POLITICAL ADVOCACY

NURS 412 Ethics, Law, Economics and Health Policy

Purpose of Assignment
The purpose of this assignments is to allow the student the opportunity to complete an in-depth
analysis of a health issue in order to serve as an expert witness advocating for community health
nursing and consumers.
Approach to Assignment
In completing this assignment, I reviewed a list of bills before congress and chose one that I felt
really stood out to me. We often advocate for our patient’s safety but not so much for the safety
of ourselves. I felt like this was a great opportunity for me to advocate not only for the safety of
the patients but also for the safety of the staff. I chose to advocate for the bill HB 1088 that the
requires the Board of Health includes in its regulations governing licensed hospitals a
requirement that every hospital with an emergency department , if any, receive training
appropriate to the populations served by the emergency department.
Reason for Inclusion
This paper was a requirement for my portfolio. As nurses we always think about the safety of
our patients and put our safety on the back end. I think it is always important to ensure the safety
of the healthcare personnel as well as the patients. I have worked with nurses who have been
physically attacked by clients and I have been in positions where I felt my safety was at risk. I
feel like this makes it much harder for me to adequately perform my job. This paper shows
Critical Thinking
Uses decision making skills in making clinical or professional judgements
 I recognize that the safety of healthcare professionals can inadvertently affect the safety
of the patients. Performing your job duties is much harder when you feel like your safety
is at risk. Hospital personnel especially those working in the emergency department are
the ones that Safety has always been a top priority for our patients, but it should also be
the top priority for staff.
Communication
Expresses oneself and communicates effectively with diverse groups using a variety of media
 I wrote a letter to the Representative Bobby Scott expressing my concern for the safety of
healthcare professionals especially those working in the emergency department. I let him
know that I was in favor of passing the bill HB1088 that was being held before
legislation. Healthcare professionals like myself dedicate ourselves to taking care of
others but we want to feel safe while doing so.
Professionalism
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.
 When researching about this topic, I used a cross sectional study and a professional
nursing article to support my reasoning being passing the bill that requires that the Board
of Health to include in its regulations governing licensed hospitals a requirement that
every hospital with an emergency department establish protocols to ensure that security
personnel of the emergency department, if any, receive training appropriate to the
populations served by the emergency department.
Advocates for professional standards of practice using organizational and political processes
 I wrote the letter to Representative Bobby Scott advocating for the passing of the
HB1088 bill which would promotes the safety of healthcare staff, patients and visitors by
requiring security personnel of emergency departments to take training courses on de-
escalation and