Healthcare Policy Leader

RN as Healthcare Policy Leader RN as Healthcare Policy Leader (graded) As a health policy expert leader, communicatin" rel="nofollow">ing with lay audiences is an important skill in" rel="nofollow">in promotin" rel="nofollow">ing the health of the community for master prepared registered nurses. Develop a concise position statement regardin" rel="nofollow">ing research fin" rel="nofollow">indin" rel="nofollow">ings and recommendations by experts as they relate to workplace support for, medical marijuana services in" rel="nofollow">in the community, genetic testin" rel="nofollow">ing or applications of stem cell research or a community service admin" rel="nofollow">inistered by Family Nurse Practitioners (if you pick this one to be specific about the type of community service). Reference Mason, D. J., Gardner, D. B., Outlaw, F. H., & O'Grady, E. T. (Eds). (2016). Policy & politics in" rel="nofollow">in nursin" rel="nofollow">ing and healthcare (7th ed.). Retrieved from https://onlin" rel="nofollow">ine.vitalsource.com ?Chapter 74: Professional Nursin" rel="nofollow">ing Associations: Operationalizin" rel="nofollow">ing Nursin" rel="nofollow">ing Values ?Chapter 77: TAKING ACTION: The Nursin" rel="nofollow">ing Kitchen Cabin" rel="nofollow">inet: Policy and Politics in" rel="nofollow">in Action ?Chapter 79: TAKING ACTION: Campaign for Action ?Chapter 81: Where Policy Hits the pavement: Contemporary Issues in" rel="nofollow">in Communities ?Chapter 82: An Introduction to Community Activism ?Chapter 85: TAKING ACTION: From Sewage Problems to the Statehouse: Servin" rel="nofollow">ing Communities Auerbach, J. 2015. Creatin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">incentives to move upstream: A diversified portfolio of population health measures within" rel="nofollow">in payment and healthcare reform. American Journal of Public Health, 105(3) : 427-431. lin" rel="nofollow">ink to article Doody O. and Doody, C. (2012). Transformational leadership in" rel="nofollow">in nursin" rel="nofollow">ing practice, British Journal of Nursin" rel="nofollow">ing, 21(20): 1212-1218. lin" rel="nofollow">ink to article Freudenberg, N. & Tusi, E. (2014). Evidence, power, and policy change in" rel="nofollow">in community-based participatory research. American Journal of Public Health, 104(1), 11-14 doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301471 lin" rel="nofollow">ink to article HealthForum. (2015). Population health: a look at the strategy and impact of consumerism. Hospital & Health Networks, 9(89): 47-57 lin" rel="nofollow">ink to article Butterfield, P. (2002). Upstream reflections on environmental health: an abbreviated history and framework for action. Advanced Nursin" rel="nofollow">ing Science, 25(1) 32-49. lin" rel="nofollow">ink to article Laderman, M. & Whittin" rel="nofollow">ington, J. (2015). Assessin" rel="nofollow">ing community health needs. Healthcare Executive, SEPT/OCT: 70-73. lin" rel="nofollow">ink to article Page or paragraph numbers must be in" rel="nofollow">included with quotes per APA. See APA re how to format references and in" rel="nofollow">in-text citations i.e. capitalization issues and use of the ampersand versus the word ("and"). Includin" rel="nofollow">ing at least one in" rel="nofollow">in-text citation and matchin" rel="nofollow">ing reference. Check for grammar and spellin" rel="nofollow">ings Introduction By now you should have a good understandin" rel="nofollow">ing of the components of a healthcare policy analysis with subsequent recommendations for change to make a positive impact upon the health of your community and nation. We have covered much material related to the role of nursin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in policy makin" rel="nofollow">ing, policy analysis, health care economics, legal issues relatin" rel="nofollow">ing to public health, ethics and the right to health care, and advocatin" rel="nofollow">ing for populations as leaders in" rel="nofollow">in public health. This week we will further examin" rel="nofollow">ine the role of nurses as leaders in" rel="nofollow">in developin" rel="nofollow">ing and promotin" rel="nofollow">ing policy. We will look at the impact of networkin" rel="nofollow">ing with the community in" rel="nofollow">in promotin" rel="nofollow">ing the holistic health of our nation. We will also target contemporary issues in" rel="nofollow">in healthcare that will likely play key factors in" rel="nofollow">in policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing today and tomorrow. Nurses as Leaders in" rel="nofollow">in Healthcare Policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing It is very important that nurses play a key role in" rel="nofollow">in healthcare policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing as they are at the grassroots level of understandin" rel="nofollow">ing patient needs and best outcomes of care on a daily moment-to-moment basis. Of all healthcare professionals it is nursin" rel="nofollow">ing who is most at the patient's side and in" rel="nofollow">in tune to patient needs. Hence, as a profession, nursin" rel="nofollow">ing brin" rel="nofollow">ings its carin" rel="nofollow">ing experience as both art and science to the policy table. In addition, nursin" rel="nofollow">ing must also contin" rel="nofollow">inue to ensure that their professional in" rel="nofollow">input is an in" rel="nofollow">integral part of what occurs in" rel="nofollow">in healthcare policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing as a standard of main" rel="nofollow">intain" rel="nofollow">inin" rel="nofollow">ing a position of autonomy in" rel="nofollow">in practice. As a profession and disciplin" rel="nofollow">ine we must contin" rel="nofollow">inue to respect the power of policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing and speakin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in one voice. Roads to Nurse Leadership in" rel="nofollow">in Healthcare Policy The roads to nurse leadership in" rel="nofollow">in healthcare policy are varied but key factors cited below are foundational for success in" rel="nofollow">in this area (Doody & Doody, 2012): Environment It is important as a policy maker to pay attention to what is goin" rel="nofollow">ing on around you. From environmental physical conditions to public opin" rel="nofollow">inions to state of the milieu (home turf). Some are more obvious than others. Nurse leaders as policymakers should recognize that all these factors play in" rel="nofollow">into the feasibility and success of any policy. Communication Skills Be aware as a nurse leader in" rel="nofollow">in policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing that non-verbal skills are probably some of your most important talents. Of note, listenin" rel="nofollow">ing is not only an art but a key driver in" rel="nofollow">in policy makin" rel="nofollow">ing. Listenin" rel="nofollow">ing lets your constituents know they have been heard and that you are in" rel="nofollow">interested in" rel="nofollow">in what they have to say; it in" rel="nofollow">indicates carin" rel="nofollow">ing. Type of Leader A transformational leader uses personal strength and power to motivate others to meet their goals. That the leader can be trusted seems key to the followers (Doody & Doody, 2012). This leads to followers actin" rel="nofollow">ing to sustain" rel="nofollow">in the greater good rather than servin" rel="nofollow">ing their own in" rel="nofollow">interests. Shared Governance and Join" rel="nofollow">int Decision Makin" rel="nofollow">ing Nurse leaders in" rel="nofollow">in healthcare policy should foster teamwork (posited in" rel="nofollow">in professional organizations and coalitions) as the nature of healthcare policy takes place within" rel="nofollow">in a network of patients, professionals, politicians, and organizations. A focus on shared governance and teamwork is a sound leadership strategy in" rel="nofollow">in such a complicated milieu (Doody & Doody, 2012). Evidence-Based Practice Healthcare policy is effective (most persuasive) when based on research or active public (patient) opin" rel="nofollow">inion. Diversity Nurse Healthcare Policy Leaders are most effective as policymakers when they pay attention to diversity needs of the public and/or the people they work with or serve. Consensus is often one of the easiest ways to begin" rel="nofollow">in to approach diversity. Upstream Thin" rel="nofollow">inkin" rel="nofollow">ing Upstream thin" rel="nofollow">inkin" rel="nofollow">ing is a newer method to comprehensively consider the social, economic, and environmental origin" rel="nofollow">ins of health problems of populations (Auerbach, 2015). Consider the classic analogy by Ashton and Seymour (1988) regardin" rel="nofollow">ing the metaphor of rescue workers along a fast-movin" rel="nofollow">ing river to explain" rel="nofollow">in manifestations of upstream thin" rel="nofollow">inkin" rel="nofollow">ing. A Community in" rel="nofollow">in Crisis Watch the followin" rel="nofollow">ing video. It depicts a community in" rel="nofollow">in crisis. People are complain" rel="nofollow">inin" rel="nofollow">ing of severe GI symptoms; a primary reason for local hospitalizations. Cases of cholera are also bein" rel="nofollow">ing reported. "Every so often a drownin" rel="nofollow">ing person is swept along side. The lifesaver dives in" rel="nofollow">in to the rescue, retrieves the 'patient' and resuscitates them. Just as they have fin" rel="nofollow">inished another casualty appears alongside. So busy and in" rel="nofollow">involved are the lifesavers in" rel="nofollow">in all of this rescue work that they have no time to walk upstream and see why it is that so many people are fallin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">into the river." Here, the metaphor is used to argue that what is needed among healthcare workers is more "upstream" thin" rel="nofollow">inkin" rel="nofollow">ing that would reorient the health care system towards addressin" rel="nofollow">ing and preventin" rel="nofollow">ing causes of disease and disability. In a similar manner, public health is in" rel="nofollow">influenced by numerous elements?some are local (i.e. outbreak of in" rel="nofollow">influenza) while some are more distance or upstream (i.e. state regulations of healthcare access). If only local elements impactin" rel="nofollow">ing public health are consider, the long term impact from more far reachin" rel="nofollow">ing elements maybe neglected (Kelly, 2014). Seein" rel="nofollow">ing beyond the local, to consider broader health elements such as in" rel="nofollow">incomes, education, social supports and housin" rel="nofollow">ing will allow in" rel="nofollow">investment in" rel="nofollow">into long term elements that impact quality of life and therefore public health. (Kelly, 2014). Identification of "upstream" elements impactin" rel="nofollow">ing upon the health of communities and neighborhoods may be a contemporary approach used in" rel="nofollow">in policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing by Nurse Leaders as a means to promote the health of our nation. Healthcare Policy and Communities Learnin" rel="nofollow">ing about and becomin" rel="nofollow">ing a part of one's community is the best startin" rel="nofollow">ing place for nurse-advocacy efforts, either in" rel="nofollow">individually or as a member of a nursin" rel="nofollow">ing organization. The baccalaureate nursin" rel="nofollow">ing curriculum requires that nurses take theory and clin" rel="nofollow">inical courses in" rel="nofollow">in community-health nursin" rel="nofollow">ing with the in" rel="nofollow">intent to get nurses in" rel="nofollow">involved in" rel="nofollow">in their communities. The nursin" rel="nofollow">ing process forms the foundation to gain" rel="nofollow">in an understandin" rel="nofollow">ing of the issues affectin" rel="nofollow">ing communities and the in" rel="nofollow">individuals livin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in them. Exactly what is a community? A community is an environment with physical, social, economic, and political factors that is more than simply a neighborhood or a place because it is sustain" rel="nofollow">ined by public policies. The quality of resources available and accessible within" rel="nofollow">in any given community directly affects the health of those livin" rel="nofollow">ing within" rel="nofollow">in it. Moreover, The Developin" rel="nofollow">ing Healthy People in" rel="nofollow">initiative of 2020 (United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS, 2010]) aims to decrease health disparities and promote health in" rel="nofollow">in the community settin" rel="nofollow">ing. This in" rel="nofollow">initiative places nurses in" rel="nofollow">in key policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing positions within" rel="nofollow">in their communities. What kin" rel="nofollow">inds of resources and in" rel="nofollow">infrastructure are essential for healthy communities? A look at communities that have endured some type of disaster leads to an understandin" rel="nofollow">ing of the critical importance of basic in" rel="nofollow">infrastructure. When H1N1 struck many communities at pandemic levels in" rel="nofollow">in 2009, what types of community resources were lackin" rel="nofollow">ing or absent? Consider childcare, transportation, social support, sanitation, health, education, fire, and police services in" rel="nofollow">in this pandemic situation. In addition, other important structures in" rel="nofollow">in a community, such as civic opportunities, help to build a sense of community and cohesion. The Big Brothers organization is an example of a successful civic organization. Efforts to promote healthcare professionals and services support the communities in" rel="nofollow">in which those professionals serve and live. Community bonds are part of a nation's heritage; strong resources in" rel="nofollow">in a community build healthy families, communities, and nations. Primary-care nursin" rel="nofollow">ing activities are geared toward helpin" rel="nofollow">ing patients main" rel="nofollow">intain" rel="nofollow">in and improve health while preventin" rel="nofollow">ing future illnesses. These services are provided within" rel="nofollow">in the community rather than in" rel="nofollow">in a hospital settin" rel="nofollow">ing. The role for nurses in" rel="nofollow">in primary care and community-based care focuses on community action. This encompasses developin" rel="nofollow">ing the community members' skills (train" rel="nofollow">in the train" rel="nofollow">iner), buildin" rel="nofollow">ing supportive environments, and creatin" rel="nofollow">ing health-oriented public policies. Partnerships are important in" rel="nofollow">in communities. Community partnerships for health in" rel="nofollow">include in" rel="nofollow">initial embeddin" rel="nofollow">ing within" rel="nofollow">in the community in" rel="nofollow">in order to identify the community health workers who can act as catalysts in" rel="nofollow">in settin" rel="nofollow">ing up basic services. Community health workers are leaders within" rel="nofollow">in the community who have the trust of community members, an important consideration in" rel="nofollow">in communities made up of ethnic groups. Many times, predomin" rel="nofollow">inately ethnic communities are more effectively approached by a member of the particular ethnic group. Community health workers (also known as outreach advisors and workers) work to empower members of the community to develop plans based on identified needs and to implement solutions appropriate for their specific needs. Nursin" rel="nofollow">ing policy advocacy efforts must be aimed at local, state, and national levels in" rel="nofollow">in order to effectively set up services that can endure. Nurses can strategically position themselves within" rel="nofollow">in communities as members of that community and act as liaisons between policymakers and community health workers. Within" rel="nofollow">in the community, nurses can work with groups of patients (such as women with children or adolescents) to identify health priorities and provide primary healthcare services. It is through this sense of shared community membership that nurses gain" rel="nofollow">in trust and support. It only makes sense to approach any healthcare-related problem from within" rel="nofollow">in one's own community and to approach healthcare from health promotion and prevention levels rather than after illness has already occurred. Nurses need to focus on the whole of the community, especially at the outset, rather than merely concentratin" rel="nofollow">ing on pieces within" rel="nofollow">in it. Policies that nurses can partner to impact within" rel="nofollow">in communities in" rel="nofollow">include the followin" rel="nofollow">ing. ? Housin" rel="nofollow">ing ? Food ? Labor ? Agin" rel="nofollow">ing ? Environmental ? Social ? Educational ? Safety The followin" rel="nofollow">ing case study illustrates the in" rel="nofollow">interrelationships in" rel="nofollow">involved in" rel="nofollow">in community health issues and levels of public policy makin" rel="nofollow">ing appropriate for nurse advocates. Population Health Population health is a progressive community oriented effort to focus care on health promotion, prevention, and treatment services targeted at patient populations (age, diagnosis, consumer needs, etc.). Healthcare needs are based on a holistic community assessment of services and in" rel="nofollow">infrastructures available to the patient. Prevention, curative, and rehabilitative services would be available as needed with the basic goal of keepin" rel="nofollow">ing the patient out of the hospital and stable at home. Population health as we shall see in" rel="nofollow">in the followin" rel="nofollow">ing discussion takes on the persona of consumer needs and preferences for healthcare. Consumer Considerations The Patient as consumer of services will be a key player in" rel="nofollow">in the future of Population Health as a service model of care. Nurse Leaders wishin" rel="nofollow">ing to implement progressive policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing that positively impacts upon the public should reflect on the followin" rel="nofollow">ing (Health Forum, 2015): ? Future successes of population health will call for consumer friendly hospitals and adjunct health services that reflect the consumer's min" rel="nofollow">indset (for example even termin" rel="nofollow">inology will likely be more patient friendly; consider "health home" in" rel="nofollow">instead of "nursin" rel="nofollow">ing home"); ?Patients as consumers want convenient access to healthcare and a constellation of services in" rel="nofollow">in some sort of systematic user friendly way that they can use (for example easy connections to adjunct services such as outpatient pharmacy, home medical equipment, and mobile diagnostic screenin" rel="nofollow">ing units, outpatient rehabilitation services, etc.); ? User friendly in" rel="nofollow">informatics (can the older population use the admission electronic keyboard?); ? Quality transitional care models from hospital to home must be in" rel="nofollow">in place (look at admission and discharge processes and home care as well as hospice services); ? Consumer engagement over the lifetime in" rel="nofollow">in terms of shared decision makin" rel="nofollow">ing and shared plans of care (what qualities of service provoke consumer loyalty?); ? Family engagement in" rel="nofollow">in terms of shared decision makin" rel="nofollow">ing and shared plans of care; ? Wellness focus (weight reduction and smokin" rel="nofollow">ing cessation, for example); and a ? Patient education focus (a self-care focus with new dimensions and defin" rel="nofollow">initions of health that contin" rel="nofollow">inue to be shaped by technology and advances in" rel="nofollow">in medicin" rel="nofollow">ine as well as a public expandin" rel="nofollow">ing consciousness of self). Summary The content in" rel="nofollow">in this lesson was designed to empower you to be a more effective nurse leader in" rel="nofollow">in healthcare policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing. An awareness of the opportunities of networkin" rel="nofollow">ing with the community is a good step in" rel="nofollow">in this process. It is also good to remember that utilization of upstream thin" rel="nofollow">inkin" rel="nofollow">ing and consideration of consumer preferences when developin" rel="nofollow">ing healthcare models of service delivery may provide rich ground for policymakin" rel="nofollow">ing. Next week, the focus will be on examin" rel="nofollow">inin" rel="nofollow">ing nursin" rel="nofollow">ing and healthcare policy in" rel="nofollow">in the global context as we wrap up this course. The in" rel="nofollow">international community will be the canvas for understandin" rel="nofollow">ing how policy and policy makin" rel="nofollow">ing come together in" rel="nofollow">in a larger sense and how all aspects of healthcare and healthcare policy are in" rel="nofollow">interrelated to some extent. If you would like to explore this week's assignment a little more in" rel="nofollow">in depth, the Week 7 Policymaker Visit Assignment Guidelin" rel="nofollow">ines and Rubric are discussed below. References Ashton, J., and Seymour, H. (1988). The new public health. Philadelphia: Open University Press. Auerbach, J. 2015. Creatin" rel="nofollow">ing a diversified portfolio of population health measures within" rel="nofollow">in payment and healthcare reform. AJPH 105(3) : 427-431. Butterfield, P. (2002). Upstream reflections on environmental health: an abbreviated history and framework for action. Advanced Nursin" rel="nofollow">ing Science, 25(1) 32-49. Doody O. and Doody, C. (2012). Transformational leadership in" rel="nofollow">in nursin" rel="nofollow">ing practice, British Journal of Nursin" rel="nofollow">ing, 21(20): 1212-1218. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). (2010). Healthy people 2020. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov