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Supporting the Future of Nursing
Editorial
Supporting the Future of Nursing
W
hen the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released the Future of Nursing report 9 months ago, NCSBN and boards of nursing were mentioned in several recommendations. What follows is a synopsis of the accomplishments to date, the direction of ongoing efforts, and the collaboration with stakeholders to make this vision of the future a reality. Recommendation 1 states remove scope-of-practice barriers and allow advanced practice nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training. NCSBN and advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) leadership organizations had already taken a huge step by developing the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation (Consensus Model). This document, released in 2007, sets national standards, provides uniform regulations, and promotes practice to the extent of the APRN’s ability and skill. Adoption of this model will increase the mobility of APRNs and could improve access to care for patients. Most importantly, if every state adopts the model, it will eliminate the confusion consumers and other health-care professionals experience when they move from state to state and find differing titles, scopes of practice, and regulations pertaining to APRNs. NCSBN’s Campaign for Consensus is a major initiative begun this year to help states adopt the Consensus Model regulations. The campaign started with a kickoff event for all state boards and many stakeholders in January 2011. Presentations included legislative strategies and a variety of resources to assist in the adoption of the regulations. The response by boards of nursing and other organizations has been remarkable. More than 300 APRN bills were introduced in state legislatures during the 2011 legislative sessions. These amendments to state practice acts range from changing advanced practice titles to authorizing full scope-of-practice and prescribing authority. Some states were extremely successful in passing legislation, and the NCSBN is helping them share their knowledge and experience with others who will be introducing legislation in 2012. NCSBN is preparing to help states get ready for 2012. (See the Campaign for Consensus Website for more information: https://www.ncsbn.org/ aprn.htm.) NCSBN is also working with its APRN leadership partners as part of the Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE) Group to help implement the model. Another important recommendation in the IOM report is implement nurse residency programs. During the past several years, NCSBN has been developing a model nurse residency (Transition to Practice) program that is currently being pilot tested in Ohio, Illinois, and North Carolina. The project’s reVolume 2/Issue 2 July 2011
sults will provide new knowledge about the first years of practice in nursing and enable hospitals and other facilities across the country to initiate these programs. (For more information, see the website https://www.ncsbn.org/363.htm.) Over the next few years, NCSBN will also work on another IOM recommendation: ensure that nurses engage in lifelong learning. For over a decade, NCSBN has written papers and engaged members in an ongoing dialogue about the best ways to ensure and measure lifelong learning. Beginning in late 2011, NCSBN will embark on a pilot study that may provide preliminary information about continued competence and lifelong learning. Depending on the results, a larger study with a diverse sample of nurses may be undertaken. This exciting project will lead nursing into a new era of determining the methods that contribute to lifelong learning and the predictors of competence. Recommendation 8 is build an infrastructure for the collection and analysis of interprofessional health care workforce data. Over the past few years, NCSBN has built a nursing workforce database that collects workforce data from licensees when they renew their licenses. The goal is to gather comprehensive workforce data and supply it to states; licensing boards; the federal government, including the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Workforce Commission; and others for nursing workforce planning. In addition, individual state boards are actively involved in the Regional Action Coalitions that are forming in states and keeping state regulators and other state organizations involved in carrying out the IOM recommendations. Over the next decade, regulators will continue to work together on these important recommendations. Be assured that the Journal of Nursing Regulation will remain your source of information as the changes unfold and the profession advances. For a complete response to the IOM report from NCSBN’s Board of Directors, please see our website at https://www.ncsbn.org/ government.htm. Maryann Alexander, PhD, RN Editor-in-Chief Journal of Nursing Regulation [email protected]
www.journalofnursingregulation.com
3
Supporting the Future of Nursing
W
hen the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released the Future of Nursing report 9 months ago, NCSBN and boards of nursing were mentioned in several recommendations. What follows is a synopsis of the accomplishments to date, the direction of ongoing efforts, and the collaboration with stakeholders to make this vision of the future a reality. Recommendation 1 states remove scope-of-practice barriers and allow advanced practice nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training. NCSBN and advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) leadership organizations had already taken a huge step by developing the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation (Consensus Model). This document, released in 2007, sets national standards, provides uniform regulations, and promotes practice to the extent of the APRN’s ability and skill. Adoption of this model will increase the mobility of APRNs and could improve access to care for patients. Most importantly, if every state adopts the model, it will eliminate the confusion consumers and other health-care professionals experience when they move from state to state and find differing titles, scopes of practice, and regulations pertaining to APRNs. NCSBN’s Campaign for Consensus is a major initiative begun this year to help states adopt the Consensus Model regulations. The campaign started with a kickoff event for all state boards and many stakeholders in January 2011. Presentations included legislative strategies and a variety of resources to assist in the adoption of the regulations. The response by boards of nursing and other organizations has been remarkable. More than 300 APRN bills were introduced in state legislatures during the 2011 legislative sessions. These amendments to state practice acts range from changing advanced practice titles to authorizing full scope-of-practice and prescribing authority. Some states were extremely successful in passing legislation, and the NCSBN is helping them share their knowledge and experience with others who will be introducing legislation in 2012. NCSBN is preparing to help states get ready for 2012. (See the Campaign for Consensus Website for more information: https://www.ncsbn.org/ aprn.htm.) NCSBN is also working with its APRN leadership partners as part of the Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE) Group to help implement the model. Another important recommendation in the IOM report is implement nurse residency programs. During the past several years, NCSBN has been developing a model nurse residency (Transition to Practice) program that is currently being pilot tested in Ohio, Illinois, and North Carolina. The project’s reVolume 2/Issue 2 July 2011
sults will provide new knowledge about the first years of practice in nursing and enable hospitals and other facilities across the country to initiate these programs. (For more information, see the website https://www.ncsbn.org/363.htm.) Over the next few years, NCSBN will also work on another IOM recommendation: ensure that nurses engage in lifelong learning. For over a decade, NCSBN has written papers and engaged members in an ongoing dialogue about the best ways to ensure and measure lifelong learning. Beginning in late 2011, NCSBN will embark on a pilot study that may provide preliminary information about continued competence and lifelong learning. Depending on the results, a larger study with a diverse sample of nurses may be undertaken. This exciting project will lead nursing into a new era of determining the methods that contribute to lifelong learning and the predictors of competence. Recommendation 8 is build an infrastructure for the collection and analysis of interprofessional health care workforce data. Over the past few years, NCSBN has built a nursing workforce database that collects workforce data from licensees when they renew their licenses. The goal is to gather comprehensive workforce data and supply it to states; licensing boards; the federal government, including the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Workforce Commission; and others for nursing workforce planning. In addition, individual state boards are actively involved in the Regional Action Coalitions that are forming in states and keeping state regulators and other state organizations involved in carrying out the IOM recommendations. Over the next decade, regulators will continue to work together on these important recommendations. Be assured that the Journal of Nursing Regulation will remain your source of information as the changes unfold and the profession advances. For a complete response to the IOM report from NCSBN’s Board of Directors, please see our website at https://www.ncsbn.org/ government.htm. Maryann Alexander, PhD, RN Editor-in-Chief Journal of Nursing Regulation [email protected]
www.journalofnursingregulation.com
3