What Parts of the lawmaking process does a nurse have the opportunity to influence the final bill passage?
Despite the roles and responsibilities that nurses carry out in the healthcare context, they can also be involved in the legal process just like other stakeholders. Evidence from existing studies reveals the crucial role and influence that nurses can have in the policies and bills that are associated with the protection of patients’ safety, quality of care and their overall wellbeing (Abood, 2007; Arabi, Rafii, Cheraghi, & Ghiyasvandian, 2014). In this regard, it is imperative to note that taking an active participation in the regulatory process enables the population to help legislators shape relevant policies for the benefit of the current and future generations. Therefore, nurses can actively participate in the process by seeking an audience with a member of the Congress through appropriate means to sponsor a bill that is relevant for the stakeholders in the healthcare industry (Stoker, 2003). As a democratic right, the United State nursing professionals can influence the bill in the final stage through calls, written letters or visiting the Congress.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Additionally, legislators often seek advice and support from nurses in key leadership and those advocating for healthcare-related changes while drafting the bill. In this case, nurses are expected to identify pertinent issues and work with decision-makers to advance the policies. Before a bill is passed as law, it passes through two chambers that significantly receive support from different key stakeholders. Another crucial phase entails a congressperson who further delves into an in-depth research purposely to accumulate enough information before passing the bill to the chambers. Subsequently, draft adjustments are shared out where they induce the relationship of commitment on how the resulting policy can benefit the people.
List at least two ways that this influence can take place. In your opinion, would one way be preferable over the other?
As manifested in the discussion above, there are notable ways that nurse can influence the final bill passage. In addition to contacting elected officials regarding policies and legislation relevant to the healthcare industry, nurses can actively assume political leadership roles and advocated for needed health care changes. Nevertheless, it is imperative to note how inducing persuasion in groups can empower one to participate sufficiently in the legislation process (Kim, Kim, Han, Jackson, & Ployhart, 2017) . Persuasion in a supervisory position can make the Congress come to terms with healthcare concerns. Therefore, persuasion carried out through a nursing group is the most preferable way of influencing the final bill passage. The visitation undertaken by a group of nurses presents a favorable opportunity for those who are politically active to present any healthcare policy changes or grievances experienced in the industry.
Reviewing the social determinants of health, select one to respond to this question: What role can nurses play in promoting health status through policy changes directly affecting this social determinant?
In their studies, Kemppainen, Tossavainen, and Turunen (2013), and Smith (2007) reveal the roles that nurses can undertake to address health disparities and promote public health. Evidence from these studies outlines the traditional roles played by nurses on disease prevention and other health promotion practice based on social and health policies. In addition to the traditional roles, nurses can engage actively in politics with an aim of fostering positive health care changes. In order to achieve these objectives, there is the need for nurses to learn and understand policy work through which they can use to influence practice standards and the subsequent delivery of quality care. Therefore, nurses not only get involved in policy participation process but also identify areas within which they can review and promote the healthcare needs of their respective local communities. Lastly, addressing the aspect of education and literacy regarding policies is an effective way of understanding the needs of the populace, thus, pursuing and fostering healthcare changes through appropriate policy changes.
References
Abood, S. (2007). Influencing health care in the legislative arena. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 12 (1), 2.
Arabi, A., Rafii, F., Cheraghi, M. A., & Ghiyasvandian, S. (2014). Nurses’ policy influence: A concept analysis. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research, 19 (3), 315.
Kemppainen, V., Tossavainen, K., & Turunen, H. (2013). Nurses' roles in health promotion practice: an integrative review. Health Promotion International, 28 (4), 490-501.
Kim, A., Kim, Y., Han, K., Jackson, S. E., & Ployhart, R. E. (2017). Multilevel influences on voluntary workplace green behavior: Individual differences, leader behavior, and coworker advocacy. Journal of Management , 43 (5), 1335-1358.
Smith, G. R. (2007). Health disparities: What can nursing do? Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 8 (4), 285-291.
Stoker, J. (2003). Influencing the legislative process: How a bill becomes a law. Home Healthcare Now, 21 (5), 299.
