In the world of the 21st century, the ignorance and absence of political involvement both on the local level and worldwide could be perceived as a negative personal trait that presupposes apathy and indifference. It especially applies to the ones who take an active part in the life of the community. Hence, it is of crucial importance for doctorally prepared advanced practice nurses to be politically aware in terms of healthcare policies. However, the level of such involvement should also be managed to such an extent so that the nurses would not forget their primary goal to provide medical service and support (Mason et al., 2020). To begin with, the nursing Code of Ethics claims that advocacy is a direct responsibility of nurses (Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation, 2018). To advocate for the community is to declare one’s interests in the name of the patients who need medical help. Nurses are, in fact, the ones who have the best chance to communicate with people and collect primary data for further healthcare policy development.
Another important reason for the nurses to be politically active is the fact that they constitute the vast majority of the healthcare workforce (Alhassan et al., 2019). For this reason, they have the right to advocate not only for the patients but for the employees who are to secure the policy enforcement within the unit. However, every single activity should have its limit in terms of execution, because the primary purpose of healthcare would always be to help people and not use their power to fulfill their ambitions. Thus, political involvement is a key step to making the healthcare system a hospitable environment for both patients and employees.
References
Alhassan, A., Kumi-Kyereme, A., Wombeogo, M., & Fuseini, A. G. (2019). Nurse Participation in Political Activities: Level and Practices of Registered Nurses in Tamale, Ghana. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 24(2).
Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation. (2018). Political activism for nurses. Web.
Mason, D., Perez, A., McLemore, M. R., Dickson, E. L. (2020). Policy & politics in nursing and health care. Elsevier.