Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement
As a nurse, how often have you thought to yourself, If I had anything to do about it, things would work a little differently? Increasingly, nurses are beginning to realize that they do, in fact, have a role and a voice.
Many nurses encounter daily experiences that motivate them to take on an advocacy role in hopes of impacting policies, laws, or regulations that impact healthcare issues of interest. Of course, doing so means entering the less familiar world of policy and politics. While many nurses do not initially feel prepared to operate in this space effectively, the reward is the opportunity to shape and influence future health policy.
To Prepare:
- Select a bill that has been proposed (not one that has been enacted) using the congressional websites provided in the Learning Resources.
The Assignment: (1- to 2-page Legislation Grid; 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement)
Be sure to add a title page, an introduction, purpose statement, and a conclusion. This is an APA paper.
Part 1: Legislation Grid
Based on the health-related bill (proposed, not enacted) you selected, complete the Legislation Grid Template. Be sure to address the following:
- Determine the legislative intent of the bill you have reviewed.
- Identify the proponents/opponents of the bill.
- Identify the target populations addressed by the bill.
- Where in the process is the bill currently? Is it in hearings or committees?
Part 2: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement
Based on the health-related bill you selected, develop a 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement that addresses the following:
- Advocate a position for the bill you selected and write testimony in support of your position.
- Describe how you would address the opponent to your position. Be specific and provide examples.
- At least 2 outside resources and 2-3 course specific resources are used.
Expert Answer and Explanation
Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement
Legislation Grid
Nurses should be part of the political process because this is where they can make a difference in healthcare. Through political practice, they can make laws that positively impact healthcare (Selin & Dang, 2020). The purpose of this assignment is to identify a pending health policy and discuss how it can be promoted by nurses.
| Health-related Bill Name | US Congress Senate Bill 2841- A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publicly disclose information regarding adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines. |
| Bill Number | S.2841 |
| Description | The bill needs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to share any data about the negative effects of covid-19 vaccines (LEGISCAN, n.d). The bill was created to compel the Secretary of Health and Human Services to share data with the public to help Americans make informed decisions regarding whether to take covid-19 vaccines or not. There are currently many speculations about the vaccines, which has greatly impacted the rate at which people take the vaccines. Sharing information about the vaccines and their side will improve the patients’ right to information. |
| Federal or State? | The bill is a federal bill. If passed, the bill will affect every American citizen. |
| Legislative Intent | The intention of this legislation is to improve the rate at which Americans take covid-19 vaccines by improving their knowledge of the vaccines and their adverse effects. |
| Proponents/ Opponents | Proponents:
The proponent of the bill is Senator Mike Lee. The bill is also supported by the Human Rights First and the Freedom House. |
| Opponents:
The bill is opposed by senators Kyrsten Sinema and Richard Blumenthal. |
|
| Target Population | The bill targets American citizens. It requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to share data about the adverse effects of covid-19 vaccines. It wants all Americans to have real-time information about covid-19 vaccines and their effects. |
| Status of the bill (Is it in hearings or committees?) | The bill is currently in the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. It was read twice in the senate before being sent to the committee. |
| General Notes/Comments
|
This bill is vital to increase the number of Americans who have received the covid-19 vaccine. If passed, many people will make informed choices about whether to get the vaccines or not because they will have data about the side effects of the vaccines. More about the bill can be found at https://legiscan.com/US/bill/SB2841/2021. |
Testimony/Advocacy Statement
Position for the Bill
I support this bill because it improves our fight against covid-19. Nozaki et al. (2019) note that low literacy level is one factor that impacts the rate of vaccination intake. Most people do not know the adverse effects of covid-19 vaccines on their bodies. Thus, when people are provided the information by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, they will know and hence make informed decisions. The legislation also aims to overcome the propaganda spread by people who are against vaccines. If people know the truth, they will not trust the propaganda they hear from other less credible sources. Kim and Choi (2016) encourage healthcare organizations to make information about vaccines available to promote a higher vaccination intake rate. This bill is significant, especially when there is a lot of propaganda spreading about the vaccines.
How to Address the Opponent about My Position?
Two democrats oppose the bill. I would address the opponents by writing them an email through their official email accounts, giving them reasons to vote for the bill. I would also address the opponents by speaking through social media channels. Bou-Karroum et al. (2017) note that social media is not of the best methods to advocate for policies because many people can access them.
Conclusion
Health policies are critical in healthcare because they provide a framework for running healthcare systems. For instance, Senate Bill 2841 will require the State Department of Health to release data about the adverse effects of the covid-19 vaccine. The bill aims to improve the covid-19 vaccine intake rate.
References
Bou-Karroum, L., El-Jardali, F., Hemadi, N., Faraj, Y., Ojha, U., Shahrour, M., … & Akl, E. A. (2017). Using media to impact health policy-making: An integrative systematic review. Implementation Science, 12(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0581-0
Kim, J. S., & Choi, J. S. (2016). Factors influencing university nursing students’ measles vaccination rate during a community measles outbreak. Asian Nursing Research, 10(1), 56-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2015.11.002
LEGISCAN. (n.d). US SB2841 | 2021-2022 | 117th Congress. https://legiscan.com/US/bill/SB2841/2021
Nozaki, I., Hachiya, M., & Kitamura, T. (2019). Factors influencing basic vaccination coverage in Myanmar: secondary analysis of 2015 Myanmar demographic and health survey data. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6548-0
Nwanegbo-Ben, J., & Ozoigbo, B. I. (2021). Being and Nothingness of COVID-19 in Nigeria: A Case of Excessive Propaganda and Misplaced Political Economy. Socialscientia: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 6(2). https://.journals.aphriapub.com/index.php/SS/
Selin, R., & Dang, Q. H. (2020). The influences of organizational culture and organizational politics in healthcare transformation Case studies of digitalization in the healthcare sector. https://odr.chalmers.se/bitstream/20.500.12380/301038/1/E2020_035.pdf
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