Predicting Levels of Policy Advocacy Engagement Among Acute-Care Health Professionals

The Level of Political Astuteness in Nursing Leaders: A Baseline Assessment

OBJECTIVE

To assess the baseline knowledge of nursing leaders regarding political advocacy and healthcare policy.

BACKGROUND

Although there has been considerable attention to the need for nurses' involvement in health policy, there has not been a prior assessment of the political astuteness of nursing leaders.

METHODS

Researchers analyzed self-reported data from 101 nursing leaders collected via electronic survey from American Organization for Nursing Leadership members. Descriptive, correlational analysis of data assessing political astuteness and background information was completed.

RESULTS

Half of the nurse leader participants demonstrated slight political astuteness. Nurse executives, including those in chief nursing officer, chief nurse executive, and vice president positions, had higher levels of political astuteness than those in nurse director and manager positions.

CONCLUSION

Nursing leaders have beginning levels of political astuteness. Formal education is recommended to increase the knowledge base of nurse leaders in the areas of understanding the political and legislative process and the skills needed to advocate regarding healthcare policy, thus increasing their level of political astuteness.

Ampliando vozes sobre violência obstétrica: recomendações de advocacy para enfermeira(o) obstetra

Resumo Objetivos explorar as demandas das mulheres, bem como do público em geral, para melhorar a qualidade da assistência obstétrica; discutir as mudanças potenciais sugeridas pelos respondentes para tal prática assistencial. Método pesquisa multicêntrica realizada por meio da plataforma Opinio, explorando opiniões dos participantes de três cidades da região Sudeste do Brasil. Tratamento dos dados por estatística descritiva e análise temática. Resultados respondentes (n=414) na faixa etária 33-37 anos (26%), incluindo mulheres (75%) com mais de 15 anos de escolaridade, casadas (45%) e com um filho (35%), revelaram lacuna de conhecimentos sobre a violência obstétrica e os direitos da mulher. Jornal, rádio e televisão são as principais fontes de informação. O enfrentamento da violência obstétrica dar-se-ia por apoio familiar. Para a práxis renovada sugeriu-se a educação coletiva sobre direitos aos cuidados obstétricos (53,1%) e o atendimento humanizado (38,2%) mobilizando o poder profissional para consolidar a humanização. Temas analíticos centrais incluíram situação vivenciada pelas mulheres e contexto idealizado de prática. Conclusão e Implicações para a prática o debate incrementa a humanização e a governança compartilhada. Recomendações propostas para advocacy coadunam com a perspectiva global da promoção de saúde das mulheres e liderança social.

Nurse Knowledge and Engagement in Health Policy Making: Findings From a Pilot Study

Although nurses constitute the largest segment of the health care workforce in the United States, their participation in all levels of health policy advocacy remains low. We surveyed practicing nurses on their current knowledge about health policy advocacy, current and desired involvement in health policy advocacy, and desired components in a continuing education program on health policy advocacy. One hundred eighteen nurses responded to the e-mail solicitation, and 84 (71%) of those nurses were eligible. The sample was Caucasian, and the majority were women, aged 45 to 64 years, and registered to vote. Most had obtained an advanced degree and saw patients 25 to 48 hours per week. Respondents reported understanding the differences between health policy and health advocacy. Approximately one third of the nurses reported currently engaging in political/legislative health policy advocacy and patient advocacy. Open-ended responses indicated confusion between patient and political advocacy, suggesting that an easily accessible continuing education program could provide education about different advocacy approaches to help nurses leverage their clinical expertise specifically to influence health policy advocacy. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2018;49(9):407-415.

Advocacy Through Education

Nurses are one of the largest groups of policy stakeholders in the health-care workforce, yet their influence on policy is not necessarily commensurate with their numbers. Since 2011, grassroots action coalitions have emerged to advance the profession's impact on health-care policy. In one state, a partnership among professional nursing organizations, policy stakeholders, and academics resulted in educational presentations focused on political advocacy knowledge and skills. The goal of this project was to bring awareness to nurses and nursing students about their potential contributions to the political and advocacy processes that shape health policy. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of focused educational presentations in correcting misconceptions, increasing awareness, and providing clarification of the roles of advanced practice registered nurses, and identifying related policy implications. This quasi-experiment used a retrospective pre-post intervention self-evaluation tool administered immediately following an educational presentation. The sample ( N = 137) consisted of baccalaureate nursing students and licensed nurses. The results showed ( p < .001) that education could have a significant improvement in political advocacy participation.