Future of Nursing Report: Leading Change, Advancing Health

Today, the nursing profession is faced with growing demand for health care services from an increasingly diverse and aging population as well as razor-thin operating budgets and staffing shortages. Against this backdrop, identifying opportunities for advancing health equity represents a timely and valuable enterprise. To this end, the purpose of this paper is to provide a discussion concerning the influence of key publications and resources that describe the multiple challenges facing the nursing profession and strategies for addressing them. Following this discussion, the paper summarizes the research and reports key findings with specific implications for the future of the nursing profession in the conclusion.

Describe the work of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that led to the report, "The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity"

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicines (NASEM) report, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity (the Report) was developed in response to the increasingly critical role nurses play at the intersection of health, education, and communities. Nurses not only account for the largest group within the health care professions, they are on the frontlines of delivering the high-quality services that people need. The overarching goal of the Report was to address the growing need for health equity in the United States. In this context, health equity means that everyone, irrespective of their identity, location, or socioeconomic status, should have the opportunity to achieve their optimal level of health and nurses were identified as having a pivotal role in achieving this outcome.

In order to effectively reduce health disparities and promoting equity, though, nurses require robust education, supportive work environments, and the autonomy to make meaningful changes in health care. Pursuant to a request of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and on behalf of the NASEM, an ad hoc committee was created with the mandate to perform a comprehensive study to envision and outline a future path for the nursing profession. The ultimate objective was to enhance nursing capacity and expertise to reduce health inequities and achieve health equity in the United States. The Report examines various strategies that nurses can use to address health disparities, advance equity, control costs, mobilize innovative technologies, and maintain a patient and family-centered approach to care through the year 2030 (Flaubert et al., 2021).

Explain the trend occurring in the nursing workforce and how nursing education is adapting to meet the evolving needs of the profession. What is the role of the nurse in leading change?

The nursing profession is currently experiencing a growing demand for its services due to various factors, including an aging population, increased mental health conditions, limited access to primary care, and healthcare workforce imbalances. Nurses, who work at the intersection of health, education, and communities, are recognized as pivotal in achieving health equity. Nursing education is...…nursing students (Nelson, 2023).

Describe barriers to advancement that currently exist in your state and explain how nursing advocates in your state overcome these barriers.

Nursing advocates have been actively addressing barriers to nursing advancement, including scope of practice limitations, educational challenges, and legislative hurdles. They have partnered with organizations such as the Association of Oklahoma Nurse Practitioners to introduce legislation aimed at expanding the scope of practice for advanced practice nurses. Collaborations with the higher education system seek to standardize nursing prerequisites, improving educational accessibility across the state. In addition, other initiatives have been launched to develop educational modules for nurse preceptors, addressing the shortage of qualified faculty and mentors. These concerted efforts seek to directly address the multiple barriers to advancement by creating a supportive environment for nurses that facilitates their professional growth (Nelson, 2023).

Conclusion

The research showed that the nursing workforce is confronted with numerous challenges, including most especially increasing demands from a diverse and aging population, financial constraints, and workforce shortages. The research was consistent in underscoring the pivotal role that nurses play in achieving health equity. In addition, nursing education is evolving to better prepare students for this role, and state-based action coalitions are instrumental in driving progress towards academic progression and diversification of the nursing workforce. Finally, in Oklahoma, nursing advocates are addressing barriers by advocating for expanded scope of practice, standardizing prerequisites, and enhancing nurse preceptor education, ultimately fostering a more supportive environment for nurses' professional…