The Role Played By RN/APRN In Policy Evaluation Discussion

The Role Played By RN/APRN In Policy Evaluation Discussion

The Role Played by RN/APRN in Policy Evaluation

Opportunities in current existence for RNs and APRNs to participate actively in reviewing policy

Policy review refers to a deep analysis of an administrative policy and other related documents, such as procedures and appendices, to determine whether that particular policy is still needed. It helps determine whether the policy’s purpose and goal are being met (Procedure | Comprehensively Reviewing Existing Administrative Policies, 2022). Policy review begins with planning, where stakeholders discuss the policy to determine whether it caters for their interests. RNs and APRNs who get involved in the process need to get engaged in positions that will facilitate meeting the stakeholders and analyzing these policies The Role Played By RN/APRN In Policy Evaluation Discussion.

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Nurses have opportunities to be in positions that will enable them to engage stakeholders of these policies and review them. Professional nurses’ organizations such as the American Nurses Association (ANA), The National League of Nursing (NLN), and the American Association of College of Nurses (AACN), among other bodies, provide such opportunities. By becoming registered members of these bodies, nurses can engage in the process of policy evaluation and advocate for transparency in the review process (Milstead & Short, 2019). A typical example is when the professional nurses engaged in the evaluation process during the implementation and design phases of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). They advocated for transparency in costs and campaigned for the education of patients regarding the enrolment process in the plans for subsidized health insurance.

RNs and APRNs also have the opportunity to ordinarily participate in meetings of unit development, enabling them to be actively engaged in the process of developing and introducing new policies as well as reviewing them. In such cases, the RNs can conduct surveys and clinical observations and then make recommendations on policy implementation based on evidence-based practice and extensive scientific research they conduct. During the policy review phase, they can list down some measurable goals on the effectiveness of the implemented policies based on their observations. The process of policy review, therefore, begins at the start of the program implementation or when coming up with the program (Laureate Education, 2018). This helps the policymakers decide on whether to support the drafted policy or not.

Challenges presented by such opportunities and how to overcome them

In as much as nurses are presented with opportunities to participate in policy review, there are a lot of challenges that the RNs and APRNs may face during the process. For instance, the process of policy review requires working with a multidisciplinary team that may consist of different professionals from diverse fields of practice with different opinions. They may have different ideas about the healthcare system and patient care making it difficult for them to be receptive to the ideas raised by nurses. To overcome this, the nurses should come up with evidence-based practice ideas backed by scientific research, gather wider support from the public and their coworkers, and communicate their ideas effectively, while involving the other professionals The Role Played By RN/APRN In Policy Evaluation Discussion.

Policy implementation and review may also be subject to opposition from participants and coworkers due to fear of change. Nurses need to make a preparation for possible resistance by providing policy awareness, including the projected analysis of the costs and the expected outcomes. This may make them gain support from their coworkers and other participants in case a need for voting arises.

Some strategies to enhance better advocacy for or communication of these existing opportunities

Participating in local, national, and international meetings and seminars is one way I can use to ensure better advocacy for or communication of these existing policy evaluation/review opportunities to the RNs and APRNs. During such meetings, I will discuss with them the importance of policy review and inform them of the opportunities discussed above. This will create awareness as the nurses attending the seminars will be able to make communication with other nurses ensuring a wider coverage.

The use of social media provides wider coverage and it can be another effective way of advocating for and providing communication about the existence of these opportunities. Posting such information on social media handles such as Facebook network groups and other social media handles will make other nurses aware of the availability of these opportunities.

References

Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Procedure | Comprehensively Reviewing Existing Administrative Policies. Policy.umn.edu. (2022). Retrieved 8 July 2022, from https://policy.umn.edu/operations/upolicy-proc03.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). The Importance of Program Evaluation [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author The Role Played By RN/APRN In Policy Evaluation Discussion