Reference no: EM133794189

Homework: Nursing

Part I

It may seem to you that healthcare has been a national topic of debate among political leaders for as long as you can remember.

Healthcare has been a policy item and a topic of debate not only in recent times but as far back as the administration of the second U.S. president, John Adams. In 1798, Adams signed legislation requiring that 20 cents per month of a sailor's paycheck be set aside for covering their medical bills. This represented the first major piece of U.S. healthcare legislation, and the topic of healthcare has been woven into presidential agendas and political debate ever since.

As a healthcare professional, you may be called upon to provide expertise, guidance and/or opinions on healthcare matters as they are debated for inclusion into new policy. You may also be involved in planning new organizational policy and responses to changes in legislation. For all of these reasons you should be prepared to speak to national healthcare issues making the news.

In this Homework, you will analyze recent presidential healthcare agendas. You also will prepare a fact sheet to communicate the importance of a healthcare issue and the impact on this issue of recent or proposed policy.

To Prepare:

A. Review the agenda priorities of the current/sitting U.S. president and at least one previous presidential administration.

B. Select an issue related to healthcare that was addressed by two U.S. presidential administrations (current and previous).

C. Consider how you would communicate the importance of a healthcare issue to a legislator/policymaker or a member of their staff for inclusion on an agenda.

D. Use your Discussion post to help with this homework.

Task

Part A: Agenda Comparison Grid

Use the Agenda Comparison Grid Template found in the Learning Resources and complete the Part A: Agenda Comparison Grid based on the current/sitting U.S. president and the previous president, and their agendas related to the population health concern you selected. Be sure to address the following:

A. Identify and provide a brief description of the population health concern you selected.
B. Explain how each of the presidential administrations approached the issue.
C. Identify the allocation of resources that the presidents dedicated to this issue.

Part B: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis

Using the information you recorded in Part A: Agenda Comparison Grid on the template, complete the Part B: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis portion of the template, by addressing the following:

A. Which administrative agency (like HHS, CDC, FDA, OHSA) would most likely be responsible for helping you address the healthcare issue you selected and why is this agency the most helpful for the issue?

B. How do you think your selected healthcare issue might get on the presidential agenda? How does it stay there?

C. An entrepreneur/champion/sponsor helps to move the issue forward. Who would you choose to be the entrepreneur/champion/sponsor (this can be a celebrity, a legislator, an agency director, or others) of the healthcare issue you selected and why would this person be a good entrepreneur/ champion/sponsor? An example is Michael J. Fox is champion for Parkinson's disease.

Part C: Fact Sheet

Using the information recorded on the template in Parts A and B, develop a 1-page fact sheet that you could use to communicate with a policymaker/legislator or a member of their staff for this healthcare issue. Be sure to address the following:

A. Summarize why this healthcare issue is important and should be included in the agenda for legislation.
B. Justify the role of the nurse in agenda setting for healthcare issues.

Part II

As a nurse, how often have you thought to yourself, If I had anything to do about it, things would work a little differently? Increasingly, nurses are beginning to realize that they do, in fact, have a role and a voice.

Many nurses encounter daily experiences that motivate them to take on an advocacy role in hopes of impacting policies, laws, or regulations that impact healthcare issues of interest. Of course, doing so means entering the less familiar world of policy and politics. While many nurses do not initially feel prepared to operate in this space effectively, the reward is the opportunity to shape and influence future health policy.

Select a bill that has been proposed (not one that has been enacted) using the congressional websites provided in the Learning Resources.

Task: (1- to 2-page Legislation Grid; 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement)

Be sure to add a title page, an introduction, purpose statement, and a conclusion.

Part A: Legislation Grid

Based on the health-related bill (proposed, not enacted) you selected, complete the Legislation Grid Template. Be sure to address the following:

A. Determine the legislative intent of the bill you have reviewed.
B. Identify the proponents/opponents of the bill.
C. Identify the target populations addressed by the bill.
D. Where in the process is the bill currently? Is it in hearings or committees?

Part B: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Based on the health-related bill you selected, develop a 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement that addresses the following:

A. Advocate a position for the bill you selected and write testimony in support of your position.
B. Explain how the social determinants of income, age, education, or gender affect this legislation.
C. Describe how you would address the opponent to your position. Be specific and provide examples.
D. At least 2 outside resources and 2-3 course specific resources are used.

Part III

Nursing is a very highly regulated profession. There are over 100 boards of nursing and national nursing associations throughout the United States and its territories. Their existence helps regulate, inform, and promote the nursing profession. With such numbers, it can be difficult to distinguish between BONs and nursing associations, and overwhelming to consider various benefits and options offered by each.

Both boards of nursing and national nursing associations have significant impacts on the nurse practitioner profession and scope of practice. Understanding these differences helps lend credence to your expertise as a professional. In this Homework, you will practice the application of such expertise by communicating a comparison of boards of nursing and professional nurse associations. You will also share an analysis of your state board of nursing.

To Prepare:

A. Assume that you are leading a staff development meeting on regulation for nursing practice at your healthcare organization or agency.
B. Review the NCSBN and ANA websites to prepare for your presentation.

Task: (8 to 9 slides PowerPoint presentation)

Develop a 8 to 9 slides PowerPoint Presentation that addresses the following:

A. Describe the differences between a board of nursing and a professional nurse association.

B. Describe the board for your specific region/area.

a. Who is on the board?
b. How does one become a member of the board?

C. Describe at least one state regulation related to general nurse scope of practice.

a. How does this regulation influence the nurse's role?
b. How does this regulation influence delivery, cost, and access to healthcare?
c. If a patient is from another culture, how would this regulation impact the nurse's care/education?

D. Describe at least one state regulation related to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).

a. How does this regulation influence the nurse's role?
b. How does this regulation influence delivery, cost, and access to healthcare?

E. Has there been any change to the regulation within the past 5 years? Explain.

F. Include Speaker Notes on Each Slide (except on the title page and reference page)