Essential V of The Essentials of baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice addresses the issue of health Policy, Finance, and Regulatory Environments. The Essential states that health care policies influence nursing practice either directly or indirectly and also the functioning and nature of the healthcare system. The essential further explains that healthcare policies such as regulatory and financial policies affects healthcare issues including affordability, access, quality, safety and social justice at organizational, local, national and global levels (Davis & Kimble, 2011).Therefore, a baccalaureate-nursing graduate should have a clear understanding of the larger context of healthcare which includes how healthcare services for patients are organized and financed as well as how reimbursements are structured for such patient care services. According to Essential V, the boundaries of nursing practice are defined by the regulatory agencies which its scope and roles needs to be understood by baccalaureate graduates. Basically, according to this particular essential, healthcare policy influences the quality, safety and nature of nursing practice environment. As a result, all professional nurses should take part in the political process of policy formation such as advocating for patients, communities and the nursing profession by ensuring that changes in the healthcare system are carried out in a proper manner.
As a future nurse, I will incorporate the information of Essential V in my practice in several ways. One is that I will use the knowledge gained from the essential to participate in policy formulation both at my work place or organization and also at state and national levels. The information will also play an important role in ensuring that I advocate for policies that promote access to quality healthcare services which are affordable for vulnerable populations. By doing so, I will be promoting social justice hence fulfilling one nurses’ moral and ethical responsibilities (Davis & Kimble, 2011). Lastly, I will use the information fro Essential V to ensure that my practice as a professional nurse adheres to all the set statutes both state and national.
Reference
Davis, A. H., & Kimble, L. P. (2011). The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. Journal of Nursing Education, 50(11), 605.
