Instructions  

Nursing leaders are under pressure to share their professional expertise. What is your obligation as a professional nurse to advocate for healthcare policy issues? What are the influences that impact nursing advocacy in the healthcare policy realm? What skills should you gain to successfully advocate for change?

SOLUTION 

Week 6: Nurse Advocate Power

The American Nurses Association (ANA) believes advocacy is the heart and soul of nursing practice (American Nurses Association, n.d.). Professional nurses can advocate for patients and healthcare policy issues at state and federal legislative levels by sharing their patient-care experiences with policymakers. For example, I meet with Nick Ciofani, the District Director for Congressman David Joyce, to advocate for advocate for budget-neutral solutions including refocused social awareness campaigns, mental health treatment outreach initiatives,

retargeted approaches to public employment services for sufferers of mental illness, youth mental health education, and the presence of child psychologists at public schools to both provide initial treatment for students who experience mental illnesses and act as a liaison between students, guardians, teachers, and external mental health resources. During this meeting, I shared my personal and professional experiences with those suffering from mental health illness. It is the moral and professional obligation of nursing professionals to be engaged in legislation that impacts their patients. When nurses influence the politics that improve the delivery of healthcare, they are ultimately advocating for their patients.

Nurses recognize the importance of policy-making in the health sector and their influence on this process and on positive patients’ outcomes. Nursing professionals aim to provide safe, effective and compassionate care to patients and their families. Patient safety and satisfaction, increased quality of care, positive patient outcomes, access to services, and health disparities….please click the purchase button below to access the entire solution at $10