Assignment Task: Reply the following discussion, APA style, 2 references, 200 words or more, No AI, lest than 15% plagiarism
Nursing personnel are distinctively situated to promote reforms, which make patient care outcomes more desirable. This is largely attributed to their position as care providers and familiarity of the complicatedness of the US healthcare system (Stewart, 2024). Their perspectives are vital in influencing policies, which provide solutions to the day-to-day problems patients are encountering while searching care services and problems medical personnel endure in their roles. Acknowledging the importance of nursing leadership in policy arena is vital for pushing for desired outcomes in patient care (Stewart, 2024). Need Assignment Help?
Key Areas Where Nurses Impact Healthcare Policy
1. Access to Care: Nursing professionals can call for changes in healthcare policies to make sure people are able to access needed care services (Phillips, 2022). They can lobby for reforms in policies which would allow marginalized communities or rural dwellers to access care with ease.
2. Scope of Practice: The level of care services nurses can offer without the surveillance of a physician is largely determined by state practice laws (Madura et al., 2022). Nursing professionals can champion changes in these laws by supporting legislations which allow advanced care nurses to deliver services without being requiring supervision (Madura et al., 2022).
3. Patient Well-being and Care Quality: Nursing professionals play a vital role in the development of policies targeted at improving the well-being of patients. A good example is policies setting standards for infection management, drug dispensation guidelines, and nurse workload levels. Such normally have a direct effect on the quality and safety of care given to patients (Madura et al., 2022).
Approaches for Policy Advocacy
1. Professional Organizations for Nurses: Subscribing to nursing organizations such as ANA or becoming a members of a specialty-specific groups, for instance, AANP allows nursing professionals to work harmoniously on policy endeavors, obtain updates on policy development, and take part in petitioning (Scott & Scott, 2020).
2. Legislative Committees: By taking positions health committees from local to federal level give nursing professionals opportunity voice their clinical perspectives to policy deliberations and impact decisions legislatures in all levels of government make (Scott & Scott, 2020).
3. Taking Leadership Positions: Nursing professionals in policymaking, management, or educational leadership roles can influence policies made at institutional level and guide other junior nurses in healthcare policy restructuring endeavors (Scott & Scott, 2020).
4. Community-driven Endeavors and Public Statements: Nursing professionals can take part in ground-level advocacy initiatives, make contact with law-makers, and make advocacy testimonies on recommended laws, which affect provision of healthcare services and nursing practice.
Example of a Successful Nurse-Led Policy Initiative
The VA Full Practice Authority Policy of 2016 is an ideal example of policy advocacy effort led purely by nursing professionals. In 2016, VA gave nurse practitioners the permission to perform caregiving duties independently, in spite of professional practice laws of different states limiting their independence (Ivey et al., 2023). This historic policy reform was pushed by unrelenting push from nursing organizations like ANA and AANP. The reform targeted at reducing the time patients spend on the waiting lines and improving accessibility of healthcare for ex-service members (Ivey et al., 2023).
In summary, nursing professionals possess the clinical acumen, dedication to patient wants, and commitment to ethical practice required to successfully shape healthcare policy. Through tactical policy inspiration, particularly by nurses with advanced training, the sector can push reforms, which improve patient results, increase health care accessibility, and elevating the position of nurses in molding the future of our nation's healthcare system.