Professional nursing has the potential to influence health policy by using a collective voice for patient and healthcare advocacy. For this task, you will create a policy brief, a summary report that educates policy makers on relevant information or research for policy decisions.
Your goal for the policy brief is to present a problem from a nursing perspective clearly and concisely, using convincing evidence to bring about your desired result.
A. Analyze the context and scope of a SDOH in your community by doing the following:
1. Describe one SDOH that necessitates a policy change to optimize health in your community.
a. Provide data from state or local resources to support your description.
2. Describe three characteristics of the target population affected by the SDOH.
3. Identify the policy makers who will receive the policy brief (e.g., community group or individuals, including name and title).
4. Explain why the SDOH requires the policy makers’ attention.
a. Discuss the current policy for the SDOH in your community if one exists. Or discuss the effect that not having an existing policy for the SDOH has on your community.
b. Discuss the ethical implications of the current policy or the absence of an existing policy.
5. Complete the demographics table in the template and provide a scholarly resource for each of the following aspects:
• demographics associated with the SDOH
• risk factors associated with the SDOH
• trending facts associated with the SDOH
Policy Proposal and Implementation Plan
B. Create a policy proposal and implementation plan by doing the following:
1. Develop two policy alternatives to address the SDOH described in part A1.
Note: Include supporting evidence.
2. Explain why one of the policy alternatives from part B1 is preferable over the other alternative.
Note: Include Supporting evidence.
3. Analyze the potential impact of your proposed policy by doing the following:
a. Explain how the desired results will optimize health in the community.
b. Discuss the financial costs and benefits of the proposed policy.
c. Discuss two ethical implications of the proposed policy on the population.
4. Describe actual or potential barriers to the implementation of your policy.
5. Explain what methods of communication you will use to introduce the policy to the policy maker(s) and educate them on the anticipated effectiveness of the proposed policy change on the SDOH in the community.
6. Describe the potential results of inaction.
Executive Summary
C. Write an executive summary to begin your policy brief by doing the following:
1. Summarize the context and scope of the chosen SDOH in your community.
2. Summarize how your proposed policy will address the SDOH in your community.
3. Propose a persuasive course of action for the policy makers to address the policy change.
Reflection
D. Write a reflection statement that includes the following:
1. Describe how you were a change agent in creating this policy brief.
2. Discuss the knowledge and skills you need to develop to continue influencing policy development decision-making.
References
E. Create a References section for your policy brief using APA style.
F. Acknowledge sources, using APA-formatted in-text citations, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
G. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.