Nursing advocacy through legislation in the USA
Nurses are one of the most dependent members of the society that the people of America trust with their lives. Despite being educated as a nurse, they are well aware that today’s health care system is in trouble and need for change. The experience of many nurses practicing in the U.S.A health care is motivating them to take on some of the advocacy roles to influence a change in policies and laws in the health sector. The type of advocacy discussed in this article necessitates stepping beyond their practice setting and into the less familiar world of policy and politics. This article describes the role of the nurse as a health care policy advocate.
To begin with, successful policy advocacy depends on having the power, will, time and energy, along with the political skills necessary to exercise them in the legislative arena. Depending on the current health care environment with a myriad of policies, laws and regulations imposed by the local U.S.A government and various insurance institutions bring up a big challenge for both nurses and the patients who are most affected between the current of cost constraints and access to appropriate quality. In reflection of today’s rising health costs and deteriorating lack of access to health services, the improving health sector care performance is a matter of great concern for the national agency (Carey, 2006).
According to the recent data analysis collected, it is well evident that the above reports noted above are not a surprise to most nurses. This is because they interact with patients and their families, and they are often the first providers to see clearly when and how the health care system is not meeting the patients’ needs. In each day of work that nurses report to their various health facilities, they are the first to be positioned to see not only the impact of health policy on numerous patients but also the need for more sweeping changes in the systems that address the health department. This is as a result of the issues that nurses come across such as safety and satisfaction, services, clinical outcomes and health resulted in cases dealing with the health workplace-related obligations.
In conclusion, the successful advocacy to bring about changes in the U.S.A health care system demands access to power, energy and other valuable, necessary skills, along with essential political skills. A significant impact on the nursing department has to be looked on with a lot of attention, in essence, to encourage more registered nurses to take action in the public policy area. There is a need for effective strategically action and list of selected resources to help develop the confidence and skills to shape and influence the health policy.
