discussion

Answer the discussion and at least 2 references. Thank you.

The Role of the RN and APRN in the Policy-Making Process

It is imperative that nurses and APRNs take an active role in the policy-making process. From the beginning, we were taught that we were our patients advocate. While the political realm is a grander scale, we as nurses are still our patient’s advocates as well as advocates for our own profession. Politicians do not have the health care knowledge that professional nurses possess, and they rely on professionals in our field to steer the way. Specifically, APRNs have the capability of creating change in how our profession is sculpted to meet the needs of citizens in our respective states. The policy process is quite similar to the nursing process (Patton et al., 2019). First, a problem is identified (diagnosis). Secondly, the policy is formed (interventions). Third, the policy change is implemented (implementation of care). And lastly, we monitor and evaluate the result. While this seems quite simple and adaptable to nurses, there are obstacles which prevent nurses from taking a more active role in the political process.

Challenges

            One of the biggest factors preventing nurses from taking a more active role in the policy-making process is inadequate education on the political process (Rasheed et al., 2020). So much of our education is spent learning how to implement policies, but not how to create them. One way to overcome this is to encourage local nursing programs to include a module on politics in their nursing coursework. The more educated that nurses are on the process, the more likely they are to become political advocates as well. Another challenge is lack of motivation/interest in the policy-making process. Nurses are willing and capable of implementing processes developed by others, but they shy away from the politics behind it. A way to overcome this is to advocate for change on social media platforms. Nurses are one of the largest professional groups in healthcare and they are also consistently ranked the most honest profession according to the Gallop poll (Brusie, 2020), so nurses have a unique capability to positively impact health policy if they would just take the initiative to do so.

Strategies

            As stated above, I think that advocacy via social media is a great start to making an impact. Educating nurses on political activism and how they may make a difference is easier now than it was ever before through use of platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. I can target both of the challenges that I identified above through use of this strategy by creating informative, yet captivating content on video with nurses as my intended audience. Nurses need to know that by taking an active role in the policy-making process, that they have the ability to influence politics that impact health (Cogan, 2019). Another strategy is to become more familiar with current health-policy related legislature. As a nurse, it is my duty to stay informed and educated on health policy. If I am more aware of current legislation, I can help to spread the word and advocate for positive change.

References

Brusie, C. (2020). Nurses rank most honest profession 19 years in a row. Nurse.org. https://nurse.org/articles/nursing-ranked-most-honest-profession/

Cogan, R. (2019, October 29). Yes, nurses need to be political! The Relentless School Nurse. https://relentlessschoolnurse.com/2019/10/29/the-relentless-school-nurse-yes-nurses-need-to-be-political/

Congress.gov (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://www.congress.gov/

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

Patton, R. M., Zalon, M. L., Ludwick, R., & American Nurses Association. (2019). Nurses making policy : from bedside to boardroom (2nd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.

Rasheed, S. P., Younas, A., & Mehdi, F. (2020). Challenges, extent of involvement, and the impact of nurses’ involvement in politics and policy making in last two decades: an integrative review. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 52(4), 446–455. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12567