- How has this course impacted your knowledge, attitude, beliefs, perceptions about nurse engagement in policy advocacy and politics?
- What are the takeaways as you move forward as a DNP, in your role as a policy advocate? What resonates with you and how will you use it?
Reflection on Nurse Engagement in Policy Advocacy and Politics
This course has profoundly expanded my understanding of the essential role nurses play in health policy advocacy and politics. Before this course, I viewed policy engagement as something primarily reserved for legislators or administrators. Now, I recognize that nurses, especially those prepared at the doctoral level, have both the ethical responsibility and the professional influence to shape policies that improve patient outcomes, healthcare delivery, and health equity.
My knowledge has grown in understanding the policy-making process—from agenda setting and policy formulation to implementation and evaluation. I now appreciate how evidence-based practice, data, and collaboration with stakeholders directly influence health legislation. My attitude and beliefs have shifted from viewing advocacy as optional to seeing it as a vital extension of nursing leadership. Nurses are trusted professionals who can bridge the gap between clinical realities and policy decisions, and our voices carry significant weight when we choose to use them.
This course also challenged my perceptions of politics in nursing. I now see political engagement not as partisan involvement but as a professional duty to advocate for fair, just, and effective health policies. Understanding how political decisions impact access to care, resource allocation, and public health initiatives has given me a deeper appreciation of the power of collective nurse advocacy.
Takeaways as a Future DNP and Policy Advocate
As I move forward in my role as a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), my key takeaway is that effective advocacy requires both knowledge and action. I intend to use my advanced education to analyze policy proposals critically, participate in policy discussions, and contribute to healthcare reform efforts grounded in evidence and ethics. I will engage with professional organizations, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, and mentor other nurses in advocacy skills.
What resonates most with me is the realization that policy is nursing practice on a larger scale—a way to extend care beyond individual patients to entire populations. As a DNP, I will use this perspective to ensure that the voices of patients and frontline nurses are represented in policy decisions. My ultimate goal is to influence health policy that promotes equitable access, quality care, and improved health outcomes for all.