Health Care Reform Situation, Coursework Example

Introduction

Health care reform is a critical issue in today’s society and impacts millions of people throughout the United States. Nurses are directly involved in the debate because they provide care and treatment to patients in a variety of healthcare settings. Therefore, their input and knowledge of the current healthcare climate is critical in shaping how policies evolve. Nursing practice supports a high level of policy improvement and focus that has a significant impact on quality of care. This process enables a healthcare organization to improve its focus and future strategic direction through nursing practice. The American Nurses Association (2014) supports the continued growth and expansion of policies in many important areas to provide governance and oversight to improve practice settings and to demonstrate the importance of critical issues that impact patient care quality and primary nursing objectives.

Situation 1

Nursing care quality is of critical importance in all areas of health care reform, as it enables organizations to improve the quality of care that is provided to all patients (ANA, 2014). However, the rising costs of healthcare and other factors have compromised patient care quality in some settings and have contributed to limiting progress for nurses to achieve continuous improvement (ANA, 2014). Nurses must actively contribute in a variety of roles in order to accomplish the objectives of healthcare reform through improvements to the nursing workforce that will capture the spirit of practice settings and support quality of care at all levels (Auerbach et.al, 2013). Nurses have become increasingly interested in process improvements through the expansion of knowledge and education to ensure that practice environments are appropriately staffed and supported by strategies that increase the investment in nursing practice and in expanding access to resources for nurses (Auerbach et.al, 2013).

Individual nurses and those in a leadership capacity must support a united approach in order to encourage a strategic approach that will demonstrate a commitment to achieving excellence in all areas of nursing practice. This process requires a high level of skill and understanding of the needs of patients so that quality of care is achieved at all times. For nurses, accomplishing the objectives associated with healthcare reform is a significant process, one that requires a strategy to ensure that nurses are able to effectively contribute to nursing practice on many levels that will promote equity and innovation to facilitate effective outcomes (Hassmiller, 2010). In the workplace environment, for example, it is important to address innovation and evidence practice to improve quality of care, in addition to expanding education for nurses on a continuous basis (Hassmiller, 2010). Furthermore, it is important to identify areas where nurses are able to contribute to practice settings without disruptions or other limitations that could impact patient care quality (Hassmiller, 2010).

Nursing roles and responsibilities require a high level of support for reform and improved resource allocation on many levels, and this is achieved through a high level of support and understanding of the needs of patients who require ongoing care and treatment in the healthcare setting. Professional organizations and government bodies have a responsibility to support the success of nursing practice through the appropriate allocation of resources and the expansion of educational opportunities to increase quality of care and to recognize the different values that nurses possess that facilitate their success. Government resources and agencies, in particular, must continue to expand their knowledge and resources to facilitate the desired results that will positively impact organizational growth and change. Nurses must demonstrate their ability to be successful in supporting a framework for change that will influence how they respond to change and new mandates that are a part of healthcare reform.

Improving nursing policies is essential to facilitate a desirable result in the practice setting that will favorably influence quality of care. Nurses continue to grow and thrive in their profession through continuing education and other opportunities to improve their skillsets and to meet other objectives. Healthcare reform is an ongoing process that requires a high level of detail and attention from a policymaking perspective; therefore, legal mandates regarding nursing practice have impacted how change is achieved and improvements evolve (Carl, 2011). Although the long-term impact of healthcare laws have yet to be realized, it is important to identify the resources that are required to achieve greater quality of care, while also recognizing the role of nursing from a political perspective (Carl, 2011). Nurses must be active contributors to healthcare reform and in the development of new policies that will be successful in achieving patient care quality at a consistent level (Carl, 2011). This strategy also requires some degree of compromise with political roles so that nurses are able to obtain support for the desired reforms that will change the face of nursing practice (Carl, 2011).

In order to achieve greater compliance with the mandates set forth by the American Nurses Association, it is important to identify specific resources and human capital that will enhance the delivery of nursing-related care for patients on a regular basis. There are critical factors to consider that are likely to impact how healthcare organizations respond to reform efforts that also impact how nurses perform and treat patients in the workplace setting. Therefore, nurses must be active participants in any efforts that are made to shape policy and to expand the scope of practice on many new levels. This strategy is essential to the discovery of new avenues for nurses to take that will improve practice settings and overall quality of care for patients in need.

References

American Nurses Association (2014). Health care reform. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/healthcarereform

Auerbach, D.I., Staiger, D.O., Muench, U., & Beurhaus, P.I. (2013). The nursing workforce in an era of health care reform. The New England Journal of Medicine, 368, 1470-1472.

Carl, L. (2011). Health care reform law and the nursing profession. Retrieved from http://www.nursetogether.com/health-care-reform-law-and-the-nursing-profession

Hassmiller, S. (2010). Nursing’s role in healthcare reform. Retrieved from http://www.americannursetoday.com/article.aspx?id=7086&fid=6850