Nursing

NUR4108 Policy Brief Guideline/Rubric

Course Objectives, Program Outcomes, and AACN Essentials:

1. Participate as a nursing professional in political processes and grassroots legislative efforts to influence healthcare policy. (Advocacy/Policy; BSN Essential V, VII, VIII)

2. Demonstrate knowledge of healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory environments, including local, state, national, and global healthcare trends. (Advocacy/Policy; BSN Essential V, VII, VIII)

4. Explore the impact of socio-cultural, economic, legal, and political factors influencing healthcare delivery and practice. (Care Coordination & Advocacy/Policy; BSN Essential I, II, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX)

5. Identify the implications of healthcare policy on the issues of access, equity, affordability, and social justice in healthcare delivery. (Advocacy/Policy; BSN Essential V, VII, & VIII)

6. Examine legislative and regulatory processes relevant to the provision of healthcare. (Advocacy/Policy; BSN Essential V, VII, & VIII)

Title: Policy Brief

Audience: General Public/Legislator

Point of view: First Person

Format: APA

Template: Template provided, optional

Length: 1-2 pages only

References: Minimum of four (4); one must be a nursing, scholarly journal article Grading Rubric: Please see the Assignment Rubric for further details related to this assessment and grading criteria.

Assignment Guidelines: For this assignment, you will research and write a scholarly policy brief that will be the

foundation for your advocacy letter/email to your Congress-person, Senator, or local Representative on a current bill

in progress. A policy brief is a short, neutral summary of what is known about a particular issue or problem. The brief should provide evidence and actionable recommendations. The purpose of the policy brief is to convince the

target audience of the urgency of the current problem and the need to adopt the preferred alternative course of

action outlined in the brief. Policy briefs are “frontloaded”- this means that your conclusions are on the front page!

In preparation for this assignment and during week one, identify your legislators at the federal and state level

(including your U.S. Congressional Representative, U.S. Senators, State Senators, and State House

Representatives and how to reach them) from the following website: https://www.govtrack.us/ You will follow up

this policy brief with a letter/email to your legislator(s) in week seven.

Informational web sites:

Academic Policy Brief Assignments https://writingcenter.unc.edu/policy-briefs/

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Health Affairs Policy Briefs https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/collections/health-affairs-briefs.html

Health Affairs https://www.healthaffairs.org/

Nursing web sites for supportive information:

-American Nurses Association (ANA) Policy and Advocacy. Here you can find state legislative issues the ANA is promoting

across the country. http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy

-Florida Nurses Association-Nursing, Advocacy, Engagement http://cqrcengage.com/fln/home?0

-Florida Center for Nursing (FCN) and the Action Coalition (FL-AC) https://www.flcenterfornursing.org/FL-ActionCoalition.aspx

Governmental web sites to get you started in your research:

Florida Senate: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bills/2018

Florida House: http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/bills.aspx

U.S. Congress: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/

U.S. Senate: https://www.senate.gov/legislative/bills.htm

U.S. House of Representatives: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/subjects/house_of_representatives/5947?congre%20ss=115

You must cover all of the following sections in your policy brief:

Background: What is the aim of the policy brief? What problem will your brief address? What evidence do you have

to support the problem? What are the policy options? What is the likelihood of the policy getting passed?

Issue Summary: Describe the issue and the associated bill. Who is the audience/stakeholders? Why is the problem

important to them? Who else might be affected by the policy?

Recommendations: What policy action are you proposing? What are your recommended actions from the

evidence presented? Do you have a strong argument supported with evidence?

References: Minimum of four (4); one must be a nursing, scholarly journal article. Include the bill in APA format.

A template has been provided to guide your policy brief and it is highly recommended for use.

Important: For the policy brief, select an issue with an associated bill that can be addressed through your

local, state, or federal legislators. This policy brief can be the foundation for your advocacy letter/email to

be completed later in the course.

For Submission: Submit your policy brief under the week assignment area and be prepared to discuss your brief in

the week 6 discussion area.

NUR4108 Policy Brief Rubric

Overall

Grading Scale> A

90-100% B

80-89.99% C

70-79.99% D = 65-69.99% F = 0-64.99%

Requirement Title Brief Description Excellence Above Average Average Below Average/Failing

APA and Writing Methodology 15%

-APA Format, Paraphrasing, Citations and Reference format -References- Minimum of four (4); one (1) must be a nursing, scholarly journal article -Writing conventions- sentence structure, paragraphing, grammar/ spelling.

-Excellent APA format and citations with minimum required references -Excellent writing conventions.

-Uses APA format, style, and citations with minimum required references with minor gaps in appropriateness or correct use. -Writing conventions with minor errors.

-Uses some APA format, style, and citations with minimum required references or below minimum with major gaps in appropriateness or correct use. -Writing conventions with major errors.

Does not conform to APA format and style and/or writing conventions.

Background and Issue Summary 25%

Provides background information on the current socioeconomic, political, or ethical issues surrounding the problem including any related policy/bill.

Provides a

comprehensive

description of

researched health

care or nursing issue

with appropriate

associated

policies/bills

Provides a description

of researched health

care or nursing issue

with appropriate

associated

policies/bills with

minor gaps in content

or comprehensiveness

Provides a

description of

researched health

care or nursing issue

with appropriate

associated

policies/bills with

major gaps in

content or

comprehensiveness

Did not provide

appropriate

background

information.

Scope and Effects 35%

Describes the issue as well as the implications of the problem for patients, nursing or nursing practice (including the policy/bill)

Comprehensively

presents, analyzes and

makes evaluative

statements of the key

concepts of the issue

(including the

policy/bill) supported

by evidence.

Presents the issue,

analyzes or makes

evaluative statements

of the key concepts of

the issue (including

the policy/bill) with

minor gaps in clarity

or

comprehensiveness.

Presents the issue,

analyzes or makes

evaluative

statements of the

key concepts of the

issue (including the

policy/bill) with

major gaps in clarity

or

comprehensiveness.

Non-conformant

analysis and

evaluation of the

key concepts of

the issue (including

the policy/bill).

Recommendations 25%

Your ability to determine an appropriate action

Describes explicitly a realistic and thought- out action supported by evidence.

Describes generally a realistic and though- out action supported by evidence.

Description of the proposed action is present, but not clear, realistic, or supported by evidence.

Recommendations are not clear or did not describe or propose any action.