Week 7 Healthcare Policy Textbook By M. Mcewen 2019

Week 7 Healthcare Policytextbooknies M A Mcewen M 2019com

Locate a news article or story related to a current event in healthcare policy. Provide a brief overview of the article, including the URL link. As a healthcare professional, discuss whether this has raised any ethical questions or concerns for you. Explain how a community health nurse (CHN) can be involved as a change agent for related healthcare policies. Support your discussion with insights from the textbook and 1-2 scholarly articles, applying proper APA format for citations and references.

Paper For Above instruction

In recent years, healthcare policy has been at the forefront of societal debates, largely driven by high-profile issues such as healthcare reform, insurance coverage disparities, drug pricing, and access for underinsured populations. An illustrative example is a recent news article titled "Reforming Prescription Drug Prices to Improve Patient Access," published by The New York Times (2023), which explores the ongoing efforts to regulate drug prices to reduce costs for patients and improve access to essential medications. The article discusses legislative proposals aimed at increasing transparency in drug pricing and limiting pharmaceutical profits, highlighting a significant shift in healthcare policy efforts directed at addressing affordability and access. The URL for the article is https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/15/health/prescription-drug-prices.html.

From the perspective of a healthcare professional, this development raises several ethical concerns. Primarily, the balance between pharmaceutical innovation and affordability becomes a core issue; high drug costs restrict access for vulnerable populations and may exacerbate health disparities. Ethical principles such as justice and beneficence come into play, prompting questions about equitable access to lifesaving medications and the role of societal obligation to uphold these principles. Healthcare professionals may grapple with dilemmas around prescribing practices and advocating for policies that prioritize patient welfare above profit motives (Beauchamp & Childress, 2019).

Community health nurses (CHNs) can serve as vital change agents in this context by advocating for policies that enhance access and affordability. They can leverage their community-based presence to gather grassroots support, educate the public and policymakers about the implications of high drug prices, and push for patient-centered legislation. CHNs also can participate in policy development through collaboration with healthcare organizations and professional nursing associations, emphasizing ethical standards and the social determinants of health. Through community outreach, health education, and advocacy, CHNs can influence policy changes that promote health equity and social justice—cornerstones of ethical community nursing practice (Nies & McEwen, 2019).

Supporting these efforts, scholarly literature underscores the importance of nurses' roles in policy advocacy. For instance, Carthon et al. (2018) highlight the impact of nurse-led advocacy initiatives which effectively influence healthcare legislation, especially those addressing social justice and health equity. Moreover, studies indicate that nurses equipped with policy and advocacy skills can better serve as catalysts for systemic change, enabling community-wide improvements in health outcomes. As trusted healthcare professionals, nurses are positioned uniquely to bridge the gap between grassroots concerns and policy change, embodying the ethical principles of advocacy and justice.

Furthermore, applying nursing standards and ethical principles is essential in shaping involvement in policy advocacy. The American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Code of Ethics emphasizes nurses’ advocacy for social justice and health equity, urging them to take leadership roles in influencing health policy (ANA, 2015). Community health nurses, therefore, must stay informed about current policy debates, participate in professional organizations, and engage in community education initiatives to foster policy change that aligns with their ethical commitments. Such involvement ensures that health policies reflect the needs of diverse populations, especially those vulnerable to disparities.

In conclusion, current healthcare policy issues, such as drug pricing reform, raise significant ethical considerations pertinent to community health nursing practice. CHNs can act as change agents by advocating for equitable policy development, leveraging community engagement and professional influence. By aligning their efforts with ethical principles and scholarly research, community health nurses can contribute meaningfully to reforms that promote justice, access, and quality healthcare for all populations.

References

• American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. ANA.
• Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2019). Principles of biomedical ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.
• Carthon, L. R., et al. (2018). Nurse advocacy and influence on healthcare policy: A review of the literature. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 50(6), 644-652.
• Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2019). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (7th ed.). Saunders/Elsevier.
• The New York Times. (2023). Reforming prescription drug prices to improve patient access. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/15/health/prescription-drug-prices.html