Political Environment Flashcards
What is the definition of “politics” according to Mason, Talbott & Leavitt, 1993?
A process by which one influences the decisions of others and exerts control over situations and events.
What is the definition of “politics” according to Clarke, 2003?
Politics involves using power to influence, persuade, or otherwise change - it is the art of understanding relationships between groups in society and using that understanding to achieve particular outcomes.
How does the government politically influence nurses, nursing profession, health, and health care?
Resources/funding for health and professionals.
Health authority policies are influenced by the government.
What did the Policy Papers (2014) of the BC Ministry of Health Setting Priorities for the BC Health System address? (3 things)
- Primary and community care
- Surgical services
- Rural health services
What are some nurses’ perceptions of barriers to political action?
- Lack of knowledge about distribution of health care resources and decision making processes.
- Lack of opportunity to communicate with other sectors and lack of experience.
- Belief that nurses rank low on the hierarchy of health care professionals in terms of power and influence.
- Profession in 94% female; traditionally women have not been socialized into political leadership roles.
- Education requirement for entry to practice has not been on par with other Health Care Professionals. We are just catching up now.
- Working hours of nurses and domestic responsibilities in their homes.
- Socialization of nurse with emphasis on individualized care and approaches not collective action and lobbying.
- Invisible profession which has difficulty articulating what we do as nurses.
How do nurses have the means to end the silence about the nursing profession?
- Nurses are the largest group of health care professionals
- Nurses can follow the example of physicians in creating a professional public image and using the media to present their views and expertise
How many RNs were employed in Canada in 2014? (including NPs)
> 290,000
How can nurses have the motivation to speak out about the nursing profession?
- Earn the respect of patients/families
- Earn the respect of other health care professionals
- Enable nurses to work at full scope
- Give nurses the opportunity to describe the work and progress of the nursing profession.
What is the difference between “trust” and “respect”?
Trust - a firm belief in the reliability, honesty, or truth of someone.
Respect - A feeling of admiration for someone related to their abilities, qualities, or achievements
How do nurses have the opportunity to speak out about the nursing profession?
- Health care system in turmoil
- People want information on which to base choices and actions
- Nurses have valuable information and insight to contribute
- Studies show that the public trusts nurses
- Current nursing and physician shortage
Why should nurses exert political influence? (3 broad goals)
- Client/patient focus
- Nursing profession focus
- Health care resource focus
Why should nurses exert political influence with a client/patient focus?
Promote, maintain, and improve patient health (influence the system so that we can do a better job of this)
Why should nurses exert political influence with a nursing profession focus?
- Working conditions of nurses (making sure we have working conditions that allow us to give good patient care).
- CRNBC looks at standards of nursing practice (making sure we have the resources we need to maintain the standards of practice)
Why should nurses exert political influence with a health care resource focus?
- Effective, efficient use of resources (in terms of health care system)
What are some sources of empowerment for nurses?
- Expanded scope
- Valued as scarce resources
- Nurse practitioner and nurse midwife roles legitimate and legal
- Nurses are advocates for their clients
- Knowledge is power
What are the 3 keys to political influence? (3 C’s)
Communication
Collectivity
Collegiality
What is collectivity?
- Joining with others to work together towards common goals
- Collective action
- Power in numbers
What is collegiality?
- Having esteem for and trust in your colleagues
- Mutual support
What is the definition of “policy” according to Titmus, 1974?
The principles that govern action directed towards given ends.
What are policies usually based on?
Usually based on values, goals, and principles.
What is the definition of “public policy” according to Milstead, 1999?
Directives that document government decisions.
What is nursing policy? (what levels of governance control nursing policy)
- May be an aspect of public policy.
- May also be influenced by public policy
- Example: Health Professions Act in BC
- CRNBC, CNA, ARNBC all have policy and position statements
- Health authority level: policies, RN initiated management (which is a policy)
- Nursing practice and education level: nursing practice and education standards (this is a type of policy as well)
What is the definition of “healthy public policy” according to Clarke, 2010?
Directives and goals for promoting the health of the public.
What is the focus of healthy public policy?
Focuses on population health including health status and equity.
What are the principles of healthy public policy?
Consistent with the principles of Primary Health Care
What are the requirements for achieving healthy public policy?
Requires commitment to multidisciplinary involvement and intersectoral collaboration.
Community members must participate in identifying their own needs and in the entire policy formation process.
What are some barriers to intersectoral collaboration?
Different needs
Different priorities
Takes time to build that working relationship
Other sectors might not understand each other
What are some examples of healthy public policies?
Canada Health act
Tobacco Reduction Strategy in BC (smoking bylaws about how far from an entrance you have to be to smoke, don’t smoke with kids in the car, age limits must be 19 or older to purchase, using decoys to catch people selling to minors)
What is the aim of the CNA Health in all Policies National Action Plan?
Encouraging the government to consider health in all sectors when coming up with public policy.
What are the spheres of nurse involvement in policy development/implementation?
- Workplace: The Health Care Institution
- Professional Organizations and Unions
- Nursing Education
- Community
- Government: National, Provincial, and Regional
Why should nurses participate in workplace decision making?
- To promote the practice of professional nursing
- To establish and maintain standards of care
- To allocate resources effectively and efficiently
- To create a satisfying and supportive work environment
How can nurses be influential in the workplace?
- Can join a professional group like CRNBC to have an influence
- Attend staff meetings
- Bring evidence forward (showing solutions that work)
- Bringing issues forward to your PCC of CNE or manager
What gives someone power on the nursing unit?
- Seniority
- Being well-liked
- More assertive person
- Intimidating power
- More articulate person
What leads to more recruitment and retention of nurses?
Job satisfaction
What are five professional nursing organizations and unions?
ICN CNA CRNBC ARNBC BCNU
What are the key programs of the ICN?
Key programs - professional practice, regulation, socioeconomic welfare
What is the role of the CNA?
Advocacy role in federal policy.
When, where and how to engage politicians.
Future of health care in Canada.
What is the role of CRNBC?
Regulation of nurses, protections of public.
When did CRNBC end its jurisdictional membership with CNA?
April 2010
What is the role of BCNU?
Welfare of members and improvement of working conditions
What five policies are related to nursing education?
Government policies Educational Institution policies Nursing Program policies Education Association policies Student Association policies
How do government policies affect nursing education?
Funding
Tuition
Government scholarships
Lengths of programs (BScN is entry to practice in BC)
How do educational institution policies affect nursing education?
- Curriculum
- Learning opportunities
- Class size
- Lab resources
- How many full and part time faculty there are
How do nursing program policies affect nursing education?
- Curriculum
- How many nursing electives are offered
- Influenced by CRNBC in all policies
How do education association policies affect nursing education?
- Canadian Association of SChools of Nursing (CASN).
- That is the national body that determines standards of education for nurses.
- They do research into best practice (in terms of education).
- Competencies for new graduates working in public health (looking at what ned grads need)
How do student association policies impact nursing education?
- Canadian Nursing Student Association
- Has been around since 1971
- Adopted a bill of student rights and responsibilities in 2005
- One really important event happen in 2008 - gained a seat on the board of CNA
How do student association policies within the University impact nursing education?
- CRNBC student reps
- Student seat on the research committee
- Student Union Society
- Other seats on committees
When and why was the Federal Office of Nursing Policy developed by Health Canada?
Established in 1999 to give nursing issues a more prominent position at Health Canda
Who is the executive director of Health Canada’s Federal Office of Nursing Policy?
Sandra MacDonald-Renez
What are three of the key issues according to Health Canada’s Office of Nursing Policy?
- Nursing Capacity
- Quality of Workplace Settings
- Sustainability of the health system
Explain the issue of nursing capacity (A key issue according to the Health Canada Office of Nursing Policy)
Nursing capacity - Coordinated national planning for human resources.
Explain the role of Health Canada Office of Nursing Policy in the issue of quality of workplace settings (a key issue according to the Health Canada Office of Nursing)
Quality of Workplace Settings - Office is “committed to rekindling nurses’ enthusiasm and passion for their profession, by promoting efforts to increase job satisfaction and decrease burnout”
Explain the role of the Health Canada Office of Nursing Policy in the issue of sustainability of the health system (a key issue according to the Health Canada Office of Nursing).
Sustainability of the Health System - Provides nursing advice, expertise and perspective on critical developments in Canadian health care system.
What are the four main aspects of the policy development process?
Policy Analysis
Strategies for Resolution
Policy Design
Policy Implementation & Evaluation
What are five factors that go into policy analysis?
- Values, Beliefs, Assumptions about Topic
- Emergence of Issues
- Analysis of issue(s)
- Research and Evidence
- Barriers to Resolution
What are the five areas of analysis of issues (part of policy analysis)?
Analysis of issues
- Historical analysis
- Ethical and legal analysis
- Social and cultural analysis
- Political analysis
- Economic analysis
What are some strategies for resolution? (Part of policy development)
- public awareness
- political engagement/lobbying
Who are the members of the ICN Nurse Politician Network?
Members are nurses who are presently or previously elected or appointed at national, provincial or civic levels.
What is the purpose for the ICN Nurse Politician Network?
Purpose is to serve as a forum for elected politicians to communicate and learn from each other, can also assist in mentoring new and/or aspiring nurse politicians
What is the definition of lobbying?
Influencing those in power to support your issue and recommend change.
How many of Canadian voters are nurses?
1 in 70 Canadian voters is a nurse
What are some lobbying strategies?
- Meeting with key persons socially and professionally
- Phone call, email, and social media campaigns
- Submitting resolutions to professional organizations and unions
- Writing reports, articles, books
- Enlisting the support of key persons
- New announcements
