Assignment task:
Professional nurses have the potential to influence health policy by using a collective voice for patient and healthcare advocacy. In this assessment, you will demonstrate competence as an advanced professional nurse leading an Interprofessional advocacy action team (AAT) to advocate for population health policy change.
You will explore the role of the advanced professional nurse advocating for a policy proposal related to a current health issue for an at-risk population in your community. You will gather and analyze data to identify patients and populations at risk, recommend policy change to improve health outcomes in the community, and identify key stakeholders to serve on the AAT. You will also demonstrate the ability to identify and communicate effectively with essential policymakers to move the policy forward. Finally, you will create a summary of the policy proposal in (I) SBAR format (i.e., identify, summary, background, assessment, recommendation).
Guide for the Policy Proposal: Pathway to Advocate for Change
- Step 1:
o Identify data-driven health issue
- Step 2:
o Identify at-risk population
- Step 3:
o Identify social determinant of health (SDOH)
- Step 4:
o Review current policy that addresses SDOH
- Step 5:
o Identify policy proposal to improve SDOH
A. Discuss two differences in how an advanced professional nurse advocates for an at-risk population in the community versus how an advanced professional nurse advocates for an individual patient in the clinical practice setting. Include scholarly source(s) as part of your response.
- Community Setting:
- Clinical Practice Setting:
B. Describe how the advanced professional nurse will apply two evidence-based strategies to promote Interprofessional collaboration within an Advocacy Action Team (AAT). Include one scholarly source to support your description.
- Consider the healthy people 2030 initiatives and healthcare indicators
- Rural Health Information Hub
C. Analyze data that validates a health issue affecting an at-risk population in the county or state where you live or work. Include relevant source(s) as part of your response.
D. Describe two characteristics of the at-risk population identified in part C.
E. Analyze how a specific social determinant of health (SDOH) in the county or state is predisposing the at-risk population from part C to the health issue identified in part C.
F. Analyze how current policy is insufficient to address the SDOH identified in part E.
Note: Current policy may be a county ordinance, county or state regulation, state law, program, school curriculum, health initiative, etc.
G. Provide a policy proposal to address the SDOH identified in part E. Include scholarly source(s) to support your policy proposal as part of your response.
1. Describe how the policy proposal could impact the health issue from part C.
2. Discuss how the policy proposal will address diversity in the population to ensure equitable distribution of resources.
3. Describe how the policy proposal upholds two provisions from the ANA Code of Ethics. Include relevant source(s) as part of your response.
4. Describe two actual or potential barriers in your county or state that impede the implementation of the policy proposal.
H. Provide the name and title of one policymaker with authority to move the policy proposal forward.
1. Provide the rationale for choosing the policymaker identified in part H.
I. Describe two strategies you will use as an advanced professional nurse to strengthen your professional practice as a policy advocate.
J. Create an (I)SBAR summary of the policy proposal using the attached "(I)SBAR Summary Template. Save and submit your (I)SBAR summary as a separate .pdf or .docx document.
Note: Refer to the article titled "Using SBAR to Communicate with Policymakers" found in Unit 3 of the Course of Study.
K. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
L. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.