IOM Future of Nursing Recommendations for Achieving Higher Education

IOM Future of Nursing Recommendations for Achieving Higher Education
Introduction
The nursing professional scope is constantly evolving due to health technology advancements, new non-communicable and communicable illnesses, an increasingly aging population, and new problems emanating from the changing regulatory environment. In this context, the nursing profession needs a paradigm shift to ensure that healthcare organizations and related health entities offer optimal care to their clients, the vulnerable, and the community. There are also patterns impacting the future of nursing, including rising administrative opportunities, shifting demographics, the rising impact of health informatics, increased emphasis on community health, diverse settings, and the rising need for advanced training. Maintaining a code of ethics, standards, and credentials while constantly ensuring high-quality care for the patients and populations remains one of the main focuses of the nursing profession. This report discusses my options in the nursing profession, reviews the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report recommendations on attaining higher educational levels, the impact of increasing my educational level on my competitiveness within the today’s labor market and future nursing role, the link between pursuing higher nursing training to knowledge, attitudes, competency, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics, and establish whether it should be made compulsory for a practicing nurse to further educational attainment.
Options in the Job Market
Based on my educational level (associate degree in nursing), I have a wide range of career possibilities within the labor market. An associate degree in nursing education is increasingly important and a compelling choice for learners interested in entering nursing. Some career possibilities in healthcare include infection preventionist, emergency room registered nurses (RN), oncology RN, clinical research associates, clinical nurse liaisons, care coordinators, patient coordinators, and home care nurses. Out of these career opportunities, I admire practicing either as an infection preventionist, emergency room nurse, or oncology nurse. The infection preventionist collaborates with biologists and epidemiologists to mitigate the infectious disease spread by examining the respective outbreaks and cases. The emergency room (ER) nurse partners with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to deliver care and track patients’ health conditions in the ER. The oncology nurse works with cancer patients to facilitate pain control, manage treatment interventions, and mitigate side effects (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021). As I attain higher educational qualifications in the future, I will have more career opportunities, including advancing to healthcare organization leadership roles.
IOM Future of Nursing Recommendations for Achieving Higher Education Levels.
The IOM report recommended that nurses attain higher education and training through a better education system to promote professional and academic advancement (Rekha, 2020). In this context, I want to pursue professional certifications and advanced degrees to expand my career opportunities to diffuse and steer collaborative improvement endeavors. Of the three identified career options I admire, I would prefer an infection preventionist job to the others. Regarding the educational requirements, any licensed RNs with an associate degree can enter the field and work as an infection preventionist. Some employers could prefer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or CIC certification (Certified in Infection Control). Therefore, I plan to pursue BSN and CIC certifications to increase my chances of securing the infection preventionist role. Based on my qualification as an associate degree holder, I would take at least two years to complete the BSN course and gain the professional nursing scope (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021). According to Gleanson (2022), the eligibility criteria for CIC certification as an associate degree nurse is at least one year of working experience or 3000 hours of infection control endeavors within the previous three years. I hope to accomplish these educational and professional milestones in the next 4 to 5 years.
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