Role of RN/APRN in Policy-Making Discussion Paper

Role of RN/APRN in Policy-Making Discussion Paper

Role of RN/APRN in Policy-Making Discussion Paper

Policies ultimately end up defining or reshaping healthcare standards and addressing the conditions that must be met in order for healthcare delivery to take place. According to Laureate Education (2018a), it makes perfect sense for nurses, who make up the majority of the workforce in the healthcare industry, to advocate for their patients, raise the standards of care, promote a better quality of life, and create universal access to care. It is possible for nurses to actively participate in the formulation of policy in a number of different settings, each of which presents its own unique set of obstacles. There are opportunities to participate in the policymaking process at each of the three primary stages: the formulation of policies, the carrying out of policies, and the modification of policies (Laureate, 2018b). My two opportunities to get my feet wet in policymaking come from the implementation level. These opportunities come in the form of a storm of misinformation surrounding Covid-19 and a worsening availability of nurses to contain a rapidly changing situation in healthcare.

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As the world fights the Corona Virus pandemic, a parallel epidemic of misinformation may be immobilizing efforts to stop it. In an effort to assess the extent of Covid-19 disinformation on social media, Kouzy et al. (2020) discovered that medical misinformation and unverifiable content regarding the Covid-19 pandemic were spreading unchecked across traditional and social media at an alarming rate. Roozenbeek et al. (2020) recognized misinformation as a key hazard to public health due to its detrimental impact on people’s compliance with public health recommendations, such as their willingness to get vaccinated or recommend vaccines to vulnerable friends or family members. They discovered a causal relationship between misinformation and both vaccine reluctance and a decreased likelihood of adhering to health recommendations, affecting public health as a whole.

A unique opportunity exists for nurses to enhance public health by advocating for a legislative package that creates simple access to verified information and discourages the dissemination of disinformation. Such an audacious legislative initiative will attract criticism based on party ideology, interest groups, or a misuse of free expression. There are ways to overcome these obstacles. Nurses will be required to intensify education campaigns based on solid scientific data, generating several channels of communication with political officials and the general public. They will need to underscore the economic and human implications of failing to manage misinformation. They must argue that freedom of expression should not be equated with freedom to endanger public health. According to Roozenbeek et al. (2020), nursing should promote interventions that increase critical thinking and faith in science.

The diminishing nursing workforce presents nurses with an additional opportunity for legislative initiative. McLemon (2020), writing for CIDRAP News, draws a bleak picture of Covid-related nursing shortages on top of an already dwindling nursing workforce. The impacts of Covid on nurses, including as infection, exhaustion, mental health issues, and resignations, contribute to an aging workforce. Therefore, there is an urgent need for legislative intervention to increase the rapidly diminishing workforce, and who better than nurses to champion the cause?

World Health Organization [WHO] (2020) urged organizations and countries to adopt fast-track investments in nursing in order to increase education, economic growth, and public health amongst other benefits. The nursing profession should advocate for legislation that invests extensively in nursing education, leadership development, and nurse retention initiatives. It is expected that opposition to such legislation will come primarily from the business community. When healthcare delivery increases thanks to a large number of nurses, it may not be hard for the nursing profession to persuade others that nurses are responsible for the majority of patient interaction and care.

There are a variety of approaches that might be taken to increase the visibility of nurses in the policymaking process in order to increase the likelihood that their legislation proposals and other possibilities would be taken seriously. Professional nurses can get ready to argue for these recommendations by conducting thorough study and engaging in fruitful networking activities. Oestberg (2013) suggests that nurses can further their advocacy efforts by joining and supporting prominent professional nursing organizations that have the influence, expertise, and resources to effectively pursue advocacy possibilities. Milstead and Short (2019) bolster this viewpoint by stating that political participation is a top priority for most nursing organizations. It would be beneficial for nurses and nursing organizations to pool their resources if they want to improve the nursing profession, have an impact on healthcare policy, and lead the way in healthcare delivery.

References

Kouzy, R., Abi Jaoude, J., Kraitem, A., El Alam, M. B., Karam, B., Adib, E., Zarka, J., Traboulsi, C., Akl, E. W., & Baddour, K. (2020). Coronavirus goes viral: Quantifying the COVID-19 misinformation epidemic on Twitter. Cureus, 12(3), e7255. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.7255

Laureate Education. (2018a). Design and Implementation [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education. (2018b). Health policy and politics [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

McLemon, M. L. (2020). COVID-related nursing shortages hit hospitals nationwide. Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy [CIDRAP] News. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/11/covid-related-nursing-shortages-hit-hospitals-nationwide

Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Oestberg, F. (2013). Getting involved in policy and politics. Nursing Critical Care, 8(3) p. 48. http://doi.org/10.1097/01.CCN.0000429392.92546.6f

Roozenbeek, J., Schneider, C. R., Dryhurst, S., Kerr, J., Freeman, A. L. J., Recchia, G., van der Bles, A. M., & van der Linden, S. (2020) Susceptibility to misinformation about COVID-19 around the world. Royal Society of Open Science. 7: 201199. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201199

World Health Organization [WHO]. (2020). State of World’s Nursing 2020. Retrieved on July 19 from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331673/9789240003293-eng.pdf

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In the Module 4 Discussion, you considered how professional nurses can become involved in policy-making. A critical component of any policy design is evaluation of the results. How comfortable are you with the thought of becoming involved with such matters?

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?

In this Discussion, you will reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation.

To Prepare:

In the Module 4 Discussion, you considered how professional nurses can become involved in policy-making.
Review the Resources and reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation.
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.