Initial Post (1/18/2023) - THE ROLE OF THE RN/APRN IN POLICY-MAKING
Two Opportunities for Nurses to Participate in Policy-making
Opportunities for Registered Nurses (RNs) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to actively participate in policy-making include serving on boards, committees and lobbying for legislation. First, RNs and APRNs can serve on boards and committees at the national, state, and local levels. These committees and boards address healthcare regulations and policies that impact nursing practice and patient care. For example, serving on a hospital's quality improvement committee or a state board of nursing. Next, through lobbying for policy change, RNs and APRNs may actively engage in policy-making by promoting policy change. According to Milstead and Short (2019), lobbying is the process of persuading a government institution to approve a certain policy action or piece of legislation. Lobbyists commonly serve special interest groups and are consulted by policymakers seeking justification for their viewpoints (Milstead & Short, 2019). Therefore, nurses might join advocacy organizations such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) to push for legislation that benefits the nursing profession and patients.
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To begin, there is a general lack of knowledge or understanding regarding the policy-making process. Also, RNs and APRNs might not be familiar with the political environment, how policies are developed, or how to interact successfully with policymakers. Milstead and Short (2019) note that health professionals are often requested to participate in committees that provide policymakers guidance. Next, other healthcare professionals or policymakers who do not regard RNs and APRNs as reliable authorities of healthcare policy may oppose them. Furthermore, Anders (2020) sought to present an analysis of certain barriers nurses may encounter regarding participation in health
Jessica, I agree with you 100%. The differences and variation in the ANP scope of practice among the nation, does not allow for others especially legislators, to have a clear view of the ANP nurse and what it can be accomplish it all the restrictions and barriers were eliminated. It will also change the public perception and attitudes towards nurse practitioners. I firmly believe that NPs have not only the power, but the ability to improve and make sustaintials changes to our health care system, Excellent
I think there are many ways an ANP can influence health policy such as by providing high quality of care, lowering cost of care, increasing healthcare access and excellent nurse-patient relationship. Healthcare advocacy is very complex and requires access to the resources of power, wealth, will, time, energy, along with other necessary social and political skills and resources. As (Gould, Fleming, & Parker, 2012) state “advocacy is a fundamental instrument of health promotion practice and suggests strategies to apply these principles in
They introduced me to GovTrack.us, Congress.gov and njleg.state.nj.gov. Now I am actually tracking bills and my local legislators. This will support my awareness of changes in health policies. NUR-340 Nursing Informatics and the Future Ray meets to criteria for Outcome 7 because it show that nursing and healthcare are evolving, and nurses must help patient navigate available health care options, which require nurses to commit to lifelong
The nursing profession plays a vital role at the policy table in implementing full practice autonomy for Nurse Practitioners. Nurse Practitioners are contributing experts of the health care system. They have the education and skills needed to be a resource and partake in the policy process and political implementation. This particular policy development will require not just one nursing representative, but many, to push for and symbolize the dire need of full practice autonomy for Nurse Practitioners. In fact, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing [NCSBN] (2017) has formed the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Consensus Model, which streamlines the education, regulation, licensure, accreditation, and certification across the nation.
In the healthcare assistant sector, healthcare tasks may be delegated by licensed healthcare professionals who have the authority and responsibility to assign specific tasks to healthcare assistants. The specific individuals who might delegate healthcare tasks can vary depending on the healthcare setting and the policies and regulations in place. Here are some examples of who might delegate healthcare tasks and the reasons for delegation: Registered Nurses (RNs): Registered nurses often delegate healthcare tasks to healthcare assistants. They delegate tasks that fall within the healthcare assistant's scope of practice and that the assistant is trained and competent to perform. Delegation allows RNs to focus on tasks that require their specialized skills and knowledge, while
Recently the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) became a very important profession due to the major changes in the healthcare system and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) goals that focus on providing patients with affordable but quality care, improving patient health outcomes, expanding care to the underserved areas, and lowering the costs. It became apparent that over the years nurses played an important role in healthcare system. According to the National Governors Association (2012) “The demand for primary care services in the United States is expected to increase over the next few years, particularly with the aging and growth of the population and the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)” (p. 1). In addition,
The IOM Future of Nursing report provides a blueprint for transforming the nursing profession to improve the quality of health care and recommendation that nurses with BSN degree approach to 80 % by 2020. In this essay, the student will discuss a proposal, through the legislative process, suggest that Permit accredited community college offering RN to BSN program into law to make the IOM recommendation become reality. The proposal "Allowing accredited community college offering RN to BSN program" that can accelerate the associate degree RN to get BSN to meet the IOM recommendations goal that “nurses with BSN degree approach to 80 % by 2020.” According to the statistic from the Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers in 2013, the
Despite accepting advanced roles and responsibilities APRNs have often encountered various barriers in the delivery of effective health care based on the variability in the legislative requirements endorsed by various states. To overcome these barriers and improve the delivery of healthcare the Consensus Model for APRNs has been endorsed by 41 various nursing organizations focusing on defining the roles, population foci and implementation strategies across the nation (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2017). Creating a standard expectation regarding the practice of APRNs will help to foster more consistent, quality education APRN programs nationwide (Rounds, Zych, & Mallary,
Patient care experience and the need for improvement toward patient-centered care is aligned with nursing excellence (Stimpfel, Sloane, McHugh, & Aiken, 2015). With the expectation of nursing excellence, the role of the nurse has expanded over the years with the current trend of focus on policy change. These policy changes are geared towards changes in patient care which will have a positive impact on patient outcomes. The nurse can become a leader in advocacy with the goal of raising awareness to health care concerns (Mason, Gardner, Outlaw & O'Grady, 2016). The purpose of this post is to describe two organizations which impact the practice of nursing and show the role these organizations play in nurse education and research.
Healthcare is highly regulated at the federal and state levels. Laws are written to address different principles. These laws reflect societal expectations and are designed to guide us. As advanced practice nurses, we have a responsibility to fully understand the law and play our part in shaping health care policies that affect our patients and practice.
Working with state office leadership to develop policies and procedures based on evidenced based practices is crucial to the health of the public. The director attends county board of health meetings to professionally represent nursing and converse with board members to identify interventions to assist with addressing the needs of their community. These responsibilities highlight the need for all public health nurses, especially those in leadership roles, to have a BSN degree. As pointed out, the opportunities for a nurse transitioning from an AD position to a BSN position are diverse and endless. Patients, healthcare facilities and the nursing profession benefit from advanced degree nurses.
With the ongoing healthcare demands and shortages, the appropriate role and responsibilities of the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) will continue to be a controversial debate. There were many points addressed in your post that I agree and don’t agree with. It is most certainly not arguable that physicians do endure a longer, more intense education. I personally believe their role as a hospitalist is valuable and should never be discredited for their knowledge and expertise. However, I also believe that they are doing their patients a disservice if they are being overworked due to provider shortages.
Nurses can offer their experience along with knowledge to make an impact on issues in health care. The lawmaking process is often complex and requires so much work and effort from many individuals. Vital information from lobbyist and advocates help shape legislations and forever change health care policies. When nurses unite as a group, they pose as a dynamic power so lobbying is a great way to have our voices heard. If we as nurses were to partake in policies that we feel passionate about, then we have power to change health care for the
The Affordable Care Act has shifted focus on health and wellness of patient populations urging hospitals to do a community needs assessment and come up with a strategy to address these needs. Hospitals most often partner with community and professional organizations to address the health need (Stempniak, 2014). This is an example of how the four spheres are all interrelated. Nurses are at the heart of this movement, providing the necessary skills, experience and expertise to address the needs of the population being served (Shamian,
LOBBYING WHAT IS LOBBYING? Lobbying means you are supplying information to policy makers (usually lawmakers) trying to influence someone as they make public policy. Many people think of “lobbying” as good and positive, while others think of it as bad and corrupting.