The future of gerontological nursing.

Spring 2010 marked the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; however, soon after this landmark legislation passed, legal and political challenges ensued to change key features of the law. In this environment of proposed changes to transform the U.S. health care system, the Institute of Medicine released its report titled The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health in October 2010. The groundbreaking consensus report calls for a transformation of nursing at practice, education, and leadership levels. This article briefly summarizes findings and key recommendations with an emphasis on areas most relevant to the future of gerontological nursing. In addition, various implementation actions promoted through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Future of Nursing Campaign and the AARP Center to Champion Nursing are discussed to encourage gerontological nurses to participate in current and future debates.