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Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) have a responsibility to advocate for patients and provide care that will improve the patient’s health and wellness. DeNisco (2021) describes APRNs as change agents whom have a responsibility to get involved and lead change within the healthcare system. As a change agent, I can help advocate for equitable population health services and policies. It will first start in my local community and state. Understanding the needs within the population I serve will be important for advocating for equitable services. APRNs can help fill the gap in healthcare where access to care is an issue for some populations (Nash, 2019). Getting involved in nursing organizations will help APRNs be aware of current health policy being addressed and allow them to advocate for the population they serve, Nursing organizations, such as the American Nurses Association (ANA), give nurses and advanced practice nurses a platform for advocacy and a chance to get involved in advancing healthcare. The ANA (n.d.) states that their goal is to give nurses a voice in health policy. There are local branches of the ANA that APRNs could get involved with that strictly focus on local policy.
Population advocacy is so important to advancing and improving population health. If the population you are serving does not have a voice and no one advocating for them, population health and equitable services will not improve. There are so barriers that could arise with population advocacy. I think the biggest barrier to population advocacy is lack of APRNs involved in policy making and policy reform. Healthcare providers are so overworked due to the healthcare shortages, that it is hard for them to get involved with local and national associations to advocate for change in health policies. We can understand what our population needs for equitable services, but if we don’t have the time or chance to get involved to help make the changes needed, nothing will change. Understanding that vulnerable populations don’t have a voice for themselves is important, because you could be their only voice for change. Opening clinics in rural areas where there is no access to care will help improve equitable services.
American Nurses Association. (n.d.) Health Policy. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/health-policy/
DeNisco, S. M. (Ed.). (2021). Advanced practice nursing: Essential knowledge for the profession (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Nash, D. B., Fabius, R. J., Skoufalos, A., Clarke, J. L., & Horowitz, M. R. (2019). Population health: Creating a culture of wellness (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
