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Published on: January 12, 2018
Nursing and health policy
K M Gebbie1, M Wakefield, K Kerfoot
1Center for Health, Columbia University School of Nursing, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. kmg24@columbia.edu
Summary
Nurses effectively advocate for patients in health policy development by sharing their experiences. However, they rarely utilize nursing research in policy decisions, highlighting a need for better connections between nurse policymakers and scholars.
Area of Science:
- Health Policy
- Nursing Practice
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Nurses play a crucial role in advocating for patient needs within the health policy arena.
- Understanding the effectiveness of nurses in health policy development is essential for improving healthcare systems.
- Current literature lacks comprehensive insights into nurses' contributions and challenges in policy-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the effectiveness of nurses in health policy development in the United States.
- To identify factors influencing nurses' engagement and impact in the policy arena.
- To provide actionable information for enhancing nursing's role in health policy.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative examination of career experiences and observations.
- Purposive sampling of 27 American nurses active in health policy.
- Semi-structured interviews exploring career paths and available resources.
Main Results:
- Nurses actively participate in policy by voicing patient needs where individuals have limited influence.
- Nurses' belief in self-care and their presentation of health/illness determinants influenced policymakers.
- Policy involvement was sustained by engaged nurses, though research integration was minimal.
Conclusions:
- Nurses remain committed to policy work once involved, demonstrating a persistent dedication to advocacy.
- A significant gap exists in the utilization of nursing research and scholarly information by nurse policymakers.
- Developing systems to connect nurse policymakers with nurse scholars is recommended to enhance evidence-based policy.
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