Nurses as Leaders in Health Care Reform

As health care delivery in the United States continues to evolve, either through mandates, improved technologies and training, or other drivers, nurses remain at the forefront in facilitating the success of new initiatives. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine formed a committee of experts to address the following question: “What roles can nursing assume to address the increasing demand for safe, high-quality, and effective health care services?” In the final report of the committee, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, the authors stated:

This report offers recommendations that collectively serve as a blueprint to (1) ensure that nurses can practice to the full extent of their education and training, (2) improve nursing education, (3) provide opportunities for nurses to assume leadership positions and to serve as full partners in health care redesign and improvement efforts, and (4) improve data collection for workforce planning and policy making. (p. 10)

For this Discussion, you will focus on the research recommendations presented by the committee concerning the role of nurses as leaders. The committee members believe that answers to these research questions are needed to advance the profession of nursing and to further expand their role in health care reform and improvement.

To prepare:

• Review Chapter 7 in The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health report provided in the Learning Resources. Focus on the information in Box 7.3, “Research Priorities for Transforming Nursing Leadership.”
• Select one of the research priorities listed in Box 7.3 that is of particular interest to you and applicable to your career interests. Consider the benefits and challenges of researching and addressing this priority in nursing.
• Using the Walden library, identify two to three current articles that address your selected research priority. Consider the current state of research efforts on this priority.
• Reflect on how the research findings for your area of priority impact nurses as leaders in organizations and health care reform. Why is research on this priority important?

Post by Day 3 a description of the priority you selected and the benefits and challenges of further researching this area. Provide an overview of the articles you found (using appropriate APA citations) relating to this priority, and highlight any key findings. Explain how continued research in this area could strengthen the ability of nurses to lead in both individual organizations and as advocates of health care reform.

Readings

Media

• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012e). Introduction to healthcare delivery, part II: Healthcare reform. Baltimore, MD: Author.

  Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 16 minutes.

Optional Resources

• Koller, C., Brennan, T., & Bailit, M. (2010). Rhode Island’s novel experiment to rebuild primary care from the insurance side. Health Affairs, 29, 941–947.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  This article describes the plans of Rhode Island’s Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner to strengthen and expand primary care within the state by increasing medical expenses devoted to primary care.

• American Hospital Association. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aha.org/

  This is the website for this national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities.

• Democratic Policy Committee (n.d.a). Affordable care act: Implementation timeline. Retrieved from http://dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill65.pdf

  This article provides information on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act from the Democratic Policy Committee.

• Democratic Policy Committee (n.d.b). The patient protection and affordable care act: Summary of health care and revenue provisions. Retrieved from http://dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill62.pdf

  This document outlines how the historic Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act will give 32 million Americans access to affordable health care.

• Democratic Policy Committee. (2010). The benefits of health reform (state-by-state reports). Retrieved from http://dpc.senate.gov/dpcdoc.cfm?doc_name=sr-111-2-41

  Through this website, visitors can learn how health reform will affect them individually by state.

• Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: Health Reform Source. (2012). Retrieved from http://kff.org/health-reform/