AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION DEBATE
American Nurses Association (ANA) champions the interests of nurses by advocating and amplifying their voices directly with decision-makers. The association also empowers nurses to share their points of view with policymakers and foster the engagement of nurses in politics. The debate over healthcare is ongoing, and ANA is a committee to educate nurses about how the changing system affects the nursing profession and the lives of patients. The organization believes that changing the American healthcare system should adhere to four main principles.
The system should ensure that all citizens are given universal access to a standard combination of essential health care services. The system should also ensure an adequate supply of a skilled nursing workforce. The American healthcare system should also encourage mechanisms that ensure cost-effective use of healthcare services (American Nurses Association). The healthcare system should also optimize community-based and protective services and support the use of cost-effective technology, innovations, and acute medical services.
The American healthcare system should ensure that all citizens have access to comprehensive healthcare services. Medicaid should also be expanded to cover chronically ill, the poor, the elderly. Children should also be included on their parents’ health insurance coverage until they reach the age of 26. The system should also provide primary healthcare services that include preventive, rehabilitative, and curative services Cherry & Jacob, 2016). The barriers and restrictions that bar Registered Nurses and Advanced Practice Registered nurses from effectively contributing to patient care should also be removed. The healthcare reform should also foster a partnership between the private sector and the government to ensure that healthcare costs are addressed.
In conclusion, ANA has advocated for healthcare reforms that guarantee universal access to quality healthcare. In the ongoing debate over, the association has been committed to educating nurses about the effects of the changing system on the nursing profession and patients. The American healthcare system should ensure universal access to quality healthcare services at a cheaper cost. Cost-effective mechanisms should also be encouraged as well as the supply of qualified workforce. Therefore, I concur with ANA’s perspective on the ongoing healthcare reform debate.
References
American Nurses Association (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ana.aristotle.com/SitePages/healthcarereform.aspx
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management. Elsevier Health Sciences.