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The Future of Nursing

Srizana Gurung
East Central University School of Nursing
NRSG-1142- Introduction to Professional Nursing
Megan Leach, Peyton Spencer

11/17/2024

Introduction

Nursing’s future is closely related to the significance of healthcare overall, highlighting the move toward more anticipated and balanced perspectives. Nursing practice will continually shift towards responding to inequalities, improving health, and promoting population health. This key transition from downstream health, characterized by managing healthcare problems as they occur, to upstream health, which focuses on SDOH driving population health, is underlined by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report
The Future of Nursing 2020–2030. This approach aims to reduce the gaps in achieving health-related milestones due to social determinants of health (New Hampshire Nurses’ Association, 2022). These ideas come from the
Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report and discussions at the New Hampshire Nurses Association (NHNA) conference. Both sources emphasize that nurses have the skills to reduce health disparities and make healthcare more fair and effective for everyone (Needleman, 2021; NHNA, 2022). Nursing is essential for healthcare, and aspiring nurses like need to understand its future, which is why I picked this topic. I can better prepare for a career where I can adapt to the changing demands of the profession and have an important impact by understanding this issue.

Description and Discussion of Topic

The
Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report highlights the importance of solving health problems at their source, rather than just treating symptoms after they appear. For example, poor housing, lack of education, and systemic racism often lead to poor health. These are called social determinants of health (SDOH), and addressing them can prevent illness before it starts. This was further developed at the NHNA conference, which concentrated on new opportunities for nurses. Presentations focused on the ways in which nurses might address climate change-related health challenges, such as the rise in cases of Lyme disease caused on by warmer temperatures. The transforming nature of the nurse’s role will involve a proactive approach to such disparities by embracing system inequality, socioeconomic disparities, and public health concerns in patient care delivery. As suggested by the
Nurse of the Future 2020-2030 initiative, the current generation of nursing students is prepared for complex practice environments in areas such as community health, climate change, and health promotion skills (Needleman, 2021). These roles allow nurses to practice in interprofessional teams, promote the principles of health promotion and disease prevention, and influence policy to improve the delivery of healthcare services. As such, incorporation and operating as an approved delegate in community practice involving health promotion, screening, and collaborative health initiatives in socially parity-compromised areas are encouraged.

Nursing Relationship

These ideas connect closely to nursing practice. Nurses are already trained to look at patients as whole people, considering their physical, emotional, and social needs. In regards to its influence on nursing practice, this transformation of roles gives nurses a central place in deciding on the future of their profession and healthcare. Nurses are urged to participate on the board, advocate for policies, and be change agents in healthcare organizations (New Hampshire Nurses’ Association, 2022). With the shift in health demographics, chronic illnesses, and patient expectations, nurses now serve on the front lines, addressing complex health and social issues. To continue these efforts, nursing practice must develop a model incorporating significant interprofessional collaboration with other healthcare consumers to reach out to patients with person-centered care based on their needs and exigent contexts (Needleman, 2021). An additional topic of discussion at the NHNA conference was how the nursing profession may better assist its members. As new nurses make the shift from students to working professionals, they frequently feel overwhelmed. They must get mentoring and continual education in order to feel secure and supported in their positions.

Population Implications

The focus on health equity has far-reaching effects on different populations. This change in practice brings hope to vulnerable groups of people in society, especially those in the frames of advantageous stakes who lack access to healthcare services. The focus on equitable healthcare addresses cultural and socioeconomic minorities who have historically experienced healthcare disparities attributed to financial constraints, transportation issues, or inadequate health literacy (New Hampshire Nurses’ Association, 2022). Therefore, by providing health-promoting interventions that comprise preventive care and understanding and tackling the social determinants of health, nurses are in a position to play a middle link in countering health disparities and promoting sustainable health within these groups of people. However, this shift also presents them with challenges of system barriers like the fee-for-service model that hinders nurses from engaging in filing billable but useful services like community health and case management, among others, as highlighted by the New Hampshire Nurses’ Association (2022). Nursing education and training are also impacted. The need for new nurses to learn how to handle environmental health hazards, like diseases associated with climate change, was emphasized at the NHNA conference. In addition to improving patient care, preparing nurses for these problems will enable them to take the lead in dealing with public health concerns.

Conclusion

The future of nursing is about solving the root causes of health problems and helping nurses adapt to new challenges. The future of nursing shows that nursing is not static; rather, it is dynamically changing and focuses more on health equity, community health, and interprofessional practice. This suggests that the roles of nurses are no longer limited to patient care; they are placed on the front lines not only in providing care but also in pursuing change systems. As the nursing profession will actively address social determinants of health and preventive health, the goal of healthy, equal communities can be achieved. In that light, the commitment to expanding nurses’ scope of work in these sectors will help ensure they remain central to building a comprehensive, equitable vision of the future of healthcare. To make healthcare affordable and productive for everybody, social and environmental variables must be addressed. Innovating in their own workplaces or improving care for vulnerable populations, nurses are essential in leading these improvements.

References

Needleman, J. (2021).
Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Increasing the Focus of Nursing and Health Care on Equity and Discrimination. Nursing Economic$, 39(4), 196-199. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25982

New Hampshire Nurses’ Association. (2022).
Early Career and Graduating Student Nurse Conference 2022 – Your Future in Nursing. New Hampshire Nursing News, June, July, August 2022. https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/66986639/new-hampshire-nursing-news-june-2022