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Homework answers / question archive / Some nurses may be hesitant to get involved with policy evaluation
Some nurses may be hesitant to get involved with policy evaluation. The preference may be to focus on the care and well-being of their patients; some nurses may feel ill-equipped to enter the realm of policy and political activities. However, as you have examined previously, who better to advocate for patients and effective programs and polices than nurses? Already patient advocates in interactions with doctors and leadership, why not with government and regulatory agencies?
reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation.
To Prepare:
BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 9
Post an explanation of at least two opportunities that currently exist for RNs and APRNs to actively participate in policy review. Explain some of the challenges that these opportunities may present and describe how you might overcome these challenges. Finally, recommend two strategies you might make to better advocate for or communicate the existence of these opportunities. Be specific and provide examples.
Answer:
Healthcare care specialists and nursing organizations contend that nurses have to address health problems through participation in health policy development. A better understanding of a policy's worth, efficacy, and value would be through policy evaluation (Ellenbecker et al., 2017). RNs and APRNs could participate in several opportunities in the policy review process in influencing and transforming the health policy agenda. APRNs might begin their evaluation journey by analyzing and reviewing the literature on health policy study. According to Williams and Anderson (2018), APRNs could use their skills and advanced knowledge to make informed contributions on policy issues which seek to promote effective and patient-centered health policies. Both RNs and APRNs form the significant contingent in the healthcare environment giving the nurses' workforce the unique role of being capable of affecting healthcare reforms through support provision and guidance to elected leaders to influence policy. Several nurses do not adequately understand the political system. Nurses should, therefore, be allowed to attend specific legislative procedures to enhance their knowledge in policy making. Consequently, RNs can give expert testimony, act as content experts, and gain support from lawmakers during the policy review process. Whereas all policy evaluations face challenges, some are specifically related to the evaluation process. These include inadequate resources or unclear role for evaluation. Nurses advocating for a policy change may not have enough evidence to support their stand.
Step-by-step explanation
Strategies to Better Communicate Opportunities
Advocacy through local nurse's organizations could significantly improve feedback mechanisms and presentation of emerging facts. Nurses could attend Professional conferences and health gatherings organized by nursing organizations to acquire the needed skills further to support health policy evaluation. For instance, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has processes and mandates to involve all the nurses in policy formulation at particular levels. A key strategy to explore policy engagement opportunities may be through patient and public involvement (Williams & Anderson, 2018). Nurses could engage politically through national organizations, which are members of the international council of nurses. Nurses could seek additional information from research studies, government entities, and their professional bodies. Besides, associations such as the ANA can give written resources on how to lobby effectively and engage politically.
References
Ellenbecker, C. H., Fawcett, J., Jones, E. J., Mahoney, D., Rowlands, B., & Waddell, A. (2017). A Staged Approach to Educating Nurses in Health Policy. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 18(1), 44-56. doi:10.1177/1527154417709254
Williams, J. K., & Anderson, C. M. (2018). Omics research ethics considerations. Nursing Outlook, 66(4),386-393.doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2018.05.003
