Purpose
In this course, the students will have the opportunity to identify a healthcare policy concern and community
healthcare concern which can be improved with a change in policy, ordinance or the language in existing
law. The outcome would be the potential for improved health for a population group. Students will present
a proposed solution or change to an elected official, and provide an analysis of the project. While students
are not responsible for ensuring the implementation of their identified solution to the healthcare policy
concern, the student is required to meet with an elected official to present the concern and
proposed resolution. The purpose of this current assignment is to identify the community-based healthcare
policy concern and provide an extensive evidenced-based foundation for proposing a policy change to an
elected official.
Course Outcomes
This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:
CO 1. Employ strategies to impact the development, implementation, and consequences of holistic focused healthcare policies at the institutional, local, national, and international levels using evidence-based practice principles. (PO 1)
CO 3. Demonstrate professional and personal growth regarding the advocacy role of the advance practice nurse in healthcare policy for diverse healthcare settings. (PO 3)
CO 5. Advocate for institutional, local, national, and international policies that influence person-centered healthcare, consumers, and nursing practice. (PO 5)
Due DateSunday 11:59 p.m. MT at the end of Week 2
Total Points: 250 points
Requirements
Description of the Assignment
For this assignment, the student must first select a healthcare policy concern. The concern must be a community-based, public health policy concern. Student may not use healthcare entities or organizational concerns occurring within a private or public healthcare facility.Scholarly evidence supporting the concernmust be presented that provides a comprehensive picture of the selected healthcare concern as well as the student-identified solution. The elected official whom the student will interview is also identified in this paper.
Criteria for Content
- Overview of healthcare policy: This section introduces healthcare policy. It should contain the following elements:
- Define healthcare policy in general and its implications for the nursing profession
- Define the role of advocacy and how it can impact healthcare policy
- Explain how the role of advocacy is consistent with the responsibilities of an advance practice nurse
- Identification of selected healthcare policy concern: This section provides foundational information regarding the student-selected healthcare policy concern. It should contain the following elements:
- Specifically identify the selected healthcare policyconcern
- Description of the impacted population group
- Provide a comprehensive description of the selected healthcare concern by including:
- How frequently does it occur?
- What impact does the selected healthcare concern have upon the community and population group?
- Description of student-identified solution to the selected healthcare concern: This section presents a comprehensive picture of the student-selected solution to the selected healthcare concern. It should contain the following elements:
- Identify, with specific detail, the solution to the student-selected healthcare concern
- Identify the following areas:
- What would be the positive outcome if the solution was implemented?
- What changes would need to occur in the community to foster implementation?
- What changes would need to occur in the population group to foster implementation?
- What measureable actions will demonstrate a positive outcome if the solution was implemented?
- What might be 2 (two) challenges to implementing the proposed solution and how can each of these challenges be avoided or resolved?
- Identification of elected official: This section identifies the elected official that the student will present the selected healthcare concern and its solution to. It should contain the following elements:
- The name of the elected official
- The position of the elected official
- Explanation of why this individual was selected
- Conclusion: This section provides a comprehensive and concise review of the key elements of the assignment.
Solution:
Overview of Healthcare Policy
In the contemporary times, nurses have become considerably involved in every aspect of healthcare setting and have developed the unique role of healthcare policy formulation. In this regards, as defined by Hanney, Greenhalgh, Blatch-Jones, Glover, and Raftery (2017), healthcare policy is the decisions, plans and action carried out for the achievement of specific society-outlined healthcare goals. It defines the future’s vision and facilitates the establishment of short and medium targets as well as points of reference. More so, healthcare policy highlights the priorities and the contemplated roles of diverse groups, builds consensus and informs individuals. The implication of healthcare policy to nursing profession includes rapid advancement in patient care delivery with rapid change in nursing profession. The nurses are continuously assuming key roles in decision making as well as leading improvement roles. The nursing professionals ought to contribute in healthcare policy making as both patient advocate and overall healthcare community.
Advocacy is a pivotal role of nurses as it enables nurses to help to prevent harm to patients as well as themselves and manage physical, emotion and psychological suffering (Cole, Wellard, & Mummery, 2014). Nurse serve as advocates through advocating for their patients, communities, policy change, themselves and the nursing profession. In regards to patients, patient advocacy includes protection of patients from harm, fostering collaboration, communication of patient preferences, informing on decision making, and supporting patients’ voice in relation of choices and care (Kalaitzidis & Jewell, 2015). Advocating for communities includes sharing with community leaders and elected officials stories on healthcare costs, informing the community on resource availability, improving access to care and provision of public forum regarding expansion of healthcare infrastructure within the community. The role of advocacy to policy change includes learning on legislative process, participation in legislative action alerts and listserves, engaging in coalitions, interacting with elected officials and provision of experts’ testimony for informing policy decisions (Kalaitzidis & Jewell, 2015). Nurses advocate for themselves by signing for membership on importance practice committees, engaging in decision-influencing activities, participation in employee forums, collaboration with nurse leaders in relation to nursing decisions and mentoring and empowering new nurses. The role of advocacy in nursing profession include description of the professions’ strengths and the positive impact on total patient outcomes, explanation of specific and autonomous responsibilities, supporting the key role of nurse educators and acquisition of advanced education and training……..Please click the icon below to purchase full solution at $10