Question 1
The lawmaking process constitutes eight steps that are inclusive of the introduction of a bill, action from the committee assigned to look into the bill, hearings, marking up of the bill, the provision of a committee report, conference action, and executive action. According to Jeanie Stroker (2003), nurses can contribute to two parts of this process. In the first step, which involves the introduction of a bill, nurses can ask a member of Congress to sponsor a particular bill. In most cases, legislators seek support as well as the appropriate advice needed during the drafting of a bill. For this reason, nurses can provide the support needed by ensuring that the legislator is aware of their presence as a resource that can provide the expertise needed.
The second part that nurses can participate during the lawmaking process is during hearings. The hearings are in place to educate the legislators as well as the public about the fundamental issue being addressed by the bill. In such cases, nurses can participate by providing the legislature with written or verbal information at a hearing. They get the opportunity to give their input to the content of the introduced bill (Stoker, 2003). During this phase, different nursing organizations, such as ANA or AARP, can testify on behalf of their members Stoker, J. (2003). It is also possible for an individual to provide a written testimony during this process, consequently outlining the manner in which the law being introduced can affect their constituents.
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Question 2
The two ways through which nurses can influence the lawmaking process are inclusive of advocacy and lobbying. There is a possibility of arguing that advocacy is preferable over lobbying. Even though the objectives of advocacy and lobbying are the same, advocacy attempts to cause political action by using strategies that are inclusive of public campaigns and civil education. These strategies can assist in influencing decision-makers to take a stand in tackling a particular issue. According to Sheila Abood (2007), the experience that nurses have obtained through their participation in the healthcare setting is essential for motivating them to assume a particular form of advocacy role, which they can enable them to influence alterations in the policies or laws governing the healthcare system. One way through which they can advocate for change would be through using their expert power. In this regard, nurses are in a unique position of using their knowledge and expertise to educate the legislature regarding a particular challenge (Abood, 2007). The expert power makes it possible to use their knowledge to promote and achieve specific policy objectives.
Question 3
One of the social determinants of health include income as well as the social status of individuals. Even though the role of nurses does not involve addressing poverty, they can advocate for the provision of a healthy public policy as well as the promotion of health equity by calling for regulatory support. The primary roles of nurses include the promotion of health, the application of social justice, the promotion of social responsibility for the realization of a healthy community, and engaging in advocacy to ensure that individuals that are not in a position to improve their health can receive support (Cohen & McKay, 2010). For this reason, nurses can engage in advocacy to influence policy changes that can promote alterations class advocacy to ensure that the health opportunities are increased within a particular community.
References
Abood, S. (2007). Influencing Health Care in the Legislative Arena. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursin, 12 (1), 3. doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol12No01Man02
Cohen, B. E., & McKay, M. (2010). The Role of Public Health Agencies in Addressing Child and Family Poverty: Public Health Nurses’ Perspectives. The Open Nursing Journal , 4 , 60–71. doi: 10.2174/1874434601004010060
Stoker, J. (2003). Influencing the Legislative Process: How a Bill Becomes A Law. Home Healthcare Nurse: The Journal for The Home Care and Hospice Professional , 21 (5), 299. doi: 10.1097/00004045-200305000-00005
