PUBHLTH410: Making Change Essay

The advance practice nurse is preparing to examine the economic, financial, and political factors that influence the delivery of healthcare and policy reform. There is a need to develop strategies to influence, implement and evaluate current policy.

Choose a mental health policy to evaluate for this presentation and answer the following questions:

Critically analyze and related issues surrounding the policy from the perspective of consumers, nursing, other health professions, and other stakeholders in policy and public forums.PUBHLTH410: Making Change Essay

What is the role of nursing leadership in the development and implementation of institutional, local, state, federal, and/or international health policy?

What is the impact of nursing influence on policy makers through their active participation on committees, boards, or task forces at the institutional, local, in the state of Texas, regional, national, and/or international levels to improve health care delivery and outcomes?

What are some ways that you can do to educate others, including policy makers at all levels, regarding nursing, health policy, and patient care outcomes?

Analyze the advocacy process for the nursing profession within the policy and healthcare communities that relate to your selected policy.

Explain nursing responsibility to develop, evaluate, and provide leadership for health care policy that shapes health care financing, regulation, and delivery.

Identify the connection between health outcomes and advocacy for social justice, equity, and ethical policies within all healthcare arenas for your selected policy.

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Health Policy and Advocacy

Related issues surrounding the mental health policy from the perspective of consumers, nursing, other health professions, and other stakeholders in policy and public forums

The COVI-19 pandemic has heavily burdened the United States healthcare system and increased mental health problems among Americans. Workforce development is a mental health policy that is aimed at strengthening the workforce during the face f the pandemic.   The workforce development policy mainly focuses on increasing access to mental health professionals while minimizing administrative burden.   According to Goldman et al. (2020), with harmonization with the Federation of State Medical Boards, numerous states have momentarily relinquished requirements for state licensing and renewal and permitted for more reciprocity across the country.

Consumers believe that giving mental health providers greater autonomy is important because it will enable more people whose mental states have been disrupted by the pandemic to have access to mental health services. Nurses and other health professionals believe that workforce development is essential because more providers are required to prevent a serious impact on the mental health of Americans. Policymakers believe that mental health care should transform as a result of the pandemic as more people are likely to have mental problems due to the pandemic.  As indicated by Goldman et al. (2020), CMS has momentarily relinquished the requirement for physician assistants and nurse practitioners to work under physician oversight to expand access to care. Additionally, the DEA relinquished requirements to register in novel states to prescribe scheduled drugs.PUBHLTH410: Making Change Essay

The  role of nursing leadership in the development and implementation of institutional, local, state, federal, and/or international health policy

Nurse leaders have the capacity to proactively engage in developing and implementing health policy at all levels. DNP-prepared nurses as leaders in the practice field act as a link between policy, research, and practice. According to Edwards et al. (2018), DNP nurses are knowledgeable, empowered, and trained to engage in the development, implementation, and revision of health care policy. They take part in policy intervention, the building of coalitions, and policy evaluation. Also, they develop policy agendas, serve as content witnesses and expert witnesses, and gather support from lawmakers. DNP educated nurse leaders have the capability of considerably affecting health care policy and the organization, delivery, and reimbursement of healthcare.

The  impact of nursing influence on policy makers through their active participation on committees, boards, or task forces at the institutional, local, in the state of Texas, regional, national, and/or international levels to improve health care delivery and outcomes

Any nurse can influence politics and policy at all levels to improve health care delivery and outcomes. Locally, nurses can actively engage in politics by taking on leadership positions in the healthcare system or contact legislators about legislation influencing the healthcare industry. At the federal and state levels, nurses can become involved in politics and policy by being members of a professional nursing organization. Professional organizations have lobbyists who take issues affecting nursing to Capitol Hill. As indicated by Chism (2017), membership in professional organizations offers nurses a voice to air their opinions when healthcare matters are being discussed and reforms are being suggested at every level in healthcare policies.  At the state level, nurses working in Texas can undertake internships with legislators to personally work on issues influencing healthcare or write to their representatives at the Senate or House concerning healthcare policy.

Ways that I can do to educate others, including policy makers at all levels, regarding nursing, health policy, and patient care outcomes

DNP graduates, due to their clinical and educational expertise, have high qualifications to educate others, including policy makers regarding nursing, patient care outcomes, and policy. AS a DNP graduate, I can educate other people through writing and public speaking. As indicated by Chism (2017) DNPs should use their speaking and writing engagements for advocacy for families and patients and health promotion and educate the public about nursing.  DNPs can seek opportunities to educate the public via interviews on radio and television shows,  volunteering to write health articles for their local newspapers, and volunteering to speak at support meetings, for example, MS and cancer support groups concerning health topics.PUBHLTH410: Making Change Essay

The advocacy process for the nursing profession within the policy and healthcare communities that relate to my selected policy

The nursing profession should be at the forefront in advocating for the right public health policies that improve social conditions health and wellbeing of the poor and disadvantaged populations and improve the health care of communities.  Enabling the poor and disadvantaged populations to have access to mental health providers is essential in the face of COVId-19. The pandemic is likely to aggravate existing disparities in physical and mental health and health care. According to Williams et al. (2019), economically and socially disadvantaged individuals are less likely to attain good health, have poor access to quality healthcare services, and are likely to die early compared to economically and socially advantaged individuals. The right policies can disrupt the cycle of disadvantage, poverty, and resultant poor health.

Nursing responsibility to develop, evaluate, and provide leadership for health care policy that shapes health care financing, regulation, and delivery

DNP nurses play a crucial role in developing, evaluating, and providing leadership for health care policy that shapes health care delivery, regulation, and financing. According to Edwards et al. (2018), DNP graduates are educationally prepared to design and assess inventive patient care models, influence health policies at all levels, and evaluate if patient care strategies are cost-effective. DNP nurses are knowledgeable of health policy, economic issues, clinical practice, and health care systems and they combine this knowledge with leadership skills to lead the ever-changing health care environment.  DNP nurses are skilled in implementing practice reforms and assessing the effect of outcomes entailing the effect on patients, the financial outcomes, as well as the care delivery system.

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The connection between health outcomes and advocacy for social justice, equity, and ethical policies within all healthcare arenas for your selected policy

Policy advocacy is vital to deal with social factors that shape the health of populations.   Economically and socially disadvantaged groups in the society are greatly affected by health care policy and this can significantly benefit from policies aimed at improving social conditions that influence health.  Just health policies can break off the cycle of poor health, disadvantage, and poverty by addressing insufficient material and social resources usually referred to as the social determinants of health (SODH). SODH are essential for better health which translated to longer life and they are the basis of the connection between inequalities, social injustice, poor health, and shorter life expectancies (Williams et al., 2019).PUBHLTH410: Making Change Essay

As leaders and clinicians work relentlessly to adjust the novel realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are justified concerns for the vulnerable groups served in safety-net settings who by now have a higher burden of social disadvantage and poverty. Vulnerable populations may have less access to health care.  Waiving state licensing and renewal requirements and allowing mental health providers to work without physician supervision can enable vulnerable populations to have access to mental health services.

References

Chism, L. A.  (2017). The Doctor of Nursing Practice: A Guidebook for Role Development and Professional Issues. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Edwards, N., Coddington, J., Erler, C., Kirkpatrick, J. (2018). The Impact of the Role of Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurses on Healthcare and Leadership. Medical Research Archives, 6(4), 1-11.

Goldman, M. L., Druss, B.G., Horvitz-Lennon, M., Norquist, G.S., Ptakowski, K.K., Brinkely, A., Hayes, H……Dixon, L.B.  (2020). Mental Health Policy in the Era of COVID-19. Psychiatric Services, 71(11), 1158-1162. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000219

Williams, S.D., Phillips, J.M., & Koyama, K. (2019). Nurse Advocacy: Adopting a Health in All Policies Approach. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(3), 1. PUBHLTH410: Making Change Essay