Current Trends in Nursing Practice

Discussion Question:

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was passed into legislation in March of 2010. Identify the impact of this legislation on your nursing practice by choosing two key nursing provisions outlined in the topic material “Nursing and Health Reform.” Discuss how these two provisions have impacted, or will impact, your current practice of nursing.

Classmate 1- CO Response:

After reading the topic material “Nursing and Health Reform”, I was able to identify two nursing provisions that can impact my nursing practice. The first provision was “Section 5202 Nursing student loan program”. This provision allows for nursing students who are advancing their nursing degree an increase in the limits of loan funds to students. This can account for a nursing student who is pursuing their diploma, associates, bachelors, or graduate degree. This can impact me as I am planning on pursuing my graduate degree in nursing. For example, this provision previously increased the maximum amount of funding a student could receive in a fiscal year. This amount increased from $2,500 to $3,300 (Federal Register, 2010).

The second provision that will impact my practice in nursing is “Section 5208 Nurse-managed health clinics”. After completing my BSN, I plan on pursuing to become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). This provision provides $50 million in grants to Nurse-Managed Health Clinics (NMHC). This money is intended for the cost of operations for the NMHC’s that provide care to and wellness services in vulnerable populations. As health care reform is focusing more on patient-centered care, APRN’s will play a vital role in providing preventative care to the public.

Federal Register. (2010). Retrieved from https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2010-06-25/pdf/2010-15421.pdf

Classmate 2- AG Response:

After looking into the Nursing Loan Repayment Program that was brought up last week it appears that I may directly benefit from one the Nursing Workforce Provisions in the Affordable Care Act; Section 5204 Public health workforce recruitment and retention programs. Since I work at the VA in Behavioral Health it may be possible that I could have much of my previous student loan debt repaid. I am currently in the process of applying for it but it definitely will be another incentive for me to continue working where I am. If that doesn’t work out I may also be able to benefit from the Section 5204 Public health workforce recruitment and retention programs, which usually also includes the Veteran’s Health Administration as part of the definition of “public health”. In this case there would be reduction of up to “1/3 of loans incurred by a public health or health professions student in exchange for an agreement to accept employment with a public health agency for at least three years” (Wound Ostomy and Continenece Nurses Society, 2013).

Reference

Wound Ostomy and Continenece Nurses Society. (2013, September 18). Nursing and Health Reform. Retrieved from wocns.org: https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.wocn.org/resource/resmgr/AdvocacyPolicy/PPACA_and_Nursing_-_Nursing_.pdf