I have limited awareness of political events and have not participated in any political voting. I am not a US citizen, so I am not allowed to participate in elections. However, I am interested in how nursing and politics interlock together, and my goal in this course is to deepen that understanding.
I have a good understanding of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government at the national level and how the Senate and Congress work. However, I haven't had the opportunity to learn about local and state governments yet. At the federal level, I have closely observed policies such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), various legislative efforts aimed at negotiating Medicaid prices and reducing pharmaceutical drug costs.
There is currently a nursing shortage, and the quality of healthcare is deteriorating. This issue has been recognized at the federal level, but there has been no legislative action to address it. As I have limited knowledge about healthcare politics and no awareness of the politics surrounding nursing and nursing education, my goal in this class is to learn more about policies that impact patients, the medical profession, and hospitals.
Goals for Advanced Practice
As a nurse practitioner, I would like to stay up to date with nursing education and nursing policy. I want to stay informed of nursing policies and regulations at the federal, state, and local levels. My goal is to improve my understanding of politics at the regional, state, and local levels, while advocating for policies that promote nursing education, support for nurses, and overall quality healthcare.