The Role of the RN/APRN in Policy Evaluation
The process of policy evaluation is critical in the continuum of care. Hence, nurses should participate in the process because they understand the patients’ needs. They should work with political actors to create practical solutions (Milstead & Short, 2019). Although nurses experience political pressure during their care delivery process, they can overcome such challenges by engaging actively in the creation and evaluation of effective interventions for their communities.
Nurses have various opportunities to participate in the policy process. Firstly, they have support from the government to engage in advocacy activities. The government enacts legal support for health promotion in communities through funding (Glasgow, Lichtenstein, & Marcus, 2003). Secondly, they have the knowledge to use ethical principles in the highly politicized policy environment (Williams & Anderson, 2018). They understand and can advocate for ethical solutions to patient problems.
However, nurses should address some challenges to achieve the policy evaluation objective. Firstly, they should overcome the political opposition evident in the policy arena. The solution lies in their understanding of issues affecting the people and communicating about such concerns convincingly (Milstead & Short, 2019). Secondly, they should deal with the lack of evidence-based solutions in the political setting. They can work through the challenge by conducting adequate research to provide proof of the effectiveness of health interventions.
Nursing professionals can apply some of the available strategies to overcome challenges in the policy process. They should conduct research and study the policy process to use evidence in their arguments (Williams, Phillips, & Koyama, 2018). Besides, they should develop collaborative and networking skills to work with various professionals and politicians.
Overall, nurses are critical in advocating for the needs of their patients. They can use the available opportunities to promote quality health outcomes through the creation of evidence-based policy solutions. They should engage in education and research to improve this role and overcome fundamental challenges.
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