Two recommendations for nursing education that will help create change in the health care industry are interprofessional education and defining core competencies. Following these recommendations would show an increase in initial care-based knowledge and more effective communication in work settings.

Interprofessional education is extremely important to the industry and would help develop better working relationships and a better understanding of professional roles. Shared learning environments with students from various disciplines will encourage graduates to work more effectively in teams and decrease the number of miscommunications among the team (IOM, 2011).

There are several higher-level competencies that are not a primary focus during early education, including them in the program curriculum could better prepare nurses in areas such as evidence-based practice, medical management, patient safety, and clinical judgment. It can be difficult for students just graduating to apply their knowledge with these competencies. Incorporating knowledge and action would put out a more highly educated and better-prepared workforce (IOM, 2011).

IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.