NUR 514 As an advanced practice nurse, propose strategies you can implement to increase your participation in the health care policymaking in order to support patient advocacy

As an advanced practice nurse, I will continue to be involved in the political aspect of nursing. I started off many years ago as the president of a shared governance group. That was my first experience at any political work. This allowed us to bridge the ideas of the staff members and management. We as a collective made positive changes because it improved our collaboration between management and staff. I have also taken part in the unionization at a hospital I was previously employed. Currently I am in charge of a specialty clinic and have actively participated in evidence-based practice changes in the clinics that I am responsible for. It is interesting in having an engagement with the reusable medical device (RMD) department I was told what they are telling me is policy and standard operating procedure. I disagreed revied the SOP and policy in which the practice recommendation was not identified. I argued the point because it was a senseless request and not supported by policy. I offered to sit on the board to aid in updating the policy. I was told because I told it has to be policy. This kind of intellectual disrespect is why we as nurses need to increase our efforts in evidence-based policy change. We are educated, trained, experienced, licensed, professionals, who have a unique perspective on patient care and quality outcomes. With this I believe being involved politically is an extension of quality outcomes.

I think in order to sit at the policymaking table, there must be an awareness of the issues that need to be addressed, and so, getting familiar with the individuals in the community by volunteering at various health events plus researching and speaking to the more vulnerable populations should be helpful to get an idea of what awareness I need to bring to the table and what can be done to serve them better. According to Mattison (2020), knowing which sector can provide the most significant opportunity to work in a public policy space, such as public, private and third sector (non-governmental, non-profit, and values-driven). It is also essential to know what strengths and skills I possess to clarify the role I will pursue through self-assessments. Lastly, I would need to gain experience by researching local and state elected officials to inquire about their current projects (Mattison, 2020). I will be able to decide whether it is worth assisting with because pursuing goals with a vision is imperative.

Mattison, E. (2020, June 7). 7 Steps to a Career in Public Policy. Www.linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-steps-career-public-policy-erica-mattison

Nursing.org states that ways to get involved in Policymaking are

Get involved in Policymaking at a local and state level
Run for office at the local, state, or national level
Join a nursing board
Join a professional organization
Join a minority nursing organization
Advocate, connect, or volunteer through the American Nurses Association.

To get involved in the community aspects of nursing is to become the voice of the patients. By joining a professional nursing association, nurses can participate in politics and policies at the state and federal levels. Frequently, lobbyists for these organizations bring nursing issues to Capitol Hill. Nurses may also communicate with their state representatives about healthcare policy. Internships with political leaders allow nurses to work directly on healthcare-related topics (Welliver, 2016).

Despite the various reasons that limit the nursing profession’s potential political influence, nurses are essential to forming and implementing healthcare policy. As the most significant medical profession in the world, nurses should be at the forefront of healthcare system innovation. To accomplish so, however, they will need to collaborate with physicians and members of other medical professions. For this to occur, nurses must be adept in patient care, interdisciplinary cooperation, informatics and technology, evidence-based practice implementation, and quality improvement (Welliver, 2016).

References

Brusie, C. (n.d.) Ana’s president encourages nurses to get into politics and advocacy. Nurse.org. https://nurse.org/articles/american-nurses-association-politics-advocacy/

Welliver, M. (2016, September 22). The nursing profession’s potential impact on policy and politics American Nurse. https://www.myamericannurse.com/nursing-professions-potential-impact-policy-politics

Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our Verified MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS NUR 514 As an advanced practice nurse, propose strategies you can implement to increase your participation in the health care policymaking in order to support patient advocacy:

Nursing has had many barriers to becoming politically involved. One of the major barriers includes a lack of collectiveness (Wilson, D. M. Underwood, L., Kim, S., Oluktun, M., & Errasti-Ibarrondo, B., 2022). Reflecting on how I would strategize my movement to increase my participation in politics is an interesting question. I would start by increasing my activity within a professional organization. By doing this I would increase my exposure to nursing centered issues. By increasing the number of nurses, I have contact with I would have insight to nursing issues from varied perspectives. I will continue to encourage nurses to vote so their voices can be heard. This allows them to influence policy at the local, state, and federal level. Continuing to educate myself on politics and how policy influences nursing practice and quality care will ensure that I remain current on nursing issues and practices. The final strategy would be to actively get involved with policy change.

Reference:

Wilson, D. M. Underwood, L., Kim, S., Oluktun, M., & Errasti-Ibarrondo, B., (2022). How and why nurses became involved in politics or political action, anad the outcomes or impacts of involvement. Nursing Outlook. 70(1). pp.55-63. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.07.008

Owing to their extensive training, APRNs are in a prime position to take the reins in shaping nursing policy, which is essential to improving public health. Legislators may be well-versed in creating laws and regulations, but they frequently rely on experts in the field to keep them abreast of the latest developments and changes.

From the operating room to the Senate, nurses may use their knowledge and experience to speak up for their patients and the nursing profession. Nurses have had and will continue to impact healthcare policy significantly. They have a strong reputation for being trustworthy, ethical, and patient-focused. The impact of nurses on health care reform is substantial. Here are some suggestions for nursing legislation (Marymount University, 2022).

Leverage leadership skills, become involved in community development, and bring knowledge and skills into practice through education.

Practice Patient Advocacy and speak out for patients ensuring fairness at all times

Get involved in local Policymaking, join committees, and local group speaks up for the clients.

Encourage change and Pursue Higher Education (Marymount University, 2022).

Nurses have a voice in health policy deliberations, allowing them to represent their patients’ interests. By participating in advocacy work, joining a task force or committee, volunteering, or utilizing social media, healthcare professionals can ensure that their patients’ voices are heard and their needs are considered when the policy is formulated.

References

Marymount University, May 2021, Five Ways Nurses can Shape Policy, https://online.marymount.edu/blog/nursing-influence-on-health-care-policy

As an advanced practicing nurse some of the strategies that can be implemented to increase participation in health care policy making would be to join an organization such as Massachusetts Nursing Association order to support patient advocacy. The MNA works to raise public awareness and support nursing issues. (Massachusetts Nurses Association, 2022). One of the points of interest within the state of Massachusetts is S.1511/H.2269 an act ensuring safe medications administration. This is a bill that would prohibit the dangerous practice of unlicensed personnel from administering medications that should be administered by nurses (Massachusetts Nurses Association, 2022). Being involved in this legislative act will ensure patient safety. One of the most importation areas of nursing is the intense education and ability to critically think when administering medications that could cause potential harm. As health care professionals spending the most time with patients and families it is important that we keep abreast of policies that are brought forward by the states where we serve.

Another are where a nurse care become involved in policy making is push for shared governance within the organization. Shared governance empowers nurses to make decision about nursing practices and elevates their values in making decisions on policies to provide the best working conditions and outcomes for their patients (Weberg & Mangold, 2019).

References

Massachusetts Nurses Association. (2022). Retrieved from massnurses.org: https://www.massnurses.org/

Weberg, D., & Mangold, K. (2019). Leadership in Nursing Practice. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

As an advanced practice nurse and nurse leader it is a great opportunity and great responsibility to be able to get involved in healthcare policymaking in order to support patient and nurse advocacy. As a student nurse I was involved in California’s Nursing Student Association. Being involved in this really helped to open my eyes to all the ways we can make positive changes as a nurse, not just at the bedside. I am now a member of ENA and with my local chapter, I have been getting more involved and learning about their legislative priorities and how we can get involved. I truly believe that one of my strategies as an advanced practice nurse, will be to get more involved in my local and state ENA in order to play a part in lobbying for some of these very important healthcare policy priorities. Reading this following quote in one of our books solidified my feelings, “The powerful combination of a united political voice through professional organizations and the grassroots efforts of APRNs has the power to influence the healthcare agenda. Strength in numbers and coalition building are an important part of creating political influence. Membership in a professional organization is the responsibility of all APRNs. (DeNisco & Barker, 2019).”

DeNisco, S. M., & Barker, A. M. (2019). Advanced practice nursing: Essential knowledge for the profession (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN-13: 9781284072570

As an advanced practicing nurse, it is essential that you are aware of the policies and procedures in your place of work. With this, working with different patients throughout the week, you are implementing the policies and are able to see how these policies directly impact the patient and the delivery of patient care. One of the top priorities for nurses is advocating for their patient’s health, safety, and wellbeing. Working with a team, the top two questions regarding policies that come up regard what the policy is on a particular topic or why a certain policy is in place. In my experience, some policies were discussed in my new hire training, as well as where to find all the policies.

One strategy I would like to work on is looking up any of the policies I question or hear other people question so I can read through it rather than just getting the information solely from my charge or manager. I would also like to try to speak with my unit educator to see if the top 20 useful or questioned policies can be integrated into the new hire training; I think this would be helpful because it would make new employees more knowledge able and possibly more comfortable with finding and reading the policies when at work. Another strategy is to get involved within a committee in my workplace or a committee within my state’s board of nursing as these entities give me a voice and provide a voice for patients who may not have one when it comes to updating, removing, or creating polies (RWJF, 2018).

References:

RWJF. (2018). Preparing nurses for leadership in public policy. RWJF. Retrieved from https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/articles-and-news/2014/02/preparing-nurses-for-leadership-in-public-policy.html

Patient advocacy is considered by many nurses to be an ethic of nursing practice and is at the center of the nursing profession. In my experience, I notice patients are usually overwhelmed with all of the information or may not understand the information presented. Nursing policy training should be implemented in all hospitals. Advanced practice nurses are essential advocates for health care policies. Lamb et al., (2018) says APNs have the clinical expertise and the educational background to present the case for passing legislation on health care issues. As an advanced practice nurse, by joining a professional nursing organization, one can get involved with policy and decision making (Lamb et al.,2018). Professional nursing organizations often have lobbyists that bring nursing issues to Capitol Hill. Nurses can also write their state representatives regarding healthcare policy (Mason et al.,2020). As an advanced practice nurse, I can initiate a community health event to screen for blood sugar, blood pressure, encourage health screenings, and administer vaccinations. In my community, many of the older male generation lack the knowledge of getting health screenings. Many wait until it’s too late. Advocating for patients to receive routine health screenings during hospital stays would be a policy I would get involved in making.

Mason, D. J., Perez, A., McLemore, M. R., & Dickson, E. (2020). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Lamb, A., Martin‐Misener, R., Bryant‐Lukosius, D., & Latimer, M. (2018). Describing the leadership capabilities of advanced practice nurses using a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing Open, 5(3), 400-413.

NUR 514 As an advanced practice nurse, propose strategies you can implement to increase your participation in the health care policymaking in order to support patient advocacy