Assignment Instructions
As an advanced practice nurse, propose strategies you can implement to increase your participation in the health care policymaking in order to support patient advocacy.
Sample Answer
As an advanced practice nurse, propose strategies you can implement to increase your participation in health care policymaking in order to support patient advocacy.
Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) participate more in policy formulation through continuous education and training. Advanced education and training enhance nurses' understanding of the policy-making process. The understanding enhances the understanding of formulation, implementation, and evaluation of policies as well as the understanding of how the different stakeholders affect healthcare policies (Inayat et al., 2023). Through education and training, nurses can keep updated on the proposed changes in policies. Nurses participate in policy-making by networking and collaboration. They do so by joining professional nursing organizations where policy committees provide members with opportunities to be involved in advocacy. Nurses collaborate with other healthcare providers to increase their influence and reach through interdisciplinary coalitions.
After gaining experience working with nursing organizations, nurses can join national boards that influence healthcare policy. An example of a national board is the Patient Centered Research Institute which is a funding organization that researches patient-centered care. The institute has advisory committees and panels that focus on developing policies (Morris, 2023). Additionally, nurses can influence policies by collaborating with lobbyists who are passionate about matters influencing healthcare. Nurses provide beneficial information to lobbyists on the importance of evidence-based information that shapes healthcare policies. Professional nursing organizations collaborate with lobbyists to ensure the interests of the patients are considered in policy formulation (Morris, 2023).
Other ways in which nurses engage in policy-making are through advocacy and leadership. Nurses engage in advocacy efforts by speaking out on gaps in healthcare needs and providing suggestions on how they can be eliminated. They also do so by engaging with the policymakers through letters, meetings, and attending public events. Additionally, through leadership, nurses utilize their power and influence to lobby for changes in healthcare and they mentor others on how to engage in policy advocacy.
References
Inayat, S., Younas, A., Andleeb, S., Rasheed, S. P., & Ali, P. (2023). Enhancing nurses' involvement in policy-making: A qualitative study of nurse leaders. International Nursing Review, 70(3), 297-306. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36657108/
Morris, G. (2023). 10 ways nurses can get involved in policy. NurseJournal. https://nursejournal.org/articles/ways-nurses-can-get-involved-in-policy/