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Nurses, as frontline healthcare providers, play a crucial role in shaping health policies through advocacy and lobbying efforts. Several policy issues might attract the attention of nurses to lobby Congress. These may include improved working conditions, better wages, nurse-patient ratio regulations, expansion of the scope of practice, healthcare accessibility and affordability, and increased funding for nursing education and research.
One of the most pressing policy issues for nurses to address with Congress is that of the nurse-to-patient ratio. This ratio essentially denotes the number of patients assigned to a nurse at any given time, and it is a key metric that impacts both the quality of patient care and nurses’ well-being. Unfortunately, many healthcare facilities have a high nurse-to-patient ratio due to various reasons, such as understaffing, budget constraints, and high patient influx. This often results in overwork for nurses, as they struggle to provide optimal care to a larger number of patients. Over time, this situation can lead to chronic stress, emotional fatigue, and eventually, burnout. Burnout not only affects the health and well-being of the nurses themselves but also their ability to provide high-quality care. When nurses are spread too thin, the quality of care they can offer inevitably declines. They may not have adequate time to spend with each patient, fully understand their needs, provide education, or promptly respond to changes in their condition. This reduction in quality can also lead to increased medical errors, such as medication errors, patient falls, and delayed or missed interventions, posing serious safety risks for patients.
Another pressing issue is the expansion of the scope of practice for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). APRNs are well-educated and competent to provide various services, including primary care. However, legislative barriers often limit their ability to practice independently. Advocating for policy changes that broaden APRNs’ scope of practice could significantly improve access to care, especially in rural and underserved areas (Stanik-Hutt et al., 2013).
Lastly, nurses may also lobby for increased funding for nursing education and research. Investing in nursing education can help alleviate the nursing shortage and promote a more highly educated nursing workforce, leading to better patient outcomes . Simultaneously, funding nursing research can foster evidence-based practice, improving patient care quality and efficiency.
200 words and two (2) scholarly references