Report: Nurse Involvement in Policy and Advocacy in Healthcare

This report delves into the essential role of nurses in healthcare policy and advocacy. It emphasizes the importance of nurses' direct contact with patients and their status as trusted professionals in advocating for public health. The report highlights how involving nurses in political arenas allows them to address issues impacting their practice, advocate for positive changes, and influence policy development. It examines the need for nurses to be actively involved in policy and advocacy, including their educational background and clinical skills, and how they can take leadership roles to drive positive change. The document references supporting literature, including studies on advocacy initiatives and political participation, providing a comprehensive understanding of the topic. The report also touches on the role of nurses in addressing health inequities, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, and advocating for fair policies. Overall, the report stresses the need for increased nurse involvement in policy and advocacy to enhance the efficacy of the nursing profession and improve healthcare outcomes.

Running head: NURSE INVOLVEMENT IN POLICY AND ADVOCACY
Nurse Involvement in Policy and Advocacy
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NURSE INVOLVEMENT IN POLICY AND ADVOCACY
The role of nurses is paramount in health as they have direct contact with clients and
as the most trusted professionals, they are charged with the responsibility of advocating for
the health of all people (Woodward, Smart, & Benavides-Vaello, 2016). Involving nurses at
the political level is important because they are fully knowledgeable of the issues that directly
impact their practice. The need for nurses to act as political activists that advocate for positive
change stems from the stipulations in the standards and code of ethics that guide nursing
practice. Thereby, as ambassadors of health, nurses are ideal representatives of patients’
needs.
Nurses have the desire to work as autonomous entities and based on the mantra that
“success spurs one to do more,” involving nurses at the political level is one of the motivating
factors (Taylor, 2016, p. 242). When nurses are involved at this level, they are able to
highlight issues that have a negative impact on their practice, and by so doing, their
professional needs are addressed. Subsequently, they are able to focus on more issues that
would bring development and improvement to the overall health system. Also, educating
legislators about the essence of nursing helps them to get more involved in issues affecting
the nursing practice. As a result, nurses feel motivated knowing that they have legal and
professional support that acts as the pillar for reforms and change. The fact that nurses learn
about advocacy but remain in the sidelines shows that there is a scarcity of motivational
factors to help nurses in their quest for an improved healthcare system.
Policy development and advocacy require one to be well conversant with the nursing
profession. Nurse practitioners have the expertise in reference to educational background and
clinical skills needed to develop policies and pass bills on health care issues related to nursing
(Chilton, 2015). Thereby, as a nurse practitioner, it is important to be involved at the political
level in policy and advocacy. Nurse practitioners have the capability of taking leadership

NURSE INVOLVEMENT IN POLICY AND ADVOCACY
roles and using personal experiences as nurses to steer positive change in the nursing
practice.
The fundamental principle of nursing as a profession is to meet the physical, social,
and emotional needs of patients. Thereby, by getting involved in policy and advocacy, they
are able to lobby Congress and associated parties in enactment of policies and bills that
enhance the efficacy of the nursing profession in meeting the needs of patients (Williams,
Phillips, & Koyama, 2018). The health care system experiences issues of health inequity,
especially among socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals. FNPs are in the line of
primary health care providers, and with their ability to take leadership roles in legal and
professional organizations, are in a better position to advocate for the rights of this group of
persons to ensure fair and just policies are developed. Subsequently, advancement in
healthcare can be realized when all people benefit, and the health status of all people is
optimal.

NURSE INVOLVEMENT IN POLICY AND ADVOCACY
References
Chilton, L. (2015). Nurse practitioners have an essential role in health policy. The Journal for
Nurse Practitioners, 11(2), A19.
Taylor, M. R. (2016). Impact of advocacy initiatives on nurses’ motivation to sustain
momentum in public policy advocacy. Journal of Professional Nursing, 32(3), 235–
245.
Williams, S. D., Phillips, J. M., & Koyama, K. (2018). Nurse advocacy: Adopting a health in
all policies approach. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(3). Retrieved from
http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals
/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No3-Sept-2018/Policy-Advocacy.html.
Woodward, B., Smart, D., & Benavides-Vaello, S. (2016). Modifiable factors that support
political participation by nurses. Journal of Professional Nursing, 32(1), 54-61.