Factors Affecting Registered Nurses’ Ability to Influence National Government Health Policy

Factors Affecting Registered Nurses’ Ability to Influence National Government Health Policy
Your Name
Course and Section
Professor’s Name
February 26, 2023
Understanding the realities of the healthcare system and the socio-political environment surrounding it is vital for any nurse leader. It allows him to have a better appreciation of how the healthcare system works without only thinking about the internal environment of the system. Accordingly, to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce health inequities, health policy is essential. Health policies can all impact healthcare delivery, financing, workforce, and system performance. Health policies also affect how resources are allocated, how patients are cared for, and how priorities in healthcare are set. Hence, many stakeholders, including nurses, must be included in developing and implementing successful health policies. Most direct patient care is provided by nurses, who comprise the largest group of healthcare workers. Therefore, they are in a unique position to affect the creation and application of health policy. Nurses may ensure that policies reflect patient needs and advance equitable, high-quality healthcare by taking part in the policymaking process (Grady,. et al.,2017).
It describes a collection of choices, schemes, and methods organizations, institutions, and stakeholders use to carry out particular health objectives. Agenda establishing, policy formulation, adoption, implementation, and assessment are all steps in the process of creating a health policy. Nurses play a critical role in determining policy, given their experience on the front lines and commitment to patient-centered care (Bokhour et al., 2022). Participating in policy-making as a nurse has many advantages, including better patient outcomes, enhanced job satisfaction, and increased knowledge of healthcare systems. However, there are obstacles standing in the way of nurses participating in policymaking, such as knowledge gaps, power disparities, and time restraints (Baum & Friel, 2017).
The Role of Nurses in Healthcare Development
Nurses’ Involvement in Policymaking
Patients and the nursing profession can benefit from nurses' participation in policymaking. For instance, nurses' participation in policymaking can improve their knowledge of the healthcare system, the creation of health policies, and advocacy (Maleki et al., 2021). This knowledge can enable nurses to participate in political processes, fight for patients' rights, and develop health policies. Also, nurses' involvement in policymaking can aid in the creation of patient-centered, evidence-based policies (Gesell et al., 2021). Also, nurses can contribute significantly to the development of policies that address nurses' working conditions, compensation, and patient care (Ayalew et al., 2019). For instance, in Australia, the ANMF's involvement in health policymaking has produced legislation addressing these issues.
To explain the significance of these policy decisions in more detail. Consider a situation where there need to be more medical professionals in a rural area. The lack of access to primary care and the distance to the closest hospital has caused worries among the locals in Australia (Shukla et al....