Introduction
The legislative processes in healthcare can effectively be divided into three main phases. The phases are the formulation phase, the implementation phase and the evaluation phase (Kuznar, 2012). The different levels are characterized by having different policies that influence the overall policies that are implemented within the healthcare system. The policies that are developed by private sector agencies including hospitals are usually formulated and implemented by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (Milstead, 2013). The main activity during the formulation process is the gathering of pertinent information and ideas from the major players in the healthcare service sector. At the national and state level, this includes healthcare organizations and institutions, healthcare practitioners and interest groups (Milstead, 2013). In the federal level, the formulation process involves issues in healthcare being framed so as to identify its extent as well as the best possible outcomes that could be accrued as a result of formulating and implementing a new policy (Williams, et al., 2016).
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"Legislative Process and Healthcare Lobbying".
The main objectives of this study are to describe the legislative process and the role of the nurse as a healthcare policy advocate. The paper is divided into two parts, part one and part two. Part one is focused on providing details of the entire legislative process with specific focus on how it relates to the healthcare lobbying process. The second part is focuses on the issue of making decisions for children and infants as a relevant contemporary political issue. The paper discusses the two sides of the issue regarding the positive and the negative attributes. Finally the paper provides details of why I have a predetermined position on the issues being discussed.
Part 1
Legislative processes in healthcare can effectively be divided into three main phases. The phases are the formulation phase, the implementation phase and the evaluation phase. Policies that developed by private sector agencies including hospitals are usually formulated and implemented by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The main activity during the formulation process is the gathering of pertinent information and ideas from the major players in the healthcare service sector. At the national and state level, this includes healthcare organizations and institutions, healthcare practitioners and interest groups. In the federal level, the formulation process involves issues in healthcare being framed so as to identify its extent as well as the best possible outcomes that could be accrued as a result of formulating and implementing a new policy.
The strategies of accruing the desired goals are also formulated at this stage to ensure that resources are allocated and utilized optimally for the success of the policy. After the identification and gathering of appropriate information, a bill is prepared and introduced for debate in the House of Representatives by any senate or member of the house. A committee is then developed and it takes action which means it evaluates and fine tunes the bill. The bill is then debated by the house and the senate once it has been approved by the committee. After it is debated on and approved in both the House of Representatives and the senate, the bill is then taken to the president for approval, who by approving accentuates it into law, he can also veto it. The three arms of government, the judiciary, legislature and the executive must coordinate to make this happen.
The formulation process is followed by the implementation process which entails disseminating the information regarding the policy to relevant authorities, organizations, institutions, groups and individuals. This will result in the policy being put into action. When the policy is implemented from the national, state or local authority levels regulatory processes are usually followed and government by government agencies. The evaluation phase usually entails monitoring how effectively the policy has been implemented and how successfully it meets its intended goals. The role of nurses as healthcare policy advocates is mainly experienced in the formulation process where they use political knowledge and effective communication to collaborate with other members in the healthcare sector to ensure that appropriate information is obtained and shared to influence the development of policy which will improve healthcare service delivery.
Part 2
One issue that continues to influence the quality of healthcare services, specifically services delivered to children, is deciding for infants and children. Infants and children are identified by the law as being unable to make rational choices for themselves and as a result their parents or guardians are accorded with the right of deciding what is right for the children. When it comes to healthcare service delivery, this may be a challenge. This is because healthcare practitioners owing to their professional and expert knowledge are better placed to identify the health needs of the children and infants and determine the best way through which this need can be met. Healthcare practitioners are expected to inform parents about the healthcare concerns of the children and explain to them existing alternatives. This may at times result in the parents preferring options that are not considered as best alternatives for the practitioners, but the practitioners still have to abide with them.
This is why it is necessary to accord health practitioners with authority over decision making for the health concerns of infants and children. From a different perspective, it is important to note that parents always wish the best for their parents and they never wish any harm on their children and or infants. Furthermore, they are the ones who spend the most time with the children hence they are better placed to understand their needs. They are also the ones who deal with the consequences of the decisions made in healthcare service delivery of the children. However, it is my opinion that healthcare practitioners be accorded with more authority when it comes to deciding for infants because they will use expert judgment to ensure that the children and infants get better.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that legislative processes impact on practices and strategies being implemented by healthcare institutions and professionals. Moreover, they influence how healthcare services are offered. The policies also influence issues such as decisions that families can make on behalf of children. As discussed, this has both positive and negative impacts. Families, specifically parents, usually make decisions on behalf of their children. This however needs to change because clinicians have the best interests of children patients at heart and they can make decisions that are aimed at ensuring that they receive quality healthcare and health outcomes.
- Arabi, A., Forough Rafii, Cheraghi, M. A., & Ghiyasvandian, S. (2014). Nurses’ policy influence: A concept analysis. Iran Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research19(3), 315’322. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061635/
- Kuznar, W. (2012). The Nurse’s Role in Health Care Reform at the State Level. AJN, American Journal of Nursing. Volume 112 – Issue 3 , p 18. doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000412628.02033.27.
- Milstead, J. A. (2013). Health policy and politics : a nurse’s guide. Burlington, MA : Jones & Bartlett Learning.
- Williams, T. E., Baker, K., Evans, L., Lucatorto, M. A., Moss, E., O’Sullivan, A., . . . Zittel, B. (2016). Registered Nurses as Professionals, Advocates, Innovators, and Collaborative Leaders: Executive Summary. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. 21 Issue 3, p7-7. DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No03Man05.
