Where policy meets practice

This editorial reframes the challenge of teaching health policy to nurse practitioner students, shifting from content delivery to identity formation. Drawing on an interview with Dean Emerita Jeri Milstead, it argues that health policy is not a discrete skill but a way of thinking embedded in everyday practice. The piece highlights how policy shapes ethical decision-making and patient outcomes, emphasizing its alignment with professional responsibilities outlined in the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics. By positioning policy as "ethics made operational," the editorial calls for integrating policy engagement into nurse practitioner education and practice, empowering clinicians to recognize their role in shaping systems, advancing equity, and fulfilling their ethical obligations.