DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Sample Answer for DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2 Included After Question

Evaluate the current political climate as it relates to health care and explain how politics influence health for both the individual and entire populations. Explain what types of positive impact the DNP can create through policy or advocacy. Provide examples and relevant literature to support your response.

A Sample Answer For the Assignment: DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Title:  DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Evaluate the current political climate as it relates to healthcare

Research studies show that politics plays an important role in health care policy as experts are perceived to be higher in expertise, but equal in trustworthiness with non-experts. Although, failing to weigh expert opinion in decision-making processes can be problematic because nonexperts can be as persuasive in promoting misinformation on climate change and vaccination policy. According to Geiger, (2022), Anthony Fauci who oversees the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was highly visible and persuasive when engaging in policy advocacy in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite all the expert warnings by the Centers for disease control, World Health Organization, and scientists, COVID-19 infection claimed a lot of life due to non-experts spreading misinformation that the infection was a hoax. Thereby, discouraging the population from taking the vaccination. This caused a lot of burden on the healthcare industry and the care that they provide (Geiger, 2022).

Explain how politics influence health for both the individual and entire populations.

Forman, (2019) in International Journal for Research, Policy, and Practice analyzed an overview of how they see power functioning to sustain healthcare inequities. They also try to investigate what human rights and the right to healthcare offer in addressing the challenging power in the health policy context. Recent research studies in political domains have come late in investigating influence prompted in part by the growing focus on domestic and global healthcare on the interactions between governance, globalization, and healthcare inequities. Recent prominent research on policy reports increasingly points to human rights as important norms capable of responding in part to power differentials.

Explain what types of the positive impact the DNP can create through policy or advocacy.

DNP-prepared nurses are at the forefront of healthcare policy. They are the patient’s advocate and the voice for the legal framework of the right to healthcare policy. Healthcare policy is against discrimination against an individual based on the color of their skin, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation. Despite this, we observed COVID-19 death in populations with low socioeconomic standards as we witnessed life-saving covid-19 treatment rationed among the rich and famous who are financially capable of affording the cost of healthcare and those on top hierarchical political status (Forman, 2019). Therefore, it is crucial for the nursing discipline to keep law and human rights hermetically sealed from other social science traditions when engaging in policy advocacy on public health topics (Forman, 2019).

Reference

Forman, L. (2019). What do human rights bring to discussions of power and politics in health policy and systems? Global Public Health: An International Journal for Research, Policy, and Practice. Special Issue: Power and Politics in Health Policies and Systems. 14(4), 489-502. Retrieved from https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&sid=6f600681-078a-4c36-9406-35de618cd713%40redis

Geiger, N. (2022). Do people actually ‘listen to the experts’? A cautionary note on assuming expert credibility and persuasiveness on public health policy advocacy. Health Communication, 37(6), 677-684.

A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Title:  DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

MARGARET I agree with you that politics plays an important role in health care policy. The role of politics in healthcare has attracted some healthcare professionals to join active politics. Congresswomen Eddie Bernice Johnson, Cori Bush, and Lauren Underwood are example of nurses involved in active politics. Healthcare professionals-turned-politicians understand the condition of nurses and patient’s tastes and preferences (Raoofi et al., 2020). Therefore, through politics, healthcare professionals are involved in healthcare policymaking process. Healthcare workers are experts. Besides, the multiple interactions between healthcare workers and patients allow them to obtain reliable information that guide policymaking process (Adolph et al., 2021). However, different specialists and stakeholders are involved in policymaking process. The partnership between healthcare professionals with other stakeholders improve the accuracy of policymaking process. DNP-prepared nurses are at the forefront of healthcare policy. The competence levels of these nurses makes them fundamental player in healthcare policy. DNP-prepared nurses can be involved in any stage of policymaking process. Patient advocacy is the obligation of healthcare workers. Politics is involved in patient advocacy. 

References

Adolph, C., Amano, K., Bang-Jensen, B., Fullman, N., & Wilkerson, J. (2021). Pandemic politics: Timing state-level social distancing responses to COVID-19. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 46(2), 211-233. https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-8802162

Raoofi, A., Takian, A., Sari, A. A., Olyaeemanesh, A., Haghighi, H., & Aarabi, M. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and comparative health policy learning in Iran. Archives of Iranian Medicine (AIM), 23(4).

A Sample Answer 3 For the Assignment: DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Title:  DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Healthcare has many influences, from within an organization to external factors such as economy, politics, laws, and resources. Political involvement can impact healthcare through governance of laws, such as the nurse practice act, regulations set forth through litigation and the court, state mandates or regulations such as when the pandemic occurred and protocols were initiated to reduce the spread of infection. “The hubs of the community assessment wheel include the categories of physical environment, health and social services, safety and transportation, communication, politics and government, education, recreation, and economics” (Cupp, 2019). Some areas politics are working against the healthcare system, making it difficult for people to get the treatment and care they need.

Countries outside of the US also struggle with political involvement in healthcare. Jacques & Noel (2022) suggest preventive care is particularly unlikely to be prioritized by governments since it is a public good that requires the allocation of scarce resources in the present to generate diffuse benefits that unfold only in the long-term. As such, public health is a “quiet” policy that is not supported by interest groups or public opinion. The authors continue to describe that these characteristics have two implications: like other long-term investments, public health programs and prevention expenditures are not influenced by government partisanship since parties cannot attract votes with such low visibility, long term investment.

Politics seems to be hurting healthcare as there is constant turn over and change resulting in inconsistent healthcare reforms and poor sustainability. Everything from health insurance to standardization of care is discussed in health politics and trickles down to the industry without a lot of input from healthcare professionals. This where DNP prepared nurses can come into action and help advocate for better laws, regulations, and practices to keep patients safe and apply a holistic approach to healthcare. Martsolf & Sochalski (2019) describes the DNP degree is providing future NPs with advanced skills in quality improvement, practice management, information technology literacy, and leadership; they are giving them a toolkit for advancing quality practice and becoming leaders in health system change. DNP’s can enter roles of health politics and advocate for improved practices, they can be a stronger voice than nurses alone with degrees supporting credentialing. All levels of nursing can help contribute to political affairs in healthcare from environmental concerns to preventative care in communities.

References

Cupp Curley, A. L. (Ed.). (2020). Population-based nursing: Concepts and competencies for advanced practice (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.

Jacques, O., & Noël, A. (2022). The politics of public health investments. Social Science & Medicine, 309, 1–9. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115272

Martsolf, G. R., & Sochalski, J. (2019). The Need for Advanced Clinical Education for Nurse Practitioners Continues Despite Expansion of Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs. Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice, 20(4), 183–185. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/1527154419882310

A Sample Answer 4 For the Assignment: DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Title:  DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

it is true that economic, political, and other external factors influence healthcare. Healthcare professionals are prepared to address these factors as they perform their duties.  Nurses play an important role in healthcare policymaking process. However, politics is part of policymaking process. Therefore, healthcare professionals are involved in politics both directly and indirectly. Political involvement can impact healthcare through governance of laws, such as the nurse practice act, regulations set forth through litigation (Bargain & Aminjonov, 2020). Healthcare professionals engage different political players in policymaking. Experts play a critical role in decision-making procedure. As a result, competent healthcare workers can be assigned different roles in healthcare settings. Some areas politics are working against the healthcare system, making it difficult for people to get the treatment and care they need (Lal et al., 2021). The confrontation between healthcare providers with their employers and other players when engaging in politics have generated problems. The political interference has led other healthcare organizations to limit nurses involved in critical decision-making processes.

References

Bargain, O., & Aminjonov, U. (2020). Trust and compliance to public health policies in times of COVID-19. Journal of public economics, 192, 104316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104316

Lal, A., Erondu, N. A., Heymann, D. L., Gitahi, G., & Yates, R. (2021). Fragmented health systems in COVID-19: rectifying the misalignment between global health security and universal health coverage. The Lancet, 397(10268), 61-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32228-5

A Sample Answer 5 For the Assignment: DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Title:  DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Politics, plays a critical role in health affairs. The essence of public health, in the eyes of most researchers and practitioners, is a struggle to understand the causes and consequences of death, disease, and disability. Often an even greater struggle emerges when policy makers attempt to put that understanding to work, to translate knowledge into action for our collective well-being. Science can identify solutions to pressing public health problems, but only politics can turn most of those solutions into reality (White, M. et al. 2019).

 Health is a political choice, and politics is a continuous struggle for power among competing interests. In looking at health through the spectacles of political determinants analyzing how different power constellations, institutions processes, interest and ideological positions affect health within different political systems and cultures and at different levels of governance. Through evaluation

nowadays health is unevenly distributed because many health determinants are dependent on political action and since health is a critical dimension of human rights and citizenship. There are factors that political climate influence health and these are the distribution of money, power, and resources at global, national, and local levels. As health has increasing relevance for political legitimacy and the economy that affects the interest of stakeholders and society at large, and through this it puts the political determinants of health at the center of its work and analyzed the health inequity as well as the power disparities and dynamics across a range of policy sectors (Richardson, Safiya, 2022).

Governmental priorities are influenced by perceptions of the population affected by a given problem, as well as its severity and cause. Although the primary rationale for governmental intervention is to protect the public from the spread of illness and injury or their financial costs, the actual targets of governmental assistance or regulation are often easily identifiable. When public health problems are stratified by income, age, race, gender, geographic location, or other markers, one group’s problems may not be treated the same as another’s. Instead, the popularity of affected individuals, occupational or social groups, or industry will influence the likelihood and nature of governmental action (White, M. et al. 2019).

One of the positive impacts that the DNP creates through policy is that the medical industry relies on healthcare policy to improve patient care and further healthy outcomes. Nurses are in unique position to not only provide patient care but to also influence the cares policy. The DNP involvement in healthcare policy and advocacy is that they create effective patient education material, they participate in influential research studies about health and become involved in politics ( Meskó, B. et al. 2017).

References

Meskó, B. et al. Digital health is a cultural transformation of traditional healthcare. Mhealth. 3, 38 (2017).

Richardson, Safiya, 2022. “A framework for digital health equity”. NPJ digital medicine (2398-6352), 5 (1), 1.

White, M., Adams, J. & Heywood, P. How and why do interventions that increase health overall widen inequalities within populations. Soc. Inequal. Public Health 65, 82 (2019).

A Sample Answer 6 For the Assignment: DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Title:  DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

ELSIE it is true that politics plays a critical role in health affairs, especially, in healthcare policymaking process. Policymaking routine engages different stakeholders assigned different duties. However, healthcare professionals have an important position in decision-making table. Healthcare workers are competent in decision-making process. Besides, multiple interactions with patients gives healthcare workers an opportunity to understand patients. Patient advocacy is another assignment of healthcare workers that introduce them into politics (Gkiouleka et al., 2018). Therefore, healthcare professionals can be involved in active or passive politics. Professional nursing agencies have improved the bargaining power of healthcare professionals. However, political involvement has created problems between other healthcare workers with their bosses. Intense political engagements have slowed down decision-making process due to multiple disagreements (Rhodes et al., 2019). Nowadays health is unevenly distributed because many health determinants are dependent on political action and since health is a critical dimension of human rights and citizenship. Therefore, DNP-prepared nurses are prepared to engage in politics in different capacities.

References

Gkiouleka, A., Huijts, T., Beckfield, J., & Bambra, C. (2018). Understanding the micro and macro politics of health: Inequalities, intersectionality & institutions-A research agenda. Social science & medicine, 200, 92-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.01.025

Rhodes, T., Azbel, L., Lancaster, K., & Meyer, J. (2019). The becoming‐methadone‐body: On the onto‐politics of health intervention translations. Sociology of health & illness, 41(8), 1618-1636.  https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12978

A Sample Answer 7 For the Assignment: DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

Title:  DNP 825 Topic 4 DQ 2

The role of politics and policies as determinant factors affecting the distribution of public health resources is an essential topic of discussion as it influences individual and population health. In a systematic review by McCartney et al. (2019), evidence generally demonstrated that population with a better health is associated with democratic institutional arrangements, higher public spending, lower income inequalities, and policy to ensure safe workplaces and access to education and housing. Inversely, a negative effect becomes the reverse generating the need for refinement. The context for measuring an individual’s health should not be comparable with that for societal health as determinants of population health may be different from the determinants of the health of individuals. Income, Employment, Workplaces, Housing, and Physical Environment all contribute to population health (McCartney et al., 2019). The unequal distribution of these determinant health factors creates a gap and a negative impact on the population. Holt-Lunstad et al. (2017) emphasize embracing intersectionality to bridge the gap in health inequality by promoting factors for improving health and reducing health disparities such as living and working conditions, economic, and social resources and access to health promotion, and healthy choices. The DNP leader poses the knowledge and skills that can positively impact the improvement of care delivery at different levels in quality, service, improvement, and process assessment from knowledge acquisition gained from rigorous education to affect policymaking that will promote and transform health delivery. This is underpinned by the knowledge of the essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice which better prepared and equipped the DNP leader for the task at the leadership level (Sherrod & Goda, 2016).  

References

Holt-Lunstad, J., Robles, T. F., & Sbarra, D. A. (2017). Advancing social connection as a public health priority in the United States. American Psychologist, 72(6), 517–530. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/amp0000103.supp (Supplemental)

McCartney, G., Hearty, W., Arnot, J., Popham, F., Cumbers, A., & McMaster, R. (2019). Impact of political economy on population health: a systematic review of reviews. American journal of public health, 109(6), e1-e12.

Sherrod, B. & Goda, T. (2016). DNP-prepared leaders guide healthcare system change. Nursing Management (Springhouse), 47 (9), 13-16. doi: 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000491133.06473.92.