Role of Nurses in Policy making (Essay Sample)

Role of Nurses in Policy making
Name of Student
Institutional Affiliation
The level of education for nurses and their entry point in professional nursing has little impact on policy-making by the nurses. Nurses are healthcare providers taking care of patients by administering care plans, tracking progress, recording vital statistics, monitoring diet, among other activities (Xue et al., 2016). Nurses are trained professionals in what they do, and it takes years of practice to become a professional nurse. Policy-making is a process of establishing a system of principles to guide nursing decisions and achieve rational outcomes. Policy-making is not affected by the level of education and professional entry points by nurses. Practical experience in the field of nursing is the best preparation tool to equip nurses for policy-making. The quality and competence of a nurse's participation in policy-making are influenced by practical experience (Xue et al., 2016). A nurse whose entry points into the profession was low, but they have more experience likely to have more competent and quality participation in policy-making than a nurse with high entry points but little experience.
Registered nurses should take part in policy-making. The government recognizes registered nurses, and their opinions on what changes should be made on the profession are highly considered (Stange, 2014). Also, registered nurses can influence policy through nurse unions at the state and national levels. Registered nurses have practical experience in nursing by dealing with challenges first hand. This experience puts them in the best position to influence nursing regulations.
The nurse's level of education does not have an impact on the nurse's ability to mak