Dean's Page
April 2011
Wisconsin's Investment in the Future of Nursing
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report that came out last fall, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, is a milestone in nursing and has major implications, not only for those of us in the profession, but also for every individual who receives health care now or in the future. Since the report came out, regional awareness nursing groups have been meeting statewide to determine next steps for the state and for the nursing profession.
Literally, this report argues that redesigning and reforming health care are critically necessary if we are to provide safe, high-quality care and control costs. Furthermore, this will only happen if nurses collaborate as full partners with other health care professionals in this effort and step up to leadership positions on a much wider stage than ever before.
The IOM report strongly recommends developing more nurse leaders. Nurses, the report says, must become equal partners at policy tables and in practice environments with physicians, pharmacists, and other health care team members. To this end, the institute recommends that, by the year 2020, we increase to 80 percent of the workforce the number of registered nurses with bachelor's degrees and double the number of nurses with doctorate degrees. At present in Wisconsin, about 45 percent of RNs have four-year degrees; a very small percentage are doctorally prepared.
University schools of nursing such as ours have a unique responsibility here. Our graduates provide care in every setting imaginable: hospitals and clinics, schools and county health offices, long-term care facilities, and people's homes. Our graduates are teaching the nurses of the future, building the science we need to improve care, and leading private companies and nonprofits, hospitals, clinics, and many organizations. We educate the nursing leaders of the future.
While the vision of the future presented in this landmark study is compelling, I am also keenly aware that our challenging economic times require clear priorities and difficult decisions. But the facts are clear: Our current nursing workforce is not large enough and is not optimally prepared for the challenge of rebuilding our fractured health care system. There are too many missing pieces in the state’s health care road map, and there are far too many detours and not enough on-ramps. In the end, investing in the future of nursing education is the wisest of all choices, because it is the only route that will get us where we must go.
And now, that investment in the future of nursing is happening here at Wisconsin. Finally, we know our new home for the school will be built thanks to leaders who made certain that it would: Chancellor Martin, Alan Fish (vice chancellor for facilities planning and management), Don Nelson and Lisa Maroney (UW–Madison/UW Health government relations), Governor Scott Walker and members of the State Building Commission, and leaders from UW System Administration. Also, we are encouraged by the favorable comments we have received on our Madison Initiative for Undergraduates proposal to hire additional faculty and instructional staff to support program growth—again, thanks to the leadership of Chancellor Martin and her team.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." We believed. And now we begin again to create the future of care. As always, and with new emphasis, I say, "On Wisconsin!"
Katharyn A. May, DNSc, RN, FAAN
Dean and Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing