The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. A consensus study from the National Academy of Medicine

Summary

An expert committee will extend the vision for the nursing profession into 2030 and chart a path for the nursing profession to help create a culture of health, reduce health disparities, and improve the health and well-being of the US population in the 21st century. The committee will consider newly emerging evidence related to the COVID-19 global pandemic and include recommendations regarding the role of nurses in responding to the crisis created by a pandemic.

Content

The committee will consider: 

• The role of nurses in improving the health of individuals, families, and communities by addressing social determinants of health and providing effective, efficient, equitable, and accessible care for all across the care continuum, as well as identifying the system facilitators and barriers to achieving this goal.
• The current and future deployment of all levels of nurses across the care continuum, including in collaborative practice models, to address the challenges of building a culture of health.
• System facilitators and barriers to achieving a workforce that is diverse, including gender, race, and ethnicity, across all levels of nursing education.
• The role of the nursing profession in assuring that the voice of individuals, families and communities are incorporated into design and operations of clinical and community health systems.
• The training and competency-development needed to prepare nurses, including advanced practice nurses, to work outside of acute care settings and to lead efforts to build a culture of health and health equity, and the extent to which current curriculum meets these needs.
• The ability of nurses to serve as change agents in creating systems that bridge the delivery of health care and social needs care in the community.
• The research needed to identify or develop effective nursing practices for eliminating gaps and disparities in health care.
• The importance of nurse well-being and resilience in ensuring the delivery of high quality care and improving community health.
• The role of nurses in response to emergencies that arise due to natural and man-made disasters and the impact on health equity.