1. Peer response, minimum 100 words, 1 reference
Florence Nightingale influenced and advocated for the
development of nursing education schools and programs
(Nickitas, Middaugh, & Aries, 2016). Because of Nightingale
and these programs other hospitals around the country started to
notice their value and started to open nursing schools and
programs that were similar. Lillian Wald and Lavinia Dock
advocated for healthcare reform within the community to
protect the public from uneducated nurses and to develop
nursing standards (Nickitas, Middaugh, & Aries, 2016). Wald
went on to introduce several legislative initiatives that would
improve the health of children (Nickitas, Middaugh, & Aries,
2016). Wald advocated for public health nurses to improve the
overall well-being of the community. These nursing advocates
cared about nursing education. Wald and Dock took it further
and advocated for nursing standards. Margaret Sanger advocated
for women's reproductive rights and contraceptives in a time
when that was not a popular subject. She picketed, protested,
and was arrested fighting for her cause and beliefs (Nickitas,
Middaugh, & Aries, 2016). Nurses advocate for their patients
each day, but they must also advocate for policy change on
health issues. Nurses must remain engaged in the policy
changing and making process. In order for this to occur nurses
must remain informed about policies and they can influence
nursing locally, regionally, and nationally (Polaschek, 2014).
The American Nurses Association and the National League for
Nursing are organizations that nurses can join to advocate for
changes within the profession (Dunn, 2012).

2. References
Dunn, D. J. (2012). What keeps nurses in nursing?.
International Journal For Human Caring
,
16
(3), 34-41.
Nickitas, D.M., Middaugh, D.J., & Aries, N. (2016).
Policy and politics for nurses and other health professionals
(2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Polaschek, N. (2014). Renal nursing at the centre: Changing
clinical practice through influencing policy.
Renal Society of Australasia Journal
,
10
(2), 86-88.
Cicely Saunders
Ms. Saunders was a nurse who started something that is
near and dear to my heart. She focused on starting palliative
medicine and made hospice what it is today. As we all know
everyone dies someday and to have these type of services
available is not only relieving for the patient but also the
families. I have dealt with a lot of hospice patients over time
due to working on a renal floor. I have seen patients become at
ease towards the end of life receiving these services. Without
this movement the comfort provided to these patients might not
be possible (Petiprin, 2016).

3. Barry J. Marshall
This individual brought a change to antibiotics and their
use today. He was able to identify bacteria in the lining of the
stomach and determined how to use antibiotics to treat bacteria.
Without this public change people could die from this disease
process today. If may not seem like a huge change in today’s
world but without this policy put in place people’s lives could
be at risk (Admin, 2013).
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale developed a group of female
nurses who helped during the Crimean War. Although the
doctors were not very welcoming to the female nurses they
realized they needed more help and let the nurses stay. Not only
did the group of nurses clean up the hospital within 6 months
but they also decreased the death rate from cleaning. This is
what started public health idea. If Florence Nightingale
wouldn’t have stood up for female nurses being able to work in
that profession women might not be able to stay in the
profession today. By sticking up for female nurses she allowed
women a equal opportunity in health care (Reynolds-Finley
Historical Library, 2017).
I feel that in the future nurses need to focus on what has
already been started historically and build upon it. I feel that
many nurses before us have implemented health care policies
but they didn’t have the resources we do today to make them as
successful as they could have been. If we take the time to learn
about policies that started in the past then we might be able to
build on them when we become nurse practitioners.
References
Admin. (2013). THE 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN

4. MEDICINE ALIVE TODAY. Retrieved from
http://nursingdegree.org/the-25-most-influential-people-in-
medicine-alive-today/
Petiprin, A. (2016). How Famous Nurses Have Changed the
Nursing Profession. Retrieved from
http://www.nursing-theory.org/famous-nurses/
Reynolds-Finley Historical Library. (2017). The Life of
Florence Nightingale. Retrieved from
https://www.uab.edu/reynolds/nightingale/life
Peer response, minimum 100 words, 1 reference