What strategies can staff nurses use to share evidence that could impact health policy decisions?
- Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
- You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts
Read
- Mason, D. J., Gardner, D. B., Outlaw, F. H. & O’Grady, E. T. (2020). Policy and politics in nursing and health care (8th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
- Chapters 1 & 3-13
- American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
- Use as a guide for writing in current APA format.
Staff nurses can play a pivotal role in influencing health policy decisions by effectively sharing evidence that highlights the need for changes or improvements in healthcare practices. Here are some strategies staff nurses can use to share evidence and impact health policy decisions:
- Engage in Policy Advocacy: Nurses are uniquely positioned to advocate for policy changes due to their direct patient care experience and understanding of the healthcare system’s complexities. By engaging in policy advocacy, nurses can use evidence-based findings to influence healthcare policies at local, state, and national levels. Participation in professional nursing organizations, which often have policy advocacy arms, can amplify their voices and efforts.
- Develop Policy Briefs: Creating policy briefs is a formal way to present evidence to policymakers and stakeholders. These briefs should clearly outline the problem, present the evidence, propose solutions, and articulate the expected outcomes of policy changes. Nurses can collaborate with researchers to ensure the validity of the evidence and with experienced policy analysts to make compelling arguments that are concise and impactful.
- Utilize Media and Social Platforms: Nurses can use media outlets and social media platforms to share evidence and garner public support for policy changes. Writing op-eds, participating in interviews, or using platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn to share insights and evidence can reach a broad audience, including policymakers and the public, increasing the visibility of key issues.
- Participate in Health Policy Committees: Involvement in health policy committees, whether within healthcare organizations or at the governmental level, provides a direct pathway to influence health policies. Nurses can present evidence-based recommendations during committee discussions and ensure that their insights, grounded in frontline experiences, are considered in policy formulations.
- Collaborate with Interdisciplinary Teams: Collaborating with professionals from different disciplines can enhance the credibility and breadth of evidence presented to policymakers. Interdisciplinary collaboration can bring together diverse perspectives, strengthening the case for or against certain policies based on a broader range of evidence.
- Continuous Education and Research: Staying informed about the latest research and developments in healthcare allows nurses to ensure that the evidence they present is current and robust. Engaging in ongoing education and research activities themselves can also generate new evidence that can be used to advocate for policy changes.
- Testimony at Policy Hearings: Providing testimony at local, state, or national policy hearings is a direct method of influencing health policy. Nurses can use these opportunities to present evidence and personal anecdotes that highlight the need for policy adjustments.
By employing these strategies, staff nurses can effectively communicate evidence to influence health policy decisions, ensuring that healthcare policies are aligned with the best available evidence and ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes and system efficiencies.
References:
- Mason, D. J., Gardner, D. B., Outlaw, F. H., & O’Grady, E. T. (2020). Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care (8th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
- American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
These approaches enable nurses not only to advocate for the profession but also to ensure that health policy decisions are informed by frontline experiences and evidence, bridging the gap between clinical practice and policy development.