ADVOCACY ASSIGNMENT

Advocacy Assignment
Nursing 492- Community Health Nursing
Letter to Congressman Rigell
Purpose of Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to allow the student the opportunity to complete an indepth analysis of a health issue in order to serve as an expert witness advocating for community
health nursing and consumers. An issue involves controversy and therefore may include positive
and negative aspects. Students are expected to present a sound logical argument regarding the
issue assigned.
Approach to Assignment
In completing this assignment, I reviewed a list of bills before congress and found one
that I was passionate about, due to the impact it has on the care a nurse is able to provide during
a shift. I choose HR 1907 that was presented before the 113 th Congress, in favor of mandating
nurse to patient ratios within the hospital setting. Providing a maximum number of patients a
general care nurse can care for protects the nurses as well as the patients.
Reason for Inclusion
As hospitals work to met budgets, the nursing staff is left defenseless to management
teams that are forcing nurses to take on higher patient loads to cover financial shortcomings. I
am concerned over the future of nursing if this is not addressed. Adult facility general care
nurses take greater than 5 patients during their shifts. This is absurd and unsafe. There are studies
and research that address patient outcomes, patient satisfaction and nursing satisfaction directly
related to the nurse to patient ratio.
Critical Thinking
o Uses decision-making skills in making clinical or professional judgments
I recognize that nurse to patient ratio has a direct reflection on
patient safety, satisfaction and nursing care. I also recognize that it
is not only the patients that suffer, but the nurses as well. Nurses
become a victim of burn out and leave this profession when
overwhelmed and exhausted physically and mentally, further
deepening the nursing shortage.
Nursing Practice
o Applies appropriate knowledge of major health problems to guide nursing
practice
Patients safety and satisfaction is a concern in the hospitals.
Patients in higher nurse to patient ratios have an increased risk of
developing a nosocomial infection or other adverse outcome while
under the care of a nurse with heavily burdened assignment.
Enforcing a maximum nurse to patient ratio is a step in the right
direction to provide safe care to patients and nurses.
Communication
o Expresses oneself and communicates effectively with diverse groups and

ADVOCACY ASSIGNMENT

disciplines using a variety of media in a variety of contexts

I wrote a letter to Congressman Edward Scott Rigell express
my concerns over the proposed bill, HR 1907, in favor of
mandating nurse to patient ratios within the hospital setting.
o Produces clear, accurate, and relevant writing using correct grammar,
spelling and punctuation
This assignment required researching how to properly
correspond with a government elect specifically, Congressman
Edward Scott Rigell. My letter was checked and proof read
multiple times to ensure no spelling or punctuation errors. I
was able to articulate my concern in a clear and accurate
manner that was supported through research.
o Accesses and utilizes data and information from a wide range of sources to
enhance patient and professional communication
I researched, the risks of high patient ratios to nurses, in order
to compile this letter and beseech Congressman Rigell to take
note of the importance of this situation, for the sake of public
safety. I used nursing journals and studies within them to
justify my stance on this position. I have been at the bedside in
four patients to one-nurse assignments and know first hand
how this ratio some days is challenging. Exceeding this number
puts both patients and nurses at risk for errors and poor patient
outcomes along with decrease in satisfaction. In choosing a
topic of interest, I found that bill number HR 1907 in favor of
mandating nurse to patient ratios within the hospital setting,
had a 0% chance of passing. I discovered this information
while reading over the state and federal websites provided for
this particular assignment. This statistic is disheartening, but as
the American Nursing Association(ANA) is now addressing
this hot topic as well, possibly change in legislation will be in
nursings future as more nurses lobby congress on this subject.
Professionalism
o Applies an ethical decision-making framework and legal guidelines to
clinical situations that incorporate moral concepts, professional ethics, and
advocacy for patient well-being and preferences
Within this letter, I utilized clinical nursing journals to
support my plea in limiting nurse to patient ratio. Since
this letter was written, I have come to grasp the ultra
importance of embracing the American Nurses
Association (ANA) as they advocate and lobby for
nurses at the government level. Provision #6 in the
ANA Code of Ethics speaks directly to justifying this
letter to congress as it encourages nurses to participate

ADVOCACY ASSIGNMENT

3
in improving health care environments. Through nurses
advocating for one another and educating themselves in
this process, change will prevail.

o Advocates for professional standards of practice using organizational and

political processes
In writing this letter concerning bill HR 1907, I addressed the
negative impact it has on the nursing profession. Overworked
and understaffed continuously, breaks down a nurses moral
leading to burn our and deepening the nursing shortage.
Through advocating for my profession and writing letters to
congress, hopefully some of these bills that support our
profession, will be instated to improve working conditions.