NR 447 Week 7 Discussion; Advocacy

Decision-makers at all levels have a significant influence on the nursing shortage. Locally, hospital administrators and health department officials have the power to enact policies that directly affect nurse staffing ratios and working conditions. State and federal legislators and regulatory bodies, like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and State Boards of Nursing, are crucial in deciding how much money is allocated, how to regulate licensing, and what workforce development initiatives can contribute to or worsen the nursing shortage. If I were to write a letter to a legislator, I would send it to the chair of the health committee, which is in charge of crafting laws pertaining to healthcare, or a state senator. An intriguing way to start the letter could be: "Dear Senator, your leadership is more important than ever at this pivotal time for the nursing profession. The severe nursing staff shortage in our state jeopardizes not only the standard of patient care but also the health and welfare of our nurses, who are the backbone of our healthcare system. Research indicates that higher nurse staffing numbers may result in better patient outcomes and lower medical expenses (Baernholdt et al., 2023). We kindly request that you promptly act by endorsing legislation that fosters nurse recruitment, retention, and education in order to guarantee the continued strength and capacity of our healthcare system to provide everyone with high-quality treatment." References: Baernholdt, M., & Bryant Leak, A. (2023). Implementing the plan. In R. M. Patton, M. L. Zalon, & R. Ludwick (Eds.), Nurses making policy: From bedside to the boardroom (3rd ed., pp. 148- 164). Springer Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1891/9780826166463.0009 Haddad, L. M., Annamaraju, P., & Toney-Butler, T. J. (2023). Nursing shortage. In Stat Pearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493175/ Rosenberg, K. (2019). RN shortages negatively impact patient safety. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 119(3), 51. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000554040.98991.23 Dear Suanne, I appreciate your thoughtful commentary on the vital role that advocacy plays in nursing. You've brought attention to a critical problem with our healthcare system: financial inequality and the disastrous effects it has on people' health results. I wholeheartedly concur with your focus on how crucial it is to build solid, trustworthy relationships with patients and work together with social workers and case managers to lessen some of these financial difficulties. To elaborate on your statement on the socioeconomic determinants of health, it's critical to Best, Sanju References: Artiga, S., & Hinton, E. (2018). Beyond health care: The role of social determinants in promoting health and health equity. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/report- section/beyond-health-care-the-role-of-social-determinants-in-promoting-health-and-health- equity-issue-brief/ Haddad, L. M., Annamaraju, P., & Toney-Butler, T. J. (2023). Nursing shortage. In Stat Pearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493175/ Weinstein, R. S., Lopez, A. M., Joseph, B. A., Erps, K. A., Holcomb, M., Barker, G. P., & Krupinski, E. A. (2014). Telemedicine, telehealth, and mobile health applications that work: Opportunities and barriers. The American Journal of Medicine, 127(3), 183-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.09.032