The Future of Healthcare Depends on Nursing Programs & Schools

  June 18, 2019    /      2:24 pm    /      Sally Han

A hospital is only as effective as it’s staff, and nurses make up the majority of all hospital staff. Nurses are the backbone of the United States healthcare system. And if we expect our healthcare system to be effective, we need to make sure our nurses are well trained; which is why the future of healthcare is dependent on the future of nursing – particularly nursing programs.

This sentiment was well outlined in the 2010 landmark report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health released by the National Academy of Medicine.1

The report details how a nurses’ roles, responsibilities, and ultimately education will have to significantly change to meet the increasing demands of the medical industry. America’s healthcare system is complex, and every year new laws, rules, and medical advancements increase the system’s overall complexity.

The report emphasizes the need for nursing schools to take on the burden of ensuring that the next generation of nurses are ready for the modern challenges they face because the future of healthcare depends on it.

And the results of better educated nurses are undeniable, the more educated the nurse the more successful the hospital, leading to:

  • Decreased mortality and complication rates
  • Shorter hospital stays and decreased re-admissions
  • Lower incidence of infections and other hospital-acquired conditions

With that in mind, it’s easy to understand how the future of healthcare is directly related to the future of nursing and education.

The Florida healthcare system is facing the silver wave, a major increase in the number of elderly and infirm people who will need medical care. In Florida, nurses’ roles will be focused on end of life care and there are not enough nurses to keep up with demand.

Miami nursing schools and nursing schools in West Palm Beach are churning out qualified nurses to meet these demands at ever increasing rates.

It’s been almost 10 years since the report was first released and it’s even more relevant now than ever. Ultimately, the nursing profession is more than a career, it’s a calling. Motivated nurses are the future of healthcare – passionate healthcare individuals will make all the difference.

Sources

  1. National Institute of Medicine – The Future of Nursing (PDF)