• You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts and supporting your opinion with a reference. Response posts must be at least 150 words. Your reply posts are worth 2 points (1 point per response).
• Quotes “…” cannot be used at a higher learning level for your assignments, so sentences need to be paraphrased and referenced.
• Acceptable references include scholarly journal articles or primary legal sources (statutes, court opinions), journal articles, and books published in the last five years—no websites to be referenced without prior approval.

Strategies to Collect & Share Evidence

JUDE PIERRE

ST THOMAS UNIVERSITY

NUR-415

PROF. PRICE

03/25/2021

What strategies can staff nurses use to share evidence that could impact health policy decisions?

            The benefits of data sharing have been publicly recognized over the last few decades. Nurses form an integral part of the healthcare community. They must therefore be aware of the strategies to employ and to communicate with other professionals within the working environment. What triggers the development of evidence sharing techniques, is the demand to manage public health emergencies. The research nurses conduct is essential when it comes to creating a sound public health policy. After conducting their research, nurses can employ various strategies to share the evidence collected for it to be used in developing public health policies (Sherner, 2016). These strategies include the use of mass media strategies such as radio, televisions, newspapers, flyers, the internet, and social media. Nursing professionals can also employ interpersonal and organizational, or community communication. Furthermore, Nurses can also publish the evidence in journals and periodicals such as nursing newsletters.

            The use of social media to share the evidence is effective because it continues to multiply the number of users. The aim of sharing evidence aims to enable policymakers to arrive at an informed decision.  For instance, nurses can publish messages about the effects of tobacco smoking on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to reach out to as many people as possible. Policymakers can also cite the evidence provided when making decisions. Besides social media, professional nurses can also utilize mass media platforms such as radio and televisions to communicate vital information. The aim is to ensure that policymakers base their decisions on the most trusted sources before making vital decisions.  Currently, policymakers worldwide are relying on what is broadcasted on national televisions concerning Covid-19 to make decisions.  For instance, the government relies on what professional healthcare workers announce on national and international TVs to institute appropriate measures (Ivey, 2018).

            Another essential component of the mass media is the use of newspapers to share health information. For the longest time, newspapers such as New York Times and others have been reliable sources of vital information, including healthcare information (WHO, 2021). The good thing with using newspapers to share the evidence is that they can preserve it for future references. This is the same case when flayers are used. Another reliable strategy professional nurses can use is to publish the information in their periodic journals.  Journals are not only used by policymakers but can provide reference to other researchers in the same field (Mason et al., 2020). Nurses can also utilize their newsletters. A newsletter is also considered a trusted source by policymakers and other interested parties.

             Another influential strategy nursing professionals can use the community or organizations. This strategy involves educating organizations such as schools on one on one basis. Nurses can also target specific groups based on their geographies, such as a specific village or town. This strategy is also very effective because professionals can speak directly to policymakers.  They can also focus on a particular class of people, such as people of a specific occupation. The channels employed can include community-based media such as local radio shows, organization newsletters, workplaces, health fairs, community-based activities, school meetings, and worship places (WHO, 2021). Another essential strategy is the use of interpersonal communication. Policymakers seeking informed and professional advice can approach healthcare professionals for interviews to derive direct evidence necessary for decision making. One on one discussion with such professionals is considered the most trusted healthcare communication strategy.

Nurse’s Policy Influence

Paula Andrea Estrada

St Thomas University

NUR 415

Professor Price

3/25/2021

Nurse’s Policy Influence

Health-care services are evolving and changing at a rapid pace. Nurses, as members of healthcare system, should embrace these changes. Nurses must influence the development of health policies rather than only implementing them to achieve policy objectives. Nurses may participate in policy and politics at the state and federal levels by joining a professional nursing association (Kurnat-Thoma et al., 2021). These associations also engage lobbyists to introduce nursing concerns to Congress. Nurses may also appeal to their state legislators to voice their displeasure about healthcare policy (Schaeffer & Haebler, 2019). Internships with officials are available for nurses who choose to work directly on healthcare issues.

Nurses may become involved in politics on a local level by engaging in leadership responsibilities in the nursing profession or lobbying elected representatives about industry-related legislation. Nurses may pursue formal political preparation, engage on city councils and committees, and even run for local office (Kurnat-Thoma et al., 2021). Even basic things like exercising individual right to vote may affect healthcare policy. On the other hand, nurses need assistance to affect improvement (Schaeffer & Haebler, 2019). And it all begins with the love of one’s kin and family. Democratic participation should be encouraged by nurses’ families and friends. Nursing schools should integrate healthcare policy education into their syllabuses and allow nursing students to participate in politics.

Additionally, nursing school faculty members should assist in reforms as role models for their learners. Finally, employers must have time, money, and staff nurses’ opportunities to influence local, state, and federal policy (Wichaikhum et al., 2020). After all, healthcare reform impacts us all in the end. Therefore, nurses must be trained in patient care, interdisciplinary collaboration, informatics and technology, applying evidence-based practice, and quality assurance for this to happen.