Answer this discussion post. No less than 150 words. APA and reference needed. Please no PLAGIARISM!!
Policy and Politics in Nursing and Healthcare
From a reading of Chapter 1 of the book, I developed an in-depth understanding of the general perspective of the authors on policy and politics in nursing care. I selected this chapter because it provided an opportunity to understand the critical points in the issue of policy making and politics, as it relates to nursing care.
The chapter introduced me to the making of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which has become a rather debated law especially after it was assented. According to the authors, the ACA is "arguably the most significant piece of social legislation passed in the US since Medicare was implemented in 1985" (Mason, Leavitt, & Chaffee, 2011).
The law was aimed at guaranteeing coverage to more than 94% of the population and ensure that patients are protected so that insurance companies do not deny them coverage on subjective grounds (Mason, Leavitt, & Chaffee, 2011). The author further notes that this law was aimed to do much more than reform the health insurance industry.
It also contains provisions that seek to reform the procedure of delivering healthcare. This is premised on the realization that the national can no longer afford a health care system that is centered on providing technology-intensive acute care to individuals after they become sick or injured.
Understanding the background to the development of the ACA helped me as an advanced practice nurse to learn that I should undertake the role of advocacy with utmost commitment. This is because I have a role of creating awareness in the community as I serve in that people should seek to follow the law because of the merits it has for the health sector. As an FNP, I will have an important role of being impartial, working to actualize the benefits envisioned by any given law that respects to the provision of nursing care.
References
Mason, D. J., Leavitt, J. K., & Chaffee, M. W. (2011). Policy and Politics in Nursing and Healthcare. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Buettgens, M., Blumberg, L. J., Holahan, J., & Ndwandwe, S. (2016). The Cost of the ACA Repeal. Urban Institute.
Milstead, J. A. (2004). Health policy and politics: a nurse's guide. Jones & Bartlett Learning.