In this week’s Discussion, you will examine how current policies impact how you as a nurse provide health care. You will then select an issue of interest and determine how you could advocate for policy in that area.

To prepare:

• Select one public policy that currently is impacting you and your practice. Consider the following:
  • What health care driver was the policy designed to address: cost, quality, access, or a combination?
  • Does the policy appear to be achieving its intended results? On what data are you basing your assumption?
  • What have been the effects (adverse or positive) of this policy on health care cost, quality, and access?
  • How is this policy affecting your nursing practice?
• Next, select a health care issue—something you see or experience on a daily basis—about which you would like to influence a practice change through the policy process.
• Review the Learning Resources, focusing on Kingdon’s Model. How would you utilize this model to guide your policy development?

Post a brief description of a public policy that is having an impact on your practice; summarize your analysis of the policy using the bulleted list above as a guide. Then, summarize the issue you would like to influence though a change in public policy, and outline how you would utilize Kingdon’s Model to guide your policy development.