04 Aug Why is it essential for registered nurses to influence the regulatory process?

Discussion 1: Describe how a nurse’s educational level or entry point into professional nursing practice affects the quality and competence of a nurse’s participation in policymaking.

Why is it essential for registered nurses to influence the regulatory process?

Does the nurse’s education influence their ability to make an impact?

Any nurse can impact change in healthcare policy if they are willing to do the work.  A nurse can also obtain formal training in the political realm if they so choose (Brokaw, 2016).  I feel that if any nurse feels strongly about a policy and wants change, then they are the best ones to spearhead that change.  No matter their education level.  Our textbook states that nurses educated at the BSN level and above should have health policy included in their education. (Mason, 2016)

Nurses need to influence regulatory processes, or all decisions that affect nurses daily will be made by non-nurses (Brusie, 2021). There are many ways for nurses to get involved.  Joining a professional organization or nursing board is one easy way to start.  A nurse can then volunteer, advocate, and connect using those organizations to be involved in local and state policies. 

I believe that the nurse’s education, in the long run, will probably influence their ability to make an impact.  Even though an LPN, who has been working for years, could probably educate a new BSN on many things, with most employers looking to hire BSN and above-trained nurses, most people are starting to pay attention to the education level of nurses.  The American Association of Colleges of Nurses released a statement that BSN-prepared clinicians are better prepared to meet the demands of today’s health care needs. (AACN, 2021)

Discussion 2:

The educational section level in nursing practice has been debated for a long time. The old discussion about section into proficient nursing at the prelicensure level and the most recent debate about doctoral training and passage into cutting edge nursing practice areas of strength for a move from pioneers in nursing schooling and practice. The early discussion focused on the course at the prelicensure level and, more explicitly, the development of expert nursing practice in the educational setting. The momentum banter moves the exchange to the thought of doctoral instruction, calling for acknowledgment of both the customary exploration-centered doctorate and the quickly expanding doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) as the calling’s terminal degree. The two discussions concern the nursing practice change amidst changing medical care frameworks and practice requests. (Mason)
The conviction that a nurse’s instructive passage point influences the quality and skill of the medical attendant’s work has filled the two discussions. (Mason)
The more knowledge you have, the more you can do! A more educated nurse may recognize the importance of advocating for her patients’ rights. We must understand that we can make a difference if we get involved in the regulatory processes since we are the ones who spend the most time with our patients and the ones who compile the information before the doctors see them. Therefore, we can influence many areas.