A Healthcare Lobbyist’s Principal Role Discussion

A Healthcare Lobbyist’s Principal Role Discussion

1. What are the reasons many nurses do not actively engage in lobbying efforts?

A healthcare lobbyist’s principal role is to advocate the client’s interests. The nature of the client will have a considerable impact on the tasks at hand: for example, the needs of a pharmaceutical firm may differ greatly from those of a public health agency. Nonetheless, many healthcare lobbyists’ everyday responsibilities share certain general similarities. Establishing personal and professional relationships, meeting with elected officials and policymakers, drafting potential changes to current policy, analyzing the impacts of different policy proposals, organizing broader support through fundraisers, and educating and advising other stakeholders are some of the typical daily responsibilities of a healthcare lobbyist (Zborg, 2022). There are various reasons for nurses’ lack of involvement in policy and politics. A lack of awareness, insufficient skills, and limited opportunities for participation are only a few of the causes. Another barrier is the nursing profession’s lack of formal health-care policy education. Time and resources are further difficulties to the nursing profession’s involvement in politics (Brokaw, 2016). Furthermore, studies suggest that nurses are not given enough support to develop the evidence required to impact healthcare policy. Regardless of the many constraints that limit the nursing profession’s political influence, nurses are essential to the formation and implementation of healthcare policy. Nurses, being the world’s largest medical profession, should be at the forefront of reforming the healthcare system. However, they will need to collaborate with members of other medical professions, such as physicians, to do so. Nurses must be adept in inpatient care, interdisciplinary cooperation, informatics, and technology, applying evidence-based practice, and quality improvement for this to happen. Nurses are frequently upset by policies influencing nursing practice, especially when those policies are established by people with little or no experience in the healthcare field. Negativity, disillusionment, resentment, and burnout are common outcomes of dissatisfaction (Brokaw, 2016).

What actions can nurses take to encourage themselves and their peers to get involved politically and lobby for specific issues such as healthcare policy changes? Provide a detailed example.

Any nurse can have an impact on local, state, and federal policy and politics. Locally, nurses can become politically engaged by taking on leadership roles in the healthcare system or lobbying legislators about industry-related legislation. As an example, nurses can get formal political training, join city councils and committees, and even run for local government. Even something as simple as exercising one’s right to vote has the potential to influence healthcare policy. Nurses can get involved in policy and politics at the state and federal levels by joining a professional nursing group. These groups frequently employ lobbyists to bring nursing issues to the attention of lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Nurses can also write to their state officials to express their concerns about healthcare policy (Brokaw, 2016). Moreover, nurses require assistance in order to accomplish change which can begin at home. Nurses’ families and friends should urge them to participate in political engagement. Nursing schools should integrate healthcare policy education into their curricula, as well as urge nursing students to participate in politics. Additionally, nursing school faculty members should participate in policy reforms as role models for their students. Finally, businesses must give time, resources, and opportunities for staff nurses to impact local, state, and federal policy.

2. Healthcare is a very structured organization that is built from many different laws and health policies. Nurses’ involvement in politics can help the healthcare system to be fairer, and nurses to be more knowledgeable of issues, laws, and healthcare policies (safe, and affordable). With this knowledge, nurses are able to advocate for their patients and keep them safe. According to Boswell, Cannon, and Miller, “Nursing apathy toward participation in the political process is pandemic” (2005). There used to be nurses who are involved in politics, but because of heavy workloads and feelings of powerlessness restrict them from being politically active. In one of the sources I found, it was mentioned that nurses and nurse managers/leaders are usually involved in politics in healthcare, but they are not involved in policy formulation or modification, they are only involved in policy implementation so they feel that they don’t have the power and the voice to make an impact in the healthcare system. Another reason that may restrict nurses to be politically involved is the lack of time and relevant knowledge they need to understand how they can make an impact and make a change in the healthcare system.

There are several ways that nurses can participate in politics especially in the healthcare system, factors like: gaining knowledge, participating to gain experience and understanding of their roles in policy development. Having role models, political activism and of course being supported by their organization. Also, doing their research to expand their knowledge and gain confidence of what they know and what they are capable of doing and how much they can impact the healthcare system. Nurses deal with caring for their patients and their families so they see and understand the needs of their patients and every factor that may affect the care that we provide. So, it is important that nurses be involved in politics in order to resolve issues of healthcare.

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