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Healthcare policies refer to actions, resolutions, and plans put in place to achieve specific goals within a community or society (World Health Organization, 2019). These policies serve as guidelines to achieve desired outcomes such as increased patient safety and healthy lifestyles. According to Burke, healthcare policy entails the implementation of regulatory efforts to provide solutions to specific concerns (Burke, 2016). Healthcare policies also define the roles and responsibilities of members of the care team, but oftentimes, these policies are made with very little input from healthcare providers themselves.
As nurses, we have the opportunity to not only advocate for our patients, but for the community as a whole. This paper will discuss healthcare policy and advocacy in the nursing profession. A selected healthcare policy concern will be identified as well as an elected official to present the solution to, and a conclusion.
According to WHO, some of the implications of healthcare policy in the nursing profession include the establishment of targets for both short and long-term goals, keeping the community informed of any potential healthcare threats, and advocating for prevention of diseases (WHO, 2019).
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Advocacy, as defined by the dictionary, is any action that speaks in favor of a cause or person (Dictionary, 2019). The role of advocacy is to promote a change in policy that favors patients, and who better than nurses and advance nurse practitioners to take on such roles. Nurses are the first line of defense; the patient’s voice, eyes, and ears. Their hands-on clinical experiences provide real-life examples that illustrate the needs of patients, and the outcomes of public policy, which can be shared with public and elected officials in order to drive change (Maryland, 2012).
Addressing concerns such as cost of prescription drugs and safe nurse-to-patient ratios, identifying solutions, and speaking on behalf of the community are all roles consistent with nurses’ and advance nurse practitioners’ responsibilities.
Regulations and healthcare policies can have both positive and negative consequences. Research shows that major health problems such as the obesity epidemic are unintended consequences of several healthcare and social policies such as the mass production and distribution of energy-dense foods, and the lack of physical activity out of daily life through changes in transportation and how neighborhoods are designed and built (2012). Due to the prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States, I have chosen this topic as a healthcare concern. According to an article published in the Lancet, a sampling of 3 to 17-year old kids showed an increasing trend in obesity for both boys and girls, with one in six kids with a BMI over 30 (“Worldwide trends in body-mass index,” 2017). Overweight children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and are at increased risk of suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease (Sahoo, Choudhury, Sofi, Kumar & Bhadoria, 2015). Childhood obesity can also lead to poor academic performance, low self-esteem, and a lower quality of life. If untreated, childhood obesity can also impact the community and nation as a whole- it can affect productivity, and even the national defense (Cawley, 2012). Individuals suffering from chronic diseases as a result of obesity tend to have higher employer insurance premiums, and more lost days of work/school than healthy individuals. Research shows that childhood obesity has impacted recruitment for the armed services as 30 percent of young individuals are now too heavy to qualify for military service (Cawley, 2012).
As a Leon county member and Florida resident, I’m particularly concerned with childhood obesity, and its consequences. According to Ogden, the percentage of middle school students who are obese in Leon County, Tallahassee, is higher than in Florida (Ogden, et. al., 2016). By targeting childhood obesity from the get go, one can reduce the number of individuals who will suffer from chronic conditions in the future. Policies that focus on prevention should be employed. In order to implement this policy, a collaborative effort must be initiated within the community that targets not only schools, but local restaurants, youth sports, and other initiatives. Shape Up Somerville, a campaign that started back in 1998 in Massachusetts proved to reduce childhood obesity by creating programs within the community aimed at keeping children active. One of the goals within the Shape Up Summerville campaign was to encourage adults to walk their children to school; to encourage local restaurants to serve smaller portions and offer discounts on the healthier meal options; to create neighborhood vegetable gardens; to offer children sports program at an affordable rate, and to improve sidewalks and build bike lanes.
Solutions to policy concerns are sometimes complicated, depending on the issue. A similar city-wide collective campaign such as the one implemented in Somerville should be done in Leon County, Tallahassee, Florida as a solution to childhood obesity. One can call it Shape Up Tallahassee. Similar interventions should be implemented as well, such as sidewalks and new roads, local restaurants with cheaper and healthier meal options, and sports programs at a more affordable price. In Tallahassee, many of the roads leading to the schools do not have sidewalks as this is not a city known for sidewalks and pedestrian safety. When city commissioners decided to add sidewalks to some of the roads leading to elementary and middle schools a few years ago, most residents opposed. Creating a campaign similar to Shape Up Somerville will not only require funding, but political and community participation. Besides sidewalks, incentive programs to buy healthy foods should be put in place. SUS started an incentive program that contributed an additional $2 for every $5 in benefits individuals spent using their WIC and Food Stamp cards at the farmer’s market. This not only encouraged individuals to use their WIC cards at the market to purchase healthier meals, but it increased the number of families attending. Although Tallahassee does not boast of sidewalks, it does have several weekly farmer’s market convenient for any area of the city.
According to research, the Shape Up Somerville campaign was significantly associated with a decrease in children BMIs by about 6% in two years. If a similar campaign is created in the city of Tallahassee, we could expect a similar outcome. While the numbers might be different as there are many different variables, the positive outcome would be a weight reduction in overweight children. In order for Shape Up Tallahassee to be successful, there must be support from within the community. City commissioners would have to appropriate funding for sidewalks and pedestrian lanes, even though the approval rate from residents might not be enough to do so. Support from local restaurants and other businesses would also be needed, as well as support from local sports groups and dancing schools. Restaurants could show their support not only by providing discounts for the lighter meal options, but by rationing portions. In order to make this campaign successful, changes within the population should also take place. Several parents in Somerville started the Walking School Bus program to serve the neighborhood. A parent would walk seven children to school every day, which was about three miles. The children were happy because they had time to talk and have fun before a busy day at school. The Walking School Bus initiative could also be implemented in Tallahassee if sidewalks are built, and parents become involved with the Shape Up Tallahassee campaign. A community group could be created to seek parents that could volunteer to walk the students. More community events could be created at parks, playgrounds, and within the schools during weekdays where kids and families can interact.
If Shape Up Tallahassee were to be implemented, similar measurable actions as SUS could be implemented as well. These measurable outcomes include a decrease in children BMIs by 6% in two years, a decline in the number of TV elementary, middle, and high school students watch daily, and a decrease in the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages kids consume a day. However, every solution has its challenges, and Shape Up Tallahassee might face more than one. Funding such a campaign will be challenging as it requires enough funding to build new sidewalks and roads. Funding will be needed to partner with local restaurants and farmer’s market as well. With the help of grants this challenge could be solved. Participation from the population is another challenge. Tallahassee residents voted to no sidewalks about two years ago, which shows lack of participation in the community. I believe a campaign to highlight the benefits of sidewalks should be carried out in order to motivate individuals to vote for sidewalks rather than not.
After research regarding the roles of city commissioners and city managers, I decided the mayor, Mr. John E. Dailey, would be the person to present this campaign to. There are varieties of local government, and two of the most prominent forms of local government are the council-manager and the mayor-council (Greasley & Wolman, 2011). The mayor of a city represents both the community and the government. Mayors are responsible for appointing and for removing department directors in the city’s organizations. They also preside over the city council. Appointing individuals as directors of specific departments is extremely important as he can appoint other individuals who share the same ideals. If the mayor is on board, he can appoint a city manager who will monitor the city’s budget with the same ideals in mind. The mayor of the city is also responsible for overseeing financial decisions, future plans, and public relations. Shape Up Tallahassee will require a lot of funding if one wants it to succeed. The mayor, although not in charge of the city’s budget, can have a say in the way things are managed. The mayor can also influence residents of the community during public speeches, and can create a campaign advertising the new initiative toward a healthier life. As the mayor and elected official, residents will trust and have faith in him. He could motivate parents to volunteer and create Walking Bus Groups to walk children to school. He could motivate local restaurants to participate in Shape Up Tallahassee by offering rewards to individuals who chose healthier options. The mayor could literally be the voice the community, and be heard.
Identification of Healthcare and Obesity. (2022, May 30). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/identification-of-healthcare-and-obesity-essay
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