Policy Evaluation
[Name]
[Institution]
Author Note
Policy Evaluation
RN/APRN Policies that Require Change
Policy is defined as an “activity that uses principles and methods to examine the content, implementation, or impact to understand the merit, worth, and utility of policy”
Registered Nurses (RN) and advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) have an important role to play and can also deeply influence policy reform in the healthcare system. In political contexts, there are five stages of the policy reformation process, i.e. (1) problem identification, (2) policy formulation, (3) policy adoption, (4) policy implementation, and (5) policy evaluation.
While there are a number of policies that are soon to undergo change in the US healthcare system, RN and APRNs can play a vital role in what kind of policy change will it be. Furthermore, they would also bring awareness to the change in the masses, since it directly affects them. Thus, they would not only be tasked with in bringing in the change but also educating the patients on the kind of change being ushered in.
The first policy they seek to change works around the “Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act” ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"bRbM40oM","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Hodge, Gostin, & Vernick, 2007)","plainCitation":"(Hodge, Gostin, & Vernick, 2007)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":424,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/5VyEEXyp/items/79CW9DV5"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/5VyEEXyp/items/79CW9DV5"],"itemData":{"id":424,"type":"article-journal","title":"The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act: improving public health emergency response","container-title":"JAMA","page":"1708-1711","volume":"297","issue":"15","author":[{"family":"Hodge","given":"James G."},{"family":"Gostin","given":"Lawrence O."},{"family":"Vernick","given":"Jon S."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2007"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Hodge, Gostin, & Vernick, 2007). According to this act, healthcare professionals around the country will be trained on how to manage a pandemic or vulnerable situation, which may affect the population and cause the healthcare facilities to fill up with patients that require attention. This is a great step, considering how the healthcare system was ill prepared to bear the brunt on hurricane Katrina. Given the situation that amassed following the outbreak of Ebola and Zika, it has become crucial that medical professionals around the country be trained to take on the on slaughter of such illnesses. RN/APRNs can aid with the training information and can also be part of the teams that implement effective care ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"4nhBgK6W","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Kruger, Hinton, Sinclair, & Silverman, 2018)","plainCitation":"(Kruger, Hinton, Sinclair, & Silverman, 2018)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":423,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/5VyEEXyp/items/PANRU9A2"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/5VyEEXyp/items/PANRU9A2"],"itemData":{"id":423,"type":"article-journal","title":"Enhancing individual and community disaster preparedness: Individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs","container-title":"Disability and health journal","page":"170-173","volume":"11","issue":"2","author":[{"family":"Kruger","given":"Judy"},{"family":"Hinton","given":"Cynthia F."},{"family":"Sinclair","given":"Lisa Bundara"},{"family":"Silverman","given":"Brenda"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2018"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Kruger, Hinton, Sinclair, & Silverman, 2018).
The Role Played by Nurses in Policy Evaluation
In order to be influential in their profession, nurses need to see themselves as capable units that can not only influence change in current practices being observed in the healthcare system, but they can also impact future change in the healthcare practices and delivery system ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"cA7lyNXk","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Ellenbecker et al., 2017)","plainCitation":"(Ellenbecker et al., 2017)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"TVf0CvhX/ZNWfLDql","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/VNQW4XYH"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/VNQW4XYH"],"itemData":{"id":632,"type":"article-journal","title":"A staged approach to educating nurses in health policy","container-title":"Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice","page":"44-56","volume":"18","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Ellenbecker","given":"Carol Hall"},{"family":"Fawcett","given":"Jacqueline"},{"family":"Jones","given":"Emily J."},{"family":"Mahoney","given":"Deborah"},{"family":"Rowlands","given":"Beth"},{"family":"Waddell","given":"Ashley"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Ellenbecker et al., 2017). They have the potential to impact a profound policy change in the surrounding by themselves with individuals that can give them the room to participate in policy and politics surrounding the healthcare system ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"1Qmbn8aL","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Mullin, 2010)","plainCitation":"(Mullin, 2010)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"TVf0CvhX/TWdhqewX","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/E5AWCGCE"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/E5AWCGCE"],"itemData":{"id":635,"type":"article-journal","title":"DNP involvement in healthcare policy and advocacy","container-title":"The Doctor of Nursing Practice: A Guidebook for Role Development and Professional Issues","page":"141","author":[{"family":"Mullin","given":"Marlene H."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2010"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Mullin, 2010).
One thing that nurses can do that will serve as an opportunity in this regard would be to address health policy issues at both national and global events where collaborative efforts can be carried out between nurses coming from different nationalities and types of practices ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"faWHWjRa","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Andrew Scanlon, Denise Hibbert, Freda DeKeyser Ganz PhD, Linda East PhD, & Debbie Fraser MN, 2014)","plainCitation":"(Andrew Scanlon, Denise Hibbert, Freda DeKeyser Ganz PhD, Linda East PhD, & Debbie Fraser MN, 2014)","dontUpdate":true,"noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"TVf0CvhX/NAWMrO3u","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/ZYLVUYQW"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/ZYLVUYQW"],"itemData":{"id":634,"type":"article-journal","title":"Addressing issues impacting advanced nursing practice worldwide","container-title":"Online journal of issues in nursing","page":"1","volume":"19","issue":"2","author":[{"family":"Andrew Scanlon","given":"D. N. P."},{"family":"Denise Hibbert","given":"R. G. N."},{"family":"Freda DeKeyser Ganz PhD","given":"R. N."},{"family":"Linda East PhD","given":"R. N."},{"family":"Debbie Fraser MN","given":"RNC-NIC"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2014"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Scanlon et al., 2014). One of the measures they can effectively discuss at such a platform is to discuss the impacts of quality care on the individuals and their families, especially during maternal care. Here, nurses, along with midwives and even doctors can share their opinion and work on the problem from different angles. This will lay the baseline of strong and effective structure for effective change and widely improve the policymaking process in this particular regard and ultimately benefit the patient outcomes ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"aDnWgoeZ","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Kasthurirathne, Mamlin, Purkayastha, & Cullen, 2017)","plainCitation":"(Kasthurirathne, Mamlin, Purkayastha, & Cullen, 2017)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"TVf0CvhX/pOc2rdfk","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/QCTI78XS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/QCTI78XS"],"itemData":{"id":636,"type":"paper-conference","title":"Overcoming the Maternal Care Crisis: How Can Lessons Learnt in Global Health Informatics Address US Maternal Health Outcomes?","container-title":"AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings","publisher":"American Medical Informatics Association","page":"1034","volume":"2017","author":[{"family":"Kasthurirathne","given":"Suranga N."},{"family":"Mamlin","given":"Burke W."},{"family":"Purkayastha","given":"Saptarshi"},{"family":"Cullen","given":"Theresa"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Kasthurirathne, Mamlin, Purkayastha, & Cullen, 2017).
Furthermore, RNs and APRNs can work within the scope of their assigned duties, while also collaborate with organizations that can enable them to continue education hours, give them discounts on attending conferences where they can get together with like-minded individuals to develop effective policies. Finally, they could also generate enough knowledge base to petition for formation of bills and changes in the legal system that can remove the financial barriers that keep the system from recruiting new nurses or training new nurses ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"FEbDx7u8","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Abood, 2007)","plainCitation":"(Abood, 2007)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":"TVf0CvhX/dXw3QvWC","uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/GLDIX724"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/0omESN17/items/GLDIX724"],"itemData":{"id":633,"type":"article-journal","title":"Influencing health care in the legislative arena","container-title":"OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","page":"2","volume":"12","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Abood","given":"Sheila"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2007"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Abood, 2007). They are essential for an effectively working healthcare system and their shortage only costs patients their life and well-being.
References
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Abood, S. (2007). Influencing health care in the legislative arena. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 12(1), 2.
Andrew Scanlon, D. N. P., Denise Hibbert, R. G. N., Freda DeKeyser Ganz PhD, R. N., Linda East PhD, R. N., & Debbie Fraser MN, R.-N. (2014). Addressing issues impacting advanced nursing practice worldwide. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 19(2), 1.
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.
Hodge, J. G., Gostin, L. O., & Vernick, J. S. (2007). The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act: Improving public health emergency response. JAMA, 297(15), 1708–1711.
Kasthurirathne, S. N., Mamlin, B. W., Purkayastha, S., & Cullen, T. (2017). Overcoming the Maternal Care Crisis: How Can Lessons Learnt in Global Health Informatics Address US Maternal Health Outcomes? AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings, 2017, 1034. American Medical Informatics Association.
Kruger, J., Hinton, C. F., Sinclair, L. B., & Silverman, B. (2018). Enhancing individual and community disaster preparedness: Individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. Disability and Health Journal, 11(2), 170–173.
Mullin, M. H. (2010). DNP involvement in healthcare policy and advocacy. The Doctor of Nursing Practice: A Guidebook for Role Development and Professional Issues, 141.
