Don 'T' Call Me Just A Nurse

According to Shellebarger & Edwards (2012), Nurse Educators help shape the future of nursing by educating future novice nurses. Nurse Educators have a core curriculum to follow to ensure lifelong learning in their role. They help shape critical thinking skills in our future nurses by giving them the knowledge needed to think critically. “ Evidence has found that hospital based nurse educators influence safe patient outcome through contemporary evidence based teaching and their contribution of policy development supports safe practice” (Sayers,2012, p. 45). Nurse Administrators take on the role of patient advocates, by ensuring that patients are receiving the highest level of care (Hamic, Hanson, Tracy, & O’Grady, 2014). Nurse Administrators are an important part of management of nurses , they help develop policies and procedures and are change agents in their fields. The Nurse Educator and the Nurse Administrator should be

Nurses have the ability to have their voice received which can aid with change in health care by a number of ways, one of which is to become active within the community and advocate for nursing and advanced care for the public. One way this can be done is to influence legislators by becoming active in supporting health care bills.

Nurses’ involvement in policy debates brings our professional values to bear on the process. (Warner, 2003) The Master’s prepared nurse’s goal as an advocate should be to fight to enhance the client’s wellbeing in every possible way, at every available opportunity. This can be achieved by being part of organization that advocate for patients’ right as well as for better working condition for our colleagues. Also, nurses could choose to get involved in politics or lobby on behalf of other nurses.

Many times, the people who are creating policies or legislation for health care reform are not the “first providers” of the health care system. As the journal article, “Influencing Health Care in the Legislative Arena” stated, “[nurses] are often the first providers to see clearly when and how the health care system is not effectively meeting patients needs;” hence, we need more nurses to take a stance in the legislative arena.

The four spheres of political action in nursing as mentioned by Mason, Leavitt, and Chaffee (2011) includes the workplace or workforce, the government, the organizations, and the community. The authors further stated that although the four spheres overlap at times, the action performed in any one of these spheres can cause a reaction in any of the others. Nurses are a part of the community in which they live and can influence health and social policy within their workplace, which can have a profound impact on the organization. Furthermore, the government can pass health care policies, which in turn causes the organization to change their policy. Thus, affecting healthcare providers in the workplace and the community at large. An example of

Being the number one most trusted profession in the country allows nurses to truly take charge and make a difference in the policy arena Health Care Reform. (2017).

Nurses have many Roles to play to become An efficient health worker to speak for patients and the people. International council of nurses (2008). According to Begley, A. (2010). Nurses must learn how to be a political member to influence the legislatures by writing letters, attending meetings, speaking up for their patients’ problems and suggesting solutions in order to make better the quality health care especially for the veterans, patients their families and colleagues.

My philosophy of nursing education grows out of my philosophy of nursing. Much has been said related to healthcare reform, healthcare globalization, and healthcare delivery. A resounding theme in all of these discussions is the need for nurses to take a position of leadership in the healthcare industry (Institute of Medicine, 2010). I believe nurses, as leaders, are uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between the healthcare industry and a rapidly changing global environment. Nurses are educationally in tune to the proposed changes that are being made, yet sensitive enough to address the needs of individuals affected by these changes. In a global community, nurses advocate for the individual.

Advocacy is a crucial role for nurses, however, its extent is often limited in practice. Powerlessness,

The field of nursing has its origins dating back to the 19th century. This is when women reformers wanted to make a difference in social and political issues. To have an active voice in the process, these individuals had to have a strong sense of independence and determination. At the same time, many ethical beliefs shaped the views of individuals who wanted to make a difference (i.e.

When people think about nurses, many ideas come to mind. They think of the hideous old starched, white uniforms, a doctor’s handmaiden, the sexy or naughty nurse, or a torturer. The media and society have manipulated the identity and role of nurses. None of these ideas truly portray nurses and what they do. Nurses are with the patients more than the doctors. People do not realize how little they will encounter the doctor in the hospital until they are actually in the hospital. People quickly realize how important nurses are. Because nurses interact with their patients constantly, nurses are the ones who know the patients best.

There has been a pandemic apathy towards political activism among the nursing fraternity, despite the fact that politics to a greater extent affects the way these medical practitioners carry out their duty of providing care. Nurses have not seen any reason for political involvement citing that no direct relationship exists between nursing and political activism (Boswell, Canon and Miller 5). They claim that nursing is about application and service, demonstration by involvement and more of ‘walking the walk’ rather than the political ‘talking the talk’ (Rains and Barton-Kriese 219). Political activism to them is a waste of the precious time that could be used to provide healthcare to

Political activism is an important complement for nurses in the clinical practice. Nurses are in an exceptional position not only to provide quality bed side care to their patients but also to advocate for change within the community and political field. Common problem affecting a group of people can be a political issue. Identifying the cause of this issue and advocating to solve the root cause with the help of decision makers like politicians, hospital executives, managers or government bureaucrats, nurses can bring beneficial changes in Canadian Health care system.

Nurse leaders are aware that today’s health care system has many issues complicating the goal of quality patient care and outcomes for all. Nurse leaders must stay informed and become involved as an advocate influencing changes in policy, laws, and/or regulations that govern the health care system they practice in. At times the advocacy requires a nurse leader to become more involved beyond their immediate level of practice and into the world of politics and policy.

American Nurses Association defines nursing as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and population”( Potter,P.,& Perry, A. 2005,1-5). Thus making nursing dynamic and ever changing. However, when nursing