A new study released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and researchers at Loma Linda University Health has concluded that the growth in population health initiatives — resulting from the healthcare industry’s shift toward value-based care (VBC) — requires immediate and substantive changes in nursing education.

Many new nursing grads lack the basic data management skills that population health nurse roles already require, and which will become critically important to master as all nursing roles continue to evolve and adapt to VBC needs.

“All nurses have a population health responsibility regardless of their education level or their work assignment,” wrote the study’s authors. “A population-focused nurse will move beyond the individualistic, downstream approach, viewing individuals and families in the context of their environment, and assessing how their community affects them.”

Get the full story and analysis of the study’s recommendations here, from Health IT Analytics‘ Jessica Kent.