Discuss the four spheres in which nurses can influence policy and give an example of each

The Four Spheres of Nursing Influence in Healthcare Policy

The influence of nurses on health care policy is found in four key areas: the workplace, government, professional organizations, and the community. They contribute to better health systems, better health care, and better patient outcomes.

The first sphere is in the workplace or institutional setting. In healthcare settings, nurses have a role to play in shaping policy, for example, by campaigning for safe staffing levels, infection control, and patient safety. A nurse leader, for instance, could suggest an improvement in patient management practices to minimise patient injury, for example, in fall prevention. Hajizadeh et al. (2021) point out that because nurses are involved in the care of patients on a day-to-day basis, they can recognize organizational problems and make a difference in improving policies.

The second sphere is the government or political sphere. Nurses can make a difference in legislation and healthcare reform through policy discussions, lobbying legislators, or through public health initiatives. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have been making calls for increased access to health care and vaccination policies. Advocacy by nurses is important in influencing health policies to meet the population’s health needs (Chiu 2021).

The third sphere is the professional sphere, for instance, the American Nurses Association. National and local nursing and healthcare policies and education are supported via these organisations. For instance, trade unions advocate for improved working conditions and compensation for nurses. Collective advocacy, via nursing organizations, can enhance nurses’ influence over healthcare policy, as stated by Chiu et al. (2021).

The last sphere is the community and public health sphere. A community nurse is an educator, a promoter of disease prevention, and an advocate for vulnerable populations. For instance, community health nurses could help plan a vaccination program or a health education session. Nurses are advocates, connecting the health care system and community needs, as cited by Scott and Scott (2021).

References

Chiu, P. (2021).
Advancing nursing policy advocacy knowledge: A theoretical exploration
.
Advances in Nursing Science, 44
(1), 3–15.
https://journals.lww.com/advancesinnursingscience/fulltext/2021/01000/advancing_nursing_policy_advocacy_knowledge__a.3.aspx

Chiu, P., Cummings, G. G., Thorne, S., & Schick-Makaroff, K. (2021).
Policy advocacy and nursing organizations: A scoping review
.
Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 22
(4), 271–291.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/15271544211050611

Hajizadeh, A., Zamanzadeh, V., Kakemam, E., Bahreini, R., & Khodayari-Zarnaq, R. (2021).
Factors influencing nurses participation in the health policy-making process: A systematic review
.
BMC Nursing, 20
(128).
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12912-021-00648-6

Scott, S. M., & Scott, P. A. (2021).
Nursing, advocacy and public policy
.
Nursing Ethics, 28
(5), 723–733.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0969733020961823
  Discuss the four spheres in which nurses can influence policy and give an example of each