RE: Discussion Prompt 2
Nurses can play a vital role in policy development since they have the potential to influence politics and policy on a global perspective significantly. Nurses are professionally and morally obligated to take part in legislation that affects their patients. By doing so, nurses also advocate for their patients since they understand their needs more than any other healthcare professional. Moreover, nurses have much to offer on the table in terms of their educational training advocacy skills, professional ethics and values, as well as experimental background. For developments of healthcare policies, nurses are vital in ensuring all patients access quality and affordable care, including all mothers and their infants. With that being said, more nurses are called upon to work actively and collaboratively as leaders to ensure vital healthcare policies are identified and developed.
The public policy meeting on coronavirus response that was chaired by CDC’s director Dr. Robert and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease director Dr. Anthony Fauci was relevant given the urgency of the pandemic and the need to put proper measures in place to curb the spread of the virus. Among the key points that a nurse can bring to the discussion include the need for adequate PPE to protect the nurses, especially those in the front row, as they struggle to ensure the infected patients recover. Sufficient protection of nurses through PPEs should be facilitated through proper assessment of the current supply and initiation of measures to optimize the supply (CDC, 2019). Consequently, infection control can be maximized, especially during this period that is characterized by a highly contagious virus. A nurse can also raise the point on the need for identifying infections early and taking necessary actions and precautions to prevent its spread. This strategy calls for mass testing to identify potential hotspots and putting lockdown measures to prevent the spread of the virus from those locations. When such measures are put in place, the nursing fraternity will have more courage to fight the disease at the frontline, and the quick spread of the highly contagious disease will also be controlled.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2019). Preparing for COVID-19: Long-term Care Facilities, Nursing Homes. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/long-term-care.html