Health Care Policy

Considering the Policy Process (Chapter 7 – Berkowitz in Mason, Levitt, & Chaffee), appraise a recent healthcare policy change on your unit or in your organization using the Policy Process.

Problem: What was the basis for the policy change? What was the problem? How was it identified?
Evidence based rationale: What evidence was used to determine the problem was significant enough to result in a change?
Options: Were there alternative options for consideration prior to developing the policy? How was the policy implemented?
Stakeholder Involvement: Who was informed and educated about the decisions and issues surrounding the problem, issue, policy?
Implementation: What were the actions steps to implementation?
Evaluation: Did the policy work (resolve the problem it was designed to address)? Were there any unintended consequences of the policy? How likely will the policy impact change on the unit, in the organization or in your practice?

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Sample Answer

Here is an appraisal of a recent healthcare policy change on my unit or in my organization using the Policy Process:

Problem: The problem that led to the policy change was a high rate of patient falls. This was identified through a review of patient safety data, which showed that the unit had a higher rate of falls than other units in the hospital.

Evidence-based rationale: The evidence that was used to determine the problem was significant enough to result in a change included the patient safety data, as well as research on the causes and prevention of patient falls. The research showed that there are a number of factors that can contribute to patient falls, such as poor lighting, inadequate staffing, and a lack of patient education.

Full Answer Section

Options: There were a number of alternative options for consideration prior to developing the policy. One option was to increase staffing levels. Another option was to improve the lighting in the unit. A third option was to provide more patient education on fall prevention.

The policy that was ultimately implemented was a combination of these options. The unit increased staffing levels, improved the lighting, and implemented a fall prevention program.

Stakeholder involvement: The stakeholders who were informed and educated about the decisions and issues surrounding the problem, issue, policy included the unit staff, the nursing leadership, and the hospital administration. The staff were involved in the development of the policy, and they were given the opportunity to provide feedback.

Implementation: The policy was implemented in a phased approach. The first phase involved increasing staffing levels and improving the lighting. The second phase involved implementing the fall prevention program.

Evaluation: The policy is still being evaluated, but it is too early to say whether it has been successful in reducing the rate of patient falls. However, the staff have reported that they are seeing a decrease in the number of falls.

Unintended consequences: There have been no unintended consequences of the policy that have been identified so far.

Impact on the unit, organization, or practice: The policy is likely to have a positive impact on the unit, organization, and practice. If the policy is successful in reducing the rate of patient falls, it will improve patient safety and reduce the risk of lawsuits. It will also free up staff time, which can be used to provide other patient care services.

Overall, the policy change process was conducted in a thoughtful and deliberate manner. The stakeholders were involved, and the evidence was considered. The policy that was implemented is a combination of evidence-based practices and the input of the stakeholders. It is still too early to say whether the policy will be successful, but it is a step in the right direction.

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