The Role of the RN/APRN in Policy Making Essay Paper
Health care systems are developing and evolving rapidly. Nurses are similarly moving forward with the changes to health systems. Part of that change has seen nurses shift from simply implementing health policies towards formulating health policies that they implement. This includes growing nurse presence, role and influence in health policies. In fact, nurses have an active role in health policy making as their active involvement ensures that they are better able to control their practice (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020). In the process of policy making, nurses take on an important role that leverages their policy making skills in order to address professional challenges. This is especially the case for advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) whose experiences, advocacy skills, professional ethics and values provide them with unique and valuable views towards health policies (Helming, Shields & Avino, 2020). In addition, the experience allows nurses to understand the power levels among stakeholders, and know who controls what resources, important knowledge for determining who to approach with what information to influence policy making. The role of nurses in policy making includes specifically and deliberately identifying the issues that affect nursing practice and working with other stakeholders and decision makes to advance targeted health care policies (DeNisco, 2020).
ORDER YOUR PAPER HERE
Through engaging in policy making activities, nurses are able to influence health policies that promote quality health care, facilitate nurses access to required resources, increase quality of care, and protect patient safety. There are four opportunities through which nurses can participate in policy making. First, when communicating with patients where their trusted position as providers can be leveraged to influence their opinions about policies. Second, engaging the public in public forums, through posters and notices, that explain policies and their implications. Third, joining professional organizations where they engage lobbyists who bring their issues to policy makers. Fourth, directly engaging the policy makers by writing to them and having discussion forums (Milstead & Short, 2019).
References
DeNisco, S. M. (2020). Advanced Practice Nursing: Essential Knowledge for the Profession (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.
Helming, M., Shields, D., & Avino, K. (2020). Dossey & Keegan’s Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice (8th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.
Milstead, J. & Short, N. (2019). Health Policy and Politics: A Nurse’s Guide (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2020). Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community. Elsevier, Inc.
Discussion 2: The Role of the RN/APRN in Policy-Making Word cloud generators have become popular tools for meetings and team-building events. Groups or teams are asked to use these applications to input words they feel best describe their team or their role. A “word cloud” is generated by the application that makes prominent the most-used terms, offering an image of the common thinking among participants of that role. What types of words would you use to build a nursing word cloud? Empathetic, organized, hard-working, or advocate would all certainly apply. Would you add policy-maker to your list? Do you think it would be a very prominent component of the word cloud? Nursing has become one of the largest professions in the world, and as such, nurses have the potential to influence policy and politics on a global scale. When nurses influence the politics that improve the delivery of healthcare, they are ultimately advocating for their patients. Hence, policy-making has become an increasingly popular term among nurses as they recognize a moral and professional obligation to be engaged in healthcare legislation. To Prepare: Revisit the Congress.gov website provided in the Resources and consider the role of RNs and APRNs in policy-making. Reflect on potential opportunities that may exist for RNs and APRNs to participate in the policy-making process The Role of the RN/APRN in Policy Making Essay Paper