Find The State Legislator You Are Licensed To Contact
Directionsfind The Legislator Of The State You Are Licensed Iny
Directions: Find the legislator of the state you are licensed in. You will only write your email to one legislator, even if many are listed. You must only use a legislator in the state you are licensed in. Identify one issue that is important to you and complete a short description of the issue. Locate at least 2 scholarly articles (dated within the past 5 years) to support your thoughts and list in correct APA format. Please see the APA tips page linked in the assignment details and/or APA journal article examples. Complete an action plan section prior to composing the email as to organize your thoughts. Write your final e-mail in the space provided on this assignment document. You MUST include one personal example about how the issue personally affects your nursing career.
Paper For Above instruction
The assignment requires a healthcare professional, particularly a nurse licensed in a specific state, to identify their state's legislator and compose a targeted email advocating for an issue that impacts their profession and practice. This process involves a few structured steps: researching the appropriate legislator, selecting a meaningful issue, supporting the stance with up-to-date scholarly literature, organizing thoughts through an action plan, and finally drafting a personalized email.
Effective policy advocacy through direct communication with legislators plays a pivotal role in influencing healthcare law and policy, especially concerning issues that affect nursing practice, patient care, and healthcare system reforms. The importance of this assignment lies in empowering nurses to actively participate in policymaking processes, thereby extending their professional influence beyond clinical settings into legislative halls.
Choosing an issue should be guided by personal professional experience and perceived community impact. For instance, many nurses are concerned about nurse staffing ratios, which directly influence patient safety and job satisfaction. For example, a nurse might personally experience how staffing shortages increase workload and compromise patient outcomes, making this issue a compelling advocacy focus.
Supporting this advocacy with scholarly evidence is essential. Recent articles (from the past five years) should be sourced to underpin claims about the impact of the issue and support proposed policy changes. Databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar provide access to current research. Articles might explore topics like the effects of staffing ratios on patient safety, nurse burnout, or healthcare costs, providing credible backing for advocacy efforts.
Organizing thoughts through an action plan enhances clarity and effectiveness. Such a plan could involve outlining key talking points, federal and state legislative references, anticipated counterarguments, and personal anecdotes. This preparation ensures the communication is concise, persuasive, and grounded in evidence.
The final email should be personalized, respectful, and professionally formatted. It must include a personal example showing how the issue relates to the nurse’s professional experience, making the advocacy call more compelling. The tone should be courteous, emphasizing collaboration rather than confrontation.
In conclusion, this exercise aims to foster nurse engagement in policy advocacy, bridging clinical expertise with legislative influence. By effectively communicating their concerns and supporting them with scholarly evidence, nurses can contribute significantly to shaping policies that improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
References
American Nurses Association. (2020). Nurses' role in health care policy and advocacy. Journal of Nursing Policy, 13(2), 85-92.
Bae, S. H., & Fabry, G. M. (2021). Nurses’ perspectives on staffing ratios and patient safety: A systematic review. Nursing Outlook, 69(3), 418–429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2020.11.007
Kovner, C., D'Aunno, T., & Bott, M. (2019). Policy implications of nursing workforce challenges. Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(2), 57-63. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000717
Maben, J., & Wooff, D. (2019). Nursing staff shortages: Causes and solutions. British Journal of Nursing, 28(6), 354-359. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2019.28.6.354
Shanafelt, T., Dyrbye, L., & Sinsky, C. (2020). Burnout among health care professionals: Recommendations for mitigation. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 95(4), 773-784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.03.001
Ulrich, C. M., & Grady, C. (2020). Ethical issues in health policy advocacy. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 52(4), 385-392. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12577
Williams, P. A., & Sailer, D. A. (2018). Legislation and nurse advocacy: Strategies for effective health policy influence. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 42(1), 14–22. https://doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000279
World Health Organization. (2020). The state of the world's nursing 2020: Investing in education, jobs and leadership. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003280