The Role of the RN/APRN in Policy-Making
Instructions
Respond to at least two of your colleagues* posts by suggesting additional opportunities or recommendations for overcoming the challenges described by your colleagues.
Discussion Post 1 Week 8 NRSE 6050
According to literature from the National Institute of Corrections and other scholars, the need for a correctional system to be successful in reducing recidivism includes coordination between law and government, organization, and evidence-based practices. I will share discussion details from the prior week to better clarify the application of evidence-based practice in correctional facilities to fulfill pending legislation risk assessment is a critical method for predicting recidivism.
Risk Assessment elements include antisocial peer-group reviews and evaluations, drug and alcohol dependence, lack of self-control, and an antisocial value system. While correctional nurses are responsible for educating and encouraging safety, risk management may promote discharge planning. Inmates can access necessary treatment by using telemedicine in correctional facilities, but health programs are more geared towards social determinants.
Correctional nurses teach and promote healthy behaviors, assess risk factors, and foster discharge preparation that may include individuals, families, healthcare colleagues, and correctional staff. Correctional nurses also oversee preventive health and safety programs that support inmates, correctional personnel, and their families, including vaccines, routine procedures, post-exposure prophylaxis and therapy, and exposure management plans.
Health promotion and teaching efficacy are measured and useful for evidence-based practice. Since the Eighth Amendment mandates prison facilities to provide appropriate medical care to prisoners suffering from serious injury, pain or loss of function, later-stage pregnancy, significant dental conditions, and mental health issues, APRNs are eligible to perform physical examination and treatment appropriately.
APRNs will also recognize inmates with communicable diseases and enact corrective interventions, as well as lead health promotion and public safety in the emergency response system. In Ohio, throughout correctional facilities, APRNs can perform telehealth and on-site appointments. This healthcare practice is more widespread nationally. Increasing evidence suggests that telehealth can reduce health costs, improve health outcomes, and increase access to healthcare services in different settings and under certain conditions. In corrections, telehealth services should be addressed to better promote H.R. 4141 Law.
References
Hooley, D. (2010, March 30). Six evidence-based practices proven to lower recidivism. Retrieved April 6, 2020, from https://www.correctionsone.com/re-entry-and-recidivism/articles/6-evidence-based-practices-proven-to-lower-recidivism-MRzqFIO9P1okPNBF/
(n.d.). National Commission on Correctional Healthcare. Health Promotion and Maintenance. Retrieved April 6, 2020, from https://www.ncchc.org/cnp-health-promotion
(n.d.). American Civil Liberties Union. Know Your Rights: Medical, Dental, and Mental Health Care. Retrieved April 6, 2020, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/4141
(2020). The Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights. Medical Care for Prisoners. Retrieved April 6, 2020, from https://www.prisonerhealth.org/resources-for-prisoners-families-and-advocates/prisoners-and-families/
(2015, April). OHIO APRN PRACTICE SETTINGS. Retrieved April 6, 2020, from http://nebula.wsimg.com
Discussion Post 2 Week 8 NRSE 6050
A nurse who joins a nursing association is one example of how a registered nurse and advanced practice registered nurses can actively participate in policy-making. The voice of nurses in policy discussions is often represented by professional nursing associations (Waddell, 2018). Usually, these associations have members that are lobbyists that know how to bring issues to legislation. The second way a nurse can contribute to policymaking is advocating for policy or policy change at his or her workplace.
Nurses are aware that policies can have a great impact on healthcare practice. The nurse first needs to identify the problem and then research evidence-based research to support their solution to the problem. Discussing concerns and findings with the leader of the department will help implement policy change. These two opportunities that nurses can use to impact policymaking do not come without challenges.
The nurse could bring the proposed policy or policy change to his or her leader, but the leader may not be supportive. Having the support and encouragement of political activism from fellow co-workers, family and friends is a way to overcome this challenge (Brokaw, 2016). Presenting the leader of the nursing department or nursing association with not enough data to support the policy could also be a challenge. Presenting the leader with up-to-date evidence-based research is important to help implement the policy.
Evidence-based practice allows nurses to implement health care resolutions based on findings from high-quality research reports, clinical expertise, and patient perspectives (Kueny et al., 2015). Using social media is one strategy that can be used to better advocate for a particular political view and/or express opportunities in policymaking. Nursing associations can post information on different social media applications about their organization, goals, membership fees, etc. A nursing association can also post their stance on a health policy.
Doing this can provide insight into whether people have similar views and behaviors around the topic (Yeung, 2018). Posting the health policy opinion can also give the association more support from not only the public but from other nurses around the nation as well. These nurses may be more influenced to join the association and become a member if their political views align. The second strategy includes educating nurses sooner in their educational career about policy and policymaking.
This would help them know more about opportunities available to him or her and how he or she can be an advocate. Before this class in my master’s program, I had given nurses and policymaking little thought. Touching base on the topic briefly in a bachelor’s or even associate’s nursing program would be a nice introduction. This way if a nurse decides not to pursue a master’s degree, he or she is informed enough on the topic that he or she can be an advocate for change.
References
Brokaw, J. (2016, September 22). The Nursing Profession’s Potential Impact on Policy and Politics. American Nurse. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www.myamericannurse.com/nursing-professions-potential-impact-policy-politics/
Kueny, A., Shever, L., Lehan Mackin, M., & Titler, M. (2015). Facilitating the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice Through Contextual Support and Nursing Leadership. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 7(1), 29–39. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5740993/
Waddell, A. (2018). Nursing Organizations’ Health Policy Content on Facebook and Twitter Preceding the 2016 United States Presidential Election. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75(1). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jan.13826
Yeung, D. (2018). Social
Solution
Discussion 2: The Role of the RN/APRN in Policy-Making
Response 1
Hey, I am glad to hear from you. I agree with you Shawn concerning the quality of care provided in the correctional facilities and the importance of incorporating evidence-based guidelines to provide holistic care among the incarcerated. It is vital to acknowledge that populations in correctional facilities are vulnerable to poor healthcare outcomes, which communicates the need for the adoption of policies that facilitate adequate planning, the provision of education and overall risk assessment of the inmates’ health needs.
Nowotny (2016) asserts that the quality of healthcare services provided among the inmates in the US correctional facilities is suboptimal citing issues like delayed treatment as an example of poor healthcare services. Due to the barriers related to the correctional facilities like geographic and movement barriers, telehealth would be an effective platform to provide healthcare services among the inmates (Young & Badowski, 2017). The medium would support diverse health needs among the inmates ranging from health educational needs, consultations with the physicians and monitoring of their health conditions regularly.
Response 2
Hey, glad to hear from you. I agree with your post on the role of the registered nurses in the policy-making due to their vast educational and clinical practice expertise. The nurses, therefore, are better placed to be advocates and change agents due to their in-depth understanding of the challenges, needs, and opportunities in the nursing profession. According to Arabi, Rafii, Cherghi, and Ghiyasvandian (2014), nurses’ engagement in the health policy process is likely to enhance the quality of care and enhance access and availability of healthcare resources.
Besides the use of professional nursing organizations and social media for advocacy purposes, the two other ways that nurses could engage in policy-making include personal meetings with the legislators as well as the occupation of leadership positions in healthcare organizations. The two platforms would broaden the nurses’ network and capacity to influence policy-making and the overall transformation of the healthcare sector.
References
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), 315–322.
Brokaw, J. (2016). The nursing profession’s potential impact on policy and politics. Official Journal of American Nurses Association. Retrieved from https://www.americannursetoday.com/blog/nursing-professions-potential-impact-policy-politics/.
Nowotny K. M. (2016). Social Factors Related to the Utilization of Health Care Among Prison Inmates. Journal of correctional health care : the official journal of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, 22(2), 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078345816633701
Young, J. D., & Badowski, M. E. (2017). Telehealth: Increasing Access to High Quality Care by Expanding the Role of Technology in Correctional Medicine. Journal of clinical medicine, 6(2), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm6020020