Fluent Essays

Manuel Garcia Periu Government is a system that acts as authority over a designated area; it is a group of people who preside over their subjects and make critical decisions affecting their lives. The electoral process, for democratic governments, offers an opportunity for the ruled to choose their leaders and dictate which policies are acceptable to them and which are not. The government will therefore affect the individual’s life through initiating policies and setting laws that govern behavior. These individuals will also use the electoral process to voice their concerns about the administration.  Several legislations directly affect the daily undertaking of nurses’ functioning. When this policy crosses the threshold of what is acceptable to the profession, nurses should rise and lobby for changes. Work safety, as evident from the long shift hours, hinders the performance of the nurse and thus risks the patient as the quality of care is drastically reduced. Similarly, cases such as that of Alex Wubbles calls for the respect of nurses’ safety (Guo et al., 2019). Workplace violence should be highlighted, and policies should be initiated to protect nurses from abuse from either law enforcement or the public.  To ensure that their voice is heard, nurses can employ several strategies; one, they can utilize available lobbying channels where they will provide their arguments to a hearing committee (Falter, 2009). When such avenues are inaccessible, the union can call for a demonstration that will enlighten the public on the nurses’ problems. Low involvement in policy that affects healthcare delivery is attributed to various aspects, from training to the available support nurses receive. During their training years, there is little to no emphasis placed on training them on policy involvement. Lack of this formal training then leaves practicing nurses oblivious of existing avenues they can use. Furthermore, when nurses seek evidence to support their arguments, they do not receive the necessary support. Their tight schedule also limits the time nurses have to participate in politics. References Falter, E. B. (2009). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care, 5th Edition. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 33(1), 88. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.naq.0000343358.16408.2a  Guo, J. W., Tay, D. L., & Litchman, M. L. (2019). Hashtags and heroes: Perceptions of nursing on twitter following a high profile nurse arrest. Journal of Professional Nursing, 35(5), 398-404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2019.02.005 Ivon Hernandez Nurses engage in political policies on acute care, home health care, and community-based programs. They provide their suggestions and influence on standards, policies, and methods of establishing public health in the outlined policies. When the political class makes recommendations, rectifications, or any policy changes that affect health care, nursing organizations lobby to protect human life and nurses. Labor policies in the health sector may also be a critical issue for nurses who can lobby to earn better working conditions. They may also lobby for compensation policies that affect the income and allowances of nurses (Burke, 2016). Therefore, nurses engage in political policies that affect their work conditions and impact health care delivery on patients. Nurses can use lobbying, public speaking, and direct interventions to raise their issues (Carlson, 2016). Lobbying involves collaborating with lawmakers to ensure that policies passed align with the interests of nurses. Nursing agencies offer consultancy services to legislators to ensure the right decisions are made. Public speaking is the involvement by communicating through public platforms such as press conferences to raise issues of concern. Lastly, direct action involves writing and signing petitions or letters to raise awareness or criticize certain policies. It may also entail contacting legislators directly in Congress Hall or through phone calls.  Nurses core reasons for little political involvement are lack of awareness, ethical issues, inadequate leadership skills, and little opportunity for involvement (Brokaw, 2016). Many nurses ignore the need for intervention on political issues and thus remain dormant in situations that grant them that opportunity. The nursing profession is founded on ethical standards to promote humanity and save human life. Politics involve other aspects that corrode with this ethics, and thus many nurses end up choosing non-involvement due to their moral obligation. Politics call for management and leadership skills, an area that nurses have little knowledge about. Therefore, they lack the strategy, motivation, and skills to spearhead their political ambitions. The medical professions are both engaging and tiresome. Nurses work long shifts and have little time for political engagement, and thus have a low tendency to engage in politics. Therefore, nurses have remained politically inactive due to ignorance, ethical and time barriers, and lack of necessary skills. References Brokaw, J. (2016, September 22). The nursing profession’s potential impact on policy and politics. American Nurse Association. https://www.myamericannurse.com/nursing-professions-potential-impact-policy-politics/#:~:text=As\%20such\%2C\%20nurses\%20have\%20the Burke, S. (2016, June 2). Influence through policy: Nurses have a unique role. Nursing Centered.https://nursingcentered.sigmanursing.org/commentary/more-commentary/Vol42_2_nurses-have-a-unique-role Carlson, K. (2016, August 12). 3 ways to get your voice heard by lawmakers. Nurse.com. https://www.nurse.com/blog/2016/08/12/3-ways-to-get-your-voice-heard-by-lawmakers/