Analysis of Federal Bill H.R.1676: Palliative Care in Nursing Practice

This report provides a review of the federal bill H.R.1676, focusing on palliative care and hospice education and training. The bill aims to support educational institutions, including nursing schools, in providing palliative care training and research opportunities. The analysis explores the bill's potential impact on professional nursing practice, emphasizing the importance of palliative care skills and research in providing quality end-of-life care. The report discusses the implications of the bill not being passed, highlighting the negative consequences for nursing students and the healthcare system. The author also reflects on how the bill would affect their own nursing practice, particularly regarding career advancement and research funding. The conclusion underscores the federal government's role in shaping healthcare laws and the potential benefits of the bill for the field of nursing.

FEDERAL BILL REVIEW 1
HEALTH-RELATED FEDERAL BILL REVIEW IN RELATION
TO NURSING
Name:
Institutional affiliation:

FEDERAL BILL REVIEW 2
SUMMARY OF THE BILL
The federal bill in my paper involves Palliative care and hospice education and training
act. The number of the federal bill is H.R.1676 (GovTrack.us,2018).The bill involves the
department of health and human services to support palliative care and hospice education to
institutions offering the nursing and physician assistant education. This bill also advocates for the
department of health and human services to offer support to institutions training physicians who
want to train and teach palliative care.
According to this bill, the department of health and human services should award
individuals who are willing to progress their careers and support psychologists, pharmacists,
physician assistants and nurses who are willing to advance in palliative care. This bill requires
the department to support nursing schools teaching palliative and hospice education. This bill
seeks to enhance awareness amongst healthcare professionals on palliative care & promote
research by health care professionals on the area of research.
IMPACT OF THIS BILL ON PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE
According to the American Nurses Association(2010), professional nursing practice
standards include a high level of quality practice. Passing this bill will ensure that advanced
nurses in palliative care are equipped with skills to handle terminally ill patients. Palliative
nursing is a critical area as it involves offering the best of the end of life care while having
excellent communication skills to pass devastating news to relatives.Stajduhar(2011) states that
there is a need to undertake more research in palliative care nursing. This bill supports research
in palliative care by nurses which is also a professional nursing standard. Research spearheads

FEDERAL BILL REVIEW 3
newly improved outcomes which result in evidenced-based practice in palliative and hospice
care.
THE BILL IS NOT PASSED
The bill provides major opportunities to improve the state of the end of life care for
terminally ill patients. If the bill is not passed the nurses and other healthcare professionals who
are willing to advance their career in palliative care will have minimal chances to do so.Brazier
and Cave(2016) state that terminally ill patients like other patients deserve the right to be treated
by specialists in the practice. Rejecting this bill translates to decreased chances of nursing
students learning about palliative care during their nursing education. This is disastrous as the
rising cases of chronic illnesses in the United States demand every healthcare worker to have
basic skills in palliative care.
THE BILL AFFECTING MY NURSING PRACTICE
The bill provides an opportunity for the provision of grants to nursing schools and centers
providing palliative provides a chance for me to find a place to advance my specialty in palliative
care. The bill provides an opportunity for funding research in palliative care nursing and this
would not only lead to advancements in palliative care nursing but also provide evidence-based
care.
CONCLUSION
The federal government is in charge of healthcare laws which may drastically improve or
deteriorate health care in America. This review covers a bill regarding palliative and hospice care

FEDERAL BILL REVIEW 4
and its support from the department of health and human services would make hallmark changes
in the field of nursing.

FEDERAL BILL REVIEW 5
REFERENCES
American Nurses' Association. (2010). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. American
Nurses Association.
Brazier, M., & Cave, E. (2016). Medicine, patients and the law. Oxford University Press.
GovTrack.us (2018).H.R 1676 – 115th Congress.Palliative Care and Hospice Education and
Training Act.Retrieved from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1676
Stajduhar, K. I. (2011). Chronic illness, palliative care, and the problematic nature of
dying. CJNR (Canadian Journal of Nursing Research), 43(3), 7-15.