Advocating for Legislative Solutions- Identifying and Addressing Community Concerns
ProblemIn no more than 250 words, describe the problem, who is affected, and the current ramifications. Explain the consequences if the issue continues. |
||
| In this assignment, I have chosen the nurse-to-patient ratio as the problem that needs to be addressed through legislation in the state of Florida. Research has revealed that nurses are being subjected to unbearable work conditions, including their ratio to patients. The nurses get overworked, yielding to situations that compromise their service delivery due to the heavy workload. This situation may lead them to lose their employment due to poor patient satisfaction. The imbalanced ratio overworks the nurses posing a health risk that can emanate from prolonged physical stress resulting from the lengthy shifts by the understaffed nurses. The current ramification is that nurses are threatened to lose their employment when they act by speaking out about the challenges they face in the course of their jurisdiction. If this problem is left unmitigated, the delivery of substandard nursing services will result. This affects the patients and the general population’s health, which is jeopardized when the nurses are overworked and fail to deliver their services exhaustively and holistically based on the best evidence available. Holistic service delivery should include preventive, curative, and promotion activities conducted by the nurses subjected to the ideal nurse-patient ratio (Toney-Butler & Martin, 2023).
|
||
Idea for Addressing SolutionIn no more than 250 words, outline your idea for addressing the issue and explain why legislation is the best course for advocacy. |
||
| Advocacy through legislation is the most effective approach as it provides a comprehensive and enforceable solution that applies uniformly across all healthcare facilities. The enactment of laws to guide the minimum staffing ratios based on evidence from comprehensive research and multidisciplinary consultations with members of the committee will ensure consistent levels of care and patient safety across the state. The committee should incorporate representation from the nursing experts, patient advocates, and healthcare administrators, these groups have diverse knowledge of the different hospital needs and their collaboration will yield ratios that optimize patient outcomes as well as reasonable workload and well-being of nurses. The legislation dominates over other alternative advocacy approaches because its legal grounds can hold facilities accountable in case of non-compliance. Furthermore, legislation holds authority bestowed on it by the government, which prevents health facilities from circumnavigating the set standards (Toney-Butler & Martin, 2023). | ||
Research the IssuePerform research and compile information for your idea. Present substantive evidence-based findings that support your idea for addressing the problem (studies, research, and reports). Include any similar legislation introduced or passed in other states. |
||
| Evidence 1 | The journal published by the Nursing Administration where the nurse-to-patient ratio was examined across all the European countries revealed a relationship between the increased number of hospital mortality and the understaffed nurse. The conclusion was made that for every additional patient to a nurse, the probability of mortality increased by 7%. This research emphasizes the importance of adequate patient-nurse staffing to facilitate patient safety and improve the prognosis (Haegdorens et al., 2019). Further, legislation has shown effective this being evident in the state of Pennsylvania where efforts were made to pass a law requiring minimum patient-to-nurse ratios in its hospitals (Meline et al., 2023). | |
| Evidence 2 | The workload a nurse is subjected to greatly impacts the quality of care. According to the American Nurses Association, understaffing leads to physical stress, job dissatisfaction, and substandard care. Unbalanced ratios are associated with increased errors in dispensing patient care services by nurses. Some of the common errors noted are patient falls, nosocomial infections, and medication errors (Haegdorens et al., 2019). | |
Stakeholder SupportDiscuss the stakeholders who would support the proposed idea and explain why they would be in support. |
||
| Stakeholder(s) Supporting 1 | Nursing associations and professional organizations such as the Florida Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association would be the best sources of support for this ideation. This is because their membership is made up of the nurses who are the main victims being advocated for. The authority these nursing associations have puts them in the best place to be vocal and listened to by the relevant authorities compared to individual nurses airing their grievances by themselves (Pollack Porter et al., 2018). | |
| Stakeholder(s) Supporting 2 | The patients are also key stakeholders in support of the idea. This is because patients are the main consumers of the nursing services. The substandard services directly affect the patient’s health and even at times lead to life-long health complications. This, therefore justifies their significant role in supporting an appropriate nurse-patient ratio to obtain the best nursing services according to their health requirements (Pollack Porter et al., 2018). | |
| Stakeholder(s) Supporting 2 | Legislators are also key stakeholders in supporting this idea since their primary role is to support and formulate policies that promote the well-being of the public (Pollack Porter et al., 2018). | |
Stakeholder OppositionDiscuss the stakeholders who would oppose the proposed idea. Explain why they would be in opposition and how you would prepare to debate or converse about these considerations. |
||
| Stakeholder(s) Opposed 1 | The hospital’s board of directors might oppose staffing. They may use cost concerns to justify their opposition. Hiring additional nurses to meet the required ratio may pose an extra cost to the hospitals, which may result in them opposing the idea (Pollack Porter et al., 2018). | |
| Stakeholder(s) Opposed 2 | The notion may also be met with resistance by hospital administrators who advocate for sufficient nurse staffing, citing fluctuations in patient counts over time as justification. They also include budget constraints as among the reasons to oppose the idea. Hospital administrators may assume they hold the best position to make decisions regarding the nurses’ staffing due to their direct knowledge of the nursing services required, such as skills and available resources (Pollack Porter et al., 2018). | |
| To address their concerns, I would prepare to hold a debate where I would present evidence-based arguments that link the nursing staffing levels to the patient prognosis, emphasize the merits of proper ratios such as improving patient satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness when conducting preventive activities as well as promoting nurses wellbeing.
I would also recommend engaging in collaborative problem-solving by acknowledging the concerns of the hospital administrators and coming to a consensus on the way forward. Lastly, I would mobilize the formation of alliances with support stakeholders such as nursing associations, patient advocacy groups, and legislators to echo and support the idea of staffing levels. |
||
Financial Incentives/CostsIn no more than 250 words, summarize the financial impact of the issue and the idea (added costs, cost savings, increased revenue, etc.). Provide support. |
||
| Healthcare facilities may incur costs during the initial implementation of the mandated nurse-to-patient ratio. However, the yield is bearing more benefits in the long run, including long-term financial savings, improved quality of care, increased revenue generation, and promotion of operational efficiencies. Hospitals with proper nurse-to-patient ratios have been identified to have reduced medication errors, which leads to decreased overall health costs. Also, adequate staffing is attributed to reduced hospitalization periods and nosocomial infections, which contribute to reduced overall health costs and the resources utilized during the prolonged hospital stay. Lastly, improved quality of care boosts patient satisfaction, which attracts more consumers to the services and, hence, brings more revenue to the facility.
From the above evidence, it is clear that when a facility prioritizes delivering quality care and providing patient safety, it gains financial sustainability and competitive advantage in the market due to improved outcomes of its services. |
||
Legislature: Information Needed and Process for ProposalDiscuss how to advocate for your proposal using legislation. Include the following: |
||
| Provide the name and complete contact information for the legislator. | Name; Marco Rubio
Contact; (202) 224-3041 |
|
| Describe the steps for how you would present this to your legislator. | The first step would be to prepare and research the problem, gather evidence to support the proposed legislation, and review the available statistics to familiarize myself with the idea. I would then contact the legislator to provide a brief overview of the topic and schedule a meeting. In the meeting, I would present my proposal to the legislator along with my well-researched and evidence-based arguments and examples to support it. I would emphasize the benefits of implementation and clearly explain them to the legislator.
Finally, after the meeting, I would follow up on the proposal by sending a message of gratitude to the legislator and his team. In the message, I would offer to provide any additional information regarding the proposal.
|
|
| Outline the process if your legislator chooses to introduce your idea as a bill to Congress. | For an idea to be implemented, it has to follow the legislation process. The idea is used to draft a bill. Here the legislator together with the team states the specifics concerning the idea of the mandated nurse-to-patient ratio. For instance, the draft contains recommended ratios for different units of the hospital, the penalty in case of non-compliance, and the timeline for implementation.
Secondly, when the bill is drafted, it is introduced to the legislative chamber formally. It is assigned an identification number and directed to the appropriate committee for review. Following this, a committee will be formed to review the bill. The committee is formed mainly to address health matters. This committee gathers input from all the stakeholders involved, and from the information gathered, they fine-tune the bill. The fourth step is where the bill will be debated and the members of the legislature vote for or against the bill. Here the merits are discussed, amendments made and voting is done. Lastly, when legislators vote for the bill, the next step is to send it for the governor to approve by signing it into law. This now become a law that is implemented in all facilities in the state (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2020). |
|
Christian Principles and Nursing AdvocacyIn no more than 250 words, discuss how principles of a Christian worldview lend support to legislative advocacy in health care without bias. Be specific as to how these principles help advocate for inclusiveness and positive health outcomes for all populations, including those more vulnerable, without regard to gender, sexual orientation, culture, race, religion/belief, etc. |
||
| The Christian worldview influences advocacy in healthcare due to its emphasis on certain principles such as justice, compassion, and good stewardship. These act as the guiding principles for the advocacy of beneficial prognosis for everyone in the population without any bias. The Christian worldview achieves this by emphasizing factors that include human dignity and worth, where they believe that every individual is created in the likeness of God and, therefore, should have justice in acquiring healthcare services.
Secondly, it emphasizes empathy and compassion, which help the vulnerable and the marginalized, hence promoting equity and suppressing health disparities. The Christian worldview calls for justice and equity to address systemic injustices and advocate for policies that ensure equitable distribution of resources, including human resources. Christians believe in the concept of stewardship and responsibility where they believe leadership should be compassionate and promote the well-being of everyone irrespective of the role they play in healthcare (Haddad & Geiger, 2023). |
||
References
Haddad, L. M., & Geiger, R. A. (2023). Nursing ethical considerations. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526054/#:~:text=Nurses%20are%20advocates%20for%20patients
Haegdorens, F., Van Bogaert, P., De Meester, K., & Monsieurs, K. G. (2019). The impact of nurse staffing levels and nurse’s education on patient mortality in medical and surgical wards: an observational multicentre study. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1), 1–9.
McHugh, M., Aiken, L., Sloane, D., Windsor, C., Douglas, C., & Yates, P. (2021). Effects of nurse-to-patient ratio legislation on nurse staffing and patient mortality, readmissions, and length of stay: a prospective study in a panel of hospitals. The Lancet, 397(10288), 1905–1913. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00768-6
Meline, B. M., Meline, M., Browning, B. N., Browning, N., Stark, B. K., Stark, K., Weiner, B. J., Weiner, J., Levins, B. H., & Levins, H. (2023, July 9). What patient-to-nurse ratios mean for hospital patient health and outcomes. Penn LDI. https://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/what-patient-to-nurse-ratios-mean-for-hospital-patient-health-and-outcomes/
National Human Genome Research Institute. (2020, May 5). How a bill becomes a law. Genome.gov; National Human Genome Research Institute. https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/How-Bill-Becomes-Law
Pollack Porter, K. M., Rutkow, L., & McGinty, E. E. (2018). The Importance of Policy Change for Addressing Public Health Problems. Public Health Reports, 133(1), 9S14S. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6243447/
Toney-Butler, T. J., & Martin, R. L. (2023, January 2). Florida nursing laws and rules. Nih.gov; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532859/
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
We’ll write everything from scratch
Question 
Nurses often become motivated to change aspects within the larger healthcare system based on their real-world experience. As such, many nurses take on an advocacy role to influence a change in regulations, policies, and laws that govern the larger healthcare system.
Advocating for Legislative Solutions- Identifying and Addressing Community Concerns
For this assignment, identify a problem or concern in your state, community, or organization that has the capacity for advocacy through legislation. Research the issue and use the “Advocacy Through Legislation” template, attached, to complete this assignment.
You are required to cite a minimum of three sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice.
Complete the order form and upload all of your files, including any instructions, rubrics, or other materials provided by your instructor. 
Complete the order payment after filling in the order form. We’ll receive your order and assign it to a writer.
The assigned writer will complete your paper and forward it to our Editing Team for review and approval.
Once approved by the editor, the completed paper will be uploaded to your account for you to download, review and approve.