Respond to at least two of your colleagues’* posts by suggesting additional opportunities or recommendations for overcoming the challenges described by your colleagues.
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Chapter 5, “Public Policy Design” (pp. 87–95 only)
Chapter 8, “The Impact of EHRs, Big Data, and Evidence-Informed Practice” (pp. 137–146)
Chapter 9, “Interprofessional Practice” (pp. 152–160 only)
Chapter 10, “Overview: The Economics and Finance of Health Care” (pp. 183–191 only)
American Nurses Association (ANA). (n.d.). Advocacy. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/advocacy/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (n.d.). Step by step: Evaluating violence and injury prevention policies: Brief 4: Evaluating policy implementation. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/pdfs/policy/Brief%204-a.pdf
Congress.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.congress.gov/
Klein, K. J., & Sorra, J. S. (1996). The challenge of innovation implementation. Academy of Management Review, 21(4), 1055–1080.
Sacristán, J., & Dilla, T. D. (2015). No big data without small data: Learning health care systems begin and end with the individual patient. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 21(6), 1014–1017.
Tummers, L., & Bekkers, V. (2014). Policy implementation, street level bureaucracy, and the importance of discretion. Public Management Review, 16(4), 527–547.
Theses are the 2 individuals I need to respond to
Venatius Forka
Apr 9, 2024 at 11:01 AM
The Role of the RN/APRN in Policy-Making
Registered Nurses (RNs) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) play crucial roles in direct patient care and shaping healthcare policies. Their unique perspectives and frontline experiences position them as valuable contributors to policy-making processes (Milstead & Short, 2019). Two key opportunities for RNs and APRNs to actively participate in policy-making include involvement in professional organizations and engagement with legislative initiatives. Professional organizations like the American Nurses Association (ANA) offer platforms for nurses to influence healthcare policy through lobbying, educational campaigns, and direct engagement with legislators (ANA, n.d.). For instance, nurses can join ANA’s advocacy efforts to support legislative initiatives promoting healthcare access or improved working conditions for nurses.
RNs and APRNs can directly participate in policy-making by engaging with legislative initiatives. This may involve attending hearings, meeting with legislators, or providing expert testimony (Communicator,2021). Through their firsthand experiences, nurses can offer valuable insights into the practical implications of proposed policies, influencing decision-makers’ perspectives.
However, these opportunities come with challenges. One challenge is limited time and resources, as nurses may already have demanding work schedules and responsibilities. To overcome this challenge, nurses can collaborate with colleagues and leverage resources provided by professional organizations. By pooling resources and sharing responsibilities, nurses can maximize their impact on policy-making efforts. Another challenge is navigating the complexity of the political landscape and understanding the legislative process. To address this, nurses can seek training and education on health policy and advocacy. Professional organizations like ANA often offer resources such as workshops, webinars, and toolkits to help nurses develop advocacy skills and understand the intricacies of policy-making.
To better advocate for these opportunities, nurses can utilize social media platforms to raise awareness and mobilize support. By sharing personal stories, data, and relevant information, nurses can engage the public and policymakers in conversations about healthcare policy. Additionally, nurses can collaborate with other healthcare professionals, community organizations, and advocacy groups to amplify their voices and increase their influence on policy-making decisions.
References
American Nurses Association (ANA). (n.d.). Advocacy.Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/advocacy/
Communicator, H. (2021). Legislative Action. Foundations for Population Health in Community/Public Health Nursing-E-Book: Foundations for Population Health in Community/Public Health Nursing-E-Book, 70.
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Carlene E Burns
Apr 15, 2024 at 7:08 AM
Week 8 Initial post
RN/APRN Role in Policy Making
Nurses and APRNs are on the frontlines of healthcare everyday. Who better to advocate for policy change than those in the trenches daily. RNs and APRNs can play a pivotal role in policy change. According to Brokaw (2019) Nurses can be involved in policy change at all levels of government. The nurse can be involved locally by joining their healthcare system’s leadership or committees. Nurses can also become involved in policy making/changing at the federal level by lobbying with government officials and helping to translate the medical data needed to the officials to write new legislation. (Morris,2023)
Challenges in Policy Making for RNs and APRNs
One of the biggest challenges faced with policy change is lack of time or resources. Nursing is a demanding profession both for the RN and APRN. Time is needed when it comes to policy change for research, education and lobbying. Most nurses work full time and have families, this makes it difficult to allot time for the things needed to make positive policy changes.
Another challenge for nurses regarding federal policy change is lack of education on the legislative process. Brokaw (2019) points out in her article that nursing schools should include education on healthcare policy, which is what this class is for us. If all schools include this education it could assist with this challenge and maybe get some things changed for the nursing profession.
Carlene Burns
References
Brokaw, J. (2019, September 22). The nursing profession’s potential impact on policy and politics. American Nurse. https://www.myamericannurse.com/nursing-professions-potential-impact-policy-politics/
Morris, G. (2023). Why Policy Engagement Is The Next Big Nursing Trend – NurseJournal. Nursejournal.org. https://nursejournal.org/articles/the-role-of-nurses-in-policy-engagement/
