CU-MSN-5

Health policies, disparities and equality are continuous concerns of the nursing profession. Finding the root cause and understanding of these issues help to start finding processes to make a positive impact in these areas. I have found through research over the years in this program the importance of policies, how and why policies are created, effects of social determinants and why reforms are important the goal of the reform. Prior to this learning, I never knew why reforms occurred and policies that had been in placed have changed mainly because I never knew where to start. From the knowledge shared of my professors I have found organizations that explain all of these questions and have found myself joining a few along the way.

Affordable healthcare in the United States is another constant struggle that we face. During the Obama Presidency the effort was placed to reform healthcare and led to the creation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Research I had conducted on this policy reform revealed the positive progress this reform has made in relation to an increase of Americans carrying health insurance, decreasing the difficulty of affording health insurance and increase in Americans visiting a primary care physician. Taking a deeper look into this reform allowed me to learn more about the gap in healthcare availability to all Americans and how the Affordable Care Act helps to close those gaps, ultimately creating better health outcomes for all Americans. From the ACA, the Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) was created. This reform of the ACA was created to further provide enhanced care to patients through better coordination between caregivers and patients. These reforms have made great strides in healthcare affordability and availability to Americans, but through the research I have conducted there still is much more progress to be made in regards to acceptance of the ACA and implementation of the ACO.

In NURS 650 I was able to gain insight on how to create, implement and evaluate a new policy. Learning the four steps of policy formation has helped me to apply this in my current practice. Being a part of the Neuro Critical Care Research Committee, we were responsible for reviewing and updating policies. I was able to apply the four-step process while working with another coworker to update our current National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and pupilometer policies for the unit. Having this knowledge allowed for me to share this with my coworker and form the new policy and receive approval for use upon submission and start implementation. Knowing the last step is evaluation we checked in with staff to see if the policy was easy to understand and implement into their practice, which it was and staff felt that they knew exactly what was expected, what to follow and why they needed to follow the policy. Following this process that I learned in NURS 650 provided me with the success in the policy updates.

Overall, policies, reforms and equality are highly important for the success of the healthcare industry. These areas help for safety, individuals understanding their roles and expectations, and providing better healthcare in an ever-evolving industry. As a leader, understanding and continuing to educate yourself in these areas is crucial and my plan for the future. I find this is because even just in these few short years I have been at Capital University so many changes in healthcare reforms and policies have occurred and will continue to occur, and I cannot lead others if I do not know and understand the information myself.