The Role of RN and APRN in Policy Making

The Role of RN and APRN in Policy Making

Similar to other healthcare professionals, such as physicians and public health officers who participate in the policymaking process, nurses also have a role in the process. Nurses are capable of problem-solving, decision-making, data collection, and communication, which make them able to influence policies. There are various opportunities that the nurses have to participate actively in the process of creating policies (Varghese & Moss, 2021). Among the opportunities include leadership positions and involvement in the decision-making process.

All through the nursing training and nursing practice, nurses are encouraged to take up leadership positions. The nurses can either be leaders of the facilities they are working in or even leaders of the professional bodies. As leaders, the nurses can scrutinize policies and request changes should there be a need to. Most health policies that are implemented somehow influence nurses in their practice, and therefore, the leaders must take part in the policymaking process to ensure their views are considered. Subsequently, the other existing opportunity is the involvement of nurses in the decision-making process. Nurses, as healthcare providers, play a significant role in healthcare service delivery, and they should always take part in the process of making decisions that influence healthcare practice. Therefore, the nurses are obliged to share their views during the process, as the final decisions are usually used to develop policies.

However, some challenges influence the available opportunities for participation in the policymaking process. These challenges can include gender equality, rivalry, and issues with communication. In certain situations, such as the off-duty policies for leaders, male nurses can be excluded from sharing ideas and suggestions during policymaking. Secondly, there can be rivalry among the nurse leaders and nurse staff, and this disconnection can hinder the nurses from grabbing the opportunities to participate in the making of the policies. Lastly, there are various professional bodies or associations for nurses, and the different associations have different policies. Some associations can exhibit poor communication channels for the nurses to share their views. To overcome these challenges, registered nurses should be taken through training in leadership and the policymaking process to ensure competency during policy development. Additionally, there should be standardization of the professional bodies’ communication channels so that all nurses can have equal opportunities.

To advocate for the opportunities mentioned above, some recommendations can be considered. Firstly, there should be intense training for the registered nurses on policymaking to prepare the nurses for the process. Secondly, the nurses should be encouraged to advance their leadership skills to take up more leadership positions in the policymaking team (Boston-Fleischhauer, 2019). With a good representation, the nurses have a great chance of actively participating in the process by confidently sharing their thoughts. Lastly, the nurses should be active in data collection with regard to policy making as they will have a better understanding of the policies needed to be developed and implemented.

References

Boston-Fleischhauer, C. (2019). The Power of Advocacy. Journal For Nurses In Professional Development, 35(6), 365-366. https://doi.org/10.1097/nnd.0000000000000594

Varghese, J., & Moss, E. L. (2021). The Power of Influence: Nurses’ Role in Advocacy and the Legislative Process. AAACN Viewpoint, 43(5), 12-13.

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Word cloud generators have become popular tools for meetings and team-building events. Groups or teams are asked to use these applications to input words they feel best describe their team or their role. A “word cloud” is generated by the application that makes prominent the most-used terms, offering an image of the common thinking among participants of that role.

The Role of RN and APRN in Policy Making

What types of words would you use to build a nursing word cloud? Empathetic, organized, hard-working, or advocate would all certainly apply. Would you add a policy-maker to your list? Do you think it would be a very prominent component of the word cloud?

Nursing has become one of the largest professions in the world, and as such, nurses have the potential to influence policy and politics on a global scale. When nurses influence the politics that improve the delivery of healthcare, they are ultimately advocating for their patients. Hence, policy-making has become an increasingly popular term among nurses as they recognize a moral and professional obligation to be engaged in healthcare legislation.

To Prepare:

Revisit the Congress.gov website provided in the Resources and consider the role of RNs and APRNs in policy-making.
Reflect on potential opportunities that may exist for RNs and APRNs to participate in the policy-making process.
By Day 3 of Week 8
Post an explanation of at least two opportunities that exist for RNs and APRNs to actively participate in policy-making. Explain some of the challenges that these opportunities may present and describe how you might overcome these challenges. Finally, recommend two strategies you might make to better advocate for or communicate the existence of these opportunities to participate in policy-making. Be specific and provide examples.