Introduction
For too long, the United States has heavily invested in curing diseases while underinvesting in health promotion and disease prevention. Wakefield et al.’s (2021) The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity report is informed by the Committee on the Future of Nursing 2020–2030 goal, which is the accomplishment of health equity in the US through enhanced clinical capacity and skill. Therefore, this essay summarizes the efforts of the commission that produced the report, examines the developments unfolding in the nursing field and how nursing practice is adjusting to meet the increasing requirements of the discipline, and discusses the significance of nurses as transformational leaders. The paper also addresses state-based action alliances, how they accomplish the report’s objectives, describes two programs New York’s action committee focuses on, explains how they improve nursing, and examines some of New York’s impediments to development.
The Work of National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academies of Sciences collaborate as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee offers unbiased, intellectually honest evaluations and recommendations to the nation and carries out other initiatives to address complex issues and inform choices concerning public policy (Hassmiller & Wakefield, 2022). The committee came up with nine proposals that touch on practically every aspect of the healthcare practice to offer a broad and deep basis from which to realize this objective.
Additionally, the National Academies work to promote research and learning, acknowledge exceptional advancements in knowledge, and broaden the general public’s awareness of issues in science, engineering, and healthcare. Lastly, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offer impartial and objective counsel to inform policy with evidence, ignite scientific progress, and tackle challenging problems for the betterment of society (Hassmiller & Wakefield, 2022). This function is met by the committee’s The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity goal, which is the realization of healthcare equity in the US through enhanced nursing competence and skill.
The Trend Occurring in Nursing Workforce
The current emerging issue in the nursing workforce is the increasing need for BSN- and PhD-prepared nurses. The Future of Nursing, a report published in 2011, suggests that by 2020, 80% of registered nurses should earn a bachelor’s degree or better (Sumpter et al., 2022). As of 2019, 59% of working physicians held a bachelor’s degree or above, up from 51% in 2011 (Sumpter et al., 2022). Since the 2011 publication, the percentage of nurses holding doctoral degrees has risen dramatically. In 2010, there were 1,282 finishers of DNP studies and 532 Ph.D. in healthcare recipients. In 2019, the population of DNP students increased by more than 500% to 7,944, while the number of Ph.D. holders increased by roughly 50% to 804 (Sumpter et al., 2022). The increasing number of nursing workforce is expected to continue to meet the changing needs in the healthcare system.
In response to the above-mentioned change, nursing education has created significant schemes to aid academic advancement to greater tiers of the LPN-to-BSN and ADN-to-MSN curricula. The ADN-to-MSN course is generating a considerable avenue to advanced practice and professor roles, particularly at the undergraduate level. In addition, community colleges have played a significant role in guaranteeing that more BSN-prepared physicians are available throughout the USA. They maintain that the associate-level learning process is of good quality and reasonable, and they train AND practitioners to advance to maximum school concentrations (Sumpter et al., 2022). Community colleges cultivate a culture that fosters and honors academic progress and motivates their students to further their education through various methods.
Managers and nursing assistants play a crucial role in fostering an environment that nurtures and encourages creativity. There are numerous instances of nurses developing novel approaches to improve healthcare quality. Re-admissions after cardiac operations have been effectively reduced by protocols supervised by registered nurses. To combat catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), nurses have developed novel methods (Wakefield et al., 2021). In addition, promoting health equality and eliminating disparities would necessitate that nurse leaders are adept at driving change. Establishing a vision for change, coordinating executive support, enlisting a network of devoted participants, and setting expectations are among the change-driving initiatives that eliminate health inequities.
Role of State-Based Action Coalitions
Action alliances are worldwide, imaginative, multi-stakeholder alliances that mobilize authorities, democratic institutions, multilateral agencies, and the commercial sector to accelerate coordinated action. As for the state-based action coalitions, their purpose is to encourage improvements in the respective states and, consequently, enhance the quality of medical care across the nation (Wiggins et al., 2021). In addition, state-based action committees seek to establish a more cohesive nursing workforce and professional skills, enhance nurse preparedness and data collecting, and guarantee that society’s healthcare requirements are met.
The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity examines how nurses might strive to minimize health inequities and achieve equality into 2030 while preserving costs in check, employing innovation, and preserving patient- and family-centered care. State-based action alliances participate actively in various nursing-related sectors across many states and the nation. These organizations have pressured their home states to invest in research and development to boost the innovation capabilities of nurses in employing current technology like telemedicine (Leichter, 2019). In supporting healthcare equity, these coalitions have argued for a fundamental knowledge of social determinants of health (SDOH), conditions across groups, and how to evaluate and manage to promote health and well-being.
The New York action committee collaborates closely with numerous interested parties to guarantee the successful implementation of the report’s suggestions. Actors from community-based partnerships to solve local problems and develop the nursing practice. The coalition’s two priorities are professional data collection and increasing care accessibility. The first project enhances the nursing profession and provides demonstrative data for assessing New York’s labor requirements. Based on this knowledge, nurses are prepared to ensure superior, patient-centered care in various contexts. Regarding the second aim, the New York Alliance has made steady improvements toward permitting healthcare professionals to utilize the full scope of their education. Therefore, through expanding the area of the nursing profession, the coalition aims to enhance the citizenry’s access to healthcare solutions.
However, several obstacles prevented a successful accomplishment that was set. In particular, the unwillingness to work on the part of constituents has been a challenge for the alliance. For the coalition to successfully overcome this obstacle, they will need to emphasize the significance of equitable involvement in accomplishing the shared goal. In addition, one of the challenges associated with the effort is that it does not have sufficient finance. To solve the issue, the advocates request help and engagement from other groups, institutions, and volunteers.
Conclusion
The Future of Nursing 2020–2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity report is informed by the Committee on the Future of Nursing’s aim, which is the achievement of health equity in the United States through expanded professional expertise and capacity. To accomplish this goal, the nursing workforce has required more BSN- and PhD-prepared nurses. State-based action alliances, such as those in New York, have fought for reforms in the particular jurisdiction and, therefore, an enhancement in healthcare quality throughout the United States. However, constituents’ reluctance to work has posed a significant obstacle to the coalition. In overcoming this impediment, the group must underline the value of fair participation in achieving the common objective.
References
Hassmiller, S. B., & Wakefield, M. K. (2022). The future of nursing 2020–2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. Nursing Outlook, 70(6), 1-9. Web.
Leichter, H. M. (2019). State governments and their capacity for health care reform. In Health policy, federalism, and the American States (pp. 151-179). Routledge.
Sumpter, D., Blodgett, N., Beard, K., & Howard, V. (2022). Transforming nursing education in response to the Future of Nursing 2020–2030 report. Nursing Outlook, 70(6), 20-31. Web.
Wakefield, M., Williams, D. R., & Le Menestrel, S. (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. National Academy of Sciences.
Wiggins, B., Anastasiou, K., & Cox, D. N. (2021). A systematic review of key factors in the effectiveness of multi sector alliances in the public health domain. American Journal of Health Promotion, 35(1), 93-105. Web.