Discussion: Presidential Agendas

Sample Answer for Discussion: Presidential Agendas Included After Question

Discussion: Presidential Agendas

The healthcare system is highly sensitive and that is why presidents have to make critical decisions and ensure the safety of their citizens. I agree with you that the opioid epidemic is one of the healthcare issues that rose to the presidential level. Opioid misuse presents various health risks and that is why it was necessary to engage the presidential intervention. President Bush’s administration approached the issue in three ways. First, the administration provided efforts to stop the kids from using the drug. Secondly, the treatment for those already using the drug was expanded and finally, the flow of the drug into America was controlled. The measure would be undertaken for infectious diseases that arise, Breaking the infection cycle is important in managing health crises and emergencies (Hedberg, et al., 2019).

The Obama administration approached the issue more comprehensively and approved the CAR bill to fight the epidemic. Similarly, President Donald Trump declared the epidemic a national state of emergency and this was appropriate. I agree that health issues require urgent intervention to curb the causative factors and prevent the issue from spreading further and this is what the three presidential administrations did.

The presidents must be sensitive to identify the impacts of given health issues and develop appropriate policies that will minimize the harmful effects the citizens suffer (Smith, 2020). In this case, the use of opioid drugs was on the rise and the level could have been very disastrous if the relevant measures developed were not adopted. It is important that government systems set aside funds to handle medical emergencies whenever they rise because they cannot be postponed (Katz, Attal-Juncqua & Fischer, 2017).

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Discussion: Presidential Agendas References

Hedberg, K., Bui, L. T., Livingston, C., Shields, L. M., & Van Otterloo, J. (2019). Integrating public health and health care strategies to address the opioid epidemic: the Oregon Health Authority’s Opioid Initiative. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 25(3), 214-220. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000849.

Katz, R., Attal-Juncqua, A., & Fischer, J. E. (2017). Funding public health emergency preparedness in the United States. American journal of public health, 107(S2), S148-S152. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.303956

Smith, H. J. (2020). Ethics, Public Health, and Addressing the Opioid Crisis. AMA Journal of Ethics, 22(8), 647-650. doi: 10.1001/amajethics.2020.647.

Sample Answer for The Assignment: Discussion: Presidential Agendas

Title: Discussion: Presidential Agendas

I enjoyed reading your post and agree with your stance that as nurses we should advocate for patients to make their own choices for their personal health care. As a nurse for several years, I have always respected the choices that an individual makes for themselves, whether I agree or not. Providing security in the choice to choose is fundamental in nursing which is why we have consent, living wills, and advanced directives in place. For nurses to continue to advocate for the personal choices of our patients, our colleagues, and ourselves we should start by getting involved locally in government. Nurses who want to become involved in politics can establish connections with elected officials and legislators, share stories of those they support, establish trust, and work toward influencing policy (Milstead & Short, 2019).

I agree with natural immunity and personal choice as well. I do not support the vaccine mandate being pushed by the Biden administration. I have personally heard the perception or belief from my own friends and colleagues that “people have a choice”. The belief that it is a choice to choose between your livelihood, your career, and your personal freedom associated is unconstitutional. Savage, C. (2021) refers to statements made by Judge Engelhardt in a New Orleans court of appeals, “Of course, the principles at stake when it comes to the mandate are not reducible to dollars and cents. The public interest is also served by maintaining our constitutional structure and maintaining the liberty of individuals to make intensely personal decisions according to their own convictions — even, or perhaps particularly when those decisions frustrate government officials.” Protection for the health of our people should not involve government overreach.

References

Milstead, J., & Short, N. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6^th ed.). Jones and Bartlett Learning.

Savage, C. (2021). Appeals court extends block on Biden’s vaccine mandate for employers. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/us/politics/court-vaccine-mandate.html

I agree with you that most people living the US and the world have had mental illness at one stage of their lives. It is absolutely true that most communities have neglected mental illness such as emotional distress, depression, and stress. Unexpected and sudden death is common among mental health patients. Persons with mental illness are known to have poor health status and considerable premature mortality. I concur with my colleague that the previous presidents, George W Bush, Barrack Obama, and Donald Trump, have made fundamental reforms to reduce the number of mental health patients in America. Bush created a commission that come up with 19 impressive recommendations to reduce mental illness. His successor, Obama, signed ACA that added mental health patients to Medicaid. Lastly, Trump supported a group of health clinics for mentally ill patients with US$700 million.

Mental health disorders affect a person’s feeling, thinking, mood, or behavior, such as anxiety, depression, panic disorder, prevalence, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder (Valentine, & Shipherd, 2018). These conditions may either be chronic (long-lasting) or occasional, affecting the person’s ability to perform their daily activities. In 2019, nearly 21% of Americans had a mental illness. The number signifies that 1 in 5 Americans experienced mental health disorders in 2019 (Czeisler et al., 2020). Mental health disorder does not discriminate, and it can affect all people regardless of their social status, income, geography, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity/race, or spirituality/religion. Unfortunately, people who are mentally ill do not want to talk about it. There is nothing to be ashamed of about this condition; it is a medical condition like diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular diseases. Most mental disorders disorders are treatable.

I agree with you post on mental illness in the US. Mental illness is indeed a major concern in America. Persons who suffer from this condition experience stress and are unable to perform their day-to-day activities. Emotional instability also affects their general well-being. Lack of quality healthcare places these individuals to worse conditions, including premature deaths. President Bush, Obama, and Trump made health forms aimed at reducing the number of persons suffering from this condition. The overall strategies of the three presidents involved preventing, treating, and managing mental health disorders. Bush established New Freedom Commission Report Initiative in 2001, aimed at preventing mental illness. Obama signed ACA to enable persons with mental health disorders to afford health insurance. Trump donated US$700 million to certified mental health clinics.

Mental health illness are among the most common health conditions in the US. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of mental health disorder among Americans has been increasing. In 2019, 21% of Americans experienced mental illness (Czeisler et al., 2020). In 2016, suicide (caused by mental illness) become the second leading cause of death among young people aged 11-34. Physical and mental health are connected. Mental health has a considerable role in people’s ability to maintain good physical health (Grob, 2019). Mental illness such as anxiety and depression increase the risk for other types of physical health issues such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and stroke. Similarly, physical health, such as chronic conditions, increases the risk for mental health disorder. Factors such as trauma, substance abuse, sexual assault, biological genes, or having few friends can also contribute to mental illness. Women are twice likely to suffer depression and anxiety than men. Nonetheless, women and men are equally likely to experience bipolar disorder.

Discussion: Presidential Agendas References

Czeisler, M. É., Lane, R. I., Petrosky, E., Wiley, J. F., Christensen, A., Njai, R., … & Rajaratnam, S. M. (2020). Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic—United States, June 24–30, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(32), 1049. doi: doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6932a1

Grob, G. N. (2019). Mental illness and American society, 1875-1940 (Vol. 5316). Princeton University Press.

Valentine, S. E., & Shipherd, J. C. (2018). A systematic review of social stress and mental health among transgender and gender non-conforming people in the United States. Clinical Psychology Review, 66, 24-38. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2018.03.003

RE: Discussion – Week 1

Main post

. The healthcare industry is a very important contributing factor to the United States economy. Therefore, healthcare issues are handled very delicately by presidents. The topic that came to mind that rise to the presidential level is Healthcare Reform.

During George W Bush era he handled the Healthcare Reform by proposing to make insurance accessible by all Americans with the Affordable, accessible and flexible health coverage. With this meant was that insurance will be more economical with the intent that all Americans will be able to afford insurance. Instead of securing insurance through employment individuals will be able to purchase insurance independently (White House, 2007). What I would have done differently is that I would not have left that up to the citizens to figure out how to obtain insurance, but as a governing body we would create one standard health insurance that all Americans have access to regardless of socio economic status.

During President Barak Obama tenure, he too had to address Healthcare Reform. His way of handling the issue at hand was he came up with the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare. This Affordable Care Act would allow uninsured American to be able to afford insurance coverage, prevent insurance companies from refusing to insured individuals because of comorbidities. He also proposed to manage the rise in drug cost (Bauchner, 2016). This virtually is the exact proposal that President George W Bush made and President Obama just renamed it. What I would have done differently was to remove the penalty that was implemented on the individual tax return if that person chooses to remain uninsured.

On President Donald Trump’s agenda was also Affordable Care Act. How he handled this issue was to revoke and replace crucial parts of the Affordable Care Act, by so doing the fine for individuals who choose to remain uninsured was removed from their tax return, Medicaid was downsized and balanced out with government assisted insurance coverage (Kaplan & Pear, 2017). What I would have done differently is instead of repealing the existing bill that was benefiting the middle and low- income class make amendment to ensure that Americans can afford insurance coverage and create an insurance coverage system that would benefit the American people getting medical and prescription coverage at an affordable rate.

Discussion: Presidential Agendas References

Baucher, H. (2016). The Affordable Care Act and the Future of US Health Care. JAMA, 6(316),

492-493. doi:10.100/jama.2016.9872

Kaplan, T., Pear, R. (2017). House Passes Measure to Repeal and Replace the Affordable Care

Act. The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2020, from https://smith4nj.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10NY-Times-5.14.2007-article-on-obamacare-vote.pdf

White House. (2007). State of the Union: Affordable, accessible, and flexible health coverage.

Retrieved November 30, 2020, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/

initiatives/healthcare.html

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Discussion: Presidential Agendas

Regardless of political affiliation, every citizen has a stake in healthcare policy decisions. Hence, it is little wonder why healthcare items become such high-profile components of presidential agendas. It is also little wonder why they become such hotly debated agenda items.

Consider a topic that rises to the presidential level. How did each of the presidents (Trump, Obama, and Bush) handle the problem? What would you do differently?

To Prepare:

Review the Resources and reflect on the importance of agenda setting.
Consider how federal agendas promote healthcare issues and how these healthcare issues become agenda priorities.

By Day 3 of Week 1

Post your response to the discussion question: Consider a topic that rises to the presidential level. How did each of the presidents (Trump, Obama, and Bush) handle the problem? What would you do differently?

By Day 6 of Week 1

Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days by expanding on their response and providing an example that supports their explanation or respectfully challenging their explanation and providing an example.

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Chapter 1, “Informing Public Policy: An Important Role for Registered Nurses” (pp. 11–13 only)
Chapter 2, “Agenda Setting: What Rises to a Policymaker’s Attention?” (pp. 17–36)
Chapter 10, “Overview: The Economics and Finance of Health Care” (pp. 171–180)
Chapter 12, “An Insider’s Guide to Engaging in Policy Activities”“Creating a Fact Sheet” (pp. 217-221)
DeMarco, R., & Tufts, K. A. (2014). The mechanics of writing a policy brief. Nursing Outlook, 62(3), 219–224. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2014.04.002
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Kingdon, J. W. (2001). A model of agenda-setting, with applications. Law Review, M.S.U.-D.C.L., 2(331).
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Lamb, G., Newhouse, R., Beverly, C., Toney, D. A., Cropley, S., Weaver, C. A., Kurtzman, E., … Peterson, C. (2015). Policy agenda for nurse-led care coordination. Nursing Outlook, 63(4), 521–530. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2015.06.003
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
O’Rourke, N. C., Crawford, S. L., Morris, N. S., & Pulcini, J. (2017). Political efficacy and participation of nurse practitioners. Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice, 18(3), 135–148. doi:10.1177/1527154417728514
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Enhancing Environmental Health Content in Nursing Practice, Pope, A. M., Snyder, M. A., & Mood, L. H. (Eds.). (n.d.). Nursing health, & environment: Strengthening the relationship to improve the public’s health. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
USA.gov. (n.d.). A-Z index of U.S. government departments and agencies. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/a
USA.gov. (n.d.). Executive departments. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.usa.gov/executive-departments
The White House. (n.d.). The cabinet. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-trump-administration/the-cabinet/
Document: Agenda Comparison Grid Template (Word document)

RE: Discussion – Week 1

COLLAPSE

Main post

An agenda is an essential guide that people uses to make informed decision. Presidents over the centuries uses Presidential Agendas as a platform to capture and retain voters’ attention. Due to the capabilities of the media the president’s agenda is captured throughout the world. Healthcare issues have made its way on all president’s agenda, including the ones we are mentioning in this discussion. The healthcare industry is a very important contributing factor to the United States economy. Therefore, healthcare issues are handled very delicately by presidents. The topic that came to mind that rise to the presidential level is Healthcare Reform.

Discussion: Presidential Agendas References

Baucher, H. (2016). The Affordable Care Act and the Future of US Health Care. JAMA, 6(316),

492-493. doi:10.100/jama.2016.9872

Kaplan, T., Pear, R. (2017). House Passes Measure to Repeal and Replace the Affordable Care

Act. The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2020, from https://smith4nj.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10NY-Times-5.14.2007-article-on-obamacare-vote.pdf

White House. (2007). State of the Union: Affordable, accessible, and flexible health coverage.

Retrieved November 30, 2020, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/
initiatives/healthcare.html

RE: Discussion – Week 1

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There has been progress toward this end through Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) value-based programs, where provider payments are tied to performance of quality measures. These programs are intended to improve the quality of care patients receive by incentivizing and penalizing service providers for patient outcomes. The Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), for example, is aimed at ensuring that patient care is provided with increased consideration given to patient outcomes, as poor outcomes may mean significant penalties for providers. According to CMS.gov website “HRRP is a Medicare value-based purchasing program that encourages hospitals to improve communication and care coordination to better engage patients and caregivers in discharge plans and, in turn, reduce avoidable readmissions”.

Ultimately, no provider can ensure positive patient outcomes all the time, but this program can benefit health care consumers and payors by encouraging providers to prioritize patient outcomes. The premise being that having poor outcomes effect profits, will force providers to work to better ensure positive outcomes and thereby reduce health care costs for patients and payors alike. So, through the HRRP “CMS incentivizes hospitals to improve communication and care coordination efforts to better engage patients and caregivers on post-discharge planning”, with certain readmissions having a negative impact on profits. (CMS.gov)

Hosp. Readmission reduction. (2020, August 11). https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-

Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Value-Based-Programs/HRRP/Hospital-Readmission-

Reduction-Program

Discussion: Presidential Agendas

Syllabus

Student Support and Calendar Information

So you have all key information available to you off-line, it is highly recommended that you print the following items for your reference:

This Syllabus, including the Course Schedule that is linked on this page as a PDF
Course Calendar
Support, Guidelines, and Policies
Photo Credit: Sam Edwards / Caiaimage / Getty Images

Credit Hours
5 credits in 11 weeks

Walden University assigns credit hours based on the number and type of assignments that enable students to achieve the course learning objectives. In general, each semester credit equals about 42 hours of total student work and each quarter credit equals about 28 hours of total student work. This time requirement represents an approximate average for undergraduate work and the minimum expectations for graduate work. The number and kind of activities estimated to fulfill time requirements will vary by degree level and student learning style, and by student familiarity with the delivery method and course content.

Course Description

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of health delivery systems, healthcare professionals, and the populations they serve. In this course, students examine the policy process and its impact on healthcare delivery, cost, quality, and access. Students examine the importance of getting healthcare issues on federal and state agenda, investigate governmental response through legislation and regulation, and identify where they can advocate for positive outcomes in program/policy design, implementation, and evaluation. Global health issues are examined for their relevance and impact on the development of the nurse advocate. Through discussions, reflection, case studies, and the application of professional communications techniques as political tactics to influence policy outcomes, students demonstrate integration of policy decision-making into professional nurse practice for the benefit of individuals and populations.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:

Evaluate factors that affect nursing practice (such as socioeconomic, political, legal/regulatory, ethical, and global factors).
Evaluate factors that affect healthcare delivery systems (such as socioeconomic, political, legal/regulatory, ethical, and global factors).
Evaluate factors that affect population health (such as socioeconomic, political, legal/regulatory, ethical, and global factors).
Analyze the influence of policy and politics on the cost, quality, and access to healthcare delivery systems.
Apply policy processes including political advocacy skills into professional nursing practice.
Assess tradeoffs between cost, quality, and access inherent in a complex healthcare delivery system.
Analyze global policies for health and healthcare issues.
College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes
Click on the following link to access the College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes:

RE: Discussion – Week 1

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Mental illness is a health issue whose attack is not on the body but the mind, in recent years mental illness has become an acceptable topic to discuss while in the past, having a mental illness meant suffering alone and in silence. The number of people screening with moderate to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety has continued to increase throughout 2020 and remains higher than rates prior to COVID-19 (Mental Health America , 2021). People are suffering and they are finally speaking out about it and I will say that is a testament to how our Presidents have highlighted the importance of speaking out about your mental illness and getting the help that you need and providing that help.

In 2013 President Obama announced that $50 million of the funding will support nearly 200 community health centers in expanding the availability of services to individuals living with mental illness and/or substance use disorders (Ingoglia, 2013). The Biden administration followed that same initiative when he took office and allocated 2.5 Billion dollars in funding for the mental illness and addiction crisis the country now faces; $1.65 billion will go toward the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, which gives the receiving states and territories money to improve already-existing treatment, and $825 million will be used by the states to deal specifically with mental health treatment services (Allen, 2021).

This nurse is an advocate for mental well-being, and believes that in order to heal the body you have to start with the mind. We learned early on in nursing school that the brain is the control station for every part of our body and in order for our different systems to complete their distinct tasks the brain must function properly. Our thought processes affect how our brain works, neuroscience has begun to uncover some of the intricate and less obvious relations between the mind and the brain, as investigative approaches from biochemistry, psychology, and genetics converge on an understanding of the physiology of mental illness (S., 1992). As a psych nurse I believe that they did the same thing that I would have done because the issue is that there are not enough mental health providers and so you have people suffering that are unable to get the help they need because providers are booked to capacity. The one thing that I would do differently is ensure that each state send yearly summaries of exactly how they are putting that money to use, and the effectiveness of the changes they made using that money. This is purely to hold each state accountable and ensure the money is being distributed to bringing a firm foundation for the treatment of mental illness.

Discussion: Presidential Agendas References:

Allen, M. (2021, March 11). Exclusive: Biden directing $2.5B to address mental health and addiction crisis.Retrieved from AXIOS: https://www.axios.com/biden-funding-drug-mental-health-crisis-310d0250-cb6e-409c-8f30-9d73c3fd94a7.html

Ingoglia, C. (2013, December 11). Obama Administration Announces $100 Million in Mental Health Funding.Retrieved from National Council fot Mental Wellbeing : https://www.thenationalcouncil.org

Mental Health America . (2021). The State Of Mental Health In America. Retrieved from Mental Health America : https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america

S., A. (1992). The Role of the Brain in Mental Illness. Retrieved from National Academies Press (US): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234144/

Document: NURS 6050 College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes (PDF)

Course Materials

Please visit the University bookstore via your Walden student portal to ensure you are obtaining the correct version of any course texts and/or materials noted in the following section. When you receive your materials, make sure that all required items are included.

Course Text

Milstead, J.A., & Short, N.M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Note: If the print edition of these books are referenced here, electronic versions also may be available and may be acceptable for use in this course. If an electronic version is listed, no print version is available.

Other readings (journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned throughout the course and may be found within each Module.

Note: The following text is required for use throughout your MSN program and should have been purchased in NURS 6002/NURS 6003:

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Media

Assigned course media elements may be found in one or more modules of the course and are available via a streaming media player or a hyperlink to the individual item.

Course Readings List

The Course Readings List contains all the required Walden Library resources for this course. Please click on the following link to access the list:

NURS 6050 Course Readings List

Dedicated Support for Course Media
You may use the following e-mail address and toll-free number for any questions or concerns you have about media in the course.

Primary and Secondary Sources

Review the following information prior to selecting resources for assignments.

Primary: A primary source is an original document that is the first account of what happened. A research report is primary, and you can tell because it includes materials and methods demonstrating how the research was done. Some creative work is also primary, such as poetry, novels, and interviews of people who experienced something firsthand. In nursing, which is an evidence-based discipline, we strive to use primary research that is published in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals.

Scholarly, peer-reviewed journal: Scholarly journals publish papers by professional authors and experts in the field using a peer-review process to review the work and assure quality before publishing. The focus of a scholarly journal is to provide accurate information for scholars and other researchers. The focus is on content rather than advertising, a direct contrast to popular media. Scholarly journals publish both primary and secondary papers, the former usually noted as original research and the latter as reviews and commentaries. Letters to the editor may also be published but should be recognized as opinion pieces.

Note: When selecting articles for course assignments, you are advised (unless you are referencing seminal information) to focus on work published within the past five years.

Secondary: A secondary source is one step removed from the original source. This work interprets and often compiles other work, and it includes review articles, textbooks, fact sheets, and commentaries about a topic. It also includes news reports of original research. Secondary work is more prone to error and bias than primary work because it is being filtered through an additional person or persons. Review papers can be useful to glean information about a topic and to find other sources from the reference list, but it is the original, primary research that should be relied on most heavily in demonstrating scholarship, depth, and validation of factual information.

Course Assignments

Participation in weekly Discussions: The exchange of ideas among colleagues engaged in scholarly inquiry is a key aspect of learning and is a requisite activity in this course. You are expected to participate each week by posting a response to a prompt or question in the weekly Discussion area. In addition, you are expected to respond to your fellow students’ postings. Within the course, your fellow students are referred to as colleagues. To count as participation, responses need to be thoughtful; that is, they must refer to the week’s readings, relevant issues in the news, information obtained from other sources, and/or ideas expressed in the postings of other class members. You may ask questions or offer further information or links about the subject. Please pay attention to grammar and spelling, as consistently poorly written posts will receive grade penalties. In grading the required Discussion postings, your Instructor will be using the Discussion Posting and Response Rubric, located in the Course Information area.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.
Assignments: The Assignments provide you with the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge gained through the Learning Resources and the practicum experience. See the Assignment area of specific weeks for detailed descriptions of the assignments. In grading the required Assignments, your Instructor will be using rubrics located in the Course Information area.

Note: The course Assignments will require that you completely and accurately demonstrate critical thinking via assimilation and synthesis of ideas when using credible, outside and course specific resources (i.e. video, required readings, textbook), when comparing different points of view, highlighting similarities, differences, and connections, and/or when lending support to your Assignment responses.
Portfolio Assignment: Each course in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program for the following specializations includes a Portfolio Assignment: Nursing Education, Nurse Executive, Nursing Informatics, and Public Health Nursing. The Portfolio Assignment is designed to measure specific professional knowledge and skills as outlined in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Master’s Essentials. Students submit the Portfolio Assignment in the online classroom and a criterion-based scoring rubric is used to grade the assignment. The rubric is aligned with American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Master’s Essentials and provides specific and informative feedback on your performance. The Portfolio Assignment is evaluated by the course Instructor.
Grading Criteria and Total Components of a Grade
Course grades will be based on participation (postings) and completion of assignments listed below.

Letter grades will be assigned as follows:

90%–100% = A
80%–89% = B
70%–79% = C
< 70% = F

Please see below for the policy on Incomplete (I) grades.

Assignment
Total Points
Percentage
(Weighted)
Discussions
Participation in Discussions*
(6 @ 100 pts. each)
600
35%
Assignments
Module 1 Assignment (100 pts.)
Module 2 Assignment (100 pts.)
Module 3 Assignment (100 pts.)
Module 4 Assignment (100 pts.)
Module 5 Assignment (100 pts.)
Module 6 Assignment (100 pts.)**
600
65%
Total
1200
100%
* Each Discussion requires that you make one initial posting and at least two response postings to colleagues. See the Discussion Posting and Response Rubric for posting details.
**This is the Portfolio Assignment for this course.

Incomplete Grade Policy

Per University policy, Incomplete grades can be granted only to students who have already met the minimum criteria for active weekly participation in a course (including weekly postings in online courses) and have completed at least 80% of other coursework. Incompletes can be awarded when, because of extenuating circumstances, a student has not met additional course requirements, including but not limited to written assignments, group projects, and research papers, as applicable. All Incomplete grades are awarded at the discretion of the course faculty. (Reproduced from Student Catalog)

Students who are eligible for an Incomplete must contact the Course Faculty to request the grade as soon as possible. Students who do not meet the criteria listed above will not be allowed to earn an Incomplete. If the Incomplete is approved, the Faculty Member will work with the student to outline the due date(s) for remaining work. Under no circumstances will the new due dates extend beyond 50 days from the last day of the term. Faculty will then have 10 days to assess the work and post the permanent grade before the University-allotted Incomplete time limit of 60 days expires. All Incomplete grades not resolved within the time allotted will convert to permanent grades of F.

Instructor Feedback Schedule

The Instructor will log in to the course during the week to monitor the weekly Discussion area. Feedback will be provided via the My Grades area, the Discussion area, and/or the Announcements page.

Instructor feedback and explanation is provided whenever full credit is not achieved. Depending on the nature of the feedback, Instructor responses may be posted to the Discussion area or included in the My Grades area. The goal of your Instructor is to act as a discussion and learning facilitator rather than a lecturer. The Instructor will not respond to every posting by every individual, so please feel free to ask your Instructor if you would like some personal feedback on a particular assignment posting or any time you have any questions regarding your assignments or your grade.

For most assignments, you can expect your grades and/or feedback to be posted within five calendar days after the due date. Some assignments may require more than five days for your instructor to provide you with quality feedback.

Course Procedures

All class Discussions take place in the weekly Discussion areas.
You are encouraged to post course-related questions to the Contact the Instructor area as they may be of interest to all; however, if your question is urgent, it is often best to e-mail the Instructor. If your e-mailed question is thought to be of benefit to all, it may be responded to by the Instructor via e-mail to all or posted as an announcement.
Instructor feedback on content and writing issues that is thought to be of benefit to the entire class may be posted to the Contact the Instructor area; however, most personal critique will be done privately in the Grade Center. Be sure to check the Grade Center for comments every week even if you received full credit.
Please feel free to use the Class Café to initiate and participate in conversations not directly related to the course. This is an excellent opportunity to get to know other students better. The Instructor will browse the Class Café occasionally but generally will not respond to conversations posted there unless students have specific questions for him or her.
Check the e-mail account you use for official Walden University business on a regular basis. The expectation is that you are checking this e-mail account daily during the week. If you experience difficulty sending or receiving Walden e-mail, please contact the Student Support Team right away. Contact information for the Student Support Team is located in the Student Support area.
Review all materials in the Course Information area, as well as the materials contained under each of the weekly buttons.
Note: There are Optional Readings located within the Learning Resources section of each week in the course. You are encouraged to explore these readings, as needed, in order to enhance your understanding of the course content.

Preferred Methods for Delivering Assignments

Be sure that you post to the correct Discussion area each week. Do not e-mail postings to the Instructor. For all initial Discussion postings, make sure that the first sentence of your posting reads Main Question Post. For your responses to others’ response postings, make sure that the first sentence of your response reads Response. These actions will ensure easily identifiable subject lines for your postings and responses.
Application Assignments are submitted to the SafeAssign link and named according to the week in which the Assignment is submitted. Directions for naming each Application Assignment are included in each week’s Assignment area. Please be sure that all written Application Assignments are saved and submitted as a “.doc” file.
All e-mail correspondence must contain in the subject line “NURS 6050-XX-NAME” (XX is the section number) followed by a brief description of the subject. This subject line convention ensures that your e-mail will be easily identified and responded to in a timely manner. It is required that the e-mail contain a signature that matches the official name used in the course.

Late Assignment Policy

Students are expected to submit assignments by the due dates noted in the course. In extenuating circumstances, such as illness, the student must contact the Instructor as soon as possible to discuss the situation. In those circumstances, faculty will determine the appropriate course of action for the student. Depending on the situation, these actions may include recommendations to drop the course (if within the University drop/withdrawal period), acceptance of some or all of the overdue assignments with or without penalties, or failure to accept assignments.

Assignments submitted late without prior agreement of the Instructor, outside of an emergency absence, or in violation of agreements for late submission, will receive a grade reduction for the assignment amounting up to 20%. After 5 days, the assignment will not be graded. Students should be aware that late assignments may not receive the same level of written feedback as do assignments submitted on time.

Keeping Your Coursework

You will have access to the course and your coursework from the course start date until 60 days after the course ends. After this time, you will no longer be able to access the course or related materials. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you retain copies of your completed assignments and any documents you wish to keep. The University is not responsible for lost or missing coursework.

Course Evaluation

At or near the end of the course, you will receive an e-mail inviting you to submit an online evaluation of the course and instruction. All submitted course evaluations are confidential, and only aggregate data and comments will be shared with the Instructor and Program Director. Your feedback is vitally important to Walden University in its efforts to continuously improve programs.

Students With Disabilities

Students in this course who have a disability that might prevent them from fully demonstrating their abilities should contact the director of Disability Services at [email protected] or at 1-800-925-3368, ext. 312-1205 and +1-612-925-3368 or https://www.waldenu.edu/contact for international toll-free numbers as soon as possible to initiate disability verification and discuss accommodations that may be necessary to ensure full participation in the successful completion of course requirements.

Classroom Participation

In accordance with U.S. Department of Education guidance regarding class participation, Walden University requires that all students submit at least one of their required Week 1 assignments (which includes posting to the Discussion Board) within each course(s) during the first 7 calendar days of class. For courses with two-week units, posting to the Discussion Board by Day 7 meets this requirement. The first calendar day of class is the official start date of the course as posted on your myWalden academic page.

Assignments submitted prior to the official start date will not count toward your participation.

Financial Aid cannot be released without class participation as defined above.

Students who are taking their first class with Walden and do not submit at least one of their required Week 1 assignments (or at least one Discussion post) by the end of the 7th day will be administratively withdrawn from the university.

Students who have already taken and successfully completed at least one or more class(es) with Walden, and who do not participate within the first 7 days, will be dropped from that class.

If you have any questions about your assignments, or you are unable to complete your assignments, please contact your Faculty Member.

Checklist

The module course checklist below outlines the assignments due for the course.

For full assignment details and directions, refer to each module of the course. All assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time (MT) on the day assigned (which is 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) the next day). The time stamp in the classroom will reflect Eastern Time (ET), regardless of your time zone. As long as your submission time stamp is no later than 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET), you have submitted on time.

Each year in the U.S., millions of people are affected by mental illness. The CDC reports that 50% of Americans will at one time in their life be diagnosed with a mental disorder (CDC, 2019). As nurses, we must understand the physical, social and financial impact mental health has on our nation. We must raise awareness, reduce the negative stigma, and advocate for better health care.

I focused my post on mental health care because it is my nursing specialty. After reviewing what the last three presidents have accomplished, I was surprised and pleased with president Bush’s and Obama’s attempts to address mental health; however, I was disappointed in President Trump’s apparent lack of support.

In 2002 President Bush created the New Freedom Commission Act, which would improve mental health services for children, adolescents, and adults by coordinating treatments and services to promote their successful integration into the community (President`s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2019). His support for mental health didn’t stop there. Throughout his presidency, he continued to make positive changes for those living with mental illness. In his final year as president, he signed an act establishing health insurance coverage for people with mental health disorders, seeing it as just as important as physical health (Hart, 2016).

Two years later, under the Obama administration, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, much like Bush, demonstrating that mental health is as important as physical health. In 2016, the president proposed a budget that included a new $500 million investment to increase access to mental health care (Hart, 2016). As stated above, both Presidents acknowledged mental health and the importance of treating it as equal to physical health. Conversely, during his time in office, President Trump advocated for the reduction in Medicaid funding to each state, which directly impacted the mental health services to the aged and disabled who qualified under this program (The Trump Administration and Mental Health, 2018).

If I were to do anything different, I would have built on the legacy of Bush and Obama to increase awareness, policies, and funds to address mental health. Mental health issues are not going away, and decreasing funding for programs that meet the needs of the mentally ill is a step in the wrong direction.

To View the Calendar
To view the Course Calendar:

Course Calendar

To View a Printable Course Schedule
For full assignment details and directions, refer to each Module of the course.

Click on the NURS 6050 Course Schedule (PDF) link to access the Course Schedule.

Document: NURS 6050 Course Schedule (PDF)

Checklist
Module
Assignment
Title
Weeks 1-2 (Module 1)
Agenda Setting