American Nurses Association And Lead Poisoning And Screening

This assignment requires that I develop and thoroughly analyze a public policy in order to advocate for one that improves the health of the public and/or the nursing profession globally (local, state, national or international). To do this, I must reflect on several aspects of being a policy maker within the nursing profession. I was instructed to consider the following:

Regulatory agencies are government agencies created to provide rules by defining laws, concepts and authorities. There are federal and state regulatory agencies with different levels of involvement and collaboration with professional associations. These government regulatory agencies are shaped by the assistance of associations with functional differences like the Board of Nursing (BRN) and Professional Nursing Organization (PNO). The Board of Nursing has the function of ensuring that the standard of practice in nursing is being followed and keeping the health care consumers safety as a priority. The board of registered nurses protects the

Like most other professions, nursing is controlled by government regulatory agencies and professional organizations. For instance, boards of nursing in various states are the government entities mandated to regulate nursing at the state level, while the American Nurses Association is a professional organization that governs nursing at the nation level. Regulatory agencies and professional organizations are guided by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

Nurses work in situations that are driven by political decisions and are directed by healthcare policies which are political in nature (Des Jardin., nd). Political Activism in Nursing includes Policy, Politics and Power. However, health and nursing are political and nurses should advocate to be political activists (CNA, 2000). Nurses advocating on behalf of clients or allow them to take actions on their problems/ issues. Nurses participates in unions, and workplace committees to influence healthcare reform, workplace violence and collective bargaining. The Canadian Nurses Association is the national professional voice of Registered Nurses in Canada. Lillian Wald, Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton are few of the many political

The Oklahoma Board of Nursing (OBN) provides information to the public about the services of the Board of Nursing (OBN, n.d.). The purpose of the OBN is to “safeguard the public’s health by ensuring that licensed nurses are qualified and competent to practice” (OBN, n.d.). The public has access to the OBN to inquire on current licensed nurses, Nurse Practice Act, and guidelines about nursing care (OBN, n.d.). The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the “only full-service professional organization” that represents registered nurses’ interest through associations and partners (ANA, 2014). Their mission is “nurses advancing our profession to improve health for all” (ANA, 2014). They promote nursing practice by setting high standards, promoting nurses’ rights, leading a realistic outlook of nursing, and “by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public” (ANA, 2014). The National League for Nursing (NLN) is an organization for any nursing-related faculty offering “faculty development programs, networking opportunities, testing and assessment, nursing research grants, and public policy” (NLN, 2013). Their mission is to “promote excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the nations health” (NLN, 2013).

Nurses are the first to deal with patients such as, the aging population in the clinical or community setting, so they are well qualified to give expert testimony on health care reform. Before nurses can take a stance and gain a voice in the political arena, they must take on a new hat as an “advocate.” They can start their journey as a patient advocate by joining an association like The American Nurses Association (ANA). Associations like the ANA can mentor nurses venturing into the profession of patient advocacy; in addition to mentoring, the nursing associations can offer legislative days, policy internships, and conduct policy workshops to educate nurses on how to positively affect the legislation and policies at the state or federal level on health care

According to American Nurses Association [ANA] (2013), advocacy is the key element in the nursing profession and during lobby day, nurse 's expertise is valued and acknowledged in the policy development process. To further analyze the significance of lobbying day, this paper will identify the purpose of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), describe one issue, identify the behavioral characteristics of the group leader, describe the discussion, and analyze alternative strategies for the full discussion of issues.

In the United States alone there are well over three million registered nurses as of 2015, with just over two hundred thousand of that total practicing within the state of Florida (Total Number of Professionally Active Nurses, 2015, n.p.). With that being said, there are many different nursing organizations available within the United States to represent not only the registered nurse, but also to represent the student nurse as well. Several nursing organizations are geared towards specialties, ethnicity, location, education level or gender (Matthews, J., 2012, n.p.). Nursing organizations also lobby federally for the profession as a whole as well as for the public (Schroeder, R., 2013, August, pg.99). For the purpose of this paper I will

The American Nurses Association (ANA) is a full-service professional organization that symbolizes the interests of registered nurses through its constituent and state nurses associations. The ANA implements the nursing profession by raising high standards of nursing practice, honoring the rights of nurses in the work field, promoting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by pushing the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. Their mission statement is, “Nurses advancing our profession to improve health for all.” Some of ANA’s main focuses are reformation of the health care system so that it delivers primary health care in the communities, growing roles for

During the conference there are various events, exhibitions, and educational opportunities to explore. The NBNA promotes nursing policy and activism within the organization by spearheading various programs. The organization hosts a, “national Black nurses day on capitol hill, to educate the U.S. Congress on the nursing shortage, the nursing profession, and health care disparities. The Institute of Excellence (IOE) was created for the collaboration of local and national nurses to join forces with other local, national, and international leaders” (NBNA, 2014). This unison will address health, social issues, and the eradication of health disparities. The organizations participation and influence regarding nursing policy and activism, showcases their commitment to ensure the highest quality of healthcare locally and globally.

An effective way the nurse can utilize advocacy to increase awareness about a major issue can be accomplished by getting involved in the community board meeting to share the impacts the issue has on the community. According to NYC (2016), Community board plays an important role in providing quality of life for all the residents of New York City by utilizing a democratic approach to involve public participation, consensus building and create a positive local change. To further analyze the importance of community board meeting, this paper will identify the purpose of a community board meeting that I have attended, identify behavioral characteristics of the group leaders, describe a discussion, and analyze some alternative strategies for consensus building.

Hess, discusses shared governance involvement with the nursing shortage that healthcare facilities are now facing. Hess focused on the purpose of shared governance, which is to give registered nurses control over their practice. This will help ensure nurse involvement in the workplace. In expressing his struggle, Hess clearly defines shared governance with the order of structures and processes involved within each organization (Hess, 2004). However, he does agree with its purpose that nursing shared governance helps with every situation a nurse may encounter in the healthcare setting. The following article further evaluates workplace advocacy in a way that relates to shared governance.

Lead poisoning in children was first discovered in 1890 in Queensland, Australia. The lead source was not identified until 1904, when a researcher traced it to the paint used on railings and verandahs. The first discovery of lead poisoning in the United States (with a traceable source) was in 1914; the child had chewed the paint off of his crib. At this time they linked lead poisoning as a cause of convulsions in children. As research progressed and more children were found with high lead levels, symptoms caused by lead were expanded to include lead meningitis, acute encephalopathy, intellectual dullness, reduced consciousness, seizures, comas, and death (Chisholm, 1982).

Administrators utilize this form of management to enhance recruitment of professional nurses, maintain a stable professional, workforce that deliver safe effective cost conscious care. Some nurses will argue shared governance is just a organizational model of management, and “various factors lead to turnover, including excessive physical and psychological demands, unsupportive environments and long shift work” (Trinkoff, Johantgen, Liang, Gurses, Storr, Hopkinson, Han, 2010 p. 309).

Lead, a naturally occurring metal and can be used in almost everything. It can cause serious health issues if it is exposed for a long time, particularly in children as they are more susceptible to absorbing and retaining lead in their bodies. Each year, in the United States 310,000 of 1- to 5-year age group are found to have unsafe levels of lead in their blood, which can cause a wide range of symptoms. (1)