Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement Example Paper Included
As a nurse, how often have you thought to yourself, If I had anything to do about it, things would work a little differently? Increasingly, nurses are beginning to realize that they do, in fact, have a role and a voice.
Many nurses encounter daily experiences that motivate them to take on an advocacy role in hopes of impacting policies, laws, or regulations that impact healthcare issues of interest. Of course, doing so means entering the less familiar world of policy and politics. While many nurses do not initially feel prepared to operate in this space effectively, the reward is the opportunity to shape and influence future health policy.
To Prepare:
- Select a bill that has been proposed (not one that has been enacted) using the congressional websites provided in the Learning Resources.
The Assignment: (1- to 2-page Legislation Grid; 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement)
Be sure to add a title page, an introduction, purpose statement, and a conclusion. This is an APA paper.
Part 1: Legislation Grid
Based on the health-related bill (proposed, not enacted) you selected, complete the Legislation Grid Template. Be sure to address the following:
- Determine the legislative intent of the bill you have reviewed.
- Identify the proponents/opponents of the bill.
- Identify the target populations addressed by the bill.
- Where in the process is the bill currently? Is it in hearings or committees?
Part 2: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement
Based on the health-related bill you selected, develop a 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement that addresses the following:
- Advocate a position for the bill you selected and write testimony in support of your position.
- Describe how you would address the opponent to your position. Be specific and provide examples.
- At least 2 outside resources and 2-3 course specific resources are used.
By Day 7 of Week 4
Submit your completed legislation grid and testimony/advocacy statement
Advocacy Through Legislation In Nursing Essay Sample Paper
Identify a problem or concern in your state, community, or organization that can be advocated through legislation. Research the issue and complete the sections below. For each topic that requires listing criteria, a minimum of two criteria should be identified and discussed. Add more rows as is appropriate for the topic/proposal.
| Problem In no more than 250 words, describe the problem, who is affected, and the current ramifications. Explain the consequences if the issue continues. | ||
| Healthcare professionals in Miami, Florida, face various challenges that compromise their ability to provide quality, convenient, timely, and efficient care. For example, healthcare professionals in nursing homes grapple with the problem of nursing staff shortages. According to Haddad et al. (2022), the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that healthcare institutions in the US will need 275000 additional nurses from 2020 to 2030. In nursing homes, nurses play a significant role by providing direct care to residents and ancillary services, including food services and housekeeping (Xu et al., 2020). However, unfavorable nurses-to-residents ratios affect how healthcare professionals execute these roles. For instance, residents in nursing homes require direct care and special attention due to underlying healthcare issues, such as chronic conditions and the need for dignified care. Consequently, the failure to address nursing staff shortages can result in multiple adverse consequences, including burnout, heavy workload, overwhelmed nursing homes, patient dissatisfaction, medication errors, and disrupted workflows. According to Dewanto & Wardhani (2018), nursing staff shortages contribute to delayed care, increased care costs, low-quality care, and psychological ramifications associated with burnout, heavy workload, and other workplace stressors. As a result, it is essential to develop and implement policies that address the root causes of nursing staff shortages in nursing homes and other clinical settings. | ||
| Idea for Addressing Solution In no more than 250 words, outline your idea for addressing the issue and explain why legislation is the best course for advocacy. | ||
| From a personal perspective, addressing the challenge of nursing staff shortages in nursing homes and other clinical settings depends on effective interventions for tackling the underlying factors and root causes. According to Haddad et al. (2022), the primary causes of nursing staff shortages are the aging population, the aging workforce, unequal distribution of the health workforce, and workplace incivility. It is essential to note that the aging population and workforce are non-modifiable factors, meaning they are inevitable. However, it is possible to address other causes of nursing staff shortages, including unequal distribution of healthcare professionals across regions and workplace invincibility. Haddad et al. (2022) argue that violence and other uncivil behaviors and acts like abuse, discrimination, and bullying result in nurses’ intentions to quit and the subsequent turnover. As a result, I would recommend various short-and-long term approaches for addressing nursing staff shortages, including safe staffing, transition planning, improvement of workplace civility, equal distribution of healthcare workforce, and interdisciplinary collaboration between healthcare and education agencies to establish consensus and collaborative measures for nursing career development and transition from learners to healthcare professionals. | ||
| Research the Issue Perform research and compile information for your idea. Present substantive evidence-based findings that support your idea for addressing the problem (studies, research, and reports). Include any similar legislation introduced or passed in other states. | ||
| Evidence 1 | Zhang et al. (2018) support improving workplace civility to prevent nurse turnover and subsequent shortages. According to the authors, workplace invincibility leads to job dissatisfaction, increased turnover rates, and compromised mental and physical health of healthcare professionals. As a result, improving workplace civility can enhance motivation, bolster career expectations, and enhance job satisfaction, eliminating nurse turnover and intentions to quit. | |
| Evidence 2 | de Cordova et al. (2019) support the association between increased nurse staffing and improved care delivery. According to the authors, maintaining appropriate staffing ratios for registered nurses is a profound strategy for addressing nursing staff shortages and safeguarding patient safety by reducing adverse events, including hospital-acquired infections, medication errors, and patient falls. | |
| Similar legislation introduced or passed in other states | In 2019, 14 states enacted safe staffing regulations that focused on maintaining the mandated nurse-to-patient ratios, staffing committees, and public reporting on nursing staff levels by hospitals (de Cordova et al., 2019). | |
| Stakeholder Support Discuss the stakeholders supporting the proposed idea and explain why they would support it. | ||
| Stakeholder(s) Supporting 1 | Nurses and other healthcare professionals would support a policy addressing nursing staff shortages because they endure the adverse effects of understaffed departments, including burnout, heavy workload, time pressure, and psychological ramifications associated with unfavorable working conditions. | |
| Stakeholder(s) Supporting 2 | Health service users (patient population) will support this policy because it can improve care delivery and safeguard patient safety. It is essential to note that patients face various consequences of nursing staff shortages, including delayed care, uncoordinated or fragmented, and error-prone services. | |
| Stakeholder Opposition Discuss the stakeholders who would oppose the proposed idea. Explain why they would be in opposition and how you would prepare to debate or converse about these considerations. | ||
| Stakeholder(s) Opposed 1 | Healthcare institution leaders may oppose this policy due to the unwillingness to implement change and address the underlying causes of unfavorable working conditions. They may perceive transforming workplace culture and addressing workplace invincibility as resource-intensive and time-consuming. | |
| Stakeholder(s) Opposed 2 | Healthcare institutions, especially private facilities, can oppose this policy because they perceive that safe staffing regulations would inflict a massive economic burden. Also, they would prefer to maintain the status quo instead of implementing policies that can affect profitability. | |
| How to converse these issues and considerations | Stakeholders who oppose the policy have valid reasons that support their perspectives. As a result, it is vital to engage them and discuss the potential benefits of implementing the policy. At this point, leveraging statistics and credible evidence are crucial in convincing and enlightening opposers on the positive implications of the policy. | |
| Financial Incentives/Costs In no more than 250 words, summarize the financial impact of the issue and the idea (added costs, cost savings, increased revenue, etc.). Provide support. | ||
| The failure to address the problem of nursing staff shortages is a costly decision that will inflict a massive economic burden on the United States healthcare system. As a result, healthcare professionals should implement proven and cost-effective interventions for addressing nursing staff shortages. Among these include improving workplace civility through civility education, planning for workforce transition from learners to healthcare workers, and implementing talent retention policies that include providing career development opportunities, creating a conducive environment for healthcare professionals, and providing psychological support. According to Lockhart (2020), healthcare organizations incurred $40,300 to $64,000 to replace one clinical nurse in 2019, with an average hospital losing approximately $4.4 million to $6.9 million annually. It is possible to curtail and avert these financial losses by implementing interventions for retaining healthcare professionals, including improving orientation and role transitions, reducing burnout and workload, improving work schedules, and fostering a culture that supports acuity-based staffing tools. Finally, implementing zero tolerance for uncivil behaviors and acts can improve mutually satisfying collaboration, productivity, and job satisfaction. | ||
| Legislature: Information Needed and Process for Proposal Discuss how to advocate for your proposal using legislation. Include the following: | ||
| Provide the name and complete contact information for the legislator. | Marco Rubio (US Senator for Florida) 7400 SW 87th Avenue, Suite 270 Miami, Florida 33173 305-596-4224 | |
| Describe the steps for how you would present this to your legislator. | I would schedule a meeting with Mr. Rubio to explain the justifications for the proposed policy. While presenting various aspects of the policy, it would be vital to use statistics and scientific evidence to justify it. | |
| Outline the process if your legislator chooses to introduce your idea as a bill to Congress. | After introducing the policy proposal to Congress, the sponsor will appeal to other Congress members’ support by explaining the policy’s benefits. The assigned committee will review it before proceeding to the full chamber for voting. If the full chamber or the constitutionally-required threshold votes favor the bill, the US president will ascent it to become a law. | |
| Christian Principles and Nursing Advocacy In no more than 250 words, discuss how principles of a Christian worldview lend support to legislative advocacy in health care without bias. Be specific as to how these principles help advocate for inclusiveness and positive health outcomes for all populations, including those more vulnerable, without regard to gender, sexual orientation, culture, race, religion/belief, etc. | ||
| The proposed policy addresses nursing staff shortages as a significant problem compromising patients’ and healthcare professionals’ safety and well-being. Therefore, the policy promotes quality care delivery, especially to vulnerable residents in nursing homes. Various Christian worldview principles support unbiased legislative advocacy in healthcare. For example, the Imago Dei doctrine anchors justice and equality in access to healthcare services. According to Rieg et al. (2018), Imago Dei entails personal characteristics, such as intelligence, desire, and morality, imparted to humans by God during creation. These attributes enable people to practice Godly values, including respecting others, fairness, and avoiding discriminative behaviors and acts. In healthcare, the image of God doctrine can enhance healthcare professionals’ understanding of moral grounds for care delivery. Secondly, Christians value the sanctity of life by attaching Godly powers to human life. In this sense, it is an obligation to preserve life and to desist from any activity that can deprive self and others of God-given life. According to Rieg et al. (2019), the sanctity of life worldview permeates healthcare contexts as the moral requirement to care, love, and show compassion for others. Care, compassion, and love are profound values in the current healthcare systems because they anchor impartiality, fairness, and justice when delivering care to highly-diverse populations. Consequently, people should support healthcare policies that enable healthcare professionals to care for patients and operate in environments that foster dignity, love, and patient safety. | ||
References
de Cordova, P. B., Pogorzelska-Maziarz, M., Eckenhoff, M. E., & McHugh, M. D. (2019). Public reporting of nurse staffing in the United States. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 10(3), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2155-8256(19)30143-7
Dewanto, A., & Wardhani, V. (2018). Nurse turnover and perceived causes and consequences: A preliminary study at private hospitals in Indonesia. BMC Nursing, 17(S2). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-018-0317-8
Haddad, L. M., Toney-Butler, T. J., & Annamaraju, P. (2022, February 22). Nursing shortage. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493175/
Lockhart, L. (2020). Strategies to reduce nursing turnover. Nursing made incredibly easy! 18(2), 56. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nme.0000653196.16629.2e
Rieg, L. S., Newbanks, S., & Sprunger, R. (2017). Caring from a Christian worldview. Journal of Christian Nursing, 35(3), 1. https://doi.org/10.1097/cnj.0000000000000474
Xu, H., Intrator, O., & Bowblis, J. R. (2020). Shortages of staff in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic: What are the driving factors? Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 21(10). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2020.08.002
Zhang, S., Ma, C., Meng, D., Shi, Y., Xie, F., Wang, J., Dong, X., Liu, J., Cang, S., & Sun, T. (2018). Impact of workplace incivility in hospitals on the work ability, career expectations and job performance of Chinese nurses: A cross-sectional survey. BMJ Open, 8(12), e021874. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021874
