DNP Essential V: Health Care Policy for Advocacy in Health Care

Critically analyze health policy proposals, health policies, and related issues from the perspective of consumers, nursing, other health professions, and other stakeholders in policy and public forums.
Demonstrate leadership in the development and implementation of institutional, local, state, federal, and/or international health policy.
Influence policy makers through active participation on committees, boards, or task forces at the institutional, local, state, regional, national, and/or international levels to improve health care delivery and outcomes.
Educate others, including policy makers at all levels, regarding nursing, health policy, and patient care outcomes.
Advocate for the nursing profession within the policy and healthcare communities.
Develop, evaluate, and provide leadership for health care policy that shapes health care financing, regulation, and delivery.
Advocate for social justice, equity, and ethical policies within all healthcare arenas. (AACN, 2006)

Exemplar 1: Reflections from the Organizational Track of the Community Resilience Planning Activity

This paper follows a community resilience planning activity from the lens of Public Health Nursing with the State of Alaska. This document identifies community and state assets and considers the effects of climate change on emergency preparedness efforts in Southeast Alaska. The document provides recommendations on improvements that could be made to support household preparedness and how this relates to suppliers, and consumers and efforts within communities around disaster resilience.

Exemplar 2: Newtok, Alaska: Case Study of Emergency Response and Relief Efforts

This case study outlines the history and hardship of coastal Alaskan communities, like Newtok, that have had to work closely with state and federal programming and policy to seek funding and resource allocation to assist with moving their community to a different location.

Exemplar 3: How opioids for the treatment of chronic pain cost communities and negatively impact health outcomes

This policy brief provides evidence on the treatment of opioids for chronic pain, outlining the impact to individuals and communities and adverse effects. The policy brief provides proposed solutions for community members and law makers and includes recommendations on revision of an existing senate bill.

Exemplar 4: Exploring barriers related to STI screening in Alaska Populations (ages 15-25 years old), a policy brief and implementation plan

In 2023, Gift, et al., (2013) estimate that 4.70 million uninsured Americans are expected to meet the criteria for being in need of STD services. While this policy proposal is Alaska specific, and the outreach efforts would include a very small percentage of the U.S. population, it is critical to review ways that lower cost barriers associated with STI testing. This proposed policy action would limit the amount of information needed by healthcare beneficiaries, excluding details about specific STI tests ordered, lab results, and medications that relate to the treatment of STIs.

Exemplar 5: Transforming Loss into Preventing Overdose Deaths: Breaking Barriers in Rural Health

A podcast episode with fellow Public Health Nurse, Denise Damewood. This episode describes the efforts around saving lives from opioid abuse and overdoses through the right tools, education and partnerships. We describe how any community can tackle stigma around substance use disorder, and prevent opioid overdose deaths.

Note

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (AACN). (2006). The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice [PDF]. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/Publications/DNPEssentials.pdf

Gift, T. L., Haderxhanaj, L. T., Torrone, E. A., Behl, A. S., Romaguera, R. A., & Leichliter, J. S. (2015). Estimating the Size and Cost of the STD Prevention Services Safety Net. Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974), 130(6), 602–609. https://doi.org/10.1177/003335491513000608