Population Health Advocacy
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Health Policy and Economics
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
Population Health Advocacy
Health care advocacy is needed to improve both public health and population health. Many issues that impact public health are beyond the scope of healthcare services, such as housing, income, education, hazardous waste dumps, and social justice issues. Examples of population health conditions that impact whole communities include poverty-related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, mental illness; cancer; HIV/AIDS; childhood obesity; and many others. Nurses and healthcare leaders are in an excellent position to shape and influence healthcare policy, but their voices often become muted. We need to become more involved in the political process to be heard. For the community to make a change, they must use the power of nurture. One nurse or leader at the community or state level can impact issues like human trafficking, poverty and homelessness by getting involved with key influencers such as neighbourhood associations and municipal government representatives. Their voices are vital when it comes to advocating for public health initiatives.
There is a bill currently being considered by Congress and the Senate that would greatly benefit nurses and improve patient safety and health outcomes – The National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act of 2017 (S. 593) (Nurse Staffing Promotion Act. Nevertheless, as nurses, we are not only "nurses," but also consumers, providers, and advocates. Furthermore, we must engage all our voices to advance the legislation. Healthcare advocators should submit their opinions to the senators. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRNs) are also included in this legislation. They would be able to practice their advanced education and certifications without barriers from state to state and without fear of reprisal or retaliation from hospitals or health systems that do not want them to advance their careers or further their education (Walton et al., 2022). The bill would provide for a grant program for hospitals that want to create a new APRN residency program of at least two years in length.
The most recent estimates of the nursing shortage indicate a shortfall of approximately 100,000 nurses in the US (Bourgault, 2022). Nurse staffing is also notably low across all specialities, including critical care. Nurse leadership needs to be more vocal about issues affecting our patients and impacting healthcare policies at state, federal, and national levels. There have been many reports from other countries about the importance of leadership in politics and policy-making. However, in all cases, the leadership has been based on a cohesive, united front. Therefore, it is difficult for political parties to decide their strategies when they are unsure who will advocate for their goals or hold them accountable.
" The National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act of 2017 (S. 593) (Nurse Staffing Promotion Act " is very important to population health because safe staffing ratios are shown to have a direct impact on patient outcomes. Nurses are currently practising in very unsafe ratios (Bourgault, 2022). It is time for Congress to enact the policy that would lift the restrictions that have kept nurses from advancing their education and gaining practice from state to state. It would help reduce healthcare costs and provide better care to our patients. Health care advocacy is also needed to assure funding for universal access to education and training for nurses and other front-line providers to achieve high-quality healthcare at optimal cost.
The nurse shortage is a major issue in the US. Nurses cannot practice in their speciality due to state laws that prevent nurses from seeking advanced education or working at hospitals outside of their states of licensing. This bill will fix this shortage by ensuring that nurses can receive advanced education such as nursing practitioner certification, recertification with no travel barriers, and practice in federal facilities without restrictions. Citizens and healthcare organizations like APRNs and The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NANPHW) can contact their Senators and representatives and ask them to co-sponsor the legislation currently in the Senate (S., 1913). If it is passed, it will benefit US citizens.
Advocate voice should be heard by all appropriate parties and represent the interests of the US population – the nurses who care for patients. As an advocate, I would make sure that my voice is heard by all appropriate parties and represent the interests of my population – the nurses who care for my patients. I would be an advocate for safe staffing ratios, safe work environments, over-utilization of technology, and alternative healing methods. I would also advocate for nurses to receive proper and advanced education. Nurses and other healthcare professionals must get involved in politics and policy-making. Nurses are the healthcare consumers of tomorrow. By refusing to engage in the political process, we risk our concerns being pushed aside by the profit-driven nature of healthcare. It's hard to find a nurse who would disagree that ensuring an adequate supply of qualified nurses and caregivers would ensure a safer practice environment for tomorrow's citizens – today's patients. As people with a vested interest in health care legislation, we must not sit on the sidelines. At the same time, decisions are being made that negatively impact our profession, nursing practice, and, ultimately, patients' safety.
As people with a vested interest in health care legislation, we must not sit on the sidelines. At the same time, decisions are being made that negatively impact our profession, nursing practice, and, ultimately, patients’ safety. Nurses and other healthcare professionals must be involved in the political process to make sure that our voices and our concerns are heard by all appropriate parties; lawmakers, healthcare administrators, and legislators. The policy is especially important for nurses who want to advance their careers and provide the best care for their patients. I believe that this policy supports my values because it aligns with my nursing philosophy and focuses on eliminating nursing errors, promoting safer practice environments, advancing nurse education, and ensuring nurse leadership in politics. As an advocate, I would ensure that this policy is enacted because it will benefit US citizens, nurses, and their families.
US citizens and their families will be at risk if we do not have safe hospital ratios. Many people are dying because of errors that can be avoided and managed. Adopting legislation allowing nurses to practice in safe ratios and limiting the use of technology and alternative healing methods will help patients get the care they need. Successful enactment of this bill will affect all genders, ethnic groups, and economic classes because it will help nurses and their patients. This bill is related to The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which passed in 2010. The law intended to expand health insurance coverage. However, according to the American Nurses Association, it led to less access to care with reduced nurse-to-patient ratios. "Recognizing that registered nurses are the most important element of high quality, safe patient care," the bill introduced by New York State Assemblyman Gary Pretlow aims "to protect patients from hospital staffing shortages." The bill aims to reduce errors and ancillary services by requiring hospitals to secure an adequate number of nurses for healthcare delivery. The legislation states, "Nurses must have unimpeded access to emergency equipment, medications and laboratory supplies.
Healthcare reform is needed. Healthcare costs have been consistently increasing. That has made healthcare very costly for patients, employers, and the government. Unsafe staffing ratios in hospitals lead to increased errors, complications, and even death. Nurses are being overworked without compensation for their efforts or education. Some hospitals are now using robots to take care of patients, which is dehumanizing for patients and providers alike. Many stakeholders can join in collaboration to advocate for this policy. Nurses and other healthcare professionals are the major stakeholders involved in this initiative. The American Nurses Association, The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NANPHW), other advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners, nurse anaesthetists), nurse educators, patients, and employees can also advocate for this policy.
I would also collaborate with physicians and advanced practice providers to help advocate for this policy because they have much knowledge about nursing workforce issues and can guide how to best market this cause. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, The Joint Commission, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) are important organizations in the US. The savings under the bill would be by implementing safe ratios at hospitals.
In conclusion, healthcare reform is needed. The cost of healthcare needs to be reduced. The health reform is accomplished by implementing safe ratios in hospitals and limiting the use of technology and alternative healing methods. This bill will help patients get the care they need by creating a safer practice environment for nurses, patients, and other employees of hospitals. This policy is necessary and should be adopted because it will increase the level of safety in hospitals. Nurses are not compensated for their work. The healthcare reform has increased nurse workloads, leading to nurses being overworked. This policy will help nurses get the proper amount of rest they need and reduce burnout, which is a significant risk to patient safety. This policy will also help reduce errors in hospitals.
References
Kleinpell, R., Myers, C. R., Likes, W., & Schorn, M. N. (2022). Breaking Down Institutional Barriers to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Practice. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 46(2), 137–143. https://doi.org/10.1097/naq.0000000000000518
Popejoy, L. L., Vogelsmeier, A. A., Canada, K. E., Kist, S., Miller, S. J., Galambos, C., Alexander, G. L., Crecelius, C., & Rantz, M. (2021). A Call to Address RN, Social Work, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Nursing Homes. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 37(1), 21–27. https://doi.org/10.1097/ncq.0000000000000604
Walton, A. L., Nikpour, J. A., & Randolph, S. D. (2022). Population health in a global society: Preparing nurses for the future. Public Health Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.13081
Woolf, S. H. (2022). The Growing Influence of State Governments on Population Health in the United States. JAMA, 327(14), 1331. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.3785