Fluent Essays

Aymee Morales Aranegui Discussion 5 Nurses Participation in Politics and Public Policies In the recent past, nursing professionals have been actively taking charge and implementing their authority regarding specific government policies. Currently, more registered nurses are active participants in politics and public policies compared to previous decades. According to Groenwald and Eldridge (2020), nurses are responsible for participating in the discussions of the social issues that influence the nature of their practice. The responsibilities are documented in practice guides, such as the Nursing Social Contract, thus being a valuable reference for all nursing individuals. Furthermore, nurses may be encouraged to participate in campaign politics or lobby congress as this would translate into profitability, especially when an occupational or an environmental nurse is involved. Another policy that may result in the need for nurses to lobby congress or be interested in politics is the payment policy. Issues surrounding the need to enforce salary increment are the leading factors for nurses to join politics. Recently, nurses also tend to lobby for congress when their payment demands are not adequately addressed by the government with regards to the agreed payment structure (Mason et al., 2016). Nurses have been forced to take drastic actions even when the healthcare sectors are facing severe issues such as a pandemic. Nurses Strategies There are several strategies that nurses could apply to have their voices heard. First, nurses could air their views and concerns to the authorities by joining and creating unions. It becomes easier for the nurses to be heard when they are part of a revolutionary group to bring positive change (Fitting, 2018). Union leaders could promote their responsibilities and governance into joining politics, thus pushing their aims and objectives further. Additionally, nurses could acquire formal civil training to participate in politics and occupy political positions that would grant them a better opportunity to be heard. References Groenwald, S. L., & Eldridge, C. (2020, January/March). Politics, power, and predictability of nursing care. Nursing Forum, 55(1), 16－32. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12377 Fitting, M. (2018, September 21). Nurses, get out the vote! American Nurse. https://www.myamericannurse.com/nurses-vote/ Mason, D. J., Leavitt, J.K., Chaffee, M.W. (2016). Policy and politics in nursing and health care (7th ed.). Elsevier. Luanda I Gan Bedoya     Electoral Process, Government            The American electoral process and government affect my work and family life through legislation. The elected senators and members of Congress propose debate and pass or reject legislation affecting different aspects of my life including transport, food, health care, education, environment, employment, and security. Employment and labor laws determine my career opportunities, wages, workplace safety, and retirement plan. For example, the restricted practice authority for nurse practitioners in Florida limits their career opportunities by discouraging independent practice (Mason, Perez, McLemore, & Dickson, 2020). Laws on the minimum wage, Medicare, and Medicaid affect my ability to provide quality health care for my family. For example, the Young Adult Coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) comforts me because I know that my children can remain covered under my health care plan until they are 26 years old. Such implications encourage me to participate in the American electoral process and politics. Policy Issues            The policy issues that might drive nurses to lobby Congress and participate in political campaigns include bills affecting the nursing practice and the quality and affordability of health care. For example, the proposal to replace the ACA with the American Health Care Act (AHCA) of 2017 warranted nurses to lobby Congress because the legislation threatened to erode the health care benefits enjoyed by vulnerable and low-income groups under the ACA. Furthermore, the AHCA had become a highly politicized affair involving persistent attacks on the American health care system (Collier, 2017). The adoption of full practice authority for nurse practitioners in all states warrants nurses to lobby Congress and participate in political campaigns. States that have refused to grant their NPs full practice authority hinder access to timely, affordable, and quality care for millions of Americans in areas facing a shortage of primary care physicians. Lobbying by nurses at the local and national levels is critical to ensure effective health care delivery. Nurses Strategies            Nurses can use several lobbying strategies to have their voices heard. First, they can lobby through nursing organizations such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). Lobbying as a professional group strengthens the voices of nurses and their impact on legislation (Milstead & Short, 2017). Secondly, individual nurses can lobby their senators directly by calling them, writing to them, or visiting their offices to discuss important policy issues. The different lobbying strategies empower nurses to influence the outcomes of key policy issues.   References Collier, R. (2017). Why Trumpcare failed. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 189(17),            E645-E646. doi:10.1503/cmaj.1095414. Mason, D. J., Perez, A., McLemore, M., & Dickson, E. (2020). Policy & politics in nursing and health care (8th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences. Villelixe Soto Health Care Policy             Patient safety issues are among the policy issues that can get nurses involved in campaign politics. Being direct caregivers, a nurse spends more time with patients than other healthcare providers; thus, due to their continuity and proximity with patients, they are usually the last opportunity in error prevention (Choi, 2015). Safety cultures encourage and promote staff to raise issues, but due to the imperfection of most workplace cultures, nurses may face challenges in efforts to advocate. Additionally, nurses can advocate for changes in healthcare delivery concerning quality, access, and value. Since nurses practice at the intersection of personal lives and public policy, they are morally obligated and suited integrate sociopolitical advocacy in their practice (Choi, 2015). According to Cherry & Jacob (2015), for nurses to be effective in campaign politics and get their voices to be heard, they should first understand the regulations and laws governing their practice. For instance, the Texas Nursing Practice Act protects nurses who advocate for patient safety, nurse staffing committees; thus, understanding state practice acts enables one to become effective in advocating for issues while protecting oneself from violations and retaliation against the license (Cherry & Jacob, 2016). Also, nurses who understand the chain of command and how to access it knows where and how to report, thus achieving a positive outcome. Evidence-based practice is also required for nursing advocacy (Cherry & Jacob, 2016). Through researching and gathering a substantial evidence to present to legislatures or decision-makers can facilitate advocacy effectively. Another strategy is to network with other nurses to build a unified voice. More so, nurses need to form a positive working relationship with their leaders and colleagues to build credibility with them. Effective skills in communicating concerns objectively and specifically will facilitate problem-solving and make our as nurses voices to be heard and understood (Cherry & Jacob, 2016). References Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management. Elsevier Health Sciences. Choi, P. P. (2015). Patient advocacy: The role of the nurse. Nursing Standard (2014+), 29(41), 52. Gioconda A. Orellana  Policy and Politics in Nursing            Although nurses’ participation in politics is limited, there are many policy issues that might motivate nurses to lobby Congress and get involved in campaign politics. First, if policies are written by individuals with no experience and knowledge in healthcare, then nurses can be frustrated and express their bitterness and discontent through anti-political campaigns. According to Mason et al. (2015), nurses have great potential to create healthcare organizations that will work together and engage other stakeholders in lobbying Congress and implementing their policies that affect nursing practices. Second, nurses can lobby for policies if they fail to have a positive impact on healthcare and need to be implemented as something that should happen and prove that legislators work. According to Philip (2018), there are also many informal groups of nurses, and they lobby government authorities in terms of workplace harassment, privileges, and vacancies. Thus, nurses can lobby Congress for its policies that do not contribute to nursing practices or protect their rights.            Nurses should use the following strategies to make their voices heard: lobbying for practical interests, expressing their opinion on public health, and taking the direct approach. Lobbying groups of nurses should inform legislators more about the peculiarities of nursing practices, as nurse legislators are underrepresented in Congress (Black, 2019). The reason for this is that legislators may not understand the needs of nurses in terms of improving their practices. Nurses are considered the most trusted representatives of healthcare; therefore, they should share their expert opinions with the authorities and remain active to influence the decision-making process. According to Lee et al. (2021), nurses should speak extensively about patient safety to prevent the development of diseases and medication errors. Finally, nurses should write letters, sign petitions online, and call legislators’ offices to share their opinions with government officials. Thus, nurses can be politically active and influence the process of policy development needed to improve their patient care practices and outcomes. References Black, B. (2019). Professional nursing: Concepts & challenges (9th ed.). Elsevier, Saunders. Lee, S. E., Choi, J., Lee, H., Sang, S., Lee, H. & Chong, H. C. (2021). Factors influencing nurses’ willingness to speak up regarding patient safety in East Asia: A systematic review. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 14, 1053-1063. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S297349 Mason, D.J., Leavitt, J.K. & Chafee, M.W. (2015). Policy and politics in nursing and health care (7th ed.). Elsevier, Saunders. Philip, M. (2018). Lobbying in nursing: Overcome the hurdles to flourish. Indian Journal of Holistic Nursing, 9(3), 35-36. https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/api/file/viewByFileId/516702.pdf Ivette Fernandez  Nursing and Governance in Policies Change The electoral process and government significantly impact nurses because general nurses are present in every healthcare sector. The nursing job requires that they work in odd hours because of the nursing policy of patient care (Chapal Khasnabis et al., 2010). Nurses families are sometimes compromised because nurses goals are to ensure the health of individuals is protected. These policies that impact the nurses are usually established and structured by the government, such as funding and defunding of Planned Parenthood. The government ensures population safety by providing primary education, health insurance, and a rescue process in an emergency (Chapal Khasnabis et al., 2010). On the other hand, the electoral process ensures that people get the right leaders they elected, thus spreading the importance of transparency. Nurses are the custodians of peoples well-being; therefore, they are mandated to be part of the policies amendments. Issues that can make nurses get involved in politics include equitable healthcare provision, curbing the racial health disparities. This conducive working environment does not encourage discrimination based on gender, disabilities, LGBTQ (Brokaw, 2016). Most nurses still face many threats if they demand increased salary, protective gear, and reduced working time, resulting in high rates of detachment from their responsibilities. Nurses should ensure that their voices are heard because they are the people who know what the patients needs are. Regularly legislatures are making policies that impact the community care and nurses careers; therefore, nurses need to ensure that legislators know their stand when it comes to issues that affect them and their patients by; lobbying for the practice interests scope (Chapal Khasnabis et al., 2010). The nursing scope is usually debated in the state legislatures and the USA, especially regarding APRNs comprising nurse practitioners. Nurses should lobby for groups that oppose increased autonomy. Secondly, nurses should speak out concerning public health, especially immunization policies. Finally, take the direct approach through sharing opinions.      Reference Chapal Khasnabis, Karen Heinicke Motsch, Achu, K., Kathy Al Jubah, Svein Brodtkorb, Philippe Chervin, Coleridge, P., Davies, M., Sunil Deepak, Eklindh, K., Goerdt, A., Greer, C., Heinicke-Motsch, K., Hooper, D., Ilagan, V. B., Jessup, N., Chapal Khasnabis, Mulligan, D., Murray, B., & Officer, A. (2010). Political participation. Nih.gov; World Health Organization. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310967/ Brokaw, J. (2016, September 22). The nursing professions potential impact on policy and politics. American Nurse. https://www.myamericannurse.com/nursing-professions-potential-impact-policy-politics/   Henly Rojas Electoral Process, Government   I can comment that the election mechanism and the government of this country affect my family and work life through legislation. This is because the senators and congressmen who are elected suggest discussing and consenting to or rejecting laws that negatively affect different points of my life such as transportation, food and health insurance, as well as employment and security of the citizenship. Likewise, the laws that are implemented with reference to the labor aspect govern my convenience in relation to my professional performance, my salary and my retirement plans, being an example of this is the limit imposed on the practicing nurse to practice independently in the state of Florida.   Policy Issues   The issue related to politics that can lead Florida nurses to coerce Congress and cooperate with political campaigns, involve bills that harm the practice of nursing and their respective quality and accessibility of medical care. primary. An example of this is the proposal to replace the ACA with the American Health Care Act (AHCA) of 2017, which accredited that nurse put pressure on Congress, since said legislation caused the elimination of the benefits of said health care to which they were covered. people with less economic acquisitions, not to mention that said legislation took a politicized path, which included constant attacks on the health system. Another issue is that allowing nurse practitioners to practice independently will allow state and national levels to put pressure on congress and participate in political campaigns and also leave the way open for better, better quality medical care. to the part of the American population that lacks medical attention.           Nurses Strategies   As nurses We can make use of different lobbying strategies so that our word is elevated and has a vote. I believe that one of the first things that should be done is that our organizations that represent us, such as the American Nurses Association (ANA), help us in this lobbying, increasing the footprint that it may leave, greatly strengthening our word, coercing to the senators and congressmen to present the bills that we can raise as nurses. References Collier, R. (2017). Why Trumpcare failed. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 189(17),           E645-E646. doi:10.1503/cmaj.1095414.   Mason, D. J., Perez, A., McLemore, M., & Dickson, E. (2020). Policy & politics in nursing and health care (8th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.     Inalvis Diaz Nurses are well aware that today’s health care system is in trouble and in need of change. The experiences of many nurses practicing in the real world of health care are motivating them to take on some form of an advocacy role in order to influence a change in policies, laws, or regulations that govern the larger health care system. This type of advocacy necessitates stepping beyond their own practice setting and into the less familiar world of policy and politics, a world in which many nurses do not feel prepared to operate effectively. Successful policy advocacy depends on having the power, the will, the time, and the energy, along with the political skills needed to ‘play the game’ in the legislative arena.  Involvement in policy may include the spectrum of work on government activities, institutional decisions, organizational positions, or professional standards. Nursing care is always provided within a social, economic, cultural, and political context, which includes the health care system and society (Ballou, 2000). We need to band together as a profession to inform and influence legislators about the important issues facing our profession, patients and communities. Make appointments with your legislators and follow up with them throughout the year.  The truth is, any nurse can influence policy and politics at the local, state, and federal levels. Locally, nurses can become politically active by assuming leadership positions in the healthcare system or contacting elected officials about legislation affecting the industry. Nurses can obtain formal training in politics, become involved in city councils and committees, or even run for local office. And something as simple as exercising the right to vote can impact healthcare policy. At the state and federal level, nurses can get involved in policy and politics by joining a professional nursing organization. These organizations often have lobbyists that bring nursing issues to Capitol Hill. Nurses can also write their state representatives regarding healthcare policy. Nurses can undertake internships with elected officials to personally work on matters affecting healthcare. And nurses can even run for state office — there are two nurses currently serving in the Florida State Legislature. The point is to let yourself be heard on a more personal level. Our legislators welcome nurses with open arms and listen to what we have to say. Bring stories from your hospitals, clinics and students. References Ballou, K. A. (2000). A historical-philosophical analysis of the professional nurse obligation to participate in sociopolitical activities. Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice, 1(3), 172–184. The nursing professions potential impact on policy and politics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/blog/nursing-professions-potential-impact-policy-politics/ Wendy Cotelo  Electoral process and governments play an important role in our daily work and family life as nurses because through this electoral process we can advocate for our patients and for ourselves. Voting and getting involved in politics makes a big impact in our capacity to provide care and treatment. Electoral process and governments give nurses the opportunity to have a voice and express concerns that happens in the healthcare systems. Laws and political decisions can impact care we give to patients. For example, in Canada laws were introduced to decrease distracted driving, and because of this law proposal there’s has been fewer car accident. Thus, decreasing trauma patients to the hospital, less ICU admissions and fewer fatalities.  An example of a policy issue that might drive nurses to get involved in campaign politics is safe staffing. According to ANA’s 2013-2016 health risk appraisal, more than half of nurses work shift longer than 10 hours. Surveys has shown that working those long days can lead to medical error and burnout, which puts nurses and patients at risk. Nurses who live day to day that reality, are the ones who need to create safe staffing guidelines within the hospital and defend their rights and concerns. Strategies that nurses can use to have their voices heard, taking direct approach. Signing online petitions or form letters are a good way of exposing your opinion and concerns to the government. Making a phone call to a legislator or a meeting face to face with the office. I believe that this is the more direct way and effective way to get your voice heard and make a change.  References Jhonn, A. the L. K.,Jhonn , L, 26, D. C., 21, R. K. Y., & 6, D. L. (2016, August 27). How to get your voice heard by legislators. Nurse.com Blog. Retrieved October 4, 2021 Lukralle, J. (2016, November 22). The role of Government in Nurses Work. OMICS International. Retrieved November, 2022. Mahan, A., Raf, F., Delware, L. A., & (2016, April). Nurses policy influence: A closer look to laws. Canadian journal of nursing and midwifery research. Retrieved April 7, 2021.