NURSES AS POLICY MAKERS 2
Nurses as Policy Makers
The institute of medicine report presents the healthcare industry leadership as a
collaborative activity that requires the input of all stakeholders in the industry. Most importantly,
the report outlines the importance of involving nurses in the leadership of the industry to initiate
the much needed change. Nurses make up the majority of the people working in the healthcare
industry. Additionally, nurses spent quality time with the patients, thus giving them a better
insight of the issues affecting the clients and the industry (Oestberg, 2013). For effective growth
in the healthcare industry, nurses must assume leadership roles ranging from the bedside
operations to the boardroom decision-making.
One of the ways in which nurses can influence change in the healthcare industry is by
taking up leadership roles through policy development. Nurses must stop seeing policies as
things that happen to them and start contributing to the implementation and change of strategies
for the betterment of the industry (Bleich, 2013). Organizations must include nurses in
committees that deliberate and make decisions concerning policies aimed at improving the health
of the patients. Nurses have a better understanding of the patients and should be given an
opportunity to contribute in forming the laws and regulations that govern the management of the
clients (Oestberg, 2013). Policies are made both in the public and the private settings. Nurses can
use advocacy to influence public policy making, and collaboration with other practitioners to
provide leadership roles in policy reforms in private settings.
Various challenges exist in the industry preventing nurses from exercising their full
capacity as leaders. One of the barriers to nurse leadership is legislations governing the scope of
practice in the industry (Bleich, 2013). To ensure the full potential of nurses in the leadership
arena, these barriers must be eliminated.
