What areas do you believe nursing should be invited to the table for in policy discussions. Why?
Nurses are in a unique position, they are consistently voted by the public as the most trustworthy profession and are employed in nearly every part of the health care industry. Nurses interact and connect with patients daily, this allows them to see the many issues that can arise and result from policy decisions made by those with a limited working knowledge of the medical field (Aries, 2016). By allowing nurses to the table for policy discussions they can address these problems, and impart real meaningful examples of patient health care needs that should be addressed in health care laws and reforms (Gonzalez & Maryland, 2012). Furthermore, due to the extent nurses are involved in the medical industry, they have the potential to offer beneficial information and understanding in all areas of healthcare policy. An example area where nurses could offer advantageous input is in reforms treatment and medication cost. Nurses have the ability to share information such as “how patients have told them they need to limit the frequency with which their prescriptions are filled because they can’t afford the copayments” (Gonzalez & Maryland, 2012, p. 3). In long term treatments for diseases such as Cancer, patients, who have restricted funds,
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Nurses have valid input on the duties required of them. “They understand that the pursuit of quality care is dependent on their ability to engage and use nursing resources effectively” (Aries, 2016, p. 33). If nurses are not part of discussions that regulate the level of care they are allowed to administer to their patients, then there is a potential for problems to arise, for patient care to suffer, and for nurses not being able to fully practice to their