we are trying to move forward to this reformed health care system such barriers need to be removed.
In order for changes to happen APRNs need to beinvolved with health policy decision making and be actively engaged in parties that will allow this to happen."Nurses should have a voice in health policy decision making, as well as being engaged in implementation efforts related to health care reform. Nurses also should serve actively on advisory committees, commissions, and boards where policy decisions are made to advance health systems to improve patient care" (Stringer, 2019). APRNs have significant potential to allow for such changes to happen if they fully participate in the push for this reform.
3. Considering the age of this report (2010), what are your thoughts about movement or change? Where do we need to go from here?
In regards to the movement of increasing the number of ADN trained nurses to BSN trained nurses, I feel there has been an increase especially coming from hospitals that are willing to provide financial assistance to its employees to encourage them to get their BSN. The facility that I worked at previously was no longer hiring ADN trained nurses for the sole purpose to start for the push to have more than half of its nurses BSN trained.
I do also agree strongly that there is a need for more Hispanic/Latino nurses in our field. "Hispanics and Latinos represent nearly 20% of the U.S. population, but less than 10% of the nursing workforce" (National Academy of Sciences, 2011).When I graduated from nursing school I was one of five Hispanic students in my graduating class of 100 students. Even working in different states I have noticed a shortage of Hispanic/Latino nurses. Many of these patients do not fully grasp what is being communicated with them because of their language barrier. They trust that whatever doctors and nurses recommend in regards to their treatment is the correct thing to do without fully understanding. I have witnessed this first hand and it is why they don't normally seek for preventive care.
"Since 2010,nine states— Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Vermont — haveremoved legal barriersthat restricted nurse practitioner practice. Now NPs areallowed to provide full carein 22 states and the District of Columbia" (National Academy of Sciences, 2011). I think this is wonderful news and I too hope that one day all 50 states will be able to practice fully without being restricted. It is then that I truly believe there will be a significant change in preventive care, thus, lowering hospital costs.
Although this report is from 2010, I am curious to see if any numbers have changed. It seemed like some changed much more than anticipated and some needed more attention. I do think that report was headed to the right path.