1. Discussion 2: The Role of the RN/APRN in Policy-Making
Word cloud generators have become popular tools for meetings and team-building events.
Groups or teams are asked to use these applications to input words they feel best describe
their team or their role. A “word cloud” is generated by the application that makes
prominent the most-used terms, offering an image of the common thinking among
participants of that role.What types of words would you use to build a nursing word
cloud? Empathetic, organized, hard-working, or advocate would all certainly apply. Would
you add policy-maker to your list? Do you think it would be a very prominent component of
the word cloud?Nursing has become one of the largest professions in the world, and as such,
nurses have the potential to influence policy and politics on a global scale. When nurses
influence the politics that improve the delivery of healthcare, they are ultimately advocating
for their patients. Hence, policy-making has become an increasingly popular term among
nurses as they recognize a moral and professional obligation to be engaged in healthcare
legislation.To Prepare:Revisit the Congress.gov website provided in the Resources and
consider the role of RNs and APRNs in policy-making.Reflect on potential opportunities that
may exist for RNs and APRNs to participate in the policy-making process.By Day 3 of Week
8Post an explanation of at least two opportunities that exist for RNs and APRNs to actively
participate in policy-making. Explain some of the challenges that these opportunities may
present and describe how you might overcome these challenges. Finally, recommend two
strategies you might make to better advocate for or communicate the existence of these
opportunities to participate in policy-making. Be specific and provide examples.By Day 6 of
Week 8Respond to at least two of your colleagues’* posts by suggesting additional
opportunities or recommendations for overcoming the challenges described by your
colleagues.*Note: Throughout this program, your fellow students are referred to as
colleagues. Everything should be in APA 7 formart. At least 3 references all with DOI
number and at least 3 paragraphs for mainpost and 2 for replies.’Discussion for reply
one (Guy) RNs and APRNs have crucial roles in health care to inform decisions of policy
making. There are many opportunities that exist for nursing professionals to participate in
policy making. According to Burke (2016), “It’s essential that policies exist that define and
integrate appropriate standards for delivery of care and address conditions necessary for
that care to occur. Through policy work, nurses can and should influence practice standards
and processes to assure quality of care. Nurses who influence policy help share the care that
will be provided today and tomorrow. Policies also impact resource allocation to support
delivery of healthcare”. One opportunity that exists for nurses to become active in

2. policy making is to become a member of the American Nurses Association. According to
Catallo, Spalding, & Haghiri-Vijeh (2014), “Policy products that the ANA offers include a
“policy activist took kit”. As part of this took kit, RNs are provided with resources that
include how to get involved in a political campaign, writing letters to the editor, how to
engage politicians and carry out lobbying activities”. The article “Nursing Professional
Organizations: What Are They Doing to Engage Nurses in Health Policy?” discusses how
nurses can become engaged in health policy activities and how to address policy
issues. Another opportunity that exists for nurses to become active in policy
making is to advance their education by becoming an APRN. According to Regis College
(n.d), “Nurse practitioners have an opportunity to serve as advocates for patients, families,
communities, other nurses, and health care organizations. Through this advocacy, nurse
practitioners can influence health care policy. By gaining a comprehensive understanding in
particular areas of health care, nurse practitioners are uniquely situated to support
positions that will benefit out communities”. Becoming an APRN prepares your ability to
participate in advocacy of health care policy making. A strategy that can be used to
promote nursing professionals involvement in policy making is to do so through nursing
employers. For example, I would propose to create and implement a “Policy Committee”
through my hospital organization to discuss the potential nurse advocacy benefits we can
offer to policy making. In addition, as mentioned by Catallo et al,. (2014), to convey
“Political awareness and understanding of the importance of being involved in nursing
organizations, time to engage in policy development outside of nursing work, and resources
to develop skills in policy participation”. Another strategy that can be
implemented to overcome to barriers of nursing involvement in policy making is to do so
through nursing education. According to Short (2008), “The foundations for a professional
understanding of health care policy should be well laid in formal education and synthesized
with practice and work environments. Without time to promote synthesis of policy concepts
related to the practice environment, nurses have no basis for further exploration and may
remain naive to the influences of policy throughout their career”. If nursing students (RN or
APRN) were exposed to health care policy and the influence their roles can have on policy
making during their nursing education, there would be much more nursing involvement in
health care policy that is needed today. References Burke, A. (2016). Influence Through
Policy: Nurses Have a Unique Role. Retrieved October 18, 2020
from https://nursingcentered.sigmanursing.org/commentary/more-
commentary/Vol42_2_nurses-have-a-unique-role.Catallo, C., Spalding, K., & Haghiri-Vijeh, R.
(2014). Nursing Professional Organizations: What Are They Doing to Engage Nurses in
Health Policy? SAGE Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014560534Regis College
(n.d). How Does Nursing Influence Health Care Policy? Retrieved October 18, 2020
from https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/how-does-nursing-influence-health-care-
policy/Short N. M. (2008). Influencing health policy: strategies for nursing education to
partner with nursing practice. Journal of professional nursing: official journal of the
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 24(5), 264–269.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2007.10.004Discussion for reply two(Megan)“The
design phase of the policy process is the point at which the original intent of a solution to a

3. problem is understood and the appropriate tools are employed to achieve policy success”
(Milstead, 2019). The creation of policies, or presenting your idea, is how nurses can
participate in policymaking. Actively working in the nursing field can help nurses see
problems that arise and a better solution to patient needs. Bringing these ideas to congress
to make changes will benefit the need of the patients. “Nurses’ influence in health policies
protects patient safety, increases quality of care, and facilitates their access to the required
resources and promotes quality health care” (Arabi et al., 2014).Advocacy is another way
that nurses can participate in policymaking. “We have been patient advocates in our
interactions with doctors and administrators, why not with Congress“ (L. Phillips, 2020).
Nurses should feel excited and empowered that they get to have a voice in the political
world to make healthcare changes. Advocating for our patients is our duty, and I cannot
think of a better way to do this than policy creation or changes. “As a component of
professional nursing, active participation in the policy process is essential in the
formulation of policies designed to provide quality health care at sustainable costs to all
individuals” (Milstead, 2019). Some of the challenges nurses face when getting involved
with policymaking are getting push back from legislators and finding the evidence-based
practice to support ideas. Nurses must band together and fight for what we know is right
and what our patients need. Becoming an active member of a nursing organization can help
support new policies or change old policies. Support strength comes in numbers. Having
multiple people that share the same ideas will decrease pushback. Finding evidence-based
practice to support our ideas may pose a problem, but putting in work to find or create
research will be worth it, in the end, to help our patients with new or changed policies. Also,
becoming a member of a nursing association can assist with finding or creating evidence-
based practice.The strategies I think will help advocate for these opportunities is being
involved in a nursing association and providing courses like this to nurses. I know I spoke of
nursing associations already, but I cannot think of a better way to come together and share
our similar experiences and ideas to improve processes and policies to assist our patients.
Providing courses like this to help educate nurses and get them involved in politics helps
drive home the importance of our voices.ReferencesArabi, A., Rafii, F., Cheraghi, M., &
Ghiyasvandian, S. (2014, May 19). Nurses’ policy influence: A concept analysis. PubMed
Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061635/Milstead, J. A., &
Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA:
Jones & Bartlett Learning. Pg. 97 Phillips, R. (2003). Health Care Policy: The Nurse’s Crucial
Role. American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing.
https://www.aaacn.org/volunteer/teams/legislative/health-care-policy-nurses-crucial-
role