TASK

Post your initial response to one of the two topics below.

Social Determinants of Health

Topic 2

Looking further at the “what” in Figure 1-6, answer any one of the following questions:

• Discuss at least three competencies/strategies that you have used effectively.
• Identify three competencies/strategies that you don’t currently use and discuss how you might incorporate them into your advocacy toolbox.

Peer 1

The three competencies and strategies that I do currently use effectively is serve on a board, which is not at the level that the book is discussing, but at the hospital level we have several boards to serve on and help make a difference in policy’s in our hospital and because I work for a magnet hospital we are constantly working to make big strives in the medical community to help improve policy’s and procedures. I was just recently asked to join a board on my unit at work and have only had three meetings so far. At these meetings we talk about common issues we see on our floor and hospital wide, we talk about how to improve the outcomes and how to benefit the patients or how it can possible hurt the patient. In this time we have implemented a trial on a mobility description on every patients white board, this will help them in reaching a goal everyday, decrease falls on our unit, and decrease muscle atrophy while they are in the hospital. In two months of this trial we have already seen a decrease in falls and improvement in mobility after six months we will shape the policy more and be able to have more evidence on the new possible policy so we can release the trial hospital wide to all the units in the hospital and potentially write a journal and share with other hospitals.

Currently I do not publish articles, write letters to editors, or participate in hardly any of the things that are listed under the “what” section in the 1-7 chart in our textbook. To be honest I would rather focus on the clinical side of things, I don’t really care to write very much and the majority of that list include writing. I do enjoy being apart of the board at our hospital, and sharing my opinion to help better the nursing practice along with patient care.

Mason. (2015). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care. [South University]. Retrieved from https://digitalbookshelf.southuniversity.edu/#/books/9780323241441/

Peer 2

The three competency/strategies that I don’t currently use 1.participate in community activism 2. Join influential group 3. Volunteer on campaigns.

According to a recent article that I read, community activism can have unintended consequences. For example, George Floyd’s case where people are protesting against the issues of how police officers can take a life and not be responsible or held accountable for their actions. Most of the protestors were hurt some of them even lost their lives during the protest. Community activism does not always end up in violence. But, from my experience, I think the majority do have some violence. I could use this community activism to transform policies by writing to our elected heads of states, forming a YouTube channel to influence viewers and get support toward making changes on how police officers do policying (The Conversation). The next strategy that I could use is to join an influential group. These groups help shape and influence people towards a direct goal. The voter’s registration group came together and lead a drive asking the federal judge of Nashvillento to stop a new law that threatens them with fines and prosecution if failure to comply with new regualation. This would a perfect role for nurses. We are leaders not only in the hospital but also in the community. People nowadays have more respect for nurses and they show more appreciation during this COVID 19 pandemic. The nurse is in a position to change laws. We can write letters to our councilmen and governors to change policy whether it is on voting or giving medication (The Associated Press). Finally, volunteering on a campaign. I have never work on a campaign. I do know people who work on campaigns and stated that they love it. The nursing now the campaign was established in 2018. The goal of this campaign is to give nurses a voice. It is also to increase awareness of the nurses. (Fedele, 2020). Campaigns are a great place for nurses to be. they can give positive input to make great changes in the community.

References

Fedele, R. (2020). 2020 Year of the Nurse and Midwife.Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal,26(10), 18–21.

The Associated Press. (2019). Voter registration groups join the call to block Tennessee law. InAP Regional State Report – Tennessee. Associated Press DBA Press Association.

The Conversation. What’s the point? Failure of community activism. Retrieved from https:theconversation.com/whats-the-point-the-failure-of-community-activism-12820