Influencing Health Policy

Influencing Health Policy

Nurses can play a pivotal role in spearheading and influencing health care policy. Karen Daley's personal story, presented in this week's media program, is a poignant example of this. In addition, special interest groups and professional nursing organizations support nurses at the local, state, national, and international levels to improve health care delivery through influencing health care policy. To prepare for this Discussion, reflect on your readings and the video presentation from this week’s resources. Then address the following:

1.      Identify a health policy problem in your local community or state.

2.      How could nurses use policy and politics to address the problem?

3.      Review the Learning Resources and note successful strategies used by nurses or nurse associations to influence policy making.

4.      What strategies could support you in championing this issue?

References:

·         Course Text: Mason, D. J., Leavitt, J. K., & Chaffee, M. W. (2014). Policy and politics in nursing and health care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.

o    Chapter 40, "Research as a Political and Policy Tool"

The use of research in creating health care policy and swaying political views is discussed in this chapter.

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o    Chapter 77, "Taking Action: Nurse, Educator, and Legislator: My Journey to the Delaware General Assembly"

The first registered nurse elected into the Delaware General Assembly discusses her life as a volunteer and nurse-legislator, and describes the policy issues she has supported as a nurse-legislator.

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o    Chapter 81, "Interest Groups in Health Care Policy and Politics"

Chapter 81 traces the history and development of interest groups. It then discusses how interest groups function within the political system, and describes the contemporary terrain of health care interest groups.

o    Chapter 91, "Where Policy Hits the Pavement: Contemporary Issues in Communities"

Chapter 91 examines the impact that public policy has in communities. It identifies different actions for improving community health and the determinants of healthy communities.

o    Chapter 98, "Taking Action: The Nightingales Take on Big Tobacco"

This chapter recounts the struggle of the Nightingales's first attempt to push the negative effects of smoking and discusses actions nurses can take in the fight against the tobacco epidemic.