NUR172 - Nursing Theory and Science II

This report is the third in a series on the future of nursing that we at the NAM (formerly known as the Institute of Medicine [IOM]) have been privileged to create with the sponsorship of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In a year that was designated to honor and uplift nursing (the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020), nurses have been placed in unimaginable circumstances by the COVID-19 pandemic. The decade ahead will demand a stronger, more diversified nursing workforce that is prepared to provide care; promote health and well-being among nurses, individuals, and communities; and address the systemic inequities that have fueled wide and persistent health disparities.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the central role of the nursing profession in
the nation’s emergency response – registered nurses (RNs) adapted to rapidly elevating risks and
changing workplace demands to provide care and promote safety, while advanced practice
registered nurses (APRNs) demonstrated remarkable adaptability and flexibility in taking on
expanded roles in a crisis.

The nursing industry is changing at a rapid rate. With shifting technology, an aging patient population and new challenges brought on by federal legislation, the nursing industry is being forced to evolve to ensure that hospitals and other organizations are able to continue to provide the best possible care.