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Week 10 Discussion: Appointments
Step 1: Reflect on your personal views related to nurses’ being appointed to boards, organizations or other policy forming entities.
Step 2: Post a response to the discussion board by addressing the following questions:
1. Why would a nurse want to seek an appointed position in government?
2. How would you prepare for consideration to an appointed position?
3. Use research and give examples of how nurses in various appointed positions can affect public policy .
Cite sources in 7th ed. APA format.
Response Posts: In your responses to your classmates, contribute to the discussion with your own original professional opinions about why a nurse would seek an appointed position in government and offer other examples of how nurses can affect public policy. Peer Responses do not require research for this course, so you do not need to include a reference and citation. If you choose to include research, APA formatting points will not be deducted for errors.
Response post #1
Nurses might seek appointed positions in government for various reasons, including their leadership skills, broad perspective, and ability to advocate for patients. Nurses bring unique experiences and expertise that can benefit government roles beyond traditional healthcare settings. To prepare for consideration for an appointed position as a nurse, it is essential to familiarize yourself with the appointment process and what is required to be a viable candidate. Nurses seeking political appointments should understand how the process works and what is needed to become a competitive candidate. This could include various aspects of meeting the people in their communities to ask them what they feel is needed to make their healthcare experiences better.
Nurses in various appointed positions can significantly influence public policy by actively engaging in policy-making processes at local, state, and federal levels. Nurses, being the largest medical profession globally, have the potential to profoundly impact policy and politics on a global scale (Brokaw, 2016). By participating in politics, nurses can advocate for patients and ensure that healthcare policies are informed by their expertise and the needs of those they care for (Sharpack, 2022). Through these actions, nurses can leverage their unique perspectives and expertise to shape policies that improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
Reference
Brokaw, J. (2016). The nursing profession’s potential impact on policy and politics.
American Nurse.
to an external site.
Sharpack, P. (2022). Overview and summary: Nurses’ impact on advocacy and policy.
Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.
to an external site.
Response post #2 Nurses, with their leadership skills, broad perspective, and unwavering commitment to patient advocacy, are increasingly seeking appointed positions in government. Their diverse experiences and expertise extend beyond traditional healthcare settings, offering invaluable insights into policy-making processes and governance.
To prepare for consideration for an appointed position, nurses must familiarize themselves with the appointment process and the requirements to become a competitive candidate. This involves understanding the intricacies of political appointments and actively engaging with communities to identify healthcare needs and priorities. By listening to the voices of the people they serve, nurses can effectively advocate for policies that address real-world challenges and improve healthcare experiences.
Nurses in appointed positions wield significant influence over public policy, from local initiatives to global agendas. As the largest medical profession globally, nurses have the potential to shape policies that transcend borders and impact healthcare systems worldwide. By actively participating in politics, nurses can champion the interests of patients and ensure that healthcare policies are grounded in evidence-based practice and tailored to meet the diverse needs of communities.
Research suggests that nurses’ involvement in policy-making processes can lead to tangible improvements in healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. By leveraging their unique perspectives and expertise, nurses can advocate for policies that prioritize preventive care, address healthcare disparities, and promote holistic approaches to wellness (American Nurses Association, 2020). Ultimately, nurses in appointed positions have the power to drive transformative change and create a more equitable and accessible healthcare system for all.
Reference:
American Nurses Association. (2020).
Nurses serving in congress. American Nurses Association.
Discussion response #3&4 is based of the questions :
· Explain at least two federal laws (health care policies) that have implications for health care informatics. Specifically, what are their implications for health care informatics?
· What role do nurses play in health care policy that pertains to informatics?
Response #3
Two federal laws with implications for health care informatics are the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the Affordable Care Act of 2010. HIPAA was enacted to regulate the electronic transmission of health information, ensuring its security and privacy. HIPAA was enacted to regulate the electronic transmission of health information, ensuring its security and privacy (USFHealth, 2024). It established standards for the electronic exchange of health information, including patient identifiers like the National Provider Identifier Standard (NPIS) (USFHealth, 2024). On the other hand, the Affordable Care Act aimed to transform healthcare by making it more accessible and affordable, leading to changes in how healthcare is delivered and how Protected Health Information (PHI) is controlled (USFHealth, 2024). These laws have significant implications for health care informatics, shaping how patient data is managed, shared, and protected within the healthcare system.
Nurses play a crucial role in health care policy related to informatics through various advocacy efforts. Their involvement in policy development, advocacy for safe and efficient technology, and promotion of quality care through informatics skills are essential in shaping health care policies that pertain to informatics (Bahramnezhad et al., 2014).
References
Bahramnezhad, F., Darvish, A., Keyhanian, S., & Navidhamidi, M. (2014). The role of nursing informatics on promoting quality of health care and the need for appropriate education. National Library of Medicine.
to an external site.
USFHealth. (2024). Important laws and regulations in health informatics.
to an external site.
Response #4
Several laws with far reaching implications for health care informatics have been enacted and enforced in the U. S. Most of these laws have been in place to improve efficiency in care delivery while also ensuring confidentiality of patients’ privacy while using informatics in healthcare. Two laws I will discuss in detail are The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Act (ESIGN) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH).
# 1. ESIGN:
This law signed by President Clinton in 2000 gives electronic signatures the same legal status as hand-written signatures (Hebda & Czar, 2023). This law has made it possible for providers and other members of the healthcare team to be able to send prescriptions and transmit other medical records including charts with electronic signatures.
# 2. HITECH:
This law signed into law in 2009 by President Obama was enacted to stimulate the adoption of electronic medical records (EMR) and to support technology in the U. S (Hebda & Czar, 2023). Enactment of this legislation resulted in government agencies encouraging the healthcare systems to enact and use EMR into patient care through grants and subsidies. This law also provides guidance on various aspects of patients care with the use of EMR including billings and protection of patients’ privacy. This was one of the most consequential laws that resulted in rapid growth of EMR use in healthcare.
As healthcare professionals working on delivering care to patients on a day-to-day basis using informatics, nurses play a critical role in ensuring confidentiality of patients’ healthcare information. They are bound by federal and state laws pertaining to informatics and are instrumental in ensuring that individuals and organization follow these laws and regulations as appropriate.
Reference
Hebda, T.L., & Czar, P. (2023). Handbook of Informatics for Nurses & Healthcare Professionals (5th ed.). New York: Pearson. ISBN: 978-0-13-771101-0
