NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2: Research legislation that has occurred within the last 5 years at the state or federal level as a result of nurse advocacy
DQ 2 Research legislation that has occurred within the last 5 years at the state or federal level as a result of nurse advocacy
Research legislation that has occurred within the last 5 years at the state or federal level as a result of nurse advocacy. Describe the legislation and what was accomplished. What additional steps need to be taken to continue advocacy for this issue?NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
REPLY TO DISCUSSION
Massachusetts came up with a proposed bill called Patient Safety Act in 2018. It was not brought up to legislators, instead it was posed as a ballot question to voters. The proposal sparked public debate, with both sides spending millions of dollars in campaign ads money. The bill ended in a landslide leading to its rejection by 70% of the voters.
NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2 Writer suggests they should do another attempt, but this time using legislative advocacy where congress and senate can decide on its faith. Also, there should be an education to the voting public about the importance of safe nurse-patient ratio. Must be explained well about the advocacy and why it is needed.
I agree with your response to my initial post. In order to place the legislation and changes in place to better the nurse to patient ratios we must have strong advocacy on our side. This is seen with the ANA American Nursing Association. “From bedsides to boardrooms, professional nurses across this country have always served the health care needs of our people” (Cipriano et al,.2020).
We need to take the best iterance of our patients as well as ourselves as working professional in the new environment that is the healthcare system. NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
We much take the issues such as patient safety and nurse burnout into serious consideration n when we place forth the serious issues facing our nursing care. “State leaders also shared some of the underlying causes of nurses’ departures, such as increased instances of workplace violence, deteriorated work environments, and insufficient focus on maintaining nurses’ mental health and well-being as they continue to serve on the frontlines of the pandemic” (Weger etal,.2022).NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
Tung, L. (2019, November 29). Why mandated nurse-to-patient ratios have become one of the most controversial ideas in health care.
https://whyy.org/segments/why-mandated-nurse-to-patient-ratios-have-become-one-of-the-most-controversial-ideas-in-health-care/#:~:text=The%20Illinois%20Health%20and%20Hospital%20Association%20has%20been%20outspoken%20against,the%20Safe%20Patient%20Limits%20Act.
Read
It sounds like the proposal just was not presented in the proper way. More education and advocacy for the bill should
have been completed prior to sending it for voting. If the proposal was presented in a more efficient way with lobbying and supporters, allowing for much more communication and advocacy, it may have had better outcomes. Unfortunately, it is difficult sometimes to find the right individuals or groups to support an idea.
NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2 Allowing for adequate time to present the idea is very important as well. If more people would understand the importance of safe nursing ratios, the outcomes may have been different.
Helbig, J. 2018. Influencing health care through Advocacy. Trends in Health Care: A nursing perspective. https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.1/#/chapter/4
Read
A problem that we continue to face in the nursing profession is the nursing shortage. For years the U.S. has been facing a nursing shortage. This was more exacerbated due to the demands on the health care system and by the COVID-19 pandemic. As more and more baby boomers continue to age and the national movement to healthcare reform are putting more strain on the already nursing shortage.NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
In Arizona to help address the limited capacity and the ways preventing new nurses to apply to schools. So, in order to help move people through the nursing program the House Bill 2691 was develop for this issue. It would distribute up to $15 million toward the nursing education. This would help the nursing schools be able to provide the education needed to get more nurses out in the field.
References
Dominquez, A. (2022). Arizona looks to address nursing shortage through new bill. azfamily.com. https://www.azfamily.com/2022/07/06/arizona-looks-address-nursing-shortage-through-new-bill/
Walden University. (n.d.). How is the U.S. nursing shortage being addressed? waldenu.edu. https://www.waldenu.edu/programs/nursing/resource/how-is-the-us-nursing-shortage-being-addressed
Read
Yes a nursing shortage is a real issue according to the 2022 workforce report “the nursing shortage is here. Burnout with health care workers from the high amount of COVID-19 cases over the past two years has intensified a shortage of nurses in the state.” I am part of a float team at the hospital organization I work for and our role is to fill the holes so that the floor staff is not working short. I like my job as it has a lot of flexibility and I don’t have to deal with the drama on the floors as i am usually never in the same place multiple days in a row.
I get along with everyone I work with with the exception of a few but all in all I have a great role.NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
Wisconsin Hospital Association. (2022). 2022 workforce report. https://www.wha.org/MediaRoom/DataandPublications/WHAReports/Workforce/2022
Read
With the help of advocacy from nurses and their orgizatoion such as ANA, the federal government passed the opioid legislation in cotober 2018 . Opioid uses have been prevent and many due to misuse have been overdose. About 40 % of those who overdose end up dead . More than 9 million Americans overdose on opioid in 2020 according to the cdc. The effect of this overdose , is seen in many visiting the hospital and overwhelming the already overwhelmed healthcare system. According to the FDA “Opioids are claiming lives at a staggering rate, and overdoses from prescription opioids are reducing life expectancy in the United States”( fda.gov. 2021).NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
This epidemic has render working class people and their families homeless. Working in the mental health hospital , the writer seen , had working Americans who have succumb to opioid and other drugs which may be legally prescribed and illegal drugs.
The nursing and their various organizations stepping to for this legislation is a stop to the right direction. Through the authority and legislations passed for the Nurse practitioner they can now presubscribe medication such as buprenorphine to help combat opioid dependency. (oclc.org, 2016). Opioid have separated families , it has lead to mental illnesses such as depression not only for the user but for the family ,members who have to care for their love ones.NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
The financial burden for opioid over dose is not limited to the users , but to the communities and the nation as a whole. And a A bill to that will pharmaceutical companies accountable for dubious marketing and distribution of opioid products and also for their role in creating and the opioid epidemic in the United States sign in 2021( .congress.gov. 2020) .
References:
All info – S.1584 – 116th congress (2019-2020): Opioid crisis … (2020). Retrieved, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1584/all-info
FDA. (2021). Opioid medications. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/information-drug-class/opioid-medication
Political advocacy: A passion for shaping health care and our practice. Login. (2016). Retrieved , from https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/eds/detail/detail?
One of the laws that was enacted as a result of nurse advocacy is the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act. This law was enacted in June 2022. It came to address the mental health crisis in the United States of America. This law came into being as nurses noted a high prevalence of mental illness cases and also an increase in the number of deaths as a result of drug overdose (Bartram, 2021). This legislation also aimed to address issues of child and adolescent mental health crisis and the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the United States of America populace (Yusli et al, 2021).NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act reauthorizes and modifies activities related to mental health. It addresses coordination of federal efforts related to behavioral health. It looks at issues involved with maternal mental health and substance use disorders.
The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act promotes the prevention and treatment of mental and behavioral health issues for veterans, members of the armed forces, front line workers, tribal populations and other specified groups. This law addresses eating disorders, the provision of school based mental health services and it advocates for the integration of behavioral health in primary care settings. This law reauthorizes the provision of grants to support the behavioral health workforce, grants related to prevention of suicide and the support of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Program.NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
This legislation also reauthorizes the provision of the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access grant as well as the comprehensive community Mental Health Services for Children with serious emotional disturbances. There is need for continued identification of mental health illness cases and those suffering from drug overdose so that they can be helped to attain good health and well being.
References
Bartram, M. (2021). ‘It’s Really About Wellbeing’: An American Investigation of Harm Reduction as a Bridge Between Mental Health and Addiction Recovery. Int J Ment Health Addiction. 1497–1510.
NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00239-7
Yusli, N. A. N. M., Roslan, S., Zaremohzzabieh, Z., Ghiami, Z., & Ahmad, N. (2021). Role of Restorativeness in Improving the Psychological Well-Being of University Students. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 646329. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.646329
Research legislation that has occurred within the last 5 years at the state or federal level as a result of nurse advocacy.
The year ending 2022 was a victory for the American Nursing Association (ANA) Supported Nursing Provision from The Congressional Spending Bill legislature, it was the value of the nurse. Valuing nurses has several shapes in the legislative process and advocacy control in the United States of America. The lawmakers were encouraged to regard daily nursing duties of their work environment noticing such things as not enough staffing, nurse and patient safety, removal of barriers to practice. Lawmakers were also made aware of the increased need for nursing reimbursement and to support and strengthen measures for nursing’s future.
Describe the legislation and what was accomplished.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) Policy and Government Affairs team concentrated on the health care delivery system. In March 2022, President Joseph Biden signed the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Act into Law. This law entails finding information for dissemination of best practices to reduce and prevent some psychological disorders such as suicide, mental health, and behavioral health. H.R. 7666 to restore hope for the Mental Health and Well-Being Act was included and supported by the (ANA). Also, included in this law was nurse burnout and increased access to evidence-based practice for individual professionals of the health care team and nurses.NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
What additional steps need to be taken to continue advocacy for this issue?
Continuation of patient advocacy will always be needed, and professional nurses will be there to implement advocacy from the local, state and federal levels (Helbig, 2018). The (ANA) will positively reinforce the (NP) role to improve success for worker’s compensation employees and continue to remove barriers for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN’s). There is also a need to continue the start of Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act, this is due to a survey conducted by the (ANA) that 60% of nurses were forced to work past their shift daily to weekly schedules
Helbig, J. (2018). Nurse as the Patient Advocate. https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.1/chapter4
Weger, K., Karp, S. (2022). American Nursing Association. https://anacapitolbeat.org/NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
Topic 4 DQ 2
Nurses are patient advocates who can leverage legislations to improve quality care by lobbying for enactment of critical healthcare bills. The implication is that the role of nurses is not limited to patient care but entails active participation in advocating and lobbying legislations that deal with community welfare, patient care, public health and safety, as well as overall wellness and primary care intervention (Bergman & Morley, 2022). The Institute of Medicine report in 2010 and the Affordable Care Act have made nurses to take a more proactive role in lobbying for and being part of lawmaking initiatives to improve overall care provision and delivery.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is a landmark legislation aimed at reducing health care and prescription drug costs. Under the Act is the Health Care Affordability Act that reduces the cost of health coverage premiums through making tax credits for marketplace plans to be more generous and accessible to more Americans. The tax credits were enacted first through the American Rescue Plan leading to enrolment of over 14.5 million Americans on Affordable Care Act during this year’s Open Enrolment period (The White House, 2022).NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
The Health Care Affordability Act is a right step in making high quality health care affordable and accessible for millions of families in different parts of the country. The implication is that this law ensures increased coverage, affordability, and equity in healthcare for patients and their families.
Advocacy in this issue needs to continue with increased focus on underserved and minority communities that have limited access to healthcare. As advanced by the sponsor of the bill, who is a nurse by profession, millions of Americans need healthcare interventions aimed at lowering costs and increasing accessibility, especially in remote and rural settings (Underwood, 2022). Advocacy should entail increased information about the existing tax credits so that more Americans can enroll on the program.NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
References
Bergman, E., & Morley, C. (2022). Public Policy: Nurse Licensure Compact as a Lesson in NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
Legislative Action for the Case Management Community. Professional Case Management, 27(1), 26-29. DOI: 10.1097/NCM.0000000000000542.
The White House (2022 August 15). By the Numbers: The Inflation Reduction Act.NRS 440 Topic 4 DQ 2
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/15/by-the-numbers-the-inflation-reduction-act/
Underwood, L. (2022). Underwood’s Legislation to Lower Health Care Costs to be Signed into
Law in Inflation Reduction Act; Lowers Costs by an Average of $2,400 Per Family for Marketplace Plans. https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases/underwoods-legislation-lower-health-care-costs-be-signed-law-inflation
One of the professions whose workforce is expanding the most globally is nursing. Nurses make up the majority of the hospital staff. In addition to aggressively promoting and lobbying for laws that deal with public safety, community welfare, patient care, nursing issues, wellness, and preventive measures, nurses’ roles also include providing patients with respect (Shah et al., 2020). Nurses actually have a relatively diverse range of interests. The IOM findings and the Affordable Care Act have given nurses more freedom to take the initiative. Numerous pieces of legislation have been passed as a result of nursing influence.
After observing the impact, nurses have been against tobacco use, including smoking and vaping. Nursing professionals are concerned about the recent rise in the teenage vaping epidemic. They have actively opposed it through lobbying. Their worries came true when some people died from vaping electronic cigarettes (Shah et al., 2020). The research suggested that vaping causes permanent lung damage. Nurses argued for the prohibition of e-cigarettes after being inspired by this new research. The elected officials in the government gave legitimacy to their concerns. As they anticipated delayed congressional action, numerous state governments sprang into action. Like California, many other states have outright outlawed e-cigarettes (Oncology Nursing Society, 2019).
As public and health officials’ concerns have grown, several businesses, including Walmart, no longer sell vaping items. When patients visit their doctor or go to school, nurses inform them about the negative effects of vaping. Vaping has an impact on adults as well, who have switched to vaping as an alternative to smoking without understanding its negative health repercussions. The fact that it has various flavors makes it appealing to young people.
State and local restrictions are hints of more significant federal changes to come. This dispute won’t go away even with government regulation. Manufacturers of these goods will fight back, attempt to persuade legislators of the product’s safety, or look for a way to reintroduce their interests to the market (Shah et al., 2020). All forms of vaping should continue to be condemned by nurses (flavored or unflavored). We must keep raising public awareness of this product’s harm to the general population.
References
Oncology Nursing Society. (2019, September 23). Nurses impact health policy; State vaping legislation; Pelosi’s drug plan. Retrieved from https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/nurses-impact-health-policy-state-vaping-legislation-pelosis-drug-plan
Shah, J., Mullen, M., & Lu, M. (2020). E-cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury: a case study and review of the literature. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 39(4), 305-308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2020.09.005