Nurses play a crucial role in the policy development model at various stages, leveraging their expertise, experience, and understanding of patient needs to shape healthcare policies that promote better outcomes and optimize resources. By offering their clinical knowledge and grasp of best practices, nurses help to shape policies. Participating in multidisciplinary teams, committees, and professional associations, they create policy suggestions that meet needs and enhance patient care. Nurses support laws that provide patient safety, high-quality treatment, and fair service access priority. The policy meeting, I will be attending is “Health Finance and Policy Committee hears HF1700, the ‘Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act’”. The meeting specifies the criteria for the formation of committees responsible for determining the appropriate number of nurses required in hospitals and managing their workload. Key point nurses can bring to the meeting are adequate staffing levels directly impact patient safety by ensuring timely care, monitoring and reduction of adverse events. Also, well-staffed units allow nurses to provide higher quality care, including thorough assessments, patients’ education and effective communication with patients and their families. Furthermore, safe staffing levels contribute to nurse satisfaction and retention by preventing burnout, reducing stress, and fostering a supportive work environment.

Reference

Sharpnack, P.A., (2022) “Overview and Summary: Nurses’ Impact on Advocacy and Policy” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 27, No. 2, Overview and Summary.