30 Jan 4. Develops a value-laden

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 1 Discussion

DQ1 Connecting Workplace Issues With Policy

New information based on policy decisions locally, regionally, and nationally is often presented to staff by nurse leaders. Identify a recent change at your current, or most recent, workplace that was policy based. Discuss the policy and how the change supported positive patient outcomes.

DQ2 Problem Identification for Public and Policy Decision Makers

Nursing leaders and bedside staff are often confronted with problems that affect their workflow and ability to deliver best practices to their patients. One example of a policy that has been adopted by many healthcare organizations to reduce confusion and improve efficiency in communication is the use of the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, & Recommendation) tool to ensure clear, concise, and effective communication between professions. Describe a situation or issue that you see within your work environment or local community related to a healthcare issue, and describe what you believe the solution would look like.

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 2 Discussion

DQ1 Leading Change

Consider an educational or healthcare organization with which you are familiar. Analyze the organization with respect to its attitude toward change. Identify a healthcare policy that has been adopted by this organization and determine the change model used throughout the change process (if any). Include the history of the change in terms of how the issue was identified, who the stakeholders were, and how the implementation and evaluation were received.

DQ2 Applied Change Implementation

Identify a socially visible healthcare issue that you would like to see developed into a healthcare policy. It can be an issue that you are aware of through the course textbook, literature, peers, or through experiences with other healthcare systems. What change strategy could be developed to present to leaders within your healthcare organization?

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 3 Discussion

DQ1 Politics of Science Policy

Identify a current or previously funded National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) research study and identify the area of ‘determination of need’ that this research study addresses. Identify the population that the findings of this research support and list several potential outcomes and the policy that it would support. What are the key drivers of this issue?

DQ2 Building Research Locally; Supporting Research Nationally

Nursing leaders are often presented with problems and issues, some that are departmental and organizationally focused, and others that have wide national impact. Consider the different levels of challenge for the nursing leader that move from local to state to national health policy agenda. Consider one project, either one that is local OR one that has national implications, that created policy change and was implemented in your organization. What are the greatest challenges on the project for the leader within the context of healthcare policy and use of evidence support?

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 4 Discussion

DQ1 Social Visibility of Health Issue

Discuss how social visibility and financial cost impact healthcare policy.

DQ2 Analysis of Path to Recent Healthcare Policy

Think of a current health issue. Explain the path of this issue, from conception toward being in the forefront of society.

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 5 Discussion

DQ1 Imbedding Policy Into Healthcare Culture

From the perspective of the nursing leadership position that you expect to have upon graduation, consider how you would move a new healthcare policy into your healthcare organization. What would be the first steps taken with the organization’s leadership to gain buy-in?

DQ2 Leader Responsibility to Influence and Inform Healthcare Policy

Discuss the main task of leaders’ responsibility related to influencing and informing healthcare policy issues and how you will apply these tasks within your current role and/or expected role after graduation.

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 6 Discussion

DQ1 Nurse Advocate Power

Nursing leaders are under pressure to share their professional expertise. What is your obligation as a professional nurse to advocate for healthcare policy issues? What are the influences that impact nursing advocacy in the healthcare policy realm? What skills should you gain to successfully advocate for change?

DQ2 Committees and Communication

Communication effectiveness is a key factor throughout nursing regardless of the level or type of practice. Select a specific venue where healthcare policy discussions may be held. What communication strategy would you use to communicate with stakeholders on politics, economics, team building, legal, or regulation?

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 7 Discussion

DQ1 Resource Appreciation

Share your experiences with interdisciplinary, community, state, and national individuals or special interest groups. How are healthcare issues approached? How do the views of non-healthcare professionals contribute to the healthcare policy discussion?

DQ2 Contributing Factors of Change

Considering the many factors that contribute to the change process, what are the most consistent factors that challenge nurse advocates seeking change?

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 8 Discussion

Future Work

How do you envision using concepts and skills learned in this course in your future work as a healthcare-policy nurse leader?

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 3 Assignment

PURPOSE

The purpose of this assignment is to: a) identify and give an overview of one piece of current state healthcare policy legislation that is working its way through the legislative system but has not yet become law, b) provide a concise discussion of the severity of the problem, c) identify and describe the stakeholders and how this legislation will affect them, d) explain the expected outcomes of the legislation, e) what are the barriers encountered and potential unintended consequences, and f) what is your recommendation from a nursing perspective.

DUE DATE

Submit by 11:59 p.m. MT Sunday of the Week 3.

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE: 175

REQUIREMENTS

Discuss the health problem, the population demographics of those affected, and the number of people affected. Discuss the research evidence that supports this legislation, any consensus on solution sets, and what will happen if the legislation fails to pass? Support your position with data and statistics. All statements must be factual, be sure that you know that what is claimed in the legislation has evidence to support it (if none state as such).Identify who the stakeholders are and why this legislation is important to them. Look for the concrete policy statements rather than the rhetoric about what is stated the legislation will do. Indicate the status of the legislation (just introduced, passed by one house, up for full vote) with a minimum of two examples. State what individual or group brought this issue forward for formulation as legislation. Discuss the specifics of the health outcomes that are promised if the legislation passes. Discuss why the promoters are pushing this legislation; look for ‘hidden’ agendas such as financial gain. Discuss who is opposing the legislation and why; look for ‘hidden’ agendas. For this section students may need to look at local news reports that may discuss those in opposition. Discuss what might go wrong if the legislation is passed; some discussions of this may be found in those in opposition.State your own recommendation related to the legislation and support with facts / evidence. The conclusion is presented with insights from the body of the paper.

Assignment Criteria for the Paper:

1. Include a brief introduction about the purpose of the paper and what the reader is expected to find in the body of the paper (assignment components)

2. Provide an overview of a selected state health problem

3. Discuss the top three indicators of the severity of the health problem based on evidence from literature

4. Provide an overview of policy legislation and stakeholders

5. Discuss two expected evidence based outcomes based on scholarly sources

6. Describe the two problems and two of their unintended consequences

7. Include two recommendations (such as legislative language; focus; health problem improvement)

8. Conclusion based on insights from body of the paper.

9. The body of the scholarly paper is to be 4 to 5 pages in length excluding title and reference pages. (Extra pages will not be read and will not count towards your grade.)

10. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, references, and citations are consistent with formal academic writing and APA format as expressed in the 6th edition

11. Include a minimum of three non-course assigned scholarly resources published within the past 5 years. References may include scholarly websites of organizations or government agencies and must be presented using APA format for electronic media.

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 5 Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to: a) identify a current policy issue and its significance, b) provide background information that influences the decision, c) identify and describe the policy decision options, d) identify the pros and cons of the decision options, based on value to society, e) based on this review, recommend the solution (from the decision options discussed, and f) discuss the implications of the recommendation.

DUE DATE

Submit by Sunday 11:59 p.m. MT at the end of Week 5.

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE: 175 POINTS

REQUIREMENTS

1. Review literature on a current healthcare policy issue and its significance to public health

2. Provide background information that influences the decision

3. Identify and describe the policy-decision options

4. Identify the pros and cons of the decision options, based on value to the population / society

5. Recommend the solution, based on the decision options

6. Discuss the implications of the recommendation

7. The body of the executive summary is to be 3-5 pages in length, excluding title and reference pages

8. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, references, and citations are consistent with formal writing and APA format as expressed in the 6th edition

9. Include a minimum of three to four scholarly resources published within the past 5 years, not including your textbook. References may include scholarly websites of organizations or government agencies and must be presented using APA format for electronic media

PREPARING THE PAPER

1. Review the Powerpoint presentation on preparation of an executive summary

NR554The Nurse Leader and Healthcare Policy

Week 7 Assignment

COMMITMENT TO ACTION

(Policy Memo)

PURPOSE

The purpose of this “real world” policy analysis and advocacy assignment is to: a) review the literature on a selected health issue,b) propose a policy solution, c) develop a value-laden problem statement related to the history and evidences of the issue, d) select and apply an appropriate decision model and change model, f) present viable strategies with potential outcomes, and e) select and discuss measures for evaluation of policy effectiveness.

DUE DATE

Submit by Sunday 11:59 p.m. MT at the end of Week 7.

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE: 275 POINTS

REQUIREMENTS

1. Identifies role function ofa registered nurse engaged in healthcare policy(legislative staff, hospital nurse executive, representative of a professional organization, government official or presidential advisor). Identify and describe the role as it would be performed in presenting the issue.

2. Reviews the literature on a selected health issue appropriate to the selected role

3. Proposes a policy solution appropriate to the selected role

4. Develops a value-laden problem statement related to the history and evidences of the issue

5. Applies an appropriate decision model and change model

6. Presents viable strategies with potential outcomes for each strategy

7. Discussmeasures for evaluation of the policy’s effectiveness

8. The body of the policy memo is to be 3-5 pages in length, excluding title and reference pages

9. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, references, and citations are consistent with formal writing and APA format as expressed in the 6th edition

10. Include a minimum of four(4) scholarly resources published within the past 5 years not including the course textbook. References may include scholarly websites of organizations or government agencies; these must be presented using APA format for electronic media