The need for a highly educated nursing workforce is in high demand due to the changing healthcare environment and the demographics of the U.S. population. Nurses require specialized knowledge and competencies to navigate the healthcare delivery system,
such as leadership, research, integration of innovative technology and working in expanded roles and settings. These and other essential skill sets are vital for providing safe, high quality care. Nursing education and
practice needs to move towards a patient-centered philosophy, higher standards for safe, quality care, with a stronger emphasis on information technology, scientific research, evidence-based practice, and interprofessional collaboration (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2011).
The structure of America’s healthcare environment is continually evolving. Changing demographics brings about new cultures and practices. These cultural changes have brought about many questions about nursing’s ability to
adapt yet maintain core values. How can essential nursing values hold up in the rapidly changing 21st century? In order to better understand the need for adaptation, it is important to understand certain changes that occurred since the 1960s.
