Reflection Discussion

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EXAMPLES

Griselda Duvergel.

Public health is an evidence-based profession that improves health and disease prevalence. Politics play a vital role in how public health policies are implemented to ensure quality care delivery. Some of the healthcare policies in this course include increasing the prices of tobacco and other related products and getting tobacco-free zones that protect non-smokers from secondary tobacco smoking effects. Controlling tobacco use in nursing was another highlight during the course. Controlling tobacco usage among children and adolescents reduces nicotine addiction, and as a result, state and federal governments adopt FCTC to ban public smoking. The policy also extensively reduces withdrawal symptoms among patients in hospitals. According to Walley et al. (2019), this is achieved by implementing the FCTC law that restricts the advertising of tobacco products despite its usage being considered a personal choice. Healthcare policies have led to incorporating a population health focus in nursing practice. Throughout the 15 weeks of this course, a population health focus is believed to transform the healthcare delivery system significantly. When used in healthcare institutions, healthcare practice is done beyond the traditional models by addressing the need for the local communities to collaborate with healthcare practitioners for quality care delivery. As observed by Marshall et al. (2019), population health focus establishes partnership in healthcare to address the needs of the population served and achieved a more improved health outcome.  

Over the last 15 weeks, we have learned a couple of healthcare policies and delivery systems. I recall the pro and cons of collaborating with physician organizations when pursuing FPA legislation. Here, we learned that this collaboration enhances improvement in the patient care system and outcomes by enabling healthcare organizations to develop a plan that ensures patients are satisfied with quality care from admission to discharge. However, in many cases, collaborating with physician organizations is risky because the working hours are extended, subjecting nurses to longer work hours (Mason et al., 2020). In addition, the course embraced the need for nurse educators to understand the implications of policies that affects nursing education. In this context, academic freedom is relevant in enhancing institutional reputation and limiting nurses' abilities to discuss complex issues surrounding their working environment. Nursing educators and mentors play a vital role in influencing healthcare policies. For instance, they ensure that nurses adhere to the best nursing practice under their supervision, thus a significant component in quality care delivery. 

References

Walley, S. C., Wilson, K. M., Winickoff, J. P., & Groner, J. (2019). A Public Health Crisis: Electronic Cigarettes, Vape, and JUUL. Pediatrics, 143(6), e20182741.  https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2741  

Marshall, D. A., Burgos-Liz, L., Pasupathy, K. S., Padula, W. V., IJzerman, M. J., Wong, P. K., ... & Osgood, N. D. (2019). Transforming healthcare delivery: integrating dynamic simulation modeling and big data in health economics and outcomes research. PharmacoEconomics, 34(2), 115-126.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40273-015-0330-7  

Mason, D. J., Perez, A., McLemore, M. R., & Dickson, E. (2020). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care-E-Book (8th Edition). Elsevier Health Sciences.  https://www.elsevier.com/books/policy-and-politics-in-nursing-and-health-care/page/978-0-323-55498-5

Mileydis Martinez

In order for the population of the United States to benefit from optimal quality health care, it must effectively have certain policies that are strongly coordinated within a public health system, considering the role of the health care sector in ensuring the nation's health.

Health care policy and systems refer to the set of objectives, decisions, and implementation actions that determine the mode of administration and access to health care. Health policy is always subject to change, for this reason, nurses should always have representation in Congress to also advocate for their own needs. (Bartmess et al., 2021).

All professional groups and different private and public purchasing health organizations should act together and work on the same purpose of decreasing the burden of disease, slowing disability statistics, and improving the health system in the United States. On the other hand, when policy objectives are focused on ensuring equitable coverage of all people with chronic diseases, injuries and disabilities leads to compromising access to health care services and proper management.

The nursing staff plays a critical role in performing different functions to ensure that there is a healthier audience and that the cost of health care is reduced. A nurse can be a great health promoter, she can be an educator, and at the same time a caregiver. An advanced nurse can drive and lead policy reforms to achieve a health system that is more equitable and provides a higher quality of care. Nurses have an important and innovative role in health clinics by encouraging the development of home visiting programs for low-income mothers and avoiding repeated hospitalizations, at a lower cost as well as access to rural areas. (Teuteberg et al., 2019). The emphasis should be on quality and safety, evidence-based practice, research, leadership, teamwork, and collaboration, critical to seamless high-quality care and the involvement of policymakers and stakeholders.

All nurses must maintain up-to-date training to provide culturally competent care. The development of nursing research contributes to the construction of the scientific bases for clinical practice, preventive actions, and obtaining better results in the recovery of patients' health. The use of modern medical technology should establish electronic documentation systems to improve the quality of services. (Mason et al., 2020).

By working with physicians, nurses can provide cost-effective care and help minimize the shortage of medical staff in primary care and together as members of a health team advocate for patients, families, caregivers, and communities.

This course has allowed us to deepen and enrich our knowledge about the formation and structure of health care policy and the role of politics in the provision of health services based on ethical and legal principles by examining their levels of development, as well as the impact of economic and political issues, established in health care reform. As future nurse practitioners, it has provided us with new knowledge as well as visualizing ourselves more clearly in the management of patients and their environment in the community.

 

References

         Bartmess, M., Myers, C. R., & Thomas, S. P. (2021, July). Nurse staffing legislation: Empirical evidence and policy analysis. In Nursing Forum (Vol. 56, No. 3, pp. 660-675). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

        Teuteberg, D., Newcomb, P., & Sosa, S. (2019). Nurse practitioner management of uninsured, rural adults with chronic illness. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 15(4), e77–e79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2018.11.011

        Mason, D. J., Perez, A., McLemore, M. R., & Dickson, E. (2020). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.