Two Arms of Policy

Practice

Participate in researching, drafting, and/or proposing policies at the local, state, tribal, and federal health care system (nationally and internationally) incorporating a primordial approach with the social determinants of health and a socio-ecological approach.

  • Provide mentoring related to the operation and significance of public health laws and regulations at the local, state, federal, and international level
  • Identify and influence public health laws and regulations throughout the policy-making processes at local, state, and federal levels
  • Utilize the nursing role to influence the role and power of local, state, and federal government during national and local emergencies and communicable disease outbreaks.
  • Provide inclusion of financial impact, economic models, payment structures, and theories including the functioning of the free market and market failure in healthcare
  • Advocate on health care reform and political influences on policy and regulatory environments using a racial justice framework for health equity
  • Assess implications of policy options on public health programs and the potential impacts on individuals, families, and groups within a population.
  • Demonstrate professional behaviors and knowledge reflective of a CH/PH nurse in advocating, organizing, researching, educating, and communicating about policy that positively impacts the population’s health.
  • Participate in community organizing as a CH/PH nursing intervention that supports and influences health policy
  • Advocate for financing strategies that support public health service delivery
  • Improve communication about the sources of funds and how they drive programming for public health services at local, state, and federal levels.
  • Utilize relationships, partnerships, power, political influences to advocate for policy development that incorporates racial justice and improved population health in an equitable framework
  • Utilized major sources of population-level data to guide policy development
  • Participate as a CH/PH nurse with local government officials or local members of health boards, county, or city government to discuss public health regulation, program planning, disaster preparedness, and other topics to promote health and embrace harm or risk reduction in all policy approaches.
  • Participate in a call to action for policy by increasing involvement in the Nurses on Boards Initiative

Association of Community Health Nurse Educators (ACHNE) (2019). Recommendations for revisions to AACN’s public health: Recommended baccalaureate competencies and curricular guidelines for public health nursing. A supplement to the baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Retrieved from  https://www.achne.org/aws/ACHNE/pt/sp/education-advocacy

Education

Participate in delivering the knowledge content needed to deliver health care along the continuum from public health prevention to disease management of populations incorporating an integrative approach with the social determinants of health and traditional and non-traditional partnerships

  • Develop an awareness of the basic tools related to bill, policy, and law related to health care change
  • Explain the differences between advocacy and lobbying
  • Increase political skills and involvement in nursing
  • Develop the awareness of significant communications/briefs related to the national, state, and local policy briefs
  • Develop the competencies of nursing’s future leaders in the realm of policy and advocacy
  • Socialize students to think and act from the perspective of health policy
  • Provide a working knowledge of the process of health policy to include formulation, implementation, and modification
  • Provide education in historic/ongoing public health laws and regulations at the local, state, federal, and international level
  • Define the needs and explore the assessments of various populations/discreet groups
  • Explain the collaborative activities among stakeholders
  • Analyze population and public health interventions for effectiveness, operationalism, and utilitarianism as it effects health outcomes
  • Emphasize diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethics in the community
  • Explore shared accountabilities for shared outcomes through system thinking and understanding
  • Demonstrate the nurse’s essential role in preparedness and ethical response initiatives
  • Involve in legislative sessions and explain processes

Integration into nursing curriculum The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, February 18, 2021)

  • Domains: for specific content and competencies dependent on level or nursing education and contingent on explicit nursing roles, training, and positions
  • Content leveled: according to the educational level of baccalaureate or graduate
  • Topics: include infectious disease process, supply chain management related to distributive justice, natural and biological disasters, and more according to AACN Toolkits
  • Evaluations: consider details and logistics of competency assessment (AACN Policy Toolkit
  • Innovative teaching strategies: increased virtual/simulated programs, participation in service learning and community-based projects, clinicals versus internships, as well as see ACHNE Education Committee