Sample Answer for NR 506NP Week 7: APNs as Healthcare Policy Leaders Included After Question
NR 506NP Week 7: APNs as Healthcare Policy Leaders
NR 506NP Week 7: APNs as Healthcare Policy Leaders
Discussion
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to discuss the healthcare policy of the APN profession and how Transformational Leadership can help to influence policy changes. This week’s assignment focuses on the APN as a Health Policy Leader, one of the nine NONPF NP competencies. Students will analyze how health policy may affect NP practice and how Transformational Leadership can help to influence policy changes.
Activity Learning Outcomes
Through this discussion, the student will demonstrate the ability to:
- Critically analyze how healthcare systems and APRN practice are organized and influenced by ethical, legal, economic, and political factors (CO2)
- Demonstrate professional and personal growth concerning the advocacy role of advanced practice nursing in fostering policy within diverse healthcare settings (CO3)
- Advocate for institutional, local, national, and international policies that fosters person-centered healthcare and nursing practice (CO4)
Due Date: Wednesday of week 7 by 11:59 PM MST
Initial responses to the discussion topic must be posted by Wednesday 11:59 pm MT. Two additional posts to peers and/or faculty are due by Sunday at 11:59 pm MT. Students are expected to submit assignments by the time they are due.
A 10% late penalty will be imposed for discussions posted after the deadline on Wednesday of week 7, regardless of the number of days late. NOTHING will be accepted after 11:59 pm MT on Sunday (i.e. student will receive an automatic 0).
Total Points Possible: 100
A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NR 506NP Week 7: APNs as Healthcare Policy Leaders
Title: NR 506NP Week 7: APNs as Healthcare Policy Leaders
Preparing the Discussion
Criteria for Content
- Explanation of how healthcare policy can impact the advanced practice nurse profession
- Explanation of why advocacy is considered an essential component of the advance practice nurse’s role
- Discuss the four pillars of Transformational leadership and the effect they may have on influencing policy change
- A scholarly resource must be used for EACH discussion question each week.
| Category | Points | % | Description |
| DISCUSSION CONTENT | |||
| Explanation of how healthcare policy can impact the advanced practice nurse profession | 25 | 25% | Research healthcare policy for APNs on a state and national level and the impact on the APN profession |
| Explanation of why advocacy is considered an essential component of the advance practice nurse’s role | 25 | 25% | Describe advocacy in healthcare terminology.
Discuss how advocacy is an essential role of the APN and its impact on patient care. |
| Discuss the four pillars of Transformational leadership and the effect it may have on influencing policy change | 25 | 25% | Define Transformational leadership.
Discuss how Transformational Leadership may affect influencing policy change |
| 75 | 75% | Total CONTENT Points= 75 pts | |
| DISCUSSION FORMAT | |||
| Interactive Dialogue | 20 | 20% | 4 Required Elements:
|
| Grammar, Syntax, Spelling, & Punctuation | 5 | 5% | Grammar, syntax, spelling, and punctuation are accurate. |
| 25 | 25% | Total FORMAT Points = 25 pts | |
| 100 | 100% | DISCUSSION TOTAL= 100 pts |
Healthcare policy has direct impact on the APRN by describing scope of practice including responsibilities and specific activities they can perform. Healthcare policy also sets regulations and requirements to meet educational and competency standards to practice safely. It is through healthcare policy that APRNs are reimbursed and paid for services.
Although there is uniform education preparation around the country, each state has different definitions of scope of practice and healthcare policy with varying practice regulation (Poghosyan, 2018). Policies that allow APRNs to practice independently support professional growth, reduce cost, and promote sustainability. Restrictions placed on APRNs prevent professional growth and decreases their ability to provide quick and effective comprehensive care for individuals (Kleinpell et al., 2023).
According to Poghosyan (2018), APNs can significantly improve the healthcare system by alleviating access, quality, and cost challenges (Poghosyan, 2018). During the pandemic, the scope of practice for the APRN was expanded revealing improvement in screening, testing, and treatments for the public (Nickitas, 2021). It is important to advance the APRN profession through leadership, research, and representation in policy making.
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It is the essence of the APRN to advocate for patient’s quality healthcare and is the role for which it was founded. This enables the APRN to promote for the best interest of the healthcare system, nursing profession and the interest of their patients. PEARL stands for practice, education, advocacy, research, and leadership: the five categories for which APRN’s should strive for excellence (Kapu, 2022). When considering advocacy, developing the progressive role of the APRN include changing restrictions and promoting the profession. As research has shown, it is evident that APRNs improve the quality of care via clinical trials, quality improvement projects, and retrospective analysis (Kapu, 2022). Advocating for the profession will in turn improve quality healthcare.
With the focus on the NONPF NP competency Health Policy Leader, transformational leadership has proved to successfully influence policy change and is accepted in the healthcare industry as the preferred leadership style (DeNisco and Barker, 2015). The four pillars of transformational leadership, as described by James MacGregor Burns, include idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. With this approach, these attributes and behaviors empower and motivate team members while building trust (Collins et al., 2020).
While this leadership style focuses on inspiration to create positive change, it motivates team members to achieve their full potential. Idealized influence refers to displaying high ethical standards including integrity, honesty, and a strong sense of purpose that followers want to emulate. Inspirational motivation allows followers to see a vision while setting goals and a sense of purpose. Intellectual stimulation allows for creativity and innovation. Lastly, individual consideration allows for recognition of individual strengths (Collins et al., 2010).
According to DeNisco and Barker (2015), the pillars based on transformational leadership for NP leadership include professionalism, inspirational motivation, interpersonal relationships, and business skills. With the reconstruction of the terms for the pillars of transformational leadership, they have the same goal to support the influence of policy change by empowering APRNs to work towards equitable policies, plans and decisions, and rebuilding resources through inspiration and trust (Boamah, 2022).
Boamah S. (2022). The impact of transformational leadership on nurse faculty satisfaction and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: A moderated mediated analysis. Journal of advanced nursing, 78(9), 2815–2826. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15198
Collins, E., Owen, P., Digan, J., & Dunn, F. (2020). Applying transformational leadership in nursing practice. Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain): 1987), 35(5), 59–66. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2019.e11408Links to an external site.
DeNisco, S., & Barker, A. (2015). Advanced practice nursing: Essential knowledge for the profession. (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Kapu, A. (2022). Nurse practitioner (NP) advocacy and education: It’s all about excellence in health care. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 18(2), 135–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2021.12.017Links to an external site.
Kapu, A. (2022). PEARL: Keeping focus on practice, education, advocacy, research, and readership for nurse practitioners in 2023. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 52(12), 687–689. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000001234Links to an external site.
Kleinpell, R., Myers, C., & Schorn, M. (2023). Addressing barriers to APRN practice: Policy and regulatory implications during COVID-19. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 14(1), 13–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(23)00064-9Links to an external site.
Nickitas. D. (2021). Against the odds: How APNs shape and sustain health of populations. Nursing Economic, 39(5), 210–213.
Poghosyan, L. (2018). Federal, state, and organizational barriers affecting nurse practitioner workforce and practice. (Health Policy and Politics). Nursing Economic, 36(1), 43-45. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=6889ad49-3674-454e-b5a2-d018d92587c1%40redisLinks to an external site.
Wonderful post with excellent information shared, thank you for addressing the impact our leadership and advocacy have on patient care. Great work! This video beautifully advertised the role, function, and treatments a nurse practitioner can perform with advanced degrees in primary, acute, and specialty care to improve quality healthcare for America. As the choice for millions, NP are a great partner in healthcare. I would think the purpose of this video is to highlight NP’s scope of practice and highlight their skills to allow the population to embrace.
As the population grows and the need for access to primary care services increases, nurse practitioners have risen to the occasion. According to Kapu and Pitts (2023), there are over 355,000 NPs across the United States with 89% educated in primary practice. Having access to primary care would be a tremendous step forward in nationwide availability to primary care. Shedding a positive light on the role of the nurse practitioner may influence more support for the required policy changes ensuring access to healthcare for all.
Kapu, A. & Pitts, C. J. (2023). Nurse practitioners are stepping up to meet access to primary care services across the United States: A time for policy change. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 53(4), 187–188. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000001268Links to an external site.
Thank you for watching the clip and sharing your thoughts and some really great data with us. Wow, 89% of NPs in primary care.Transformational leadership is a type of leadership that involves the person to take charge while including other individuals to play their part. The best way I can describe it, is allowing each of your staff to become leaders themselves to guide their path in the organization. It is holding everyone accountable and listening to their input in needed changes. You have to lead by example not through managing people. Transformational leaders are usually found working beside their employees, they are easily found, and easy to talk to. NPs that practice this type of leadership can make serious changes to nursing care, because we are nurses who have continued education to a point where we can become more involved in policy changes that influence nursing as a whole.
According to Bergman-Evans (2021) the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) made changes to quality-of-care practices in nursing homes, allowing for administrators with their doctors in nursing (DON) to step up. DONs are important in creating quality standards of care, recruitment of new staff, and resource management. There is a positive impact from nurse practitioner influence within long term care and Sub acute nursing facilities because their accessibility to nursing staff helps to elevate overall functioning of the facility (Bergman-Evans, 2021).
They are available to nursing staff on a one-to-one basis, with the ability to explain changes in disease patterns, goals of care, and assist with changes to elevate patient outcomes. Facilities like nursing homes place nurse practitioners in a leadership role with the ability to make a difference in patient outcomes and daily living.
Reference:
Bergman-Evans. (2021). Out of the Shadows: Nurse Practitioner Leadership in Skilled and Long-Term Care Facilities. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(8), 3–6. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20210707-01
There seems to be a similar issue in most states in regard to the lack of primary care providers that are available to patients especially those in rural areas. The requirement to have a supervising physician, unfortunately, does nothing other than increase the cost of healthcare and costs to the NP as well as create more disparities. According to a study that was done in 2019 comparing NP, PA, and physicians found that the cost of care for medically complex patients was actually lower for the NP and the PA. The study also concluded that there is no evidence to suggest that these providers increase healthcare costs. The NP and the PA were also found to be able to achieve similar control of these complex patient’s health issues compared to the physicians (Morgan et al, 2019).
Morgan, P. A., Smith, V. A., Berkowitz, T. S., Edelman, D., Van Houtven, C. H., Woolson, S. L., Hendrix, C. C., Everett, C. M., White, B. S., &
Jackson, G. L. (2019). Impact of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants on utilization and costs for complex patients.
Health Affairs, 38(6), 1028–1036.