Review both resources provided below in addition to the assigned readings for this week and reflect on 2 key differences between the UK and US Health systems. What are key opportunities related to advocacy and politics interventions that can be taken by advanced practice nurses to improve our current health system? 

Please refer to the resources identified below for details regarding UK Health System.

1. US and UK Health System Comparison- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4Y0TKiwNgo 

2. Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker- https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/#item-post-op-clots-better-u-s-comparable-countries  

3. Summary of the American Health Care Act.pdf 

Examine the importance of professional associations in nursing. Choose a professional nursing organization that relates to your specialty area, or a specialty area in which you are interested. In a 750-1,000 word paper, provide a detailed overview the organization and its advantages for members. Include the following:

1. Describe the organization and its significance to nurses in the specialty area. Include its purpose, mission, and vision. Describe the overall benefits, or “perks,” of being a member.
2. Explain why it is important for a nurse in this specialty field to network. Discuss how this organization creates networking opportunities for nurses.
3. Discuss how the organization keeps its members informed of health care changes and changes to practice that affect the specialty area.
4.  Discuss opportunities for continuing education and professional development.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. 

You are required to submit this assignment . Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

RUBRIC

PURPOSE The Topic Search Strategy Paper is the first of three related assignments which are due in Unit 3. The purpose of this initial paper is to briefly describe your search strategies when identifying two articles that pertain to an evidence-based practice topic of interest. COURSE OUTCOMES 

 This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes. CO 1: Examine the sources of knowledge that contribute to professional nursing practice. (PO #7) CO 2: Apply research principles to the interpretation of the content of published research studies. (POs #4 and #8) DUE DATE Refer to the course calendar for due date. The college’s Late Assignment policy applies to this activity. POINTS POSSIBLE This assignment is worth 160 points. The college’s Late Assignment policy applies to this activity. REQUIREMENTS You will be assigned a group in unit 2 (located in the team collaboration tab) to formulate an evidence-based practice topic of interest that will be used to complete the unit 3 and unit 5 independent assignments, as well as the group PowerPoint presentation in unit 7.  

The paper will include the following. a. Clinical Question a. Describe problem b. Significance of problem in terms of outcomes or statistics c. Your PICOT question in support of the group topic d. Purpose of your paper b. Levels of Evidence a. Type of question asked b. Best evidence found to answer question c. Search Strategy a. Search terms b. Databases used (you may use Google Scholar in addition to the library databases; start with the Library) c. Refinement decisions made d. Identification of two most relevant articles d. Format a. Correct grammar and spelling b. Use of headings for each section c. Use of APA format (sixth edition) d. Page length: three to four pages PREPARING THE PAPER 

 1. Please make sure you do not duplicate articles within your group. 2. Paper should include a title page and a reference page. 

Select the state where you plan to practice as a nurse practitioner ( FLorida ) and/or nurse leader and investigate the state’s policies on access to contraception and abortion for women with insurance and those without. What are the state’s infant and maternal mortality rates? Discuss the possible relationship between these factors.

Respond to your colleagues post by suggesting additional opportunities or recommendations for overcoming the challenges described by your colleagues.

at least 2 references in each peer responses!   

Registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) play a significant role in policy evaluation. Nurses represent the most substantial portion of the healthcare population (Milstead & Short, 2019). They possess the experience and expertise to positively affect quality improvement and efficiency when they are included as a member of policy and health care teams (Milstead & Short, 2019). RNs and APRNs can become involved in policy review on a local level, state level, or federal level (Milstead & Short, 2019). 

Members of the nursing profession can become involved in policy evaluation on a local level by joining a policy review committee at their place of employment. My current job offers incentives to Nurses that participate in the policy and procedures committees. RNs and APRNs can also become members of the policy board. This will allow them to evaluate policies and advocate for policy changes that improve the quality of care at their facility. Recently at my facility, a surge committee was assembled to redesign the surge policy and protocols. Multiple members of the healthcare team, including RNs and APRNs, participated and provided insight on working during a surge or sudden influx in patient flow. They were able to make suggestions that contributed to the new design for our surge policy at the facility. 

Another way RNs and APRNs can become involved in policy change on a large scale is to join an organization like the American Nurses Association (ANA). According to the ANA (2020), developing effective and useful policy is a core principle. Members of the ANA influence state and federal policymakers. The ANA provides expert information to lawmakers on policies (Milstead & Short, 2019). They assist with data collection and the evaluation of policies (Milstead & Short, 2019). According to Milstead and Short (2019), the process of policy evaluation is similar to the steps of the nursing process, making nurses a valuable asset to redesigning the healthcare system. Joining organizations like the ANA provides the opportunity for RNs and APRNs to lend their expertise to policy analysis. 

The cost will always be a challenge that must be considered when evaluating policy. Sometimes a solution that is recommended during the evaluation of a policy lands outside the budget. This is true on the local, state, and federal levels of policymaking. A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) can be conducted to overcome this challenge. A CBA compares the cost of a program or a policy with its benefits to select the most cost-effective and beneficial solution (Hwang, 2016). Some challenges that may occur when evaluating policy are out of the control of the evaluator, including the pace of policy change, issues with ethics, and political biases (Milstead & Short, 2019). For example, The ANA is known to support democratic candidates (Milstead & Short, 2019). This could decrease the value of the input provided by the ANA amongst policymakers that do not support the democratic agenda. 

References

Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

American Nurses Association. (2019) Expert policy analysis. Retrieved https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/official-position-statements/expert-policy-analysis/

Hwang, K. (2016). Cost-benefit analysis: its usage and critiques: CBA: its usage and critiques. Journal of Public Affairs (16) p.75-80. Retrieved https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274967779_Cost-benefit_analysis_its_usage_and_critiques_CBA_its_usage_and_critiques