Some nurses may be hesitant to get involved with policy evaluation.

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Some nurses may be hesitant to get involved with policy evaluation. The preference may be to focus on the care and well-being of their patients; some nurses may feel ill-equipped to enter the realm of policy and political activities. However, as you have examined previously, who better to advocate for patients and effective programs and polices than nurses? Already patient advocates in interactions with doctors and leadership, why not with government and regulatory agencies?

In this Discussion, you will reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation.
To Prepare:

In the Module 4 Discussion, you considered how professional nurses can become involved in policy-making.
Review the Resources and reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation.
Select an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation or choose one of interest to you.

Review community, state, or federal policy evaluation and reflect on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program or policy described.
Post an evaluation topic and a brief description of the evaluation. Discuss how social determinants impact this issue.

Sample Solution

Evaluation Topic: Impact of Nurse Staffing Ratios on Patient Outcomes in Acute Care Settings

Brief Description of the Evaluation:

This evaluation will examine the relationship between nurse staffing ratios and patient outcomes in acute care settings. The evaluation will use a variety of data sources, including patient satisfaction surveys, hospital readmission rates, and mortality rates. The evaluation will also consider the impact of social determinants of health on patient outcomes.

How Social Determinants Impact This Issue:

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. These conditions can have a significant impact on health outcomes. For example, patients who live in poverty may have difficulty accessing healthy food, safe housing, and quality healthcare. These factors can contribute to poorer health outcomes.

In the context of nurse staffing ratios, social determinants of health can impact patient outcomes in a number of ways. For example, patients who live in poverty may be more likely to have chronic health conditions. These patients may require more nursing care. However, if nurse staffing ratios are low, nurses may not have the time to provide the care that these patients need. As a result, these patients may be more likely to experience complications or readmissions.

In addition, patients who live in poverty may be more likely to be members of racial or ethnic minority groups. These patients may experience discrimination in the healthcare system. This discrimination can lead to poorer health outcomes. For example, patients who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups may be less likely to receive pain medication.

Discussion:

Nurses play a critical role in ensuring that patients receive high-quality care. When nurse staffing ratios are low, nurses may not have the time to provide the care that patients need. This can lead to poorer patient outcomes.

The evaluation of nurse staffing ratios is important because it can help to determine whether these ratios are having a negative impact on patient outcomes. If the evaluation finds that nurse staffing ratios are associated with poorer patient outcomes, then policymakers can take steps to address this issue.

For example, policymakers could increase nurse staffing requirements. Policymakers could also provide funding for programs that are designed to improve nurse retention.

By improving nurse staffing ratios, policymakers can help to ensure that patients receive the care that they need. This can lead to improved patient outcomes.

In addition to the impact on patient outcomes, nurse staffing ratios can also impact the well-being of nurses. When nurse staffing ratios are low, nurses may experience burnout. Burnout can lead to nurses leaving the profession. This can exacerbate the nursing shortage.

Therefore, it is important to consider the impact of nurse staffing ratios on both patient outcomes and the well-being of nurses.

 

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