legislation issue

Answer

Advocacy through Legislation

Normally, advocacy is among the effective tools for change since it includes effectually seeking after an objective, cause, approach, or rule that one has self-assurance in. One of the practicable approaches for advocacy is through legislation. In a great understanding, the legislation is a thoughtful convincing method of breathing life to a goal or a strategy due to the strong knowledge of the power that go together with it. This article will, therefore, advocate for the institution of legislation in the State of Illinois General Assembly which would present changes that would put barriers and limitations on the use of tobacco within the State among individuals under the age of 21 years.

Problem

Poor communication and unproductive handoff among medical practitioners (nurses) have increased the problem of poor patient outcome within the healthcare system. Shapiro (2017) substantiates that handoff improves the steadiness of care that a patient receives during hospitalization. Poor communication and ineffective handoff are one of the preventable and identifiable barriers to secure and quality healthcare to clients. During a handoff, a nurse has to think beyond simple personal communication between a nurse and the other nurse, and rather adopt a meaningful communication that impacts the all-round information that is important in improving the management and treatment of the client. Additionally, effective handoff needs an in-depth understanding of both intentional and emotional information in reporting and conversation.

Many patients experience problems and challenges related medical mistakes and adverse effects of overdosing and problems linked with poor management and missed out measures or procedures like surgeries due to poor communication during handoff. Appropriate reporting and handoff of patient’s data assists in reducing the duration of hospitalization, lessening the rates of medical mistakes, improving job satisfaction among the nurses, and enhancing patient outcome (Hyun, Cho & Lee, 2016). Thus, attainment of enhanced quality and secure care for the patient and attainment of the organization’s vision and objectives mainly depends on the healthcare system.

Idea of Addressing Solution

Active communication and correct handoff help in creating a good nurse-patient relationship that greatly impact the health outcome of the patient. It is important for the nurses in the hospital to create a plan and a strategy that helps in changing the existing practices that results to poor communication and ineffective handoff. According to Hyun, Cho and Lee (2016), advocating for better means through legislation that will enable the hospital and all the medical practitioners to have a proper handoff and common mode of communication is important in nursing career. Procedures that can be applied for handing off the patients among nurses and giving the shift reports include the passage and application of the use of Situation, Background, Argument, and Recommendation (SBAR) communication tool among the medical practitioners through the communication process (Shapiro, 2017).

The nurse and other medical practitioners need to advocate for the enacting of a common communication tool to be used during handling off to ensure that necessary information is consistently communicated to the incoming nurse in a clear and concise manner. Furthermore, legislation has become the best mode of advocacy since several people respect legislation as compared to regulations. In addition, legislation will simplify all the principles and the policies to the whole healthcare system rather than a single health organization, therefore, enhancing the quality and security of patient care within the entire nation.

Research the Issue

The use of SBAR communication in nursing during handoff improves that passage of patient data and makes it secure and patient centered (Hyun, Cho & Lee, 2016). Additionally, enhancing communication during handoff, SBAR helps the medical practitioners in receiving information that be easily forgotten concerning a patient and diminishes the time utilized during handoff. Therefore, early identification of patients’ medical manifestation and continuity of care improves early discharge, diminished readmission and avoids worsening of patient’s condition and development of problems. SBAR also enhances the efficacy and accuracy of communication between medical practitioners during handoff (Hyun, Cho & Lee, 2016).

The application of SBAR communication tool in several nations have led to incredible impacts within the healthcare system (Stewart, 2016). On the other end, legislation has helped in lessening the rates of medical mistakes that increases problems and long durations of hospitalization among the patients. Hyun, Cho and Lee (2016) debates that the medical mistakes are some of the challenges that can be managed through legislation of active communication tool during handoff among medical practitioners. Nurses have limited knowledge on the significance of applying SBAR to improve effective communication and handoff; hence its awareness is great. In explanation, medical mistakes associated with unproductive handoff increases the cost of the healthcare delivery system.

Stakeholder Support

The stakeholders who will support the legislation and solution includes the organization managers, medical providers, law makers, and policy makers. The solution of advocating through legislation for the use of the SBAR communication tool among the medical practitioners during handoff. In addition, patients will be among the shareholders at the frontline since they will be the ones to benefit more from the legislated solutions. It is important to understand that besides the support from several shareholders, the legislation can experience a number of challenges because of the struggle related to poor understanding of the legislation during advocacy, devising and application of the solution. Thus, the policymakers need to include the medical practitioners at the lowest level within the process of formulation and advocating for change within the communication and handoff system.

Stakeholder Opposition

For every change to occur, resistance has to be part of it since it plays a major role. Some of the nurses, mainly where there are shortage of nurses and frequent nursing turnover, are associated with discontent and resignation. In such circumstances, the nurse might view the new legislation as tool to waste their time and increase fatigue and stress among the limited nurses within the hospitals. Thus, resistance from the nurses or medical practitioners is expected. 

Financial Incentives/Costs

In the past few years, the cost of healthcare services has gradually been increasing. Stewart (2016) projects that the cost of the health care might double up in the near forthcoming following the baby booming and increase in the need of healthcare services among people suffering from lifestyle illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular sickness among others. As stated earlier, poor communication and ineffective handoff increases the frequency of medical mistakes that further leads to long duration of hospitalization,

As mentioned earlier, ineffective handoff and poor communication increases the incidence of medical errors, which further results in reduction of patient outcome, long duration of hospitalization, and use of limited resources that in turn drains resources. In due course, the cost of health care services for the patients will increase.

On the other hand, healthcare firms and institutions will have used a lot of resources in ensuring that the patients feel well, in curing complications and in handling adverse effects associated with medical mistakes. Additionally, according to Stewart (2016), insurance organizations will be paying double for the health services among the covered patients. Also, managers of the patients will have to pay extra to the insurance firms and there will be waste of time among workers because of the readmission to the hospitals, thereby straining the economy and financial state of the entire country.

Information Needed and Process for Proposal

Data and research are vital within the advocacy through legislation to improve the passage of the proposal. This is because, data and research help in making an actual case to the community, policymakers and media about the difficulty and the efficacy of the proposed solution to the prevailing matter. Effective communication with correct information and framing with the target of the right shareholder is an important step in the process of legislation of a proposed solution (Maharani & Thabrany, 2018). Notably, it creates awareness among the shareholders and the individuals being affected by the challenge. Additionally, educating and engaging law makers is vital since it creates a direct opportunity to have a direct influence and improves the enhancement of close relationships that will allow the advocacy for the change required. Finally, developing strong and diverse partnership to ensure that the associates of the same networks speak the one voice; hence leading to an incredible benefit.

Christian Principles and Nursing Advocacy

The principles of servant leadership will be applied in advocating for the change within the practice of the patient handoff. Christ is a perfect example of servant leader who could serve anyone without the anticipation of benefits, rather He believed in God for his success. Jesus could mind the welfare of others and in the process, He healed various individuals during his ministry including the woman who had bled for twelve years. In this case, the advocacy will aim at bringing change that will enhance patient outcome and delivery of healthcare services without the expectation of any returns or payment.

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