Policy Analysis Paper

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Policy Analysis Paper

NURS 8100 Week 4 Assignment 3: Policy Analysis Paper [Major Assessment 2]

Policy Analysis Paper [Major Assessment 2]

In previous Discussions and Assignments, you have examined various aspects of the policy process: exploring the unintended consequences of policies, agenda setting, and analyzing policy recommendations. In this Assignment, you will have the opportunity to further develop your analysis skills by working through the policy analysis process. To be an effective agent for social change, you must be able to logically and critically analyze policy from multiple perspectives and contexts and then present your insights in a succinct and professional manner Policy Analysis Paper. This exercise will afford such an experience.

For this Assignment, you will examine a particular policy of interest to you (perhaps the one you selected for this week’s Discussion), and apply a policy analysis framework to understand the impact associated with the implementation of the policy. You will then develop a policy analysis paper, which is due the end of Week 11. This paper will also serve as your Major Assessment for this course.

To prepare for Policy Analysis Paper [Major Assessment 2]:

Select a health care policy and a policy analysis framework to utilize for this Assignment. You may use the policy and framework you identified in this week’s Discussion or change your selection. Policy Analysis Paper [Major Assessment 2]

To complete for Policy Analysis Paper [Major Assessment 2]:

Write an 8- to 10-page analysis paper (including references) in which you succinctly address the following:

  • Part 1: Define the policy issue.
    • How is the issue affecting the policy arena?
    • What are the current politics of the issue?
    • At what level in the policy making process is the issue?
  • Part 2: Apply a policy analysis framework to explore the issue using the following contexts:
    • Social
    • Ethical
    • Legal
    • Historical
    • Financial/economic
    • Theoretical underpinnings of the policy
    • Policy Analysis Paper
  • Include in this section:
  • Part 3: Policy options/solutions
    • What are the policy options/solutions for addressing the issue? Include at least three levels of options/solutions: no change; partial change; radical change or maximum change.
    • What are the theoretical underpinnings of the policy options/solutions?
    • What are the health advocacy aspects and leadership requirements of each option?
    • How does each option/solution provide an opportunity or need for inter-professional collaboration?
    • What are the pros and cons of each suggested change?Policy Analysis Paper Include the cost benefits, effectiveness, and efficiency of each option along with the utility and feasibility of each option.
  • Part 4: Building Consensus
    • Outline a plan for building consensus around your recommended option/solution for solving the policy issue.
  • Part 5: References
    • Limit your references so this section is no more than 2 pages.

Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from appropriate Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association to ensure that your in- text citations and reference list are correct. Policy Analysis Paper [Major Assessment 2]

By Day 7 of Week 11 of Policy Analysis Paper [Major Assessment 2]

This Assignment is due.

NURS 8100 Week 4 Assignment 1: Issues in Health Care Reform (Interview)

Continue to work on this Assignment, assigned in Week 2 and due in Week 9.

By Day 7 of Week 9

Submit this Assignment.

NURS 8100 Week 4 Assignment 2: Health Policy Proposal Analysis (Policy Brief)

Continue to work on this Assignment, assigned in Week 3 and due in Week 7.

By Day 7 of Week 7

Submit this Assignment.

NURS 8100 Week 4: Policy Analysis Frameworks

Consider the social contract between the nursing profession and consumers of health care. This social contract has long been demonstrated by nurses. For example, recall the nursing pioneer Lillian Wald who in the late 1800s worked to improve the health and welfare of the immigrant population in New York. How does engaging in the policy process assist nurses with fulfilling this social contract today? To better influence health and nursing policy, which seeks to improve health and quality outcomes, nurses need to develop their policy acumen. Utilizing a policy analysis framework can assist in this process.

This week continues the examination of the policy process addressed in Week 3. You will examine how frameworks from nursing and other disciplines can work together to inform policy analysis.

Learning Objectives

Students will:
  • Propose a policy analysis framework for a specific policy issue
  • Conduct a comprehensive policy analysis critically analyzing a health policy from multiple contexts

Photo Credit: [alphaspirit]/[iStock / Getty Images Plus]/Getty Images

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Blackman, V. S. (2005). Putting policy theory to work: Tobacco control in California. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 6(2), 148–155. doi: 10.1177/1527154405276289

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 

In this article, the author applies Kingdon’s multiple streams theory to agenda setting and the public policy issue of tobacco use. In addition, the author points out two limitations of Kingdon’s model—the need to build alliances and the varying power levels among stakeholders.

Craig, R. L., Felix, H. C., Walker, J. F., & Philips, M. M. (2010). Public health professionals as policy entrepreneurs: Arkansas’s childhood obesity policy experience. American Journal of Public Health, 100(11), 2047–2052.

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Fawcett, J., & Russell, G. (2001). A conceptual model of nursing and health policy. Policy, Politics, & Nursing, 2(2), 108–116. doi: 10.1177/152715440100200205

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 

Fawcett and Russell provide a five-level conceptual model of nursing and health policy, and diagram the relationship between the model and new health policies. Guidelines for health policy analysis and evaluation are also provided.

Hewison, A. (2007). Policy analysis: A framework for nurse managers. Journal of Nursing Management, 15(7), 693–6 99. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2934.2006.00731.x

Initially, this article presents a broad analysis of policy making and then provides a specific framework of policy analysis for nurse managers. The author focuses on the necessity for nurses to become involved in health care policy making

Policy analysis: A framework for nurse managers. Journal of Nursing Management, 15(7) by Hewison, A. Copyright 2007 by BLACKWELL PUBLISHING – JOURNALS. Reprinted by permission of BLACKWELL PUBLISHING – JOURNALS via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Howie, W. O. (2009). Mandatory reporting of medical errors: Crafting policy and integrating it into practice. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 5(9), 649–654. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2009.07.012

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

John, P. (2003). Is there life after policy streams, advocacy coalitions, and punctuations: Using evolutionary theory to explain policy change? Policy Studies Journal, 31(4), 481–4 98. doi: 10.1111/1541-0072.00039

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 

This article advances the use of evolutionary theory as policy theory. The author proposes that aspects of evolutionary theory such as randomness, competition, and selection be applied to policy theory but cautions that more research regarding its applicability is needed.

Rawat, P., & Morris, J. C. (2016). Kingdon’s “Streams” model at thirty: Still relevant in the 21st century? Politics & Policy, 44(4), 608-638. doi: 10.1111/polp.12168

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Russell, G., & Fawcett, J. (2005). The conceptual model for nursing and health policy revisited. Policy, Politics, & Nursing, 6(4), 108–116. doi: 10.1177/1527154405283304

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 

In this article, Russell and Fawcett revise their 2001 conceptual model of nursing and health policy and provide guidelines for nursing-specific research.

Optional Resources

Bardach, E. (2004). Presidential address—The extrapolation problem: How can we learn from the experience of others? Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 23(2), 205. doi: 613545361

Selecting a Policy Analysis Framework

The goal of policy analysis is to provide in-depth, relevant, and evaluative information about a policy. Using a framework as a guideline for the analysis provides scaffolding for logically and carefully considering the policy issue. To select a framework, one should consider the focus of the policy being analyzed and whether the policy is intended to be predictive or prescriptive. For this Discussion, you will choose a policy issue that is important to you and after evaluating the frameworks described in the Learning Resources, select the framework most appropriate for analyzing the issue.

To prepare for Selecting a Policy Analysis Framework:

  • Reflect on your understanding of the policy process: how policy is formulated, adopted, implemented, and evaluated.
  • Review the various frameworks presented in this week’s Learning Resources and consider how they are applied to nursing and health policies. How do they assist you in understanding and shaping policy Policy Analysis Paper?
  • Brainstorm a list of the issues that are most important to your practice (these can be issues at the institutional, local, state, national, or international level). Then identify a specific nursing or health care policy related to one key issue, and consider which of the frameworks you would use to examine the issue.

Note: You may not select the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for this analysis.

By Day 3 of Selecting a Policy Analysis Framework

Post a cohesive response that addresses the following:

  • Identify the policy you have selected.
  • Describe the framework that you would use for this particular issue, and provide your rationale.
  • At what other stages in the policy process might an analysis framework provide guidance?
  • Policy Analysis Paper

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 6 of Selecting a Policy Analysis Framework

Respond to at least two of your colleagues selecting postings for which you have an alternative framework suggestion and explain how that framework might affect the analysis.

Note: Please see the Syllabus and Discussion Rubric for formal Discussion question posting and response evaluation criteria.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you learned and/or any insights you gained as a result of the comments made by your colleagues.

Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and any additional sources. Selecting a Policy Analysis Framework