Chamberlain College Of Nursing NR 506

Discussion of NR 506 Week 7: The RN as a Healthcare Policy Leader
A Registered Nurse as a Healthcare Policy Leader – Communicating with lay audiences is a crucial ability for master prepared registered nurses to have in order to promote the health of the community in their role as a health policy professional leader. Write an effective position statement that incorporates research findings and expert recommendations in areas such as workplace breastfeeding support, medical marijuana services in the community, genetic testing or applications of stem cell research, transgender care, abortion, end-of-life care, or a community service administered by Family Nurse Practitioners (if you pick this one be specific about the type of community service the FNP would work in or manage)

This is a copy of the Welcome to Week 7 Announcement.

The following features can be found in position statements:

It is often a short paragraph that has no more than two elements: your argument and your rationale.
It should include an explanation of why your point of view is vital.
A direct and unambiguous statement should be made.
It should be concise while still being dense.
It should be a strong statement that establishes your trustworthiness while also setting the tone for what is expected of you in the future.
Singh and Lukkarila are two of the most talented musicians in the world (2017)

Singh, A.A., and Lukkarila, L. (2001). (2017). A detailed tutorial for social and behavioral scientists on how to write academically successful papers. Guilford Press, New York.

Example of an RN as a Healthcare Policy Leader

Breastfeeding in the Workplace is permitted.
Lactation acceptability in the workplace is one area where society may make strides in the right direction. Breastfeeding provides numerous advantages not only for the baby, but also for the mother (Kozhimannil, Jou, Gjerdingen, & McGovern, 2016). Babies will have lower rates of illnesses such as gastrointestinal infections, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), diabetes, and obesity (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). Mothers can also benefit from having a lower risk of developing postpartum depression, diabetes, arthritis, and even some cancers as a result of the reduced risk (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). It is recommended that women breastfeed their children exclusively during the first six months of their child’s life (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). Breastfeeding rates have increased in recent years, but the number of women who continue to breastfeed once they return to work does not reflect this increase in the number of women breastfeeding (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). When asked why they were not nursing, the majority of women stated that returning to their full-time job following maternity leave was the top reason (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). There are challenges with providing appropriate space for women to pump other than a bathroom, having facilities to store expressed milk and a lack of workplace assistance, despite the fact that the government has legislated that employers allow mothers frequent breaks to breastfeed during the day (Kozhimannil et al., 2016).

I’ve witnessed some of my coworkers go through these difficulties when they return to work after becoming new mothers. We have an office space that serves as a breastfeeding room on an unofficial basis. In one occasion, a mother was there in the room when a physician came to the floor, furious because he was unable to utilize that particular room for charting purposes. Despite the fact that there were plenty of other areas with computer access available, he created a bit of a commotion. Most places of employment have breastfeeding policies in place, however putting those regulations into action may prove difficult in some cases (Anderson et al., 2015). It is essential that there is an open channel of communication between mothers and employers in order to guarantee that moms have all they need to continue breastfeeding when they return to work (Anderson et al., 2015).

The practice of breastfeeding is a healthy one that can have long-term benefits for children; a woman should be in complete control when deciding whether or not to nurse her child. Working mothers should not be discouraged from nursing because they do not have approved time or adequate space to do so at their place of employment for genuine reasons. We should urge for processes to be put in place so that the decision about whether or not to breastfeed is as straightforward as possible for moms who wish to maintain this practice when they return to their jobs. Some of my coworkers have confided in me that they were sometimes afraid to bring up concerns regarding breastfeeding issues at work because they did not want to cause any disruptions in the workplace. They had already missed work due to maternity leave and did not want to raise any concerns or request special treatment at this point. This is not how any mother should feel. The way we support our mothers as a society needs to be improved significantly.

References for an RN as a Healthcare Policy Leader

Andersen (J), Kuehl (RA), Tschetter (L), Drury (SM), Schwaegerl (M), Yoder (J), and colleagues (Anderson et al. J. Lamp et al (2015). It’s Not Enough to Have Policies in Place: The Importance of Interpersonal Communication in the Case of Workplace Breastfeeding Support. Journal of Human Lactation, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 260-266

Kozhimannil, K. B., Jou, J., Gjerdingen, D. K., and McGovern, P. M. (2007). Kozhimannil, K. B. (2016). After the passage of the Affordable Care Act, women will have more access to breastfeeding-friendly workplace accommodations. Women’s Health Issues: Official Publication Of The Jacobs Institute Of Women’s Health, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 6-13, doi:10.1016/j.whi.2015.08.002 (online).