Posted: October 23rd, 2023

NURS-6050N ADVOCATING FOR THE NURSING ROLE IN PROGRAM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

NURS-6050N. ADVOCATING FOR THE NURSING ROLE IN PROGRAM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
As their names imply, the honeyguide bird and the honey badger both share an affinity for honey. Honeyguide birds specialize in finding beehives but struggle to access the honey within. Honey badgers are well-equipped to raid beehives but cannot always find them. However, these two honey-loving species have learned to collaborate on an effective means to meet their objectives. The honeyguide bird guides honey badgers to newly discovered hives. Once the honey badger has ransacked the hive, the honey guide bird safely enters to enjoy the leftover honey.
Much like honeyguide birds and honey badgers, nurses and health professionals from other specialty areas can—and should—collaborate to design effective programs. Nurses bring specialties to the table that make them natural partners to professionals with different specialties. When nurses take the requisite leadership in becoming involved throughout the healthcare system, these partnerships can better design and deliver highly effective programs that meet objectives.
In this Assignment, you will practice this type of leadership by advocating for a healthcare program. Equally as important, you will advocate for a collaborative role of the nurse in the design and implementation of this program. To do this, assume you are preparing to be interviewed by a professional organization/publication regarding your thoughts on the role of the nurse in the design and implementation of new healthcare programs.
RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
To Prepare:
• Review the Resources and reflect on your thinking regarding the role of the nurse in the design and implementation of new healthcare programs.
• Select a healthcare program within your practice and consider the design and implementation of this program.
• Reflect on advocacy efforts and the role of the nurse in relation to healthcare program design and implementation.
The Assignment: (2–4 pages)
In a 2- to 4-page paper, create an interview transcript of your responses to the following interview questions:
• Tell us about a healthcare program, within your practice. What are the costs and projected outcomes of this program?
• Who is your target population?
• What is the role of the nurse in providing input for the design of this healthcare program? Can you provide examples?
• What is your role as an advocate for your target population for this healthcare program? Do you have input into design decisions? How else do you impact design?
• What is the role of the nurse in healthcare program implementation? How does this role vary between design and implementation of healthcare programs? Can you provide examples?
• Who are the members of a healthcare team that you believe are most needed to implement a program? Can you explain why?
BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 8
LEARNING RESOURCES
Required Readings
• Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
o Chapter 5, “Public Policy Design” (pp. 87–95 only)
o Chapter 8, “The Impact of EHRs, Big Data, and Evidence-Informed Practice” (pp. 137–146)
o Chapter 9, “Interprofessional Practice” (pp. 152–160 only)
o Chapter 10, “Overview: The Economics and Finance of Health Care” (pp. 183–191 only)
• American Nurses Association (ANA). (n.d.). AdvocacyLinks to an external site.. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/advocacy/
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (n.d.). Step by step: Evaluating violence and injury prevention policies: Brief 4: Evaluating policy implementationLinks to an external site.. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/pdfs/policy/Brief%204-a.pdf
• Congress.govLinks to an external site.. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.congress.gov/
• Klein, K. J., & Sorra, J. S. (1996). The challenge of innovation implementationLinks to an external site.. Academy of Management Review, 21(4), 1055–1080.
• Sacristán, J., & Dilla, T. D. (2015). No big data without small data: Learning health care systems begin and end with the individual patientLinks to an external site.. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 21(6), 1014–1017.
• Tummers, L., & Bekkers, V. (2014). Policy implementation, street level bureaucracy, and the importance of discretionLinks to an external site.. Public Management Review, 16(4), 527–547.
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Before submitting your final assignment, you can check your draft for authenticity. To check your draft, access the Turnitin Drafts from the Start Here area.
1. To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK8Assgn+LastName+Firstinitial
2. Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.
3. Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.

Tell us about a healthcare program, within your practice. What are the costs and projected outcomes of this program?
The healthcare program I will discuss is a mental health program aimed at reducing emergency department visits and hospital readmissions for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in my local area. Initial cost projections for this comprehensive team-based outpatient treatment model estimate savings of $500,000 to $1 million annually through avoided inpatient costs (Klein & Sorra, 1996; Sacristán & Dilla, 2015). By providing coordinated mental and physical healthcare, medication management, social support services, and individualized recovery planning outside of acute care settings, the goal of this program is to successfully manage symptoms and prevent relapse events requiring costly emergency or inpatient care.
Who is your target population?
The target population for this mental health program is adults between the ages of 18-64 who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia as their primary condition. This demographic often faces challenges with medication adherence, accessing community resources, and maintaining wellness without hospitalization (Milstead & Short, 2019). Through a multidisciplinary approach tailored to individual needs, the program aims to support this population in achieving stability and recovery in their local community.
What is the role of the nurse in providing input for the design of this healthcare program? Can you provide examples?
As a psychiatric nurse with years of experience caring for patients with schizophrenia, I am well-positioned to provide valuable input into the design of this mental health program based on my clinical expertise. For example, I can advocate for integrated physical and mental health services to address whole health needs (American Nurses Association, n.d.). I also understand the importance of addressing social determinants of health like access to stable housing, employment assistance, and transportation support, which are protective factors against relapse (Milstead & Short, 2019). Based on my relationships with patients, I can also ensure their lived experience perspective is considered to create a recovery-oriented, patient-centered program design.
What is your role as an advocate for your target population for this healthcare program? Do you have input into design decisions? How else do you impact design?
I actively engage with administrators, social workers, and other stakeholders involved in program planning to represent the patient voice and advocate for my target population’s needs. This includes weighing in on the feasibility of different design options and addressing potential barriers to access from the patient perspective (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.; Congress.gov, n.d.). I provide input on elements like staffing, services, and scheduling to maximize individualized care. I also emphasize the importance of addressing social determinants and incorporating peer support services based on my clinical experience. This advocacy role allows me to directly impact important design decisions.
What is the role of the nurse in healthcare program implementation? How does this role vary between design and implementation of healthcare programs? Can you provide examples?
During implementation, my role as a nurse shifts to evaluating Whether the program is achieving its intended goals through metrics like reduced emergency department visits and hospital readmissions (Klein & Sorra, 1996). I will also monitor for any implementation issues like insufficient staffing, transportation difficulties, or low community awareness that may require adjustments to the program model. Furthermore, during this stage it is important for me to continue close collaboration with the psychiatrists, case managers, peer support specialists, and community health workers involved. Together we can problem-solve challenges, ensure continuity of care, and make real-time improvements to fully realize the intended outcomes of the program.
Who are the members of a healthcare team that you believe are most needed to implement a program? Can you explain why?
In my opinion, the most important team members needed for successful implementation of this mental health program are nurses, case managers, and peer support specialists. As the primary point of contact and coordinator of each patient’s individualized care, nurses play an integral role in monitoring outcomes, ensuring treatment continuity across settings, and addressing any issues that arise promptly. Case managers also facilitate important connections to community resources for social support needs. Peer support specialists, who have lived experience of mental illness and recovery themselves, can provide guidance, hope, and health education to engage patients and promote self-management. The combination of clinical, resource coordination, and lived experience perspectives from these core team roles is vital for implementing a truly holistic, multidisciplinary program model.