6050 Discussion Week 9

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THE ROLE OF THE RN/APRN IN POLICY EVALUATION

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.

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.Click the weekly resources link to access the resources. 

WEEKLY RESOURCES

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.

BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 9

Select an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation or choose one of interest to you.

Review community, state, or federal policy evaluation and reflect on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program or policy described.

Post an evaluation topic and a brief description of the evaluation. Discuss how social determinants impact this issue

 

Required Readings

First Generation Black Female Community College Students: Self-efficacy and Self-Directed Learning

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1.Complete the following sections in the “Chapter 2 Draft 1” paper: Introduction to the chapter and Background of problem, Identification of the problem space, Theoretical Foundations and add graph that is on the PowerPoint, Review of the literature with themes and subthemes listed, problem statement and summary.

2. Reference the attached documents for information on the research study. Please add more  relevant information and add empirical citation sources no later than 2020. PowerPoint

 

 

6003 Discussion Week Reply

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Reply with 2 references

ood evening Lashonda,

Great job with your post!  You made a great point about professional development to include with your portfolio.

Given this, have you considered how you can also teach others and help them grow professionally?  Any thoughts about how can you do this? 

Thanks,

Harper

The Discussion in which she responded to:

Discussion Post

It is essential to document academic activities and accomplishments in pursuing professional development. Not only does this enhance our professional competencies, but it also contributes to the broader societal good. Therefore, different strategies should be used to incorporate academic achievements into professional development goals for an individual to get career opportunities and effect change.

The first strategy is developing a professional nursing portfolio. This is a comprehensive record of skills, nursing experiences, achievements, and professional development (Charlotte Davis, 2015). The portfolio includes evidence of participation and reflection in teaching, scholarship, and contributions to the community. By regularly updating this portfolio, a nurse can provide a clear picture of their professional growth. For instance, a nurse might include certifications, awards, or evidence of continuing their education in the portfolio.

Another strategy would be continuous learning and skill development. Mlambo et al. (2021) define the vital aspect of keeping a nurse’s knowledge and skills current as continuing professional development. In nursing, professional development involves expanding our skill set, which can be achieved by learning new academic concepts, methodologies, or technologies relevant to the field.  For example, a nurse-scholar can learn new skills in patient care management to improve their skills and boost their portfolio.

Wakefield et al. (2021) outline that Nursing is a well-positioned profession that can partner with other sectors to address social and health problems. Therefore, incorporating academic activities and achievements in the nursing academic portfolio is a step towards effecting societal change. This aligns with the university’s emphasis on social change and involves applying our academic knowledge and skills to address societal challenges. Therefore, nurse-scholars should be on the frontline in solving societal health issues. For instance, if our professional goal is to improve patient outcomes, we can align this with social change by researching public health issues or developing healthcare policies. This approach ensures that our professional development contributes to the betterment of society, thus aligning with the university’s mission of transforming scholar-practitioners to effect positive social change.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Charlotte Davis, B. S. N. (2015). They were developing a professional nursing portfolio. Nursing made Incredibly Easy. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NME.0000457285.39465.5c

Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a meta-synthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2

Wakefield, M., Williams, D. R., & Le Menestrel, S. (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.17226/2598

6050 Discussion Week 8 reply

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Reply with references

Reply 1

Key Lashawn

 

 

Nurturing Nurse Advocacy: Empowering Nurses in Policymaking

 

 

The crucial role RNs and APRNs play in healthcare policymaking is becoming increasingly evident. Nurses are uniquely positioned to advocate for their patients, as well as to shape healthcare policy as they can leverage their firsthand patient care experience and familiarity with healthcare systems. Involvement in advocacy groups and professional nursing organizations, such as the American Nurses Association (n.d.), provides avenues for nurses to influence healthcare laws through lobbying, drafting position statements, and shaping policy objectives. Seeking roles in advisory groups or government healthcare organizations further allows nurses to actively contribute to the creation and implementation of healthcare policy (Milstead & Short, 2019).

Additionally, nurses encounter obstacles with attempting healthcare policy change, such as time restraints, scarcity of resources, and a need for more experience in policy formulation. To overcome these challenges, nurses must work with interdisciplinary teams, including policy experts, seek mentoring and training in health policy and advocacy, and utilize professional nursing organizations’ educational and skill-development opportunities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Through these methods, nurses may successfully participate in policymaking and ensure that healthcare laws and practices consider their invaluable insights from providing direct patient care.

Crucially, working with multidisciplinary teams, including policy specialists, enhances nurses’ policymaking efforts by providing more substantial resources and a broader perspective. Taking advantage of educational opportunities within professional nursing associations, such as webinars and workshops, enables nurses to launch initiatives promoting awareness of policymaking possibilities. These programs should emphasize the significance of policymaking and showcase success stories of medical professionals influencing policy. Encouraging the building of networks and relationships with legislators, healthcare executives, and professionals from various fields further expands nurses’ cooperation and policymaking potential (Saba Siddiki, 2020). Through active participation in these initiatives, nurses can play a pivotal role in influencing health policy and championing the interests of patients and their profession within the healthcare system.

Regarding the word cloud generator mentioned in the discussion instructions, I honestly had never heard of that. I do direct patient care so I don’t see presentations typically unless I’m in a committee meeting. The words I used are as follows: policy-maker, caring, savior, advocate, liaison, comforter, educator, protector, professional.  On a personal note, I have been both enlightened and inspired by this class. I have to say when I started this program I was a bit intimidated by the goal to impact social change as a student, but now that I’m doing this coursework I have clear cut methods by which to get involved and I have taken the first step by having conversations with local lawmakers and joining local and national nursing associations. 

 

 

References

 

American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Nursing advocacy. Retrieved January 14, 2024, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/advocacy/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Brief 4: Evaluating policy implementation. Step by step – Evaluating violence and injury prevention policies. https://www.cdc.gov/injury/pdfs/policy/Brief%204-a.pdf

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

Siddiki, S. (2020). Understanding and analyzing public policy design. Cambridge University

Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108666985

 

Reply 2

Sheku Peter

 

 

Nursing professionals have a significant role to play in policymaking processes. RNs and APRNs-prepared nurses better understand medical problems; thus, they have a vital role to play during the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of nursing policies. To focus on nursing advocacy, nurses participate in advocacy where they address patients’ needs and issues affecting nurses. They participate in nursing politics to ensure all levels of the government address healthcare concerns. Their active participation in professional meetings and conferences to ensure the formulated healthcare policies directly impact the quality of healthcare (Haney, 2023). Nursing association groups at national and state levels work with lobbying groups to promote equity and inclusion in nursing settings. Nursing professionals also participate in charity campaigns offering donations to help the needy and the sick.

In addition, RNs participate in campaign activities to ensure the legislation issues affecting both nurses and patients are aired out and to keep nurses aware of the latest practice legislation changes. American Nursing Association allows nurses to voice their concerns without fear of intimidation or being fired. This enables nurses to develop strong relationships with community members because they communicate healthcare matters on their behalf (Morris, 2023). Further, having worked closely with patients, families, and community members, nurses can carry out public health education to draw the engagement of the local communities.

The potential opportunities for RNs and APRNs to participate in policymaking include joining professional organizations such as the American Nursing Association and working closely with lobbyist groups and legislators (Chiu et al., 2021). Developing positive relationships with these groups will ensure the formulation and implementation of healthcare policies requiring government support are promptly addressed.

 

References

Chiu, P., Cummings, G. G., Thorne, S., & Schick-Makaroff, K. (2021). Policy advocacy and nursing organizations: A scoping review. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 22(4), 276-296.

Haney, B. (2023). Influencing health policy: A vital aspect of the APRN role. The Nurse Practitioner, 48(10), 9-13.

Morris, G. (2023, March 8). 10 ways nurses can get involved in policy. NurseJournal. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://nursejournal.org/articles/ways-nurses-can-get-involved-in-policy/#:~:text=10%20Ways%20Nurses%20Can%20Get%20Involved%20in%20Policy,%7C%20Support%20a%20Local%20Candidate%20…%20More%20itemsLinks to an external site.