policy and politics in nursing and healthcare
Please Read and respond to each of the posts below separately. Each response should be half to one page long. Please use references not more than 4 years old in APA 7th edition format. No cover page required.
Students Responses
1. Why has nursing made policy and political competence such a strong part of the nursing curriculum and role development?
Nursing has made policy and political competence such a strong part of the nursing curriculum and role development because policies are a standard that we are held to that are set by the facility to improve our nursing practice. It is also important for nurses to remain politically competent to ensure that policies and laws put in place regarding the nursing and health care field as a whole. “Nurses must become political activists to safeguard the profession from unhealthy policies, which can be channeled through politics and changes in public policy†(Alhassan et al., 2019, para. 3).
2. Discuss ways that you have been active as a policymaker or could be active.
By becoming active in policymaking in the health care setting, we as nurses are advocating for our patients and ensuring that policies and procedures put into place by legislation is what is best for health care providers and patients. Policies guide many activities in healthcare workplace (Mason et al., 2021). The hospital in which I am currently employed at has a program called “shared governance†that allows representatives from each unit at the hospital to have a say and voice in the implementation and formation of new policies. I have the option to be a part of this committee to help bring about new policies that affect staff members in my department as well as the patients that I care for.
3. Discuss examples of advocacy you see in your practice or in the practice of others? Advocacy in this form does not refer to bedside advocacy on behalf of your patient. This item is specific to policy advocacy such as with your professional organization, with a consortium, etc.
The hospital that I am employed at requires nurses and staff members in high-risk departments to obtain their Crises prevention intervention certification. Workplace violence is recognized occupational hazard with emotional, behavioral, and physical consequences (Abed et al., 2016, para. 1). This policy is put in place to ensure that staff in departments such as the psychiatric department as well as the emergency department are readily equipped to care and handle violent patients.
4. Discuss barriers to effective nursing advocacy? What are ways to mitigate these barriers?
“Concept analysis of barriers to advocacy suggests that powerlessness, fear of punishment, conflicts of interest, and lack of institutional support are major reasons why nurses do not engage in advocacy†(Mason et al., 2021, p. 28). Other barriers that nurses face in advocacy is the lack of participation and engagement at the legislative level which in turn keeps nurses’ voices from being heard; “studies have shown that nurse participation in political activities remains low†(Alhassan, 2019, para. 1). Ways to mitigate these barriers are for nurses to become for active in policy making and legislative roles as well as committees and organizations to ensure that nurses have a say and voice in the choice, creation, and implementation of new policies. Other ways to mitigate these barriers is to ensure that new nurses are accepting their role and status of a professional nurse early on in their career, forming connections and relationships with other nurses by standing on committees and professional organizations, professional experiences that lead to positive views of nursing, and commitment to create change and advocate for issues of social justice (Mason et al., 2021, p. 29).
5. Discuss the importance of ethics in health care policy.
“Ethics is important in health care policy because it involves the study of who we ought to be, how we should make decisions and behave, in light of our identity†(Mason et al, 2021, p. 111).†The importance of ethics in nursing policy is to ensure that policies are formed with patient safety in mind. By basing policies off of ethics, we ensure that policies are based with the patients in mind and are always doing what is in the best interest of our patients.
References
Abed, M., Morris, E., & Sobers-Grannum, N. (2016, July 1). Workplace violence against medical staff in healthcare facilities in Barbados. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqw073
Alhassan, A., Kumi-Kyereme, A., Wombeogo, M., & Fuseini, A. (2019, May). Nurse participation in Political Activities: Level and practices of registered nurses in Tamale, Ghana. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-24-2019/No2-May-2019/Articles-Previous-Topics/Nurse-Participation-in-Political-Activities.html (Links to an external site.)
Mason, D. J., Dickson, E. L., McLemore, M. R., & Perez, G. A. (2021). Policy & politics in nursing and health care. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
1. Why has nursing made policy and political competence such a strong part of the nursing curriculum and role development?
Policy and political competence have been made such a strong part of the nursing curriculum and role development because, as nurses, we face these in our everyday practice. It is important to understand these to help improve the culture and care of nursing. From staffing ratios to unit spending allowances are all monitored through policy and politics. Education in these helps nurses understand and prepare for there future role development. Understanding political competencies also allows for nurses to realize where the funds that supplement hospitals come from as well and programs developed to help certain population groups. Having a knowledge increases the nurse’s availability to be the best advocate for their patients as they can be. Also having an understanding of funds creates a less wasteful practice as far as supplies are concerned (Mason, et al., 2021).
2. Discuss ways that you have been active as a policymaker or could be active.
Becoming an active member in a policy has been something that I have wanted to strive for since I have started nursing, however I have not made this a priority in my career. To help me become active there are multiple routes that I could take. The first and one that I feel goes unnoticed is to vote for the members in congress that create or sign policies. Local and federal law makers are both involved in healthcare policies, by voting and being an advocate, campaigning, for candidates in the community is one way to become active in policy making. Another way is to stay active in social media and educating on the importance of health care policies and advocating for small policies to pass (Mason, et al., 2021). A more local way to be involved is to join a nursing committee at the hospital.
3. Discuss examples of advocacy you see in your practice or in the practice of others? Advocacy in this form does not refer to bedside advocacy on behalf of your patient. This item is specific to policy advocacy such as with your professional organization, with a consortium, etc.
One prime example jumps out in my mind that occasionally makes news headlines and those are nursing unions. I have seen union strikes advocating for safer nurse patients’ ratios. As a traveling nurse a lot of contracts come up for hospitals needing staff while their nurses fight for better working conditions. Another example of advocacy is the current crisis isolation policies. Mainly for Covid patients having to travel throughout the halls. Advocating to cluster all scans at the same time or even to order while the patients are in the ED will help decrease areas that are at risk for exposure. These are a few advocacies I have personally seen. As nurses we see real-time how these policies effect our practice and it is up to us to bring that experience and advocate for better policies.
4. Discuss barriers to effective nursing advocacy? What are ways to mitigate these barriers?
In today’s age more than any there is a fear of speaking out and advocating. Opinions when there is no agreement unfortunately can have consequences, as for nurses there is a fear for retribution towards their job or even license (Mason, et al., 2021). Other barriers to advocacy are conflicts of interest and lack of support from ones institution. One way to mitigate these barriers is to gather as much research as possible and gain an outstanding confidence in any issue and educate others to build an advocacy group. Building confidence through education will also diminish the fear of lack of support and fear of a negative impact.
5. Discuss the importance of ethics in health care policy.
Healthcare policy and ethics should be one-in-the-same. Nursing policies mostly directly impact the care of client in the hospital. A client in the hospital sounds like I am distancing myself from the truth. I have seen policies come and go that view patients in this way and nothing grand ever comes from it. The truth is these “clients†these “patients†are living human beings. We as nursing literally have someone’s life in our hands. Our care can save a life or end a life and that statement can be taken at face value or not. Ethical practice provides patients with positive experiences and builds trust in the healthcare system. Ethics committees are established for certain gray areas in policies. I work in an ICU and there are some situations where ethics play a huge role in end-of-life care. Ethics are essentially the rights and wrongs of practice and when dealing with life ethics have to be a main focus in the development of policies (Mason, et al., 2021)
References
Mason, D. J., Dickson, E. L., McLemore, M. R., & Perez, G. A. (2021). Policy & politics in nursing and health care. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
