Sample Answer for NR 506 Week 7: RN as Healthcare Policy Leader Discussion Included After Question

NR 506 Week 7: RN as Healthcare Policy Leader Discussion

NR 506 Week 7: RN as Healthcare Policy Leader Discussion

Medical marijuana has been a very taboo subject for many years.  Only recently has the use of medicinal marijuana and CBD oils gained mainstream attention.  According to Compton, Han, & Hughes (2017), marijuana has been used as a treatment and a “healing drug” dating back to the 19th century.  Compton et. al. (2017) also listed nausea, seizure, and chronic pain as ailments that this drug was prescribed to treat.  Throughout history, there have been articles published supporting the use of marijuana as a treatment, but has never fully been accepted.  There are ongoing studies being performed on the uses of this drug, however very few states in the United States have adopted the use.  One would argue, why hasn’t this drug been adopted nationwide if there have been so many proven benefits for its use?  

In my home state of West Virginia, there have been a handful of Senators fighting for the legalization of medicinal marijuana.  Just recently, the bill was finally passed that CBD oil would be available legally, but the use of marijuana itself still would not.  Monte, Zane, & Heard (2015) printed a study that showed medicinal marijuana has a safer therapeutic window than opioids for pain control.  West Virginia is the highest ranked prescribers of prescription opioid pain killers in the United States.  The state consensus according to several independent social media polls shows that 89% of West Virginia support medicinal marijuana and an astounding 99% of those believe that the hold up is the pharmaceutical lobbyist that bring in the millions of opioids into this state.  Again, this is public opinion and not factual information.  In my opinion, the full legalization of medicinal marijuana would not only cut down on the opioid epidemic here in West Virginia, but also increase the states revenue with the taxation on sales after the decline of the coal industry.  I have found very little literature on the negative effects of medicinal marijuana to make a case against the legalization and I fully support the legalization personally.  

References

Compton, W. M., Han, B., & Hughes, A. (2017). Use of Marijuana for Medical Purposes Among Adults in the United States. Jama, 317(2), 209.

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Links to an external site.

Monte, A. A., Zane, R. D., & Heard, K. J. (2015). The Implications of Marijuana Legalization in Colorado. Jama, 313(3), 241.

have policies for breastfeeding, but the execution of those policies might be problematic (Anderson et al., 2015). An open line of communication between the mothers and employers should exist to ensure that the mothers have what they need to continue with breastfeeding upon returning to work (Anderson et al., 2015).

     Breastfeeding is a health practice that can have lifelong benefits for children; a mother should have complete control when deciding if she wishes to breastfeed. Not having approved time or sufficient space to pump while at work are not valid reasons that should prevent any mother from breastfeeding. We should advocate for procedures to be in place so that the choice of whether to breastfeed is simple for those mothers who wish to continue this practice when they return to work. In the past, some of my coworkers have confided that they were sometimes scared to complain about problems with breastfeeding at work because they did not want to cause any friction. They had already been absent from work due to maternity leave and did not wish to raise any concerns asking for special treatment. No mother should feel this way. We, as a society, should do a better job supporting our mothers.

References

Anderson, J., Kuehl, R. A., Tschetter, L., Drury, S. M., Schwaegerl, M., Yoder, J., & … Lamp, J. (2015). Policies Aren’t Enough: The Importance of Interpersonal Communication about Workplace Breastfeeding Support. Journal Of Human Lactation, 31(2), 260-266.

Kozhimannil, K. B., Jou, J., Gjerdingen, D. K., & McGovern, P. M. (2016). Access to Workplace Accommodations to Support Breastfeeding after Passage of the Affordable Care Act. Women’s Health Issues: Official Publication Of The Jacobs Institute Of Women’s Health, 26(1), 6-13. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2015.08.002

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Breastfeeding in the Workplace

     One area that society can improve on is the acceptance of breastfeeding in the workplace. Breastfeeding not only has benefits for the baby but also for the mother (Kozhimannil, Jou, Gjerdingen, & McGovern, 2016). Babies will experience reduced rates for conditions including GI infections, SIDS, diabetes, and obesity (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). Mothers can also gain benefits by having a decreased risk for postpartum depression, diabetes, arthritis, and even some cancers (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). The recommendation is for mothers to only breastfeed for the first six months of the child’s life (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). In recent years, the number of women breastfeeding has increased, but the number of women who continue the practice upon returning to work does not support this trend (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). When women were asked why they were not breastfeeding, returning to their full-time job after maternity leave is the primary reason (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). Even though the government has mandated that places of employment allow mothers frequent breaks to breastfeed during the day, there are issues with having adequate space for women to pump besides a bathroom, facilities to store expressed milk, and a lack of workplace support (Kozhimannil et al., 2016).

     I have seen some of my coworkers experience these trials when they return as new mothers. We have an office space that is the unofficial breastfeeding room. In one instance, a mother was in the room when a physician came to the floor; he was upset that he could not use that room to chart. Even though there were plenty of other spaces with computer access, he caused somewhat of a scene. Most places of employment have policies for breastfeeding, but the execution of those policies might be problematic (Anderson et al., 2015). An open line of communication between the mothers and employers should exist to ensure that the mothers have what they need to continue with breastfeeding upon returning to work (Anderson et al., 2015).

     Breastfeeding is a health practice that can have lifelong benefits for children; a mother should have complete control when deciding if she wishes to breastfeed. Not having approved time or sufficient space to pump while at work are not valid reasons that should prevent any mother from breastfeeding. We should advocate for procedures to be in place so that the choice of whether to breastfeed is simple for those mothers who wish to continue this practice when they return to work. In the past, some of my coworkers have confided that they were sometimes scared to complain about problems with breastfeeding at work because they did not want to cause any friction. They had already been absent from work due to maternity leave and did not wish to raise any concerns asking for special treatment. No mother should feel this way. We, as a society, should do a better job supporting our mothers.

References

Anderson, J., Kuehl, R. A., Tschetter, L., Drury, S. M., Schwaegerl, M., Yoder, J., & … Lamp, J. (2015). Policies Aren’t Enough: The Importance of Interpersonal Communication about Workplace Breastfeeding Support. Journal Of Human Lactation, 31(2), 260-266.

Kozhimannil, K. B., Jou, J., Gjerdingen, D. K., & McGovern, P. M. (2016). Access to Workplace Accommodations to Support Breastfeeding after Passage of the Affordable Care Act. Women’s Health Issues: Official Publication Of The Jacobs Institute Of Women’s Health, 26(1), 6-13. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2015.08.002

Very good post. I can relate to what you said about having the time and location to pump while at work. When I had my first daughter I was working in the Intensive Care Unit. I was only able to breastfeed her for about 5 or 6 months, because I was not allowed the time to breastfeed her at work. Of course no one came right out and said “no you can’t” but coverage was very limited and often times I didn’t feel that it was safe for me to leave my patients.  When my now 21 month old was a baby I experienced the same type of response while I was in ICU.  I would call to get coverage and someone may come an hour or sometimes three hours later. I remember times where I just wanted to cry because I was so frustrated and because I was kind of in pain to be honest.  The times when I was able to pump,  I was often interrupted which was so very frustrating. Doctors, housekeeping, other nurses, and even family members on a few occasions would come into the break room when I was trying to pump. I never felt like I had privacy. Other nurses would get annoyed because I actually got to “take my breaks.” Anyone who has ever pumped knows that that is not a break.  When I took my new job as an Instructor RN, I had a whole new experience. I could now pump whenever I wanted and I had a private office where I wasn’t worried about being interrupted.  Having had both experiences, I think breastfeeding mothers definitely deserve their privacy. Of course, I wouldn’t ask for special treatment and I think they should limit their times where they pump, but they should be allowed the time and space. When I worked a 12 hour shift I would try to pump once in the morning, at lunch, and once in the afternoon. I felt that was reasonable, as technically we were allowed two 15 minute breaks and a lunch break.   I wish that people wouldn’t shame mothers who try to breastfeed as it is already such a selfless and time consuming thing.

A Sample Answer for The Assignment: NR 506 Week 7: RN as Healthcare Policy Leader Discussion

Title: NR 506 Week 7: RN as Healthcare Policy Leader Discussion

Hello Class and Dr. T.,

It is important for nurse practitioners to understand their influence and responsibility in changing healthcare policy. Leaders are not always chosen, but instead have to find it in themselves to rise to the occasion. As NPs we are responsible for understanding healthcare policy and advocating for our patients who are limited by access to care. It is healthcare policy that directly influences our ability as nurse practitioners to practice within a state with full authority (Brom et. al., 2018). Patients with social and health disparities often rely on the care of nurse practitioners to gain access to preventative care, education, and health assistance. According to Brom et. al. (2018) nurse practitioners offer a pathway to primary care access, have the ability to reduce care delays, and can assist in serving areas that have higher health disparities. In politics there is a concept of “threat” vs “opportunity” meaning that actions for legislative change only take place when there is a threat to political stakeholder interests. A regulatory policy determines who is included or left out based on a rule, for example, who is able to prescribe medications (Brom et. al., 2018). Being involved in healthcare policy and having an understanding for how laws are enacted can determine the path in which we need to take to change these healthcare policies. 

Advocacy is an important role in being a nurse practitioner. It is our responsibility to protect patients from harm and speak up for them to support them in their healthcare journey. Engaging in policy advocacy is necessary to address social factors that influence community health, preventative care, and chronic illness (Williams et. al., 2018). In order to establish health equity in our communities, we have to provide care to the social and health disadvantaged populations. It is these populations that find themselves in a cycle of poverty, disadvantage, and poor health (Williams et. al., 2018). The foundation of nursing relies on the concern and caring for social, emotional, and physical needs for poor, disadvantaged in society (Williams et. al., 2018). Through changes to health care policy and advocating for our patients in our communities we as nurse practitioners can enact change that will provide better health outcomes for disadvantaged populations. 

There are four pillars of transformational leadership, known as the four I’s. Idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration with each factor assisting a leader in satisfying the needs of those in their care (Farnsworth et. al., 2021). Idealized influence describes leaders as examples of what a role model should be. These managers are trustworthy, respectable, and make good decisions in regard to their organization (Farnsworth et. al., 2021). Inspirational Motivation shows managers as those with the ability to motivate employees to commit to the organizations vision. these managers are able to encourage team collaboration and help the team to reach goals of increased revenue and organizational growth (Farnsworth et. al., 2021). Intellectual stimulation describes leaders who encourage creativity and new ideas that challenge normal beliefs, promote critical thinking, and problem solving. Individual consideration describes managers as those able to advise and guide their associates to reach goals for the organization (Fransworth et. al., 2021). Transformational leaders exceed performance and as nurse practitioners the ability to lead in this way can help to reach goals regarding healthcare policy change. Influencing policy is more than just activity but requires knowledge, and support from peers. Creative thinking, new ideas, challenging old ideas, and critical thinking can help nurse practitioners to change the future.

Reference:

Brom, Salsberry, P. J., & Graham, M. C. (2018). Leveraging health care reform to accelerate nurse practitioner full practice authority. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 30(3), 120–130. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000023Links to an external site.

Farnsworth, D., Clark, J. L., Hall, J., Johnson, S., Wysocki, A., & Kepner, K., (2021). Transformational Leadership: The Transformation of Managers and Associates. Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

Willams, S. D., Phillips, J. M., Koyama, K., (2018). Nurse Advocacy: Adopting a Health in all Policies Approach. OJIN. DOI: 10.3912/OJIN. Vol23No03Man01