How Healthcare Policy can Impact the Advanced Practice
Explanation of how healthcare policy can impact the advanced practice nurse profession
Explanation of why advocacy is considered an essential component of the advance practice nurse’s role
Discuss the four pillars of Transformational leadership and the effect it may have on influencing policy change
ADD 2 POSSIBLE REPLIES TO THE INITIAL DISCUSSION POST PLEASE
Sample Answer
Discussion Post
Healthcare policies set out the general plan of action to be used in guiding the desired outcomes. The policies may cover various areas, including access to care, financing of medical services, healthcare equity, and quality of care. Health care policies provide standardization and consistency in nursing practice, guidance, and failure to comply have a negative impact on the advanced practice nurse, the patient, and the health facility. Policies set out how care should be delivered, where, and when. The advanced practice nurses have to be aware of the existing policies to ensure that they comply. A healthcare policy can be promoting factor, while other policies may become barriers for the advanced practice profession. Health care policy also affects employment patterns for the advanced nurse. For example, findings of the research indicate that nurse practitioners have 13% higher odds of being employed or working in primary care settings in states that have granted NPs full practice authority, with the odds increasing by 20% if the reimbursement rate was at 100% (Barnes, et al., 2017). Health care policy also affects the nature of care provided, including team-based care to enhance the quality and safety of patients.
Advocacy is considered to be an essential component of the role of advanced practice nurses as they have extensive experience and advanced education. Advocacy, especially patient advocacy, is a key part of the nursing practice identified as a major role in the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics (Epstein & Turner, 2015). Advanced practice nurse provides comprehensive care to patients as individuals, families, groups, and communities. They, therefore, have the capacity to identify the root causes of certain health care problems. Advanced practice nurses such as nurse practitioners are in direct contact with patients and spend a significant amount of time with patients and can therefore be able to assess and obtain information from patients. Advanced practice nurses also work with other healthcare providers in team-based care, and due to extensive training, that equips them with leadership skills, they can effectively advocate for the rights of patients among other professionals.
Transformation leadership refers to a leadership approach that stirs change in social systems and individuals. Transformational leaders develop, transforms, and empowers the followers to become leaders. The four pillars of transformational leadership include idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Idealized influence refers to how leaders using the transformational leadership style exert influence within a group of people. They achieve that by providing a clear vision and a sense of belonging to the followers. The leaders become powerful role models to be emulated by others. Inspirational motivation entails raising team morale through various motivational techniques and acting as sources of inspiration. The leader gains the commitment of the followers, which intrinsically encourages them. Intellectual stimulation involves the creation of an open environment that encourages innovation. Individuals become motivated to create new ideas, an essential component of change and strategic planning. Individualized consideration involves creating a supportive and diverse environment where individuals respect each other’s differences (Choi, et al., 2016).
Transformational leadership can be crucial in policy change as the four essential pillars provide various strategies that a leader can adapt to facilitate change. Intellectual stimulation can be effective in policy formulation, which can stem from creativity in problem-solving. Individualized consideration can enhance teamwork, which can promote the collective support required in the implementation stage. Leaders can easily gain support for a proposed change promoting a successful policy change.
Two Possible Response
Response 1
Healthcare policy impacts the advanced practice nurse profession through the establishment of the scope of practice, which entails medical services to be offered by the professionals, their prescriptive authority, and the geographical region that they operate. It also impacts ways of offering care, such as the use of team-based care, the use of information technology, and other equipment. Healthcare policies may also affect educational requirements and training to meet new standards. The master’s level of nursing education required for advanced practice nurses was developed to address the healthcare delivery system in accordance with the Affordable Care Act (Cleveland, Motter, & Smith, 2019). Advocacy is an essential component of the role of advanced practice nurses not only because they have extensive knowledge but also because it provides an opportunity for the nurse to influence policy changes to address challenges in practice. The four essential pillars in transformation leadership include idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Transformational leadership can impact change policy as a transformational leader can influence others and motivate their efforts towards the change.
