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Running head: NURSING ORGANIZATIONS

Healthcare Reform: An Essay on Nursing Responsibility to Organization

Jennifer R. Williams

Ferris State University

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Healthcare Reform: An Essay on Nursing Responsibility to Organization

Many nurses belong to organization, which assist in making positive changes in

healthcare. It is important for nurses to be aware of the importance of joining an organization and

following current events related to nurses. One example is the current issue regarding healthcare

reform. As important as this issue is, organization effort is needed in order to propose and make

changes regarding policy. Having large numbers in associations that can expand nursing voices,

will play a large part in outcomes related to healthcare transformation.

The American Nursing Association voices “Now, rising healthcare costs, increasing

numbers of uninsured and underinsured individuals, and disparities in healthcare access and

quality have created an emerging national consensus that the health care system is broken and

must be fixed now”(2010). Nurses must band together as one voice to advocate for our patients

as a whole. “ANA is proudly representing the nursing profession at health care summits and

forums, and working with nurses, lawmakers, the Obama Administration, health care coalitions,

the media and other participants to deliver nursing's message, develop solutions and take

action”(Nursingworld.org, 2010). These statements taken from the ANA nursing world website,

remind us as nurses that it is important to work with nursing organizations as well as the

organizations in which we work to extend our voices to be heard.

As nurses we are familiar with our patients needs and have a responsibility to advocate

for them and inform them of the resources available to them. It is difficult for the president to

appease everyone. However, we are on the right track to improving the issue of the increasing

problem of lack of affordable health insurance in the United States.

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In addition, there is a website that provides sample letters for non-profit organizations to

advocate for their patients. I found this very helpful on how to advocate for our patients; I

believe this letter could be altered to fit the needs of other organizations and individuals as well.

“Nurses have a duty to advocate for and protect the health of their patients and to help shape

public policy”(Erlen, 2009).

Though we have programs for certain individuals living in poverty situations, there are

multiple groups that are left without a hope to find, receive, and pay for their healthcare services.

“Strategies that nurses can use to be proactive include being knowledgeable about the issues,

being advocates for patients and their families by making their voice heard, and informing and

shaping healthcare policy (Erlen, 2009).

As community health care nurses, we can advocate for our patients by staying informed

about the current issues in healthcare, including patient with lack of or no insurance coverage. It

is also important for nurses to be aware of all resources that are available to their patients to

supplement their healthcare needs.

Nurses will carry a very important role in the initiation of health care reform. “When

thinking about health care, it is clear that nurses are centrally involved in the direct care of

patients; they are, in fact, on the front lines of care. Because of this direct care experience and

commitment to improving the health of the public, nurses are also in perfect positions to take

leadership roles in health care policy (Olshansky, 2009).

Ensuring that our opinion is heard through communication with the organization in which

we work as well as the nursing organization in which we belong, we can carry a larger voice into

creation of policy for health care reform. “Individual voices can contribute to the positions taken

by our various professional organizations that represent us at policy-level debates (Olshansky,

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2009). We need to remember that one voice does make a difference when included in a group of

comparative voices that can in turn make a large impact on changes in healthcare. In summary,

nurses have an ethical obligation to be involved in organizations to assist in healthcare change.

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Resources

Erlen, J. (2009). Health Disparities and Health Care Reform. Orthopedic Nursing 28(4), 183-

186. Retrieved from https://fsuvista.ferris.edu/webct/urw/lc832347475011.

tp976121427021/RelativeResourceManager/sfsid/1110696534031

Olshansky, E. (2009). Nursing's Role in Health Care Reform. Journal of Professional Nursing,

Editorial. Retrieved from 0-www.sciencedirect.com.libcat.ferris.edu/

Science? _ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6WKV-4WSHDSN-4-

3&_cdi=6916&_user=1536291&_pii=S8755722309000969&_orig=search

&_coverDate=08%2F31%2F2009&_sk=999749995&view=c&wchp=dGLbVzW-

zSkWA&md5=7bf4b1e69a51c7d26521f380b63b82aa

Health System Reform (2010). American Nursing Association. Retrieved from

www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories