Week 6 Discussion 1

What methods can nurses use to actively influence health policies and legislation?

Week 6 Discussion 

Discuss the controversy regarding childhood immunization and the potential affect on community health.

response 1& 2 diss 1

Amber G

Nurses as patient advocates can actively influence policies and legislation by being politically active in leadership positions in the health care system. Nurse leaders can contact elected officials about legislation that affects health care and table the needs and opinions that can influence legislation and health policies. Additionally, professional nursing organizations are great avenues for nurses to join and get involved in policy and legislation at the state and federal levels. Nursing organizations give nurses the platform to influence health policies or write to their state representatives about legislation that affects health policies (Porche, 2021). These professional nursing organizations also play an essential role in monitoring public policy and provide nurses who are members with the resources to learn about health policies. In addition, these organizations offer resources for reliable information associated with issues of policy and policy implementation. Therefore, nurses must strive to be a member of the nursing professional organizations because they provide an avenue to influence health policy and legislation.

Reference:

Porche, D. J. (2021). Health policy: Application for nurses and other healthcare professionals. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Mirko Mendoza

Nurses must recognize that health policy is often a matter of public interest; people are interested in the way these policies affect their lives and how they can influence them. These types of policies are led by data, information, and community values. The knowledge and skills nurses possess are useful to the political process. They are primed to the process of political analysis which requireshaving an understanding of people and their motivations, building relationships with people in power, and an understanding of environmental factors that affect policies. One might even argue that engaging in politics is a natural extension of the role of advocate. An important part of political analysis is identifying stakeholders on healthcare issues. Nurses are often either directly affected by healthcare policies or their patients are. This places them in a unique position to communicate issues to elected officials. Political strategy includes utilizing data to achieve policy goals through presenting the relevant facts. Nurses are able to interpret and communicate data in such a way that is digestible to the general public. Combined with tactful rhetoric and an understanding of how to appeal to people, nurses become valuable resources for policymakers (Mason et al., 2015).

References

J., M. D., B, G. D., Freida, H. O., & T., O. E. (2015). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health
Care (7th Edition). Elsevier Health Sciences (US).

https://online.vitalsource.com/bo

response 1&2 Diss 2

Moninderpal Kaur

According to Dr. Bronfin, “Preventive care is the cornerstone of pediatrics, and vaccination represents one of the most important strategies in the prevention of disease in children”(2008). It is because of routine childhood immunization that we see a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality rates in children. Many serious diseases such as diphtheria, congenital rubella and polio have almost lost their existence. Smallpox has been eradicated all over the world. Polio used to leave millions of children handicapped and is successfully eradicated. As Dr. Bronfin has mentioned in his journal, “Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was the most common cause of many serious and life-threatening diseases in children, such as epiglottitis, bacterial meningitis, and pericarditis” (2008). Now with the vaccination parents don’t have to fear the crippling effects of polio and life threatening effects of Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles and pertussis. “In one survey, nearly 25% of parents reported their impression that children were receiving too many vaccines and felt that this could result in a weakening of their immune systems” (Bronfin, 2008). Some parents’ concerns about Autism being linked to immunization is justifiable. Parents may have been misled by the poorly conducted studies that claim a link between autism and vaccines. Healthcare professionals should reinforce that Vaccine-preventable diseases spread can be prevented only if children are vaccinated. And that, “the risks of vaccinating infants outweigh the benefits of protecting them from infection” (AAOFP, 2012). We have seen the worst of this pandemic. Pandemic has taught us a lot. We certainly don’t want another pandemic. Having children not vaccinated can sooner or later lead us to another pandemic among children that could create a chaos in community health.

Reference

American Academy Of Family Physicians (2012). Talking with Parents about Vaccines for Infants Strategies for Health Care Professionals

Eduardo Longsworth

Controversies concerning vaccination and side effects have caused parents to assume vaccines are harmful based on erroneous information from the Internet, celebrity endorsements, and misconstrued /poor research. Despite strong scientific evidence supporting vaccination safety and their lack of link with autism, developmental impairments, or other medical illnesses, this fear of vaccines has lowered immunization rates (Carrillo-Marquez, M. 2013). Some parents also believe in alternate methods of disease prevention, typically adhering to behaviors that aren’t based on the most up-to-date empirical research. Recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, have arisen in areas where vaccination rates have dropped due to the anti-vax ideation.

This ideation poses a severe health risk to the public, especially those who are immunocompromised or have other ailments that don’t allow them to be eligible for vaccination. These vaccines are our responsibility to society to protect ourselves and those who cannot afford to get sick from preventable diseases. There is a global health risk associated with parents’ choice not to vaccinate their children, and as nurses, we must do our part to educate the public on the facts of vaccination.

Carrillo-Marquez, M., & White, L. (2013). Current controversies in childhood vaccination. South Dakota medicine: the journal of the South Dakota State Medical Association, Spec no, 46–51