Improving Access to Care in Nursing

Future of Nursing 2020-2030 Analysis

Introduction

The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 Report is a comprehensive document that provides insights into the current state of the nursing profession and makes recommendations for how the profession can best meet the evolving health care needs of the US population (Flaubert et al., 2021). The report aims to provide a comprehensive view of the key issues that must be addressed in order to achieve health equity by 2030. The report also provides concrete goals and policies for the nursing profession to meet in order to realize this goal. In terms of Major Roles of Nursing Profession in Achieving Health Equity, there are two takeaway points to consider: First, there is the goal of supporting nurses to promote health equity, as nurses have an important role to play in addressing health disparities by increasing access to care. This could include recruiting from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, developing systems to support and nurture culturally sensitive care, and providing leadership development opportunities for those from diverse backgrounds (Wakefield et al., 2021). Second, there is the goal of using technology to integrate the social determinants of health into healthcare practice: here, nurses can play a crucial role in improving access to care for underserved communities by helping to reduce barriers such as poverty, transportation issues, and language or cultural barriers. This could involve advocating for policies that increase access to healthcare services, collaborating with techniques such as telehealth and mobile health clinics to serve rural areas, and helping to reduce inequities in payment models. This paper will discuss these goals along with further highlights and examine how to implement strategies to achieve these goals.

Major Highlights of the Future of Nursing 2020-2030

The major highlights of the report include the need for nurses to take on leadership roles in the healthcare system, the need for increased equity in healthcare access in the nursing profession, and the need for nurses to be better prepared for the changes in the healthcare system, particularly those that enable them to capitalize on their learning and to use technology to address the social determinants of health.

Two major roles for the nursing profession in achieving health equity are:

nurses should play a leading role in identifying and addressing health disparities and promoting health equity, by collecting and analyzing data on the health status of different populations and working to address the root causes of health disparities.

Nurses should be actively engaged in policy and advocacy efforts at the local, state, and national levels to promote health equity and to ensure that all individuals have access to the care they need.

Recommendations and Strategies to Implement

The report makes 9 primary recommendations for the nursing profession, including:

1. Creating a Shared Agenda

2. Supporting Nurses to Advance Health Equity

3. Promoting Nurses’ Health and Well-Being

4. Capitalizing on Nurses’ Potential

5. Paying for Nursing Care

6. Using Technology To Integrate Data On Social Determinants Of Health Into Nursing Practice

7. Strengthening Nursing Education

8. Preparing Nurses To Respond To Disasters And Public Health Emergencies

9. Building the Evidence Base

For Creating a Shared Agenda, this recommendation encourages stakeholders in the nursing profession to come together to create an agenda for the development and advancement of nursing, with the goal of improving patient care and bringing together nursing practice, education, leadership, and health policy engagement to achieve this objective (Campaign For Action, 2023). This agenda could include short- and long-term goals, strategies for achieving those goals, and ways to measure success.

For Supporting Nurses to Advance Health Equity, this recommendation encourages nurses to become advocates for advancing health equity, ensuring that all individuals have access to healthcare services regardless of their socioeconomic status. It also asks nurses to support policy initiatives that promote equity and to use their expertise as nurses to identify potential solutions to health inequity issues.

For Promoting Nurses’ Health and Well-Being: This recommendation encourages

the nursing profession to prioritize the health and well-being of nurses, as well as their work-life balance. Strategies proposed include providing access to mental health services, developing job satisfaction initiatives, implementing flexible work schedules, and providing post-retirement benefits.

For Capitalizing on Nurses’ Potential, this recommendation encourages the nursing profession to maximize the potential of nurses in the workforce by expanding opportunities for career advancement and offering mentorship programs. It also suggests using innovative approaches to recruitment and retention that emphasize diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence (Hassmiller & Wakefield, 2022).

For Paying for Nursing Care, this recommendation encourages the reform of current payment models to better align with value-based care. It also calls for changes to existing reimbursement policies to better recognize the value of nursing services and ensure fair compensation for nurses. This would also work to reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes.

For Using Technology To Integrate Data On Social Determinants Of Health Into Nursing Practice, this recommendation calls for the use of technology to integrate data on social determinants of health into nursing practice. This would allow nurses to better understand the social and economic factors that influence a patient’s health, allowing them to better tailor care plans and treatment options to meet individual needs (Needleman, 2021).

For Strengthening Nursing Education, this recommendation encourages the development of more robust nurse education, training, and mentoring programs. This could include developing competency-based curricula, standardizing nursing education, and ensuring that nurses have access to the latest evidence-based practices.

For Preparing Nurses to Respond to Disasters and Public Health Emergencies, this recommendation encourages the nursing profession to create and maintain an adequate workforce of trained and competent nurses that are able to effectively respond to disasters and public health emergencies. This would involve developing strategies to better prepare nurses for such situations, providing ongoing training opportunities, and increasing personnel who are equipped to handle such events (Hassmiller & Wakefield, 2022).

For Building the Evidence Base, this recommendation calls for the development of a stronger evidence base for nursing practice, in order to improve patient outcomes, inform policy, and guides practice decisions. Specifically, it encourages continued investment in research related to nurse education, population health, and interdisciplinary approaches to care delivery. Additionally, it calls for the creation and implementation of systems to collect data on nursing practice and patient outcomes, in order to better inform decision-making (Wakefield et al., 2021).

To implement these recommendations, the report also provides 2 strategies:

1. Developing policies and infrastructure that support nurses in advancing their education and professional development

2. Investing in research to better understand the impact of these recommendations on the nursing profession and the health care system as a whole.

Two strategies that I would suggest are: First, increasing funding for research related to nursing practice, population health, and interdisciplinary care delivery in order to build an evidence base for decision-making. Second, I would suggest establishing interprofessional collaborations with other stakeholders in the healthcare system in order to develop a shared agenda for nursing that prioritizes improving patient care.

Summary and Desired Outcomes

The desired outcomes from the Future of Nursing 2020-2030 Report include that “the systems that educate, pay and employ nurses: 1) permanently remove barriers to care; 2) value their contributions; 3) prepare nurses to tackle health equity; and 4) diversify the workforce” (Hassmiller & Wakefield, 2022). Essentially, the report desires to see full support given to nurses so as to achieve:

1. a more educated and diverse nursing workforce,

2. an increase in the proportion of nurses in leadership roles,

3. an increase in the use of technology and data in nursing practice,

4. an increase in the transparency of nursing education and practice,

5. an increase in the participation of nurses in interprofessional teams,

6. an increase in the support for nurses as patient advocates,

7. an increase in the opportunities for nurses to pursue continuing education and professional development,

8. an increase in the support for nurses in addressing health disparities and promoting health equity,

9. an increase in the number of nurses with a doctorate, and