Congressional Testimony, Research Paper Example

Introduction

The American Nurses Association (ANA) is an organization that is committed to providing support and guidance to nurses who work in a variety of roles throughout the United States. There are over 3.4 million registered nurses who reside in the United States, and the ANA is designed to protect their interests and to develop strategies that will encompass the objectives of the nursing profession (ANA, 2015). The ANA also supports learning and growth within nursing practice and to improve quality of care, along with the development of policies and the support of legislation that is designed to advance the nursing profession and its objectives to improve the healthcare system (ANA, 2015). The organization supports nurses in many capacities and provides a greater understanding of the dynamics of patient care and treatment that are instrumental in shaping the practice environment and in fostering the development of resources that are necessary to achieve success in these settings (ANA, 2015).

Analysis

It is the responsibility of the ANA to be mindful of legislative actions and trends that influence nursing and its constituents, such as physicians, insurance providers, patients, and their families. For example, the ANA has supported a number of activities through its own testimonies before Congress, including but not limited to healthcare reform, public health and clean air, Medicare and Medicaid, and workforce development, among other issues (ANA, 2015). These concerns reflect the importance of nurse-based growth and development in supporting care and treatment that will have the best possible impact on nurses and their patients over time. There must be a greater emphasis on the development of new perspectives and challenges that influence the nursing profession and how acts of Congress and other legislative bodies may provide support for these objectives through the passage of new legislation that will support nursing-based objectives (ANA, 2015).

The ANA also conveys a greater understanding of nursing-based objectives and considerations that influence patient quality of care and other areas, whereby there are significant opportunities for growth and development within the profession as a whole (ANA, 2015). It is imperative to develop strategies that will encompass the needs of the nursing profession through standards that evoke a strong degree of professionalism and improve excellence in all areas (ANA, 2015). Nurses often face difficult challenges throughout their careers due to budgetary constraints and other issues that are limited by legislation; therefore, there must be a greater emphasis on the development of new perspectives to accommodate patient needs and to determine how to improve upon existing frameworks and strategies to improve healthcare outcomes (ANA, 2015).

The political system and legislation play an important role in how nursing practice operates; therefore, it is important to take these issues seriously and to recognize the value of patient care needs and quality in the context of resource allocation. Nurses also require strong support from their respective states in supporting an environment where the political process does not hamper healthcare progress, but rather, supports it effectively. There must be a greater emphasis on areas such as mandatory overtime, staffing safety, managing patients, and workplace violence, among other areas (ANA, 2015). Therefore, these issues must be addressed in the context of legislation that is used as a framework to advocate for safer conditions within the workplace and in demonstrating opportunities to improve the nursing profession through resource development and allocation (ANA, 2015). It is important for nurses to recognize their responsibility to support legislation that will positively impact their profession and to recognize that there are many significant areas where nurses possess limitations as a result of legislation that are difficult to overcome. Therefore, the political systems at the state and federal levels must demonstrate their interest in preserving the integrity of the nursing profession and in determining how to best support the needs of patients through legislation that will positively impact health and wellbeing. At the same time, nurses must identify areas of weakness and determine how to best influence legislative bodies to improve laws and regulations that govern nursing so that they are practical and appropriate for the needs of the practice.

Conclusion

The ANA serves the nursing profession in many different ways and aims to be proactive in supporting and advocating for different types of legislation that best suit the needs of nurses and of the healthcare system. This includes supporting policies and legislation that support the nursing profession in a positive manner and advocate for its patients across many areas. However, this process is very challenging in many ways and reflects a need to better understand how to improve outcomes for nurses through legislative action that does not negate the principles upon which nursing was founded. Unfortunately, this is often the case, as legislation does not favor nurses, but rather, limits their ability to be successful in many ways. It is the responsibility of nurses to recognize their role in advancing opportunities for positive and meaningful legislation in different areas. For example, nurses must advocate for restrictions regarding mandatory overtime in order to prevent excess stress and other limitations that could impact patient quality of care. This must be a primary objective of the nursing profession in order to ensure that all nurses are able to work in a safe and comfortable environment that meets their needs and enables them to optimize their productivity and performance in a positive and effective manner.

References

American Nurses Association (2015). Congressional testimony. Retrieved from http://www.rnaction.org/site/PageNavigator/nstat_congressional_testimony.html

American Nurses Association (2015). Policy & Advocacy. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy

American Nurses Association (2015). Professional standards. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/nursingstandards