Taking steps to keep up with nursing's changing role in health care

The role of nurses has shifted in recent years away from hospital care into the private homes of patients. (Star-Ledger file photo)

 

By Susan W. Salmond and Robert Atkins 

Why do you need a nurse? To help you get better when you're sick? That's the reason we usually give. But there's another reason: To keep you as healthy as possible, too.
That's another story entirely and it's one that is unfolding quickly as the health care demands of the 21st century come into focus. The time has arrived for New Jerseyans to prioritize prevention as strongly as treatment so our health, and the health of our communities, can flourish.
The roles of health care providers—physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and others—are changing, as is where health care is delivered. It's moving beyond the walls of hospitals and primary care providers' offices, into communities and homes. The traditional scenario of a long hospital stay following a health crisis, at great expense and at risk of hospital-acquired infections, is being replaced by recovery at home, supported by family members and other caregivers. Isolated decisions by individual providers are giving way to closely coordinated team care.
These changes empower many consumers to become active participants in their health care, and to live healthier lives. As the nation's largest group of health care providers, nurses are uniquely positioned to be leaders in this "new world." They thrive in multidisciplinary settings, they are adept at providing care in the community, and they have the skills and expertise to instruct and inspire others to care for themselves and their loved ones.
Nursing can't adapt to the changing health care landscape, though, without changes to the profession. Nursing schools have to teach nurses the skills necessary to meet current and future demands—to ensure that nurses function as well outside of hospitals as they do inside of them. Nurses themselves need to embrace new opportunities and advance their education. And policymakers looking to shape the future of care in this country need to recognize all the opportunity nursing holds to make a difference in their communities.
To help nursing reach its full potential, three leading organizations—the New Jersey Nursing Initiative, the New Jersey Action Coalition, and New Jersey Health Initiatives—have formed a new alliance. They are working together on crucial initiatives such as redesigning nursing curricula, diversifying the state's health care workforce and preparing health care professionals to provide community-based care throughout the state.
These organizations all have support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which has made an enduring commitment to improving health and health care and strengthening nursing in New Jersey and throughout the nation. And they all support the foundation's vision to build a culture of health in which business, government, individuals and organizations work together to build healthy communities and support healthy lifestyles.
May is National Nurses Month, when we traditionally take time to thank nurses for all they do to provide and improve health care. This year, let's take it a step further. Let's take a moment to consider nurses' changing roles in health care. Nurses can connect you with community resources that enhance your health. They are advocates and instructors who can support you and your community in your efforts to get and stay healthy.
And then ask yourself again: Why do you need a nurse? The answer may be for much more than you realized. (http://www.nj.com/)
Susan W. Salmond is executive vice dean and professor at the Rutgers School of Nursing and program co-director of the New Jersey Nursing Initiative. Robert Atkins is director of New Jersey Health Initiatives and associate professor at the Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden.