Answer for NRS 493 Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal – Topic 8 Topic Focus: Health Policy

 

This week’s practicum practice focused on health policy. The current healthcare system is highly demanding and complex leading to numerous issues in the clinical nursing practice (Aitken et al., 2021). Some of these issues can be addressed by health policies. This practicum experience equipped me with the requisite skills and competencies to address common nursing practice problems through policy methods. As a baccalaureate-prepared nurse with plans to practice in different healthcare organizations, I have learned the instrumental role played by health policy in enhancing nursing practice and addressing nursing practice issues (Bayliss‐Pratt et al., 2020). Although there are numerous ways of addressing challenges in nursing practice, health policy is considered one of the effective ways of dealing with challenges and ensuring nursing reforms (Anderson et al., 2020). As such, nurses should participate in nursing reforms through policy development. Since nurses form the bulk of healthcare providers and also spend the most time with patients, they are a better place to acknowledge various challenges in healthcare and lead in healthcare reforms through policy development.

My strength relating to health policy is a strong educational skill in advocacy. According to Anderson et al., (2020), advocacy skills are critical in promoting health policy. The creation of health policies is followed by the advancement of their adoption into nursing practice to ensure the attainment of targeted reforms (Turale & Kunaviktikul, 2019). This process needs proper advocacy skills, which I possess. Conversely, my greatest weakness relating to health policy is the lack of sufficient knowledge about health policy creation. This may limit my capacity to use health policies to advance healthcare reforms (Costa & Friese, 2022). The additional resources I would recommend include training and educational development to increase health policy development skills and competencies.

References

Aitken, J., Esain, A. E., & Williams, S. (2021). Management of complexity in the care ecosystem. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 26(4), 481-494. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-05-2020-0207

Anderson, A. L., Waddell, A., Brennan, P., Burnett, C., Anderson, C., & Short, N. M. (2020). Advancing health policy education in nursing: American Association of Colleges of Nursing Faculty Policy Think Tank. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36(3), 100-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2019.09.002

Anderson, A. L., Waddell, A., Brennan, P., Burnett, C., Anderson, C., & Short, N. M. (2020). Advancing health policy education in nursing: American Association of Colleges of nursing faculty policy Think Tank. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36(3), 100-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2019.09.002

Bayliss‐Pratt, L., Daley, M., & Bhattacharya‐Craven, A. (2020). Nursing now 2020: the nightingale challenge. International Nursing Review, 67(1), 7-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12579

Costa, D. K., & Friese, C. R. (2022). Policy strategies for addressing current threats to the US nursing workforce. New England Journal of Medicine, 386(26), 2454-2456. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2202662

Turale, S., & Kunaviktikul, W. (2019). The contribution of nurses to health policy and advocacy requires leaders to provide training and mentorship. International nursing review, 66(3), 302-304. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12550