NURS 6050 – Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health

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NURS 6050 – Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

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Module 1: Agenda Setting (Weeks 1-2)

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). Meet the Experts: Pioneers in Policy [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). The Policy Process [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. NURS 6050 – Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health

Learning Objectives

Students will:

  • Compare U.S. presidential agenda priorities
  • Evaluate ways that administrative agencies help address healthcare issues
  • Analyze how healthcare issues get on administrative agendas
  • Identify champions or sponsors of healthcare issues
  • Create fact sheets for communicating with policymakers or legislators
  • Justify the role of the nurse in agenda setting for healthcare issues

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Learning Resources

Required Readings

Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

  • Chapter 1, “Informing Public Policy: An Important Role for Registered Nurses” (pp. 11–13 only)
  • Chapter 2, “Agenda Setting: What Rises to a Policymaker’s Attention?” (pp. 17–36)
  • Chapter 10, “Overview: The Economics and Finance of Health Care” (pp. 171–180)
  • Chapter 12, “An Insider’s Guide to Engaging in Policy Activities”
    • “Creating a Fact Sheet” (pp. 217-221)

 

DeMarco, R., & Tufts, K. A. (2014). The mechanics of writing a policy brief. Nursing Outlook, 62(3), 219–224. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2014.04.002

 

Kingdon, J.W. (2001). A model of agenda-setting with applications. Law Review M.S.U.-D.C.L., 2(331)

 

Lamb, G., Newhouse, R., Beverly, C., Toney, D. A., Cropley, S., Weaver, C. A., Kurtzman, E., … Peterson, C. (2015). Policy agenda for nurse-led care coordination. Nursing Outlook, 63(4), 521–530. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2015.06.003.

 

O’Rourke, N. C., Crawford, S. L., Morris, N. S., & Pulcini, J. (2017). Political efficacy and participation of nurse practitioners. Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice, 18(3), 135–148. doi:10.1177/1527154417728514

 

Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Enhancing Environmental Health Content in Nursing Practice, Pope, A. M., Snyder, M. A., & Mood, L. H. (Eds.). (n.d.). Nursing health, & environment: Strengthening the relationship to improve the public’s health.

 

 

USA.gov. (n.d.). A-Z index of U.S. government departments and agencies. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/a

 

USA.gov. (n.d.). Executive departments. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.usa.gov/executive-departments

 

The White House. (n.d.). The cabinet. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-trump-administration/the-cabinet/

 

Document: Agenda Comparison Grid Template (Word document)

 

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). Setting the Agenda [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. NURS 6050 – Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health

Discussion: Presidential Agendas

Regardless of political affiliation, every citizen has a stake in healthcare policy decisions. Hence, it is little wonder why healthcare items become such high-profile components of presidential agendas. It is also little wonder why they become such hotly debated agenda items.

Consider a topic that rises to the presidential level. How did each of the presidents (Trump, Obama, and Bush) handle the problem? What would you do differently?

To Prepare:

  • Review the Resources and reflect on the importance of agenda setting.
  • Consider how federal agendas promote healthcare issues and how these healthcare issues become agenda priorities.

By Day 3 of Week 1

Post your response to the discussion question: Consider a topic that rises to the presidential level. How did each of the presidents (Trump, Obama, and Bush) handle the problem? What would you do differently?

By Day 6 of Week 1

Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days by expanding on their response and providing an example that supports their explanation or respectfully challenging their explanation and providing an example.

*Note: Throughout this program, your fellow students are referred to as colleagues.

Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 1 Discussion Rubric

 

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 6 of Week 1

To participate in this Discussion:

 

Week 1 Discussion

Assignment: Agenda Comparison Grid and Fact Sheet or Talking Points Brief

It may seem to you that healthcare has been a national topic of debate among political leaders for as long as you can remember.

Healthcare has been a policy item and a topic of debate not only in recent times but as far back as the administration of the second U.S. president, John Adams. In 1798, Adams signed legislation requiring that 20 cents per month of a sailor’s paycheck be set aside for covering their medical bills. This represented the first major piece of U.S. healthcare legislation, and the topic of healthcare has been woven into presidential agendas and political debate ever since.

As a healthcare professional, you may be called upon to provide expertise, guidance and/or opinions on healthcare matters as they are debated for inclusion into new policy. You may also be involved in planning new organizational policy and responses to changes in legislation. For all of these reasons you should be prepared to speak to national healthcare issues making the news.

In this Assignment, you will analyze recent presidential healthcare agendas. You also will prepare a fact sheet to communicate the importance of a healthcare issue and the impact on this issue of recent or proposed policy.

To Prepare:

  • Review the agenda priorities of the current/sitting U.S. president and the two previous presidential administrations.
  • Select an issue related to healthcare that was addressed by each of the last three U.S. presidential administrations.
  • Reflect on the focus of their respective agendas, including the allocation of financial resources for addressing the healthcare issue you selected.
  • Consider how you would communicate the importance of a healthcare issue to a legislator/policymaker or a member of their staff for inclusion on an agenda. NURS 6050 – Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health

Week 2 Assignment

The Assignment: (1- to 2-page Comparison Grid, 1-Page Analysis, and 1-page narrative) with a title page, an introduction, purpose statement, and a conclusion. This is an APA paper.

Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid

Use the Agenda Comparison Grid Template found in the Learning Resources and complete the Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid based on the current/sitting U.S. president and the two previous presidential administrations and their agendas related to the public health concern you selected. Be sure to address the following:

  • Identify and provide a brief description of the population health concern you selected and the factors that contribute to it.
  • Describe the administrative agenda focus related to the issue you selected.
  • Identify the allocations of financial and other resources that the current and two previous presidents dedicated to this issue.
  • Explain how each of the presidential administrations approached the issue.
  • At least 3 resources must be used

Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis

Using the information you recorded in Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid on the template, complete the Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis portion of the template, by addressing the following:

  • Which administrative agency would most likely be responsible for helping you address the healthcare issue you selected?
  • How do you think your selected healthcare issue might get on the agenda for the current and two previous presidents? How does it stay there?
  • Who would you choose to be the entrepreneur/ champion/sponsor of the healthcare issue you selected for the current and two previous presidents?

Part 3: Narrative

Using the information recorded on the template in Parts 1 and 2, develop a 1-page narrative that you could use to communicate with a policymaker/legislator or a member of their staff for this healthcare issue. Be sure to address the following:

  • Summarize why this healthcare issue is important and should be included in the agenda for legislation.
  • Justify the role of the nurse in agenda setting for healthcare issues.
  • The response fully integrates at least 2 outside resources and 2-3 course specific resources that fully supports the summary provided.

By Day 7 of Week 2

Submit your final version of Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid, Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis, and Part 3: Narrative.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

  • Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK2Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
  • Click the Week 2 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
  • Click the Week 2 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
  • Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK2Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
  • If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
  • Click on the Submit button to complete your submission. NURS 6050 – Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 2 Assignment Rubric

 

Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity

To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:

Submit your Week 2 Assignment draft and review the originality report.

 

Submit Your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 2

To submit your Assignment:

Week 2 Assignment

 

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