Participate in processes to influence ther health care delivery system
I have already began the exploration of this program outcome with the Needle Exchange Paper in Nursing 260 which I link in another outcome. I will continue on my journey in Nursing 420 when I start my change project. In my senior II semester I will achieve this program outcome in Nursing 460 and Nursing 499. (Portfolio, 2007)
During
nursing 260, I was involved with a group that took at look at the issue of NEEDLE
EXCHANGE in the Pierce County area and whether there was enough positive impact
to humanity to mitigate the negative impact of the program. What we found was, like anything else,
perception and life experiences color everything. There is not one right answer. Through this research paper, I had my first
glimpse of the ways in which my participation can foster good for others.
This
semester I participated in Nurse Lobby Day.
There were speakers on everything from the chemicals used to manufacture
baby bottles, to the controversy regarding entry to practice with a ADN vs. a
BSN. It was very informative and
enlightening. After I returned home, I
wrote a REFLECTION PAPER on my experiences at Nurse Lobby Day. In the future I would like to be more involved
on Capitol Hill, especially in effecting change related to entry to practice. Another assignment in nursing 460 was to take
a HOUSE BILL and analyze it. This helped
me to understand what goes into drafting a Bill and how to get a Bill through
the Senate.
Natasha Wills, LaLine Angus and Joyce Bailey at Nurse Lobby Day in Olympia, WA. Another
group I participated in was in nursing 480.
We put together a class presentation highlighting the struggles faced
when one chooses to the BLOW THE WHISTLE on unsafe practice in the nursing field.
I was also one of a three person group who taught nursing 460 for a day. We did our presentation on the SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS of healthcare. It was interesting to learn about what really drives a
person’s health, and what we found was stress plays a large part.
Going
forward I plan to stay abreast of issues facing health care as well as nurses,
and do my part to be the change I want to see in my profession.
