| Abstract | Background: Dean Emeritus Lucy Harris wrote a book in 1973 outlining the history and struggles of Texas Christian University's Harris College of Nursing, while also posing challenges for nursing in the future. Five decades after the publishing of Dean Harris' work, a Harris College graduate, former faculty, and now adjunct faculty member completed a new book to address Dr. Harris' challenges and discuss changes in Harris College from 1973 to 2018. Purpose: The purpose of this integrative review is to identify changes in health care and discuss how they have impacted nursing roles over the past five decades. Methods: Numerous health care-related databases and nursing journals were searched to find information on changes in health care and nursing roles over the past five decades. Forty-seven pertinent articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and appraised using the Johns Hopkins Evidence Based Practice Research and Non-Research Appraisal Form. Findings: Health care policy, technology, structure, and payment systems have changed vastly over the past five decades to create a more equitable, safe, and higher-quality health care environment. Nurses have responded to these changes by becoming better advocates for their own safety, increasing their autonomy in patient care, and championing initiatives and polices to improve patient safety. Conclusion: A multitude of changes in health care structure and function have occurred over the past five decades, which triggered changes in nursing roles. Consequently, progression of nursing roles indicates the responsiveness of the nursing profession to health care changes. Implications for Nursing: Although nurses have responded to health care changes well overall, progress is still needed in improving nursing education on patient care technology and reducing the nursing shortage. Further research is needed into topics discussed in this article as well. |
