Problem
The selected concern in the state of California is that of health workforce shortage. This problem has the capacity to be advocated through legislation to maximize the number of patients who have access to high-quality medical care. The nature of this issue can be understood by examining the percentage of nurses, physicians, and clinicians in different healthcare institutions. A study by Glette, Aase, and Wiig (2017) revealed that many people were not getting adequate services due to the decreasing number of professionals. Some nurses have been focusing on new career opportunities in order to pursue their goals.
Majority of these practitioners have been retired within the past decade (MacPhee, Dahinten, & Havaei, 2017). Those providing medical care in different facilities encounter diverse challenges, including burnout, prolonged working hours, poor salaries, and inappropriate working conditions. This problem is also affecting many citizens because they are unable to get the intended medical services. The first ramification is that the health care status of this state has been affected negatively. The second one is that the state is finding it hard to deal with a wide range of diseases, such as obesity, stroke, and diabetes. If this problem continues, chances are high that more citizens will record poor health outcomes.
Idea for Addressing Solution
Stakeholders in the field of health can consider different courses of advocacy to address most of most of the challenges affecting citizens. The nature of governance explains why legislation is a powerful tool for addressing the selected issue. Within the past six decades, powerful policies have been introduced to tackle various problems affecting the population, such as drug abuse, smoking, and accidents (Farrer, Marinetti, Cavaco, & Costongs, 2015). The support of legislators and politicians can ensure that different professionals and well-wishers become part of a given problem and eventually present a permanent solution.
The best idea of addressing the issue of nursing shortage is to embrace the power of legislation to inform and communicate the intended views to legislators. Such lawmakers will support the idea after learning more about its consequences and how it affects the lives of many citizens in this state. From this description, it is agreeable that legislation is the best course for advocacy. This model creates room for interacting with policymakers, stakeholders, and politicians. Since such individuals are in leadership positions, chances are high that they will educate their colleagues, support the preparation of a legislative bill, and eventually get the approval of other lawmakers.
Research the Issue
Evidence 1 Workforce shortage in healthcare remains a major challenge affecting the outcomes and experiences of many American citizens. Fortunately, some communities have managed to apply the concept of advocacy to deal with this issue. For example, some hospitals and clinics have liaised with different stakeholders to hire nurse aids and encourage retirees to continue providing their services (Glette et al., 2017). This evidence-based model can guide those involved to present a similar law and eventually address the current problem of nursing shortage.
Evidence 2 Several states have introduced similar bills aimed at tackling this challenge. For instance, Ohio has a new law that seeks to maximize the training of medical professionals in an attempt to reduce the current shortage (Glette et al., 2017). Through legislative advocacy, states can establish minimum patient-to-nurse ratios for different hospitals. This resonates with a nationwide bill that was introduced in 2015 by Senators Barbara Boxer and Sherrod Brown (MacPhee, Dahinten, & Havaei, 2017). The concept of legislative advocacy can, therefore, deliver positive results in California and ensure that more patients receive exemplary medical services.
Stakeholder Support
- Stakeholder(s) Supporting 1 The first group of stakeholders is that of lawmakers and politicians. They will support it since they form an integral part of the policymaking process.
- Stakeholder(s) Supporting 2 The second one will be comprised of nurses, nurse aids, and clinicians. They will be part of the process since they are affected by this problem directly.
Stakeholder Opposition
- Stakeholder(s) Opposed 1 Some politicians might not be ready to be part of the intended solution since they think that the current ratio of nurses to patients is adequate. Those involved will prepare by outlining and informing them about the unique benefits of the bill and how it will transform California’s healthcare sector.
- Stakeholder(s) Opposed 2 Different hospital managers and owners will not be ready to support this idea since they will be forced to pay additional salaries. This challenge requires a detailed explanation to describe the true purpose of care delivery.
Financial Incentives/Costs
The problem of nursing shortage continues to increase healthcare spending. This is true since many patients are hospitalized for more days without getting proper services. Those working in harsh conditions are unable to offer timely and exemplary services. The government is eventually forced to incur additional expenses to provide special medical care to patients with adverse conditions (Farrer et al., 2015).
When a permanent solution is presented, chances are high that hospitals and the government will incur additional costs to cater for salaries. Fortunately, the new bill will eventually result in cost savings since more citizens will get timely services and continue to engage in activities that will generate more revenue for the government. This means that California should consider the power of legislation to tackle this issue.
Legislature: Information Needed and Process for Proposal
Provide the name andcompletecontact information for the legislator. Legislator: Douglas Lee LaMalfa (1st congressional district)
Contact information: First St SE, Washington, DC 20004, United States
Describe the steps for how you would present this to your legislator. The first step is to arrange for a meeting with this legislator. The second one is to describe the nature of the selected problem and why the solution is needed. The legislator will then be involved in the preparation stages of the bill. The final stage is for the lawmaker to present it to Congress for debate and approval.
Outline the process if your legislator chooses to introduce your idea as a bill to congress. These steps will be followed to introduce the proposed bill to Congress:
- The legislator will sponsor the bill.
- A committee is formed to study it.
- A day for debating the bill is identified.
- The bill has to be voted by simple majority.
- The Senate discuses and makes appropriate changes.
- Signed into law.
Christian Principles and Nursing Advocacy
The principles of a Christian worldview lend support to legislative advocacy in health care without bias. For instance, the values of service, thankfulness, and justice explain why those who believe in God should be ready to help every individual who is in need and create the best policies for promoting inclusivity. Since Christianity promotes the ideas of love and forgiveness, legislators and policymakers can engage in legislative advocacy to present and support policies that focus on the needs and health outcomes of all populations. The concepts of care and support explain why policymakers should be ready to implement laws that focus on those who are more vulnerable (Farrer et al., 2015).
This means that a policy aimed at reducing the current nursing shortage gap will not be informed by gender, cultural, racial, and religious disparities. Instead, such a law will be presented to meet the needs of all populations and ensure that patients receive exemplary medical services. Those who are focusing on these principles will be willing to support new laws that promote the health outcomes for all people and make it easier for them to lead high-quality lives.
References
Glette, M. K., Aase, K., & Wiig, S. (2017). The relationship between understaffing of nurses and patient safety in hospitals— A literature review with thematic analysis. Open Journal of Nursing, 7, 1387-1429. Web.
Farrer, L., Marinetti, C., Cavaco, Y. K., & Costongs, C. (2015). Advocacy for health equity: A synthesis review. The Milbank Quarterly: A Multidisciplinary Joural of Population Health and Health Policy, 93(2), 393-437. Web.
MacPhee, M., Dahinten, V. S., & Havaei, F. (2017). The impact of heavy perceived nurse workloads on patient and nurse outcomes. Administrative Sciences, 7(1), 7-23. Web.