Nurses : The Silent Voice in Health Policy Barbara Sheer DNSc, FNP-C, FAANP ICN APNetwork Communications Chair.

Nurses :Nurses :The Silent Voice in The Silent Voice in

Health PolicyHealth Policy

Barbara Sheer DNSc, FNP-C, Barbara Sheer DNSc, FNP-C, FAANPFAANP

ICN APNetwork ICN APNetwork Communications ChairCommunications Chair

ObjectivesObjectives

Identify an approach to assess the health Identify an approach to assess the health care needs, stakeholders, and policy care needs, stakeholders, and policy makers in the communitymakers in the community

Discuss methods for gaining expertise in Discuss methods for gaining expertise in speaking on health care issues, planning speaking on health care issues, planning an agenda and forming networks with an agenda and forming networks with health carehealth care

Crises in Global Health CareCrises in Global Health Care

Increase in cost of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Increase in cost of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosismalaria and tuberculosis

Limited resourcesLimited resources

Governmental decisions of allocation of Governmental decisions of allocation of resourcesresources

Increasing emphasis on cost effective primary Increasing emphasis on cost effective primary care and preventioncare and prevention

Nurses CountNurses Count

Formidable source in the health care Formidable source in the health care workforceworkforce

Provide primary, secondary and tertiary Provide primary, secondary and tertiary carecare

Direct knowledge and experience related Direct knowledge and experience related to patient needsto patient needs

Direct knowledge of care delivery Direct knowledge of care delivery

Nursing Voice Nursing Voice Why is it invisible?Why is it invisible?

Nurses LackNurses Lack– Knowledge of health policyKnowledge of health policy– Top leadership positions Top leadership positions – Recognition as authority to speak for health Recognition as authority to speak for health

care issuescare issues– Leadership skillsLeadership skills– Unification of the profession Unification of the profession

TOOL BOXTOOL BOX

Leadership skillsLeadership skills

Knowledge of policy and the issuesKnowledge of policy and the issues

A collective unity of nursesA collective unity of nurses

A network and communication for supportA network and communication for support

Outside support of nurses involved in Outside support of nurses involved in policy and leadershippolicy and leadership

Leadership SkillsLeadership Skills

Learn the skillsLearn the skills– SeminarsSeminars– LecturesLectures– PracticePractice– Speak out on issuesSpeak out on issues– Start smallStart small

THINK BIGTHINK BIG

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Health PolicyHealth Policy

What are the National Issues?What are the National Issues?– Regional health issuesRegional health issues– Local health issuesLocal health issues

What are the possible solutions?What are the possible solutions?– What could be done on the local, regional, What could be done on the local, regional,

and national levels.and national levels.

Look at the possible solutions?Look at the possible solutions?– Will they work? Where can you start?Will they work? Where can you start?

Unity within NursingUnity within Nursing

Identify the existing leadershipIdentify the existing leadership– Work with them to establish a collective voiceWork with them to establish a collective voice– Establish priorities Establish priorities – Encourage others to join with you and Encourage others to join with you and

contribute to the voicecontribute to the voice

Network with others Network with others – Identify others who can helpIdentify others who can help– Use consultants Use consultants

Action PlanAction Plan

Identify health issues Identify health issues in your communityin your community

Speak out on the Speak out on the issues issues

Speak in public Speak in public forums, publish in forums, publish in news news

BE HEARDBE HEARD

Identify policy makersIdentify policy makers

Contact themContact them

Make them aware of Make them aware of your expertiseyour expertise

Show them how you Show them how you can make a difference can make a difference

Policy MakingPolicy Making

Steps of policy-makingSteps of policy-making

ImplementationImplementation

Becoming an active participant in the Becoming an active participant in the policy-making arenapolicy-making arena

Policy-making Process is Policy-making Process is UniversalUniversal

Regardless of type of government policy-Regardless of type of government policy-making follows a plan or a processmaking follows a plan or a process

The process does not have cultural The process does not have cultural borders or boundariesborders or boundaries

The process is sometimes messy and The process is sometimes messy and often does not follow rulesoften does not follow rules

Are you a candidate for policy-Are you a candidate for policy-makingmaking

Are you willing to commit time, energy and Are you willing to commit time, energy and resources to the task of change?resources to the task of change?

Will you commit to communicating with Will you commit to communicating with colleagues and sharing information?colleagues and sharing information?

Do you have a network of colleagues with Do you have a network of colleagues with your same interests?your same interests?

Is your answer yes?Is your answer yes?

Then let’s talk about the policy-Then let’s talk about the policy-making process for change in making process for change in health care, nursing roles orhealth care, nursing roles or your your work situationwork situation..

What is Policy-MakingWhat is Policy-Making

A series of related activities and their A series of related activities and their consequencesconsequences

A proposed course of action moving A proposed course of action moving toward a goal and yielding outcomestoward a goal and yielding outcomes

Policy-Making ProcessPolicy-Making Process

Issue IdentificationIssue Identification

Issue AdoptionIssue Adoption

Issue Issue ImplementationImplementation

Issue evaluationIssue evaluation

Policy

Issue ID Adoption

Implementation Evaluation

Issue IdentificationIssue Identification

Awareness of needAwareness of need

Recognition of Recognition of significancesignificance

Support of peers or Support of peers or publicpublic

Issue Identification

Policy

Sorting out the issueSorting out the issue

What is meant by ‘Awareness of issue’?What is meant by ‘Awareness of issue’?

Pro and ConPro and Con

StakeholdersStakeholders

Building coalitions Building coalitions

Moving the issue forwardMoving the issue forward

Moving the issue onto the Moving the issue onto the agendaagenda

What is an agendaWhat is an agenda

How do you get an issue on the agendaHow do you get an issue on the agenda

How do you move the issue toward a How do you move the issue toward a positive resolutionpositive resolution

Issue AdoptionIssue Adoption

Does it meet the testDoes it meet the test

for relevance?for relevance?

Is it timely?Is it timely?

Is the issue readyIs the issue ready

to be placed onto be placed on

the agenda?the agenda?Issue

Adoption

Policy

Issue of ImplementationIssue of Implementation

Writing the policyWriting the policy

Language of theLanguage of the

policypolicy

Issue of Implementation

Policy

Policy EstablishedPolicy Established

Move issue throughMove issue through

the rule making the rule making

process of groupprocess of group

to become a to become a

policypolicy

Policy

Policy EvaluationPolicy Evaluation

Evaluation of policy Evaluation of policy

Revisiting the outcomesRevisiting the outcomes

Monitoring resultsMonitoring results

Adapt to meet theAdapt to meet the

needs over timeneeds over time

Policy

Evaluation

Issue Identification

Issue Adoption

Issue Implementation

Policy

Evaluation

AnalysisAnalysis

We can do this because We can do this because nurses are change agents nurses are change agents for improved health!for improved health!

Our StrengthsOur Strengths

Committed PersevereAffiliations

BenefitsBenefits

You will have learned how to make change You will have learned how to make change within the system where you work, live or within the system where you work, live or practice.practice.

The process can be applied to all The process can be applied to all situations where you want to make situations where you want to make change.change.

You have become a valued professional You have become a valued professional and change agent.and change agent.

Next StepNext Step

Begin building your network Begin building your network of colleaguesof colleagues

Have fun and make change!Have fun and make change!

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