The future of nursing in America is the sweeping focus of a national committee, and Oregon has a voice at the table. Michael Bleich, Ph.D., dean of the OHSU School of Nursing, is one of 18 members appointed to a high-level panel of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing, at the Institute of Medicine.

"We're charged with creating a document that can serve as a blueprint for action by the nursing profession," says Bleich. "Nurses are the largest group of health care workers and will play a vital role in a reformed system."

The group is currently gathering information from a variety of sources, including three national forums being held this fall. Individuals and organizations were invited to submit written testimony on nursing in acute care, community/public health and long-term care, and nursing education.

The committee is chaired by Donna Shalala, Ph.D., president of the University of Miami and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Clinton Administration. Bleich, who has been dean since August 2008, is one of five nurses on the committee. Other members include the current president of American Association of Retired Persons, a former executive with Johnson & Johnson, several physicians; a former director of the Congressional Budget Office; and a former administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Institute of Medicine, one of the National Academies, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation paired up to focus attention on the future of nursing. According to a foundation press release, the cornerstone of the program would be a major study to produce a "transformational report" on the future of nursing. The ad hoc committee will examine the capacity of the nursing workforce to meet demands of a reformed health care and public health system.  At the end of the two-year initiative, the foundation and academy will hold a national conference to discuss issues raised by the committee's study report.

Target audiences include national policymakers, state and local governments, advocacy organizations, professional societies, licensing bodies, educational institutions, researchers and individuals considering careers in nursing.

The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization run by volunteer scientists and other experts. RWJF is the largest philanthropy in the United States devoted exclusively to health and health care.

For more information on the initiative, go to www.iom.edu/Activities/Workforce/Nursing.aspx