In the modern era, nurses have made a vital contribution to policies and strategy formulation at health care units, and at a broader level, they actively participate in politics to pass bills and laws. Nurses are well aware of the modern healthcare system, and they realise that it is in trouble and requires a set of reforms. Changes in processes, SOPs, and policies develop foundations for laws and regulations in order to efficiently govern the healthcare system at a broader level. A successful advocacy policy depends on power and authority.
Moreover, its success is influenced by time, energy, as well as the diplomatic skills of nurses’ representatives to raise their issues in the legislative arena. Healthcare bills comprise a set of actions or inactions undertaken by healthcare organizations or the government to achieve the desired results (Starkweather et al., 2018). The healthcare system is composed of the public sector, private sector, and political forces. These forces have influenced laws and regulations and shaped the healthcare system. A bill becomes a law and then a regulation. We form a certain position regarding a certain cause and then turn our interests into bills, which become laws and regulations. There are certain steps taken to pass a bill and then transform it into law and regulation.
Nursing is one of the largest professions in the world; there are more than four million nurses who provide services in different healthcare centres in the USA alone. Nurses have the potential to influence politics and policies on a global scale (Breda et al., 2018). The involvement of nurses in politics is purely for the betterment and improvement of healthcare services. As far as bills and laws are concerned, nurses can get involved in politics by joining professional nursing organizations. In the United States of America, it is not easy to pass a bill; the legislative process is very long, complex, and frustrating. During the process of passing a bill, there are many times and places where one believes that the bill can die. According to the facts and figures, only a few bills survive to become law. The president of the State plays a vital role in the legislative process. When the bill is passed by both the House and Senate, it is then forwarded to the president to be signed and approved. After the signature of the president, the bill becomes law.
Drafting A Bill
First of all, the problem is recognized by representatives of the House and Senate; then, the formal legislative process begins when the bill is introduced. A problem must be recognized before solutions can be proposed. Among these solutions, the best one is chosen in the American political process. The difficulty lies in the process of choosing the best option among numerous proposed solutions. Before members draft a bill, relevant experts review the proposal, and the congressional legal staff helps them make a proper draft of the bill.
Building Support For The Bill
After the successful drafting of the bill, the members must successfully compete for public and legislative attention. To build support from members and the public and gain momentum for the bill, members of parliament introduce the bill to the public through press conferences and seek support from the public.
Congressional Committee
Once the bill is introduced to the public, it is put forward to the congressional committee for further action and consideration. The bill is then scheduled for a timely public hearing and a vote. If the committee has some objections and votes to keep the bill, the bill is not sent for further consideration and is dead.
The Conference Committee
When the bill is passed by both houses and both parties, it is then referred to a committee temporarily formed by members of both parties. Then it is forwarded to the president to sign it. If the president refuses it, Congress has the right to override the veto if a two-thirds majority in both houses agrees and votes to do so.
In U.S. health policy, the federal government, states, and local governments are the stakeholders who influence policy development and regulate the procedures of the healthcare system. Issues linked with health policy start with individual health and extend to public health issues of the country. The issue of government involvement in policies and laws in the health sector is debatable; the concerns are regarding the level of government involvement. In other countries, health is considered a basic right of citizens, and thus, they expect that their governments will play an essential role in developing concrete healthcare policies for their citizens. While the scenario in the USA is different, health is seldom considered a right of citizens. There are certain programs in the country that assist people with health issues, for instance, Medicare and Medicaid; however, mostly the healthcare system is controlled by the private sector. The nursing profession is based on human health and the science of caring for patients. Nurses can influence practice standards and procedures to ensure the best-quality care. Policies also have an impact on allocating resources to provide the best healthcare services. There are many nursing organizations that are actively participating in policy formulation. For instance, de Cordova et al. (2019) argued that the American Association of Colleges of Nursing emphasizes the role of nursing in making policies, along with the National League for Nursing, which addresses policies as part of its professional role. Today, nurses are making an important contribution to decision-making and the development of policies, bills, and laws to provide services effectively.
References
Breda, K. L., Barbee, E. L., & Zadoroznyj, M. (2018). Nursing in the United States. In Nursing and Globalization in the Americas (pp. 275-322). Routledge.
De Cordova, P. B., Rogowski, J., Riman, K. A., & McHugh, M. D. (2019). Effects of Public Reporting Legislation of Nurse Staffing: A Trend Analysis. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 1527154419832112.
Starkweather, A. R., Coleman, B., de Mendoza, V. B., Hickey, K. T., Menzies, V., Fu, M. R., … & McCormick, K. (2018). Strengthen federal and local policies to advance precision health implementation and nurses’ impact on healthcare quality and safety. Nursing Outlook, 66(4), 401-406.
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