The Role of the RN-APRN in Policy-Making

The Role of the RN-APRN in Policy-Making

The involvement of nurses in health policy development helps to enhance the safety, affordability, accessibility, and quality of health care (Shariff, 2017). Nurses can influence policies as they intimately interact with the clients, which helps them gain an appreciation of the healthcare needs of the patients and how they can facilitate these needs (Arabi et al., 2018). One of the opportunities for nurses to influence policy is through political participation. According to Shariff (2017), nurses often demonstrate some level of political participation even though this level is often restricted. In most cases, nurse leaders are commonly involved in the policy implementation stage. However, they are rarely involved in the modification or formulation stages, which tends to restrict how they can influence government health policy (Shariff, 2017). Another challenge that faces nurse leaders who seek political seats is a poor public image regarding nursing: nursing is commonly despised compared to other healthcare professions, which makes it difficult for nurse leaders to actively participate in political and social activism. Accordingly, campaigning for nurse leaders can help curb this challenge.

Registered Nurses and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses can also actively participate in policy-making by becoming members of various professional bodies like the American Nurses Association (ANA). The professional organization provides nurses with the resources and services to facilitate professional growth (Walton, 2017). The ANA believes that nursing’s pillar is advocacy and provides the necessary resources and platforms to enable nurses to perform this role. However, some of the barriers experienced by nurses include high membership costs, time constraints, family responsibilities, and inconvenient locations (Walton, 2017). Seeking policies that can help nurses balance their time can be beneficial in overcoming these challenges. Nurses can also look at the benefits of membership in professional bodies, such as advancing their education.

Regular training and education of nurses on the importance of advocacy and participating in policy-making can create more awareness of the opportunities available and equip them with the necessary resources and knowledge for advocacy. Through further education, nurses can be exposed to various ways to influence policy, particularly through their involvement with various professional bodies.

References

Arabi, A., Rafii, F., Cheraghi, M. A., & Ghiyasvandian, S. (2018). Nurses’ policy influence: A concept analysis. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research, 19(3), 315-322.

Shariff, N. (2014). Factors that act as facilitators and barriers to nurse leaders’ participation in health policy development. BMC Nursing, 13(1), 1-13.

Walton, K. (2017). Barriers to membership in a professional organization for advanced practice nurses (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).

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Revisit the Congress.gov website provided in the Resources and consider the role of RNs and APRNs in policy-making.
Reflect on potential opportunities for RNs and APRNs to participate in policy-making.

The Role of the RN-APRN in Policy-Making

Post an explanation of at least two opportunities for RNs and APRNs to participate in policy-making actively. Explain some of the challenges 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.