Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days by suggesting additional opportunities or recommendations for overcoming the challenges described by your colleagues.

Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days by suggesting additional opportunities or recommendations for overcoming the challenges described by your colleagues.

Registered Nurses (RNs) and Advanced Practicing Registered Nurses (APRNs) have several opportunities to actively participle in policy review. As I mentioned in last week’s post, there are several professional organizations that nurses are able to join. Some of those organizations include, but are not limited to, the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). Nurses are able to actively participate within these organizations and can ensure that policies’ that are being implemented are effective and are beneficial to nursing as well as the care they provide. Nurses are able to actively participle in the review process and influence the health care policy (ANA, n.d.), which is beneficial for nurses, especially since we can greatly impact policy change and the care that will be provided with personal experience and our knowledge of the medical field.

Another way that nurses have the opportunity to affect and influence policy review is within the workplace. In my assignment last week, I discussed how my unit is working on implementing a new program called ‘baby safe’ and how this new program will be beneficial to my department. RNs and APRNS are meant to promote the quality of health, advocate for patients, and to provide the best evidence-based care possible. That being said nurses are able to influence new policies and policy changes within a unit by requesting changes and providing personal experiences to assist with change and providing personal experiences, and how we can make changes happen (Milstead & Short, 2019). As we all should know, polices are made to promote the quality of care and to decrease possible errors and as a nurse we are the ones who will validate if the policies are effect or not.

Of course, there are always challenges, especially when it comes to policy review and changes. One of the challenges’ is the prices to join some of the professional organizations. Some organizations require monthly or yearly fees as well as other stipulations, such as certain participation requirement. Especially with our already long hours and unpredictable schedules, it can be difficult to reach the requirements and provide the proper time and dedication to a program, which it may require from us. Another difficulty, except within the workplace, is not all managers are helpful, unfortunately. It may be difficult to make changes within your departments policies if you do not have a support manager to assist you to make the proper changes or evaluations. Not all managers appreciate a leader within their department and typically does not want more ‘work applied to their plate’. Except, when one has a great manager, nurses and APRNs are able to assist with changes, though sometimes nurses are given too much of the work, which can create problems, since not all nurses are aware or have the know how to make policy changes or where to get the information (Laureate Education, 2018). The Role of the RN/APRN in Policy Evaluation

There are several strategies RNs and APRNs may utilize to become a better advocate or to communicate the existence of opportunities, but there are two I would like to specifically mention. First and foremost, nurses should be persistent with your statements and concerns and second have patience for change will not happen overnight. Changes take time and sometimes years (Milstead & Short, 2019), especially if people lives are affected. As Olson (2020, para 12) stated, “… professional commitment to advance important policy changes can be pivotal in your career advancement, while helping you stay up to date on practice trends and acquire new experience and skills.” Many of us that choose to invest our energy in advocating for public health will gain personal satisfaction and much more within the workplace and within our communities (Olson, 2020). With proper training and mentorship, nurses are an essential element for policy review and change and we should not give up when our goals get rocky, but we should push harder, for we are the future within health care.

References

American Nurses Association (ANA). (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/health-policy/

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). Program Policy and Evaluation [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Milstead, J. A., & Short, N.M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones Bartlett Learning.

Olson, K. (2020). Influence through policy: four steps YOU can take. Nursing Centered. Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://nursingcentered.sigmanursing.org/commentary/more-commentary/Vol42_2_influence-through-policy-four-steps-you-can-take