Health Care Policy And Politics Example For Students

Health Care Policy And Politics Interest group-people who share the same interest directly with political processes Factions-special interests, pressure groups, or organized interests †¢ Development of interest groups o James Madison’s The Federalist No. 10 (1787) ï‚ § Republic ï‚ § â€Å"The best wisdom is to control the effects of interest groups† ï‚ § Interest group roots fall back on the constitution and the birth of the American version of democracy o Alexis de Tocqueville, French philosopher and politician †¢ Functions and methods of influence o Lobbying- â€Å"direct influence of public officials and ultimately an influence on their decisions or legislation† o Grass Roots Mobilization- â€Å"indirectly influencing officials through constituency contract† o Electoral Influence-â€Å"can be considered the primary prevention of policymaking because it is important activity that precedes policy work.† o Shaping public opinion- overlaps with electoral influence and grassroots mobilization; it involves issue advocacy and public percuasion, similar to campaigning for an issue †¢ Landscape of contemporary health care interest groups o American Nurses Association represented since 1974 represents as (ANA) goal- â€Å"improvement of the healthcare system in the United States† o ANA members endorsed decisions that are formulated from ANA policy focuses and not on a candidate’s party. †¢ Assessing value and considering involvement o Through involvement within interest groups nurses have capabilities of networking, engaging learning opportunities, and to improve patient care o Advocating to the highest level for all patients o Building on previous experiences and working as a team †¢ Framework for assessing Interest groups Eight Factors to consider when looking into an interest group o Efficiency-How does the group support, advocate and protect members? o Effectiveness-What are the accomplishments and outcomes the interest group focuses within? o Values- What is important to you as well as the group? Is there a connection between your passions as well beliefs within the group? o Tactics- What methods and tools are used within the group? o Visibility and responsiveness- How does social engagement and interaction affect members? o Perception- What influences of other individuals affect members? What concerns do members have to be aware of? o Costs-What are the financial contingencies members need to be aware of? o Benefits-How can members grow, succeed and make a difference among communities? †¢ Summary o Interest groups provide numerous networking opportunities o Health care policy decision topics discussions o Benefits from interest groups discuss current topics/ issues, challenges and solutions o I challenge each of you to get involved within a nursing organization 82 Current Issues in Nursing Associations Associations- â€Å"groups of people who have joined together to pursue a common purpose or goal† Registered Nurses achieve support from associations with important discussions related to compensation, hours of employment in relation to the force of labor laws, prescriptive authority, safe environments, and patient staffing ratios. â€Å"Many of these organizations advocate for nurses and nursing in a particular area of interest. Most also advocate for patients.† †¢ Nursing’s professional organizations o Membership ï‚ § Nursing associations bring benefits to public policy †¢ â€Å"Although public policy is already expensive and time consuming for organizations, much more effort is needed in helping nurses understand how this improves practice and income.† ï‚ § Why do nurses not join associations? †¢ â€Å"Nobody asked me† ï‚ § Reasons why nurses join associations †¢ Two primary reasons: networking information to build upon ï‚ § Membership retention issue among nursing organizations †¢ Economic expenses such as membership dues are not always covered by employers and then come back to nurses directly o Advocacy ï‚ § Nursing organizations advocate for nurses by funding from nursing dues or contributions to be active in congress and state legislation decision making †¢ Specifically, political action at federal and state agencies o Examples code of ethics, credentialing, working with groups with similar concerns o Leadership ï‚ § Leadership brings a commitment as well as purpose to an organization as opportunities provide privileges to grow and make a difference ï‚ § â€Å"Volunteers are the life-blood of organizations and provide countless hours in advancing the mission† ï‚ § Future in addition to present leadership numbers are a concern for many organizations due to commitments of families, personal life, work and financial constraints. †¢ Summary o 83 Professional Nursing Associations: Meeting needs of Nurses and the profession †¢ Evolution of Nursing Organizations o First Nursing Organization ï‚ § â€Å"late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries† ï‚ § â€Å"Royal British Nursing Association† ï‚ § Came about from â€Å"alumnae associations, nursing schools and alumnae groups† †¢ Nursing organizations and today’s nurses o Over 120 specialty nursing associations in the United States o Discuss current and future health concerns ï‚ § An example of The Code of Ethics for Nurses (ANA) †¢ â€Å"The professional of nursing, as represented by associations and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values form maintaining the integrity of the profession and its, practice and for the shaping social policy. (p.24) †¢ The relationship of associations and their members â€Å"Nursing associations need members, and nurses need associations† With health care always changing it is important to have support from an association as well as continue to support one another within the nursing profession. o Member benefits: Gain knowledge, education, information, friendships, networking, volunteer prospects, project opportunities, professional engagement as well as advancement. o Educational resources: Achieving new knowledge to enriching nursing skills/practice and direct patient care. o Career advancement: Volunteering as well as joining as a member provides resume building, leadership, and mentor professional development. o Antidote to compassion stress and fatigue: â€Å"Nurses who participate in association conference or who use association-sponsored networking tools report feeling professionally supported and invigorated as an outcome of these collegial interactions (Sadovich, 2005)† o Professional satisfaction: Building relationships as well as friendships within a profession organization allows personal professional achievements through continually growing as an individual. o Leadership development: Imperative for nurses to build knowledge among each other, allows for experience in communication, skills and teamwork. †¢ Where and When To Volunteer o Choosing Which Organization To Join ï‚ § Giving back throughout communities brings personal satisfaction and positive gratititude o When To Join and How To Volunteer ï‚ § Personal choice based on professional goals and interest †¢ Organizational Structure-What makes the organization what iti is? Understand the Mission. Does the organization support my values and beliefs? †¢ Bylaws- â€Å"rule book† Keep in mind bylaws â€Å"outline the purpose of the organization† †¢ Governance Policies- Provide possibly for appropriate and not appropriate changes based on organization values Huck finn Essay Thesis89 Taking Action The Virginia Nursing Kitchen Cabinet o Kitchen Cabinet Mission ï‚ § Founded by: Legislative Coalition of Virginia Nurses Association ï‚ § Promote awareness to candidates regarding nursing profession shortage, advise resolutions, effect political campaigns and transform public policy ï‚ § 90 The Politics of Pharmaceutical Industry †¢ Medications Demands on patients o Values Conflict ï‚ § Increase profits †¢ New medications †¢ Demands for current medications o Detailing-â€Å"combines education-like activity with traditional advertising† ï‚ § It was estimated in 2005, â€Å"6.8 billion dollars or 22% of promotion spending† departed toward detailing †¢ Along with, â€Å"18.4 billion or 58% of promotion spending went to free drug samples† †¢ Public concerns o â€Å"The public wants treatment to be based solely on a clinical assessment of the patient’s best interests, not on personal or monetary considerations tied to specific medications, but industry promotion is designed to sell particular drugs in service of the company’s primary goal of profitability† Discussion Questions What is one of your biggest concerns as you further your education in regards to advanced practice roles as an educator or as a nurse practitioner in relation to policy and politics? How has or will a nursing organization you have joined or are considering to join influenced your current nursing practice? What do you hope to get out of the nursing organization experience? Where do you see Pharmaceutical Industry in 5, 10 and 20 years from today? What do you hope comes in the future? How will the patient experience be influenced?