Trends Influencing Access and Equity in Health Care
Vast changes in health care require nurses to be prepared to advocate effectively for improved health outcomes for all Americans, measured by quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. In order to be effective advocates, nurses must be full partners in shaping health and social policy.
A main part of your experience in this course involves a Position Paper shaped around a health care policy that you will choose this week. Examples of health policies include needle exchange programs, death pronouncement by nurses, the Death with Dignity Act, BSN legislation, staffing legislation, meaningful use legislation, and medical use of marijuana.
Beginning with this Discussion, you will carry your selected policy throughout the course and into your Position Paper. Your Assignments for Weeks 2 and 3 will be formed around your selected policy. Select a policy that you have personal experience with and that you feel strongly about.
To prepare for this Discussion, review the following:
Discussion Rubric, provided in the Course Information area
The Writing Resources tab
This week’s readings in the Resources pertaining to various and changing health advocacy and health policy initiatives
By Day 3 of Week 1
Post a response to the following:
Select one health care policy related to access, equity, quality, or affordability that you have noted in your practice that is important to you. This policy will be the main theme of your Position Paper as well as the Assignments for Weeks 2 and 3.
Give a detailed descriiption of the health care policy that you selected.
Include information on history, root causes for the introduction of the policy, and issues that the policy addresses.
Analyze at least one personal impact that this policy has had on you as a professional or in the workplace environment.
Provide at least one supporting and one opposing aspect of the policy, its implementation and its impact.
Note Initial Post: A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use evidence from the readings and include in-text citations. Utilize essay-level writing practice and skills, including the use of transitional material and organizational frames. Avoid quotes; paraphrase to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference list is required. Use the most current evidence (usually less than or equal to 5 years old).
Mason, D. J., Dickson, E., McLemore, M., R., & Perez, G., A. (2021). Policy & politics in nursing and health care (8th ed.). Elsevier.
Chapter 16, “A Primer on Health Economics of Nursing and Health Policy” (pp. 134–140)
Chapter 17, “Financing Health Care in the United States” (pp. 141–156)
Chapter 18, “The Affordable Care Act: An Uncertain Future” (pp. 157–166)
Chapter 56, “Nurse Staffing Ratios: Policy Options” (pp. 452–458)
https://openathens.ovid.com/OAKeystone/deeplink?idpselect=https://idp.waldenu.edu/openathens&entityID=https://idp.waldenu.edu/openathens&T=JS&CSC=Y&NEWS=N&PAGE=booktext&D=books2&AN=01884402/3rd_Edition/4&XPATH=/OVIDBOOK%5b1%5d/METADATA%5b1%5d/TBY%5b1%5d/AUTHORS%5b1%5d
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/HealthSystemReform/AffordableCareAct.pdf
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/Positions-and-Resolutions/Issue-Briefs/Health-System-Reform.pdf
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1021763&site=eds-live&scope=site&authtype=shib&custid=s6527200
http://www.nap.edu/read/12956/chapter/10
