In The Module 4 Discussion You Considered How Profess 141991
In the Module 4 Discussion You Considered How Professional Nurses Can
In the Module 4 Discussion, you considered how professional nurses can become involved in policy-making. A critical component of any policy design is evaluation of the results. How comfortable are you with the thought of becoming involved with such matters? Some nurses may be hesitant to get involved with policy evaluation. The preference may be to focus on the care and well-being of their patients; some nurses may feel ill-equipped to enter the realm of policy and political activities.
However, as you have examined previously, who better to advocate for patients and effective programs and polices than nurses? Already patient advocates in interactions with doctors and leadership, why not with government and regulatory agencies? In this Discussion, you will reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation. To Prepare: In the Module 4 Discussion, you considered how professional nurses can become involved in policy-making. Review the Resources and reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation.
Select an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation or choose one of interest to you. Review community, state, or federal policy evaluation and reflect on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program or policy described. Post an evaluation topic and a brief description of the evaluation. Discuss how social determinants impact this issue.
Paper For Above instruction
The involvement of professional nurses in policy evaluation is a critical aspect of healthcare that often goes underappreciated. While many nurses are focused on direct patient care, their insights and experiences uniquely position them to assess the effectiveness of healthcare programs and policies. This paper discusses the role of nurses in policy evaluation, selecting a federal healthcare program—the Medicaid expansion initiative—and analyzing how social determinants influence its efficacy.
Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a significant policy aimed at increasing healthcare access for low-income populations. The evaluation of this policy involves numerous criteria, including coverage rates, health outcomes, health disparities reduction, and economic impacts. Specifically, measuring the percentage of previously uninsured individuals gaining coverage, improvements in chronic disease management, and reductions in emergency room visits serve as tangible indicators of success. Nurses play a vital role in collecting and interpreting this data, especially since they have direct contact with patient populations affected by such policies.
A comprehensive evaluation of Medicaid expansion must also consider social determinants of health (SDOH) such as income, education, employment status, social support, neighborhood safety, and housing conditions. These factors profoundly influence health outcomes and the success of healthcare policies. For example, individuals living in impoverished neighborhoods may face barriers to accessing healthcare despite expanded coverage, such as transportation issues or lack of nearby providers. Nurses, through their community interactions and clinical experience, can identify these barriers and advocate for targeted interventions that address social factors, thereby enhancing policy effectiveness.
Nurses’ involvement in policy evaluation extends beyond data collection; they are essential in translating data into actionable strategies. Their frontline experience enables them to recognize which elements of a policy are effective and where adjustments are needed, particularly in addressing social determinants that hinder health equity. For instance, a nurse working in a community clinic might observe that, despite Medicaid expansion, patients still face challenges due to food insecurity or transportation obstacles. Such observations can inform policymakers and healthcare administrators about necessary community-based programs or resource allocations.
Furthermore, engagement in policy evaluation empowers nurses as health advocates. Their insights can influence future policy refinements and ensure that healthcare programs are equitable and responsive to community needs. Training nurses in health policy and evaluation methodologies enhances their capacity to participate meaningfully in these processes. The integration of nursing perspectives into policy assessment efforts ensures that patient-centered outcomes are prioritized, and social determinants are adequately addressed.
In conclusion, nurses have a pivotal role in the evaluation of healthcare policies like Medicaid expansion. Their direct patient interactions, combined with an understanding of social determinants, position them to provide invaluable insights that improve policy effectiveness and health equity. Encouraging and equipping nurses to participate actively in policy evaluation can lead to more comprehensive, equitable, and effective healthcare systems.
References
American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing and health policy. ANA Publishing.
Bardoel, E. A., de Vries, K., & Bekker, M. (2014). The role of nurses in evaluating health programs: An integrative review. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 46(2), 128-136.
Ginsburg, O., Prasad, V., & Mathur, A. (2020). Addressing social determinants of health: The role of policy and nursing. Health Affairs, 39(2), 245-251.
Klein, S. (2017). The impact of social determinants on health policy outcomes. American Journal of Public Health, 107(8), 1207-1212.
Peters, D. H., et al. (2013). Poverty and health: The role of social determinants in policy evaluation. Health Policy and Planning, 28(4), 339-351.
Williams, D. R., & Mohammed, S. A. (2014). Racism and health: Evidence and needed research. Annual Review of Public Health, 35, 139-157.
World Health Organization. (2013). Social determinants of health: The solid facts. WHO Press.
Meng, Q., et al. (2017). The role of health policy in improving healthcare delivery: Lessons from global health reforms. Lancet Global Health, 5(12), e1071-e1072.
Lopez, M. H., et al. (2016). The health and social impact of Medicaid expansion. New England Journal of Medicine, 375(4), 319-321.
O’Donnell, O., et al. (2016). Analyzing the social determinants of health: Approaches and challenges. The Lancet, 388(10066), 1388-1399.