These groups include (a) the inactive, who do virtually nothing or very little, (b) the voting specialist, who vote regularly but do nothing else, (c) the parochial participant, who contact officials in relation to specific problems but are otherwise inactive, (d) the communalist, who intermittently engage in political action on broad social issues but are not highly involved, (e) the campaigner, who are highly involved in campaigns of various kinds, and finally (f) the complete activist, who participate in all kinds of activities. Nursing needs policy, it provides the context to nurses' practice, roles, and knowledge and frames patients' day-to-day lives. Nursing as a profession has arrived at a prestigious . Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. And if you thought your Nurse Practice Act was free of politics, think again. :10.1155/2014/236573, Keepnews, D. M. (2012). Focus on a change that impacts healthcare outcomes either through direct or indirect care. A related finding was observed in participants' academic qualifications, with 56.9% having a diploma in nursing as their highest academic qualification. Michigan: Univerity of Michigan Press. The personal costs of this reform could . This section will describe the study setting; population and sample; data collection instrument and procedure; data management and analysis; and ethical considerations. FYS 100/102 First Year Seminar (specific to HP Clinically based programs) 3 credit hours MAT 111 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving in Math (QF) 3 credit hours BIO 150/151 Molecular Biology 4 credit hours; Foundations Course - Global Citizenship 3 credit hours; Foundations Course - American Citizenship 3 credit hours The article I chose to summarize is from the Nurse Journal and discusses how politics impacted nurses and the shortage of nurses that has been an issue. She abruptly pivoted, joining the core of Johns Hopkins Medicine's pandemic response as an operations chief of its . Medical Imaging, B.S. RELEASED OF RESULT FOR THE PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIO JAMB 2019/2020 REGISTRATION FORM AND EXAMINATION D #SHOCKING: Pastor Adeboye Asks Members To Donate N1 Billion: See How Freeze, Davido, Jude Okoye React (Video), SHORT VIDEO CLIP OF DIGESTIVE SYSTEM WITH FULL AND CLEAR EXPLANATION, HISTORY OF CHILDREN DAY IN NIGERIA, reasons behind the celebration. He served as the national president of the Ghana Nurse and Midwife Trainees Association during his student days at the Nurses Training College, Tamale. The role of health care coverage is . Nursing needs policy, it provides the context to nurses' practice, roles, and knowledge and frames patients' day-to-day lives. However, when we compare these findings to the findings that were obtained from an analysis of common political practices of nurses, there was a difference. Even a public health nurse may have influence on a local mayor, council member, judge or other elected official. / Oct 19, 2020. These organizations often have lobbyists that bring nursing issues to Capitol Hill. Or the Senate? An official website of the United States government. Independent Samples T-test for Gender, Practice Area, and Political Participation, Practice area and political participation. In the case of the two district hospitals, we sought permission from the Northern Regional Health Directorate to carry out the study in those facilities, since they did not have institutional review boards. Nurses' political involvement: Responsibility versus privilege. I am happy to see an employee of Tampa General Hospital shine. Population and SampleThe study population included nurses working in three hospitals and two nursing training schools. Among all healthcare professionals, nurses are the ones closest to clients and consumers of healthcare (Juma et al., 2014). On March 12, 2021, President Biden signed into law the major COVID relief package passed by Congress. They bring more vitality, ideas, and ingenuity to the nursing profession. The nursing profession's potential impact on policy and politics. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean. In the case of an Assemblyman, 85.3% said no; and 82.2% said no for that of a Member of Parliament. Nurses have the requisite education, experience, and legacy that will enable them to lead the world in addressing the social determinants of health, factors that have a dramatic impact on the health of populations (Lathrop, 2013). Studies exploring the political behavior of nurses in Ghana are virtually non-existent. However, nurses need support in order to effect change. Most participants were in their 30s (Mean age = 30.84, Median = 30.00). The researcher then collected the completed surveys, which generally had been left with the charge nurse. Pneumonia, sepsis may increase risk of cardiovascular disease. But , organizational culture is very important. For more information please follow the below link: Statistics describing the categories of nurses levels of political astuteness are presented in Table 2. Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. A Fundamental Conflict of Visions Robert E. Moffit, PhD: Today, we are going to address proposals to replace America's current health care arrangements with a national a "single-payer . He is the current Convocation Representative (Professorial) on the University of Cape Coast Council and a member of a number of professional associations. Many nursing scholars, professional nursing organizations, and other health-focused organizations, expect and encourage nurses to engage in socio-political activities. Jennifer J. Brokaw is a wound and ostomy specialist at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida. The fact that nurses generally do register to vote, and do vote in many elections, suggests that nurses may not be generally apathetic towards politics as has been suggested, but rather may limit the extent of their participation. HealthCom Media, the publishers of American Nurse Journal, the American Nurses Association and Al Roker Productions collaborated to bring a few shining examples of the exemplary work being done by nurses in today's very challenging healthcare environment to the American public. This generally high level of political participation among residents of Tamale makes it an ideal setting to study political behavior among a group of people. View all. Aa a new nurse, it is already overwhelming in trying to work and learn as a new nurse, that I would honestly not want to become involved in politics. In a study conducted in the United States regarding political participation of registered nurses, only 23% of participants reported making monetary contributions to political candidates (Vandenhouten et al., 2011). Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 18(3), 135148. Sigma offers grant and scholarship opportunities to help active students fund their nursing education. Nurses must be seen and heard in health policy debates. Before this position, he taught at the Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Kpembe, for five years, and worked as a clinical nurse for five years at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. 2023 HealthCom Media All rights reserved. The aging of nursing faculty will impact the capacity of nursing schools to educate sufficient numbers of registered nurses to meet future demand. The code serves as the foundation for "nursing theory, practice, and praxis" in expressing the "values, virtues, and obligations that shape, guide, and inform nursing as a profession.". Yet, studies have shown that nurse participation in political activities remains low. With the chronically ill population with more than one comorbid condition 4.8 minutes was not even enough time to cover teaching medications much less disease education, memory decline/impairment, mobility issues, fall risks, nutrition, ADLs, or any of the other critical keys. The nursing profession's potential impact on policy and politics. Ethical ConsiderationsThe study was conducted in five different institutions, specifically two district hospitals, one teaching hospital, and two nursing training schools. Hi, Political participation was defined as nurses involvement in activities considered to be political in nature (Vandenhouten et al., 2011). Nursing is the largest medical profession in the world with about 240,000 nurses in Nigeria alone. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean scores of political participation between nurse educators and clinical nurses (p = .140). In spite of the overwhelming agreement that it is important for nurses to know about politics, and that politics should be a matter of concern to nurses, only 0.4% of the respondents were found to be concerned and knew much about political issues. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 3(2), 97107. for-profit business entities instead of the service organizations they were intended to be. It is a matter of Profit over People due to the FOR PROFIT status of the industry due to Nixon. Keith is also the co-host of RNFM Radio, a popular Internet radio station devoted to the nursing profession. These previous nursing leadership positions have motivated him to study the political behavior of nurses. The PAI is a 40-item questionnaire with each affirmative response valued at one point. When we healthcare professionals take our role as patient advocates seriously, we can be greatly disturbed by political machinations that appear determined to undermine public health, hobble patient safety, blatantly ignore the medical evidence base or otherwise thwart what we as healers attempt to do every time we earnestly show up for work. The. Richard Nixon made healthcare a for profit instead of a service industry. Before Dr. Wombeogo is a professional nurse, pediatric nurse specialist, public health scientist Senior Lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS) and Head of the Department of Public Health at the School of Allied Health Sciences. All of these findings clearly indicate that nurses are generally very interested in voting as a political activity. One-way ANOVA Age, Academic Qualification, and Political Participation. High-intensity participation: The dynamics of party activism in Britian. In other words, they were in the category of low and very low levels of political participation. Nursing is the largest medical profession in the world with about 240,000 nurses in Nigeria alone. Level of Nurses Political Participation, Slightly aware of the implications of political activity for nursing, Politically Astute and Asset to the Profession. Background characteristics of participants were described using frequencies, percentages, and means. As such, nurses have the potential to p Nurses are the largest group of professionals in the health sector. - potential-impact-policy-politics/ End of preview. Influencing . This article defines what is meant by policy and what influences its development. For nurses to advocate effectively for the profession and their clients, to be able to address the social determinants of health and to influence policy formulation at all levels, they must be active in the political process beyond voting. New policies made for healthcare should be made by those who have worked in the field and can speak on what those changes should be first hand, . The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 12(1). 24, No. I am glad to read some nursing schools are including how to have a voice in changing policies in politics involving health care. Thanks for this article. Data Collection ProcedureAfter institutional approval, data collection was completed over a period of three weeks, from March 27 to April 14, 2017. Other large groups of people living here include the Dagarbas, Mamprusis, and Akans. Table 2. http://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/5064/, Boswell, C., Cannon, S., & Miller, J. An historical study that focused on four generations of Canadian nurses, using a critical feminist lens, revealed each generation had political and other factors that promoted nursing activism both within and outside of their workplaces, with this activism in policy and political venues having helped to shape the transformative potential of . The large majority of the participants were either totally politically unaware or only slightly aware of the implications of politics for nursing. Secondary reasons for my decision to pursue nursing include traveling the world, enjoying the respect bestowed upon the nursing profession, and . The nursing profession's potential impact on policy and politics. government site. Background Nurses as the majority of the health care workforce help in the health systems strengthening. Fall Semester. Note: The values in this table represent multiple responses from participants.Relationship Between Political Participation and Demographic CharacteristicsData were analyzed for significant differences in the level of political participation of participants based on selected demographic variables. The independent samples t-test was conducted to determine differences in the level of political participation based on gender and practice area, while the one-way ANOVA was used to determine differences in political participation based on age and academic qualification. But in order to do so, they will need to partner with members of other medical professions such as physicians. Furthermore, the faculty of nursing schools should also participate in policy changes, thereby acting as role models for their students. As a healthcare professional it is essential that you stay up to date with what is happening in Washington, as decisions made at governmental level impact upon the very way that we practice our professions. For instance, only 5.8% reported that they attended the most recent district meeting of GRNMA, and only 16% indicated that they attended the last regional symposium organized by GRNMA in their region. These are opinion pieces and are not peer reviewed. As the largest medical profession in the world, nurses have the potential to profoundly influence policy and politics on a global scale. 235-245. doi: 10.1016/j.profnurs.2015.10.010 Woodward, B., Smart, D. & Benevides-Vaello, S. (2016). The majority of respondents (64.4%) were in the category of slightly aware of the implications of political activity for nursing. Politics can affect the role of a nurse and impact the career incredibly. That company now has LPNs making those so-called nurse advocacy calls asking only one question: has anything changed since the last call? Patients are literally dying and no one seem to care at all as long as those insurance companies executive officers continue making 25 -75 MILLION DOLLARS each year. 1. Additionally, the two training schools did not have institutional review boards, but their academic boards reviewed the proposal and gave verbal approval to conduct the study. Unfortunately, nurses have historically had little involvement in policy that affects healthcare delivery. I agree this is a huge problem due to lack of knowledge on politics and the effects it has on speaking up for what is right in healthcare for a better outcome. If one peer or group of nurses begin to do this and see change, then it can inspire more nurses to step forward and express their opinions and issues about policy changes in healthcare. After data from each questionnaire had been entered, questionnaires were bagged in an envelope, labeled as completed and locked in a cabinet. 2009 Aug;46(8):1134-42. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.01.014. only a small number of the nurses were found to be politically astute. Nursing staff provide care from birth to end of life. Lack of awareness, inadequate skills, and little opportunity for involvement are just a few factors. He has held key positions in the university including Head, Department of Population and Health (2010 – 2014) and Vice Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences (2014 – 2018). In fact, it is the moral and professional obligation of nurses to be engaged in legislation that impacts their patients. (2017). Table 4. As health is a devolved issue policy comparisons are made between the four regions of the UK. Nursing leadership in addressing the social determinants of health. Want to read all 4 pages? Nurses can also write their state representatives regarding healthcare policy. Nursing schools need to include healthcare policy education as part of the curriculum, as well as encourage some level of political involvement from nursing students. One key objective of this study was to determine the extent to which nurses in Ghana are involved in political activities. Have systems (micro-, meso-, or macro- level) or population/aggregate focus. AAACN is committed through our mission and strategic plan to be the "Voice of Ambulatory Care Nursing." This is accomplished by providing members with the latest legislative news that affects ambulatory care nursing and by supporting and partnering with nursing colleagues to influence health care policy making. The nursing profession's potential impact on policy and politics. Eventually those jobs were outsourced so I obtained telephonic and virtual registered nurse positions but the ratios/case loads are just as bad and worse. In fact, it is the moral and professional obligation of nurses to be engaged in legislation that impacts their patients. And that support starts at home. This bill included record investments in the nursing workforce. A Closer Look. Even working ten-hour days and not taking any breaks at all that allowed only 4.8 minutes per call. The two leading political parties in Ghanathe National Democratic Congress (NDC) and The New Patriotic Party (NPP) both have a strong presence in the metropolis, although the NDC candidates have been winning all recent elections in this city. "The innovative and acclaimed Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI) is a strategic policy leadership programme focused on strengthening your political and policy understanding and influence. (2011) and Avolio (2014) respectively were registered members of a professional nursing organization. Each and every American! At times it seems that everything is political in nature and perhaps most things are in the 21st century. NURS 6050 Discussion 2: The Role of the RN/APRN in Policy-Making Policy-making is a key factor of having order in health care professions. He has supervised numerous research projects at the undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral levels, and provided supervisory guidance for the study reported in this article, from the conceptual stages to its very final stages. and transmitted securely. Compassion. These previous nursing leadership positions have motivated him to study the political behavior of nurses. Professor Akwasi Kumi-Kyereme has been involved in various research projects and has published extensively in his major areas of research interest, namely sexual and reproductive health; social dimensions of health (including HIV, AIDS, and Tuberculosis); and healthcare financing. Together we are strong. Health promotion in nursing: A derridean discourse analyis. As such, Nurses have the potentials to profoundly influence politics COMMUNIQUE OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA STUDENT NURSES AND MIDWIVES HELD ON THE 28TH-30TH NEW YEARS ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA STUDENT NURSES AND MIDWIVES (NANSNM) . (2013). When nurses use political power to promote healthcare delivery, they are ultimately fighting for their patients. Clark, P. E. (2008). This may still hold true, and we can now attest to the fact that the professional is also political. He is the blogger behind the award-winning blog, Digital Doorway and a widely read freelance nurse writer. Data Collection InstrumentThe instrument for data collection included two main sections, one designed to capture data on the demographic characteristics of participants and one designed to assess their level of political participation. We requested that participants read the consent form, and sign if they agreed to take part in the study. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from. The city is characterized by high levels of political activitiesThe city is characterized by high levels of political activities, including television and radio discussions, rallies, mounting of billboards and party flags, and street carnivals, especially during electioneering campaigns. Nursing influences health care policy through a nurse's daily role in health care delivery. Your email address will not be published. Such healthcare company executives As Oestberg so succinctly points out, If nurses dont stand up for issues that are important to us, those with competing interests in healthcare may be the only ones whose voices are heard. By joining their voices together, American nurses can influence the policy and politics that affect healthcare. Ghana City Tamale. Journal of Professional Nursing 32(1). This limited participation does not augur well for the nursing profession because, as noted earlier, limited participation in political activities fails to give nurses the needed leverage to lobby for better policies and programs for the profession. Thank you for sharing your perspective on the many ways nurses can affect policies and politics. Kenyan nurses involvement in national policy development processes. plasma or erythrocytes into venous circulation. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the I have been eyeing this hospital for future employment opportunities. I also think new nurses are unaware of the type of impact they can have on different policies at the local, state, and national levels; they may also not know where to even start becoming involved in politics as well. ANA describes the nursing code of ethics as "non-negotiable in any setting.". All rights reserved. Int Nurs Rev. These earlier findings are in sharp contrast to the present study where 91.1% of the participants were registered members of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA). Additionally, studies show that nurses are not given sufficient support to generate the evidence needed to influence healthcare policy. He has supervised numerous research projects at the undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral levels, and provided supervisory guidance for the study reported in this article, from the conceptual stages to its very final stages. With the use of health policy examples, the implications for nursing are explained and ideas on how policy is implemented in practice set out. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from 225 registered nurses in three hospitals and two nursing training schools in Tamale, Ghana, using a structured questionnaire. In an ANA survey of 10,688 nurses, 82% indicated they were at a significant level of risk for workplace stress. Cheryl L Mee, MSN, MBA, RN, FAAN Executive Editorial Director. Taste of New Orleans 2019 Encore Symposium is organized by Encore Symposiums and will be held from Jan 28 31, 2019 at Windsor Court Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America. We are the ones at the bedside and those who sit behind a desk and make the policies sometimes dont have a clue. BLOOD TRANSFUSION AND NURSING INTERVENTIONS, The nursing professions potential impact on policy and politics, NURSES POLITICAL APATHY: The Root Of The Nursing Professions Predicament. Personally, I think the word politics has a negative association with it, and I could see why many nurses do not want to become involved. National Library of Medicine J Nurs Regulation. Nurses are a critical part of healthcare and make up the largest section of the health profession. As such, they are witnesses to inadequacies and inequalities within the healthcare delivery system and have first-hand knowledge that can lend expertise to discussions on health policies. Respiratory Therapists: Oxygen Therapy: What you need to know to get it right for your patients. Political advocacy: Beliefs and practices of registered nurses. [1][2] The first opportunity that exists is nursing associations or organizations. https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol24No02PPT63. This approach was necessary to ensure a fair distribution of participants across the different study sites. Nurses and nursing students can be mindful of the policy development issues that affect their practice and patient care. His duties at the University for Development Studies include coordinating and supervising student research. In 1973 when Nixon did an illegal personal favor for his friend and campaign financier, Edgar Kaiser, then president and chairman of The proportional stratified random sampling method was used to determine the number of nurses from each facility. This article defines what is meant by policy and what influences its development. Furthermore, receiving health policy education is one strategy to help nurses gain knowledge, develop an interest in health policy concerns, and improve their professional nursing identity. In what looked like a reverse of this question, nurses were asked to state their agreement or disagreement with the statement: Politics is not the concern of nurses. In their responses, 79% either disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement, again saying that politics is a concern of nurses. political awareness in order to advance the profession of nursing (Hearrell, 2011). The Institute of Medicine's 2010 report The Future of Nursing . All too often, nurses become frustrated by policies affecting nursing practice, particularly when those policies are written by individuals with limited healthcare knowledge and experience. For close to four decades, many nursing scholars have called for the profession to develop a cadre of politically active nurses in order to compete for scarce resources (Cramer, 2002). 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. Total Population by Country 2019. Families and friends of nurses need to encourage political activism. The town is located 600 kilometers north of Accra, the capital of Ghana. All of these findings clearly indicate that nurses are generally very interested in voting as a political activity. Source: https://www.emedevents.com/online-cme-courses/others/nursing-immunity-and-the-environment-oahu. Examples of questions that were removed include: I know the names of my state senators in Washington, DC; I know the name of the state senator from my district; and I support my state professional organizations political arm. In sum, healthcare is undoubtedly political, and what you do in response to the issues you care about means something. This situation is not peculiar to Ghana. All these findings suggest that even though nurses may register to vote, and vote for a particular candidate in an election, they may not participate in other activities to support the candidate or political party. 2008 Nov;9(4):274-87. doi: 10.1177/1527154408319287. Nursing Research and Practice, 2014, 110. Journal of Professional Nursing, 21(1), 5-8. doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2004.11.005. Political apathy in the nursing profession can be attributed to numerous factors, including a lack of knowledge of the political process and public policy formation, feelings of powerlessness, and a perceived ethical conflict between professional values and political involvement.