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Discussion: Federalism’s Impact on Policy The fragmentation of the U.S. health care system, with its differing modes of financing and service delivery, is a reflection of a dispersed government structure. Policy making is shared and distributed across various branches and levels of government. As a result, policy making processes can be slow to respond, manipulated […]

(Week 3) Assignment 2: Health Policy Proposal Analysis (Policy Brief) Nurses engaged in the policy arena often are asked to provide information on a health care topic of interest to policy makers. This is frequently accomplished through developing a policy brief. A policy brief advocates for a particular recommendation (prior to the enactment of a […]

Discussion: Policy Brief Professional nursing organizations have influenced the policy agenda by identifying needs, generating ideas, and bringing them into the policy arena; they have had a positive impact on the profession of nursing as well as nursing practice. This week’s Discussion asks you to consider the policy proposal you examined for the policy brief […]

Instructions: To prepare: By Day 3 Post a cohesive response that addresses the following:

Week 5: Economic and Technological Influences on  Policy  Economic factors have long been a key driver of health care policy and reform efforts. As noted in previous weeks, for instance, health policies have attempted to improve the situation for millions of uninsured or underinsured individuals and to address the barriers to health care access that […]

Discussion: Agenda Setting A key aspect of the policy process is agenda setting. How do topics get on that agenda? Agenda setting requires the support of stakeholders to move the issue forward. In this week’s media presentation, Dr. Kathleen White outlines the policy process and discusses how to move issues into the policy arena through […]

Assignment 1: Issues in Health Care Reform (Interview)  According to the AACN (2006), “Political activism and commitment to policy development are central elements of professional nursing practice” (p. 13). Throughout this course, you will hone the skills and competencies required for this type of involvement in policy.  Research is an essential step in the process […]

Week 2: The Health Care System, Part 2  As addressed in Week 1, many different policies and reform efforts have influenced health care delivery over the past century. Consider for a moment the health care reform efforts during the 1960s and the implementation of Medicare  and Medicaid. How did these reform initiatives become policy? What […]

Discussion: Health Care Reform After much public and political debate, in March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama. The PPACA is one of many health care reform efforts that have sought to correct key features of the U.S. health care system such as financing, […]

Week 3: Concepts of Cardiovascular and Respiratory  Disorders  The circulatory system and the respiratory system are powerful partners in health. While they work closely together in good health, a disease or disorder that manifests in one can have a significant impact on both, hampering the pair’s ability to collaborate.  Cardiovascular and respiratory disease and disorders […]

Scenario: 42-year-old man presents to ED with 2-day history of dysuria, low back pain, inability to fully empty his bladder, severe perineal pain along with fevers and chills. He says the pain is worse when he stands up and is somewhat relieved when he lies down. Vital signs T 104.0 F, pulse 138, respirations 24. […]

Week 8: Concepts of Neurological and Musculoskeletal Disorders – Part 2As homeowners know all too well, there is a continuous need for maintenance and repair. Some efforts are precautionary in nature, while others are the result of issues that surface over time.Similarly, musculoskeletal disorders can develop over time. For some disorders, such as osteoporosis, precautionary […]