Share the health policy you found during your Internet search that is directly related to your practice area. How does this policy impact your practice? must be at least 500 words, MUST BE formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources that is less than 5 years old
Health Policy Impacting Nursing Practice
Introduction
Health policies play a crucial role in shaping and guiding healthcare systems. These policies not only affect patients but also have a direct impact on healthcare professionals, including nurses. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a health policy related to the practice area of nursing and analyze its impact on nursing practice. The policy that will be examined in this paper is the Affordable Care Act (ACA), specifically focusing on its influence on nursing practice.
The Affordable Care Act and Nursing Practice
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law in 2010, with the primary goal of expanding health insurance coverage, improving quality of care, and reducing healthcare costs in the United States. This health policy has had significant implications for nursing practice across various healthcare settings.
One of the key provisions of the ACA is the expansion of Medicaid coverage. Prior to the ACA, Medicaid eligibility was limited to certain categories of low-income individuals, such as pregnant women, children, and individuals with disabilities. The ACA expanded Medicaid eligibility to include all individuals up to 138% of the federal poverty level, which has resulted in a substantial increase in the number of individuals covered by Medicaid (Ku et al., 2017). This expansion has directly impacted nursing practice by providing nurses with an opportunity to care for a larger population of patients who were previously uninsured or underinsured. As a result, nurses have been able to play a more significant role in coordinating care, promoting preventive services, and managing chronic conditions among this population.
Another significant impact of the ACA on nursing practice is the emphasis on primary care and prevention. The ACA has incentivized the establishment of accountable care organizations (ACOs) and the implementation of patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) in order to promote coordinated and integrated care (Knickman & Kovner, 2018). As part of these healthcare delivery models, nurses are integral members of the interprofessional teams that provide comprehensive primary care services to patients. Nurses’ roles in these models extend beyond traditional bedside care to include health promotion, disease prevention, and care coordination. The ACA has provided funding and support for the expansion of nurse-led programs, such as nurse-managed health clinics and community health centers, which have significantly improved access to primary care services for underserved populations (Knickman & Kovner, 2018). This has resulted in an increased demand for advanced practice nurses, such as nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists, who are trained to provide comprehensive primary care services.
Furthermore, the ACA has placed a greater emphasis on quality improvement and patient outcomes. The implementation of value-based purchasing programs and the establishment of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program under the ACA have shifted the focus from fee-for-service reimbursement to payment systems that are based on the quality and efficiency of care (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2018). This has compelled healthcare organizations to prioritize quality improvement initiatives in order to optimize patient outcomes. Nurses, as frontline providers of care, have been instrumental in driving these quality improvement efforts. They have been actively involved in implementing evidence-based practices, improving care coordination, and promoting patient safety in order to meet the quality standards set forth by the ACA.
Moreover, the ACA has also influenced the practice of nursing through its provisions related to nursing education and workforce development. The ACA has provided funding and support for the expansion of nursing education programs, including scholarships, loan forgiveness programs, and grants, in order to address the shortage of nurses and improve the diversity of the nursing workforce (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2018). This has resulted in an increased number of nursing students and graduates entering the workforce, thus positively impacting the supply of nurses. Additionally, the ACA has also facilitated the adoption of innovative models of nursing education, such as online and simulation-based learning, to meet the growing demands of the healthcare system (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2018). These advancements in nursing education have not only enhanced the skills and knowledge of nursing professionals but have also improved their capacity to adapt to the changing healthcare landscape.