Future of Nursing 2020–2030: Health Equity and Workforce Trends
This paper examines the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report "The Future of Nursing 2020–2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity," analyzing its goals and the broader challenges facing the nursing profession. The paper discusses how nursing education is evolving to meet growing workforce demands, the role of nurses as leaders in driving health equity, and the function of state-based action coalitions in advancing academic progression and workforce diversification. It also reviews two specific initiatives undertaken by the Oklahoma Action Coalition and identifies barriers to nursing advancement in the state, concluding with implications for the future of the profession.
- Introduction: Context for nursing challenges and paper purpose
- The NASEM Future of Nursing 2020–2030 Report: Origins, goals, and scope of the NASEM report
- Nursing Workforce Trends and Evolving Education: Workforce demands and nursing education adaptations
- The Role of State-Based Action Coalitions: How coalitions advance academic progression and equity
- Oklahoma Action Coalition Initiatives and Barriers to Advancement: Oklahoma-specific initiatives and advocacy against barriers
- Conclusion: Key findings and implications for nursing's future
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper maintains a clear, logical structure that mirrors the sequential goals of the NASEM report, making it easy to follow the argument from national policy to state-level implementation.
- It integrates direct quotations and properly cited sources to ground claims in authoritative evidence, including the NASEM report and Campaign for Action materials.
- The transition from broad national context to specific state-level examples (Oklahoma) demonstrates the ability to apply macrolevel policy frameworks to concrete local practice.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper effectively uses policy analysis as a framework, moving from describing a foundational report to evaluating how its recommendations are enacted at the state level. This top-down analytical approach — national mandate to coalition initiatives to local barriers — is a strong model for health policy writing at the undergraduate level.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief introduction establishing the problem context, then devotes individual sections to: the NASEM report's origins and goals; nursing workforce and education trends; the function of state-based action coalitions; and Oklahoma-specific initiatives and advocacy barriers. A concise conclusion synthesizes the key findings. Each section is clearly delineated and sequentially builds on the previous one.
Introduction
Today, the nursing profession faces 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. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the influence of key publications and resources that describe the multiple challenges facing the nursing profession and the strategies proposed for addressing them. The paper concludes by summarizing the research and highlighting key findings with specific implications for the future of nursing.
The NASEM Future of Nursing 2020–2030 Report
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report, The Future of Nursing 2020–2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity, 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 promote equity, nurses require robust education, supportive work environments, and the autonomy to make meaningful changes in health care. Pursuant to a request from 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 envisioning and outlining a future path for the nursing profession. The ultimate objective was to enhance nursing capacity and expertise in order 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).
Nursing Workforce Trends and Evolving Education
The nursing profession is currently experiencing growing demand for its services due to various factors, including an aging population, increased rates of 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 evolving to prepare students for this critical role by providing coursework and experiential learning opportunities that expose them to diverse care environments, including community and telehealth settings. In addition, nursing schools are actively recruiting and supporting diverse students and faculty to better reflect the populations they serve. Community and public health nursing are gaining particular importance in the context of addressing health equity, with school nurses increasingly serving as front-line healthcare providers (Wakefield, 2021).
In response to these trends, the nursing profession is adapting to meet the changing demands of the workforce by equipping students with the skills and knowledge required to promote health equity and address the diverse health and social needs of communities. Nurses are increasingly seen as leaders and advocates for health equity, poised to make significant contributions to the nation's healthcare landscape. The importance of nurses' role in leading change is made clear by Wakefield, who emphasizes that "a new generation of nurse leaders is now needed — one that recognizes the importance of diversity and equity and is able to use and build on the increasing evidence base supporting the link between social determinants of health and health status" (2021, p. 3).
Conclusion
The research demonstrated that the nursing workforce is confronted with numerous challenges — most notably, increasing demands from a diverse and aging population, financial constraints, and workforce shortages. The evidence consistently underscores the pivotal role that nurses play in achieving health equity. Nursing education is evolving to better prepare students for this role, and state-based action coalitions are instrumental in driving progress toward academic progression and diversification of the nursing workforce. In Oklahoma specifically, nursing advocates are addressing barriers by advocating for an expanded scope of practice, standardizing prerequisites, and enhancing nurse preceptor education — ultimately fostering a more supportive environment for nurses' professional growth.
References
Fauteux, N. (2018, October 24). Ambitious goals spur action. Campaign for Action. Retrieved from https://campaignforaction.org/ambitious-goals-spur-action/
Flaubert, J. L., et al. (Eds.). (2021, May 11). The future of nursing 2020–2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; National Academy of Medicine; Committee on the Future of Nursing 2020–2030. National Academies Press.
Nelson, J. (2023). Oklahoma Action Coalition. Campaign for Action. Retrieved from https://campaignforaction.org/state/oklahoma/
Wakefield, M. K., et al. (2021, May). The future of nursing 2020–2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity — consensus study report highlights. National Academy of Medicine. Retrieved from https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/25982/Highlights_Future%20of%20Nursing_4.30.21_final.pdf
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