Changing the Scope of Practice for All Nurses

Changing The Scope Of Practice For All Nurses October 21, 2012 Changing The Scope Of Practice For All Nurses The Institute of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has proposed many changes take place in the field of education for nurses to assist in the Affordable Care Act to be a full success in transforming health care.

They have published the report “The Future of Nursing Leading Change Advancing Health” recommending that the scope of practice for all nurses which include the registered nurse, advance practice nurse, certified nurse anesthetist, and the certified nurse midwife to be able to practice at their education and skill level through continuing competencies. Now it is up to all nurses to decide if changing the scope of practice for nurses is a good or bad idea. This paper will show how changing the scope of practice will enable nurses to care for their patient more effectively.

Nurses are going to have to step up to the plate, and show the whole world how important nursing is to providing health care to all people. And for the Affordable Care Act to truly change the health care system to better help the people and communities of the United States, the scope of practice for nurses will need to change to better meet the needs of the public. Education The Institute of Medicine report encourages nurses who graduate with an associate degree to continue on with their education to at least the baccalaureate level. Nurses at the baccalaureate level are then encouraged to continue on to the masters or doctorate degree.

The different foundations and the federal government introducing funding opportunities and scholarships to students trying to find ways for schools and government to further nurse’s education to higher level to be more affordable (“The Future of Nursing” 2010. p. 177). It is important to stress the need to gain nurses with the knowledge to teach our future nurses. Nurses will also need to be involved in continuing education and continued competencies. Where nurses stay up to date with current practice and can demonstrate knowledge and skill in the practice (“The Future of Nursing” 2010. . 202). Also, equipping nurses with the skills and knowledge to take care of patients of today, who have more comorbidities than ever before. Equipping nurses with the knowledge and skill to not only preform the competency but understand the how and why it works, which will be a key factor in transforming health care. One proposal is that “Interprofessional education of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals, as well as new methods of improving and demonstrating competency throughout one’s career…” (“The Future of Nursing” 2010. p. 165).

This will allow better communication, collaboration, and respect between everyone involved in patient care. The Institute of Medicine also discusses different ways to make nurses continuing their education more affordable. Primary Care The way primary care nurses deliver care to patients will change if the report by the Institute of Medicine is adopted. Most of the changes will affect the advanced practice nurses, by allowing them to practice to their full potential of knowledge and skill level. They will be able to take care of patients without having to have a physician on the premises or overseeing their work at all times.

The Institute of Medicine gives an example where in Philadelphia there is a nurse managed health care center. This center is run by Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Social Workers. Other health care professionals help when needed like nutritionists, physicians, and others when needed. Places like this would be able to serve areas where there is little to no physicians available to meet the health care needs of the people who live there. Leadership By reading the report, “The Future of Nursing Leading Change Advancing Health”, it describes how important nurses are becoming stronger leaders for the future advancement of nursing.

With all the changes coming with the Affordable Care Act, this report recommends that nurses need to be playing a large contributing roll in the development of policies to maintain patient centered health care, making sure that health care is accessible to all, and is affordable. Stronger leadership skills can be developed through continued education. By nurses moving on to higher degree education, they are thus developing the leadership skills they will need to work more cohesively with others both in the health care field and out. Nurses need to be playing a role in all aspects of policy making.

From working in the hospitals and communities as advocates for patients which is defined as “The nurse is demonstrating the value of other-centeredness to advance the health of an individual” (Creasia & Friberg, 2011, p. 80). Nurses will need to sit on boards both in the hospitals and in the public sector, legislating to political officials, and even possibly holding a political office themselves. It is going to take all nurses to make a change from nursing students to advance practice nurses, educators, and nursing organizations leadership (“The Future of Nursing” 2010. p. 221-251). Goals for Practice

For the nursing scope of practice to change effectively, it will have to start in nursing school. Nursing students will need to start aiming toward a goal of higher education. Knowing they will need to be better prepared with the gained knowledge of continuing on to a baccalaureate, masters, or doctorate degree in nursing to be able to take care of the ever increasing health care needs. Nurses will need to maintain their knowledge and skill level for up to date practice through competency based learning throughout their career. They will need to be the future leaders in and out of the nursing profession.

Each nurse knowing that nursing consists of many different aspects, making sure to help in the advancement of all future nurses. Some nurses choose to go into the clinical field, community nursing, education, advanced practice, research, legislation, specialty associations, and many more to further nursing profession and health care. In conclusion, by changing the scope of practice for nurses, they will be able to deliver patient care that matches their knowledge and skill level. This will allow more health care professionals mainly nurses, to practice in areas that have lacked sufficient health care providers to meet the needs of the public.

The public will benefit from having nurse practitioners available in rural, suburban, and urban areas where physicians are scarce. Thus the public will have access to affordable, high quality health care to all who are in need.

References Creasia, J. , & Friberg, E. (2011). Conceptual Foundations the Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice. (5th ed. , p. 80). Retrieved from http://pageburstls. elsevier. com/books/978-0-323-06869-7 The Future of Nursing Leading Change, Advancing Health (2010). Retrieved October 13, 2012, from http://www. iom. edu/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health. aspx.