Formulating a Healthcare Policy

 Formulating a Healthcare Policy

Worksheet #1 (ungraded)

Overview

The purpose of the three ungraded worksheets for this course is to assist the student in identifying the key pieces of information necessary for completing the assignments and meeting the course outcomes.

For this course, the student must first select a healthcare issue. The issue must be a public-health policy issue. Students may not use issues relevant for private organizations or institutions, such as internal policy issues. The goal of this course is to get the student involved in healthcare-policy issues that impact the general public.  This will involve a t meeting with local policymakers such as city, county, and school-board officials. Students are free to work at the state or federal level as well. Students must carefully consider their particular policy issue, applicable level of government involved, course time constraints, and objectives/outcomes of the assignments.

Students are to select a policy issue, research the issue including policy analysis, plan the policy, and plan meeting with a policymaker for the purpose of presenting the issue, proposing recommendations and asking questions about how change can occur. The student will reflect on the experience, develop plans for follow-up with the policymaker as needed, and consider ways in which advocacy efforts can continue.

It is important that students understand that they are not responsible for ensuring the implementation of their policy issue during this eight-week course. The actual implementation of policy changes can take extended periods of time.   The student’s responsibility in this course is to plan a meeting with a policymaker and, based on the student’s research of the policy issue come up with a proposition or recommendation to address the issue and then have an initial meeting with a policymaker, ideally in person but alternatively via telephone, videoconferencing, or use of other technology.

Be sure to examine all three ungraded worksheets and assignments, including scoring rubrics, now. This ungraded worksheet directly relates to and impacts all ungraded worksheets and graded assignments related to this course.  Information noted on the worksheets become part of the graded assignment.

Guidelines

Specific Requirements

1. Describe a public-health policy issue with which you have personal and/or professional experience, and about which you are interested, familiar, and passionate. Why is this issue of particular interest/importance to you and to the profession of nursing? Examples of policy issues include

• Access to health care
• Adult or childhood obesity
• Clinical practice issues
• Social issues
• Environmental issues
• Nutrition

 

2. What is the specific problem, including background, surrounding this issue? Is there a need for a new law or campaign related to this issue? Is there a need for change to an existing law? Is there need for a change in regulatory issues? What specific supportive evidence do you have for this issue, including evidence and references? You will need to include this in your message/ask/recommendation(s).

 

3. Review thoughts regarding your chosen healthcare policy issue. It is important to analyze your issue thoroughly. Be sure you address the following with evidence and research:

• Context
• Goals/options
• Evaluation of options
• Recommended solutions

 

4. How can you find out the current status of this issue? Is there a website (professional organization such as the American Nurses Association or local, state, or federal government) that provides status updates or alerts? Please describe.

 

5. What level(s) of government does your issue involve (local, state, federal)? What level of government is your immediate target? Please describe.