Expansion on Utilization of Mental Health Care Essay

To Prepare:

In the Module 4 Discussion, you considered how professional nurses can become involved in policy-making.
Review the Resources and reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation. Expansion on Utilization of Mental Health Care Essay

Select an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation or choose one of interest to you.

Review community, state, or federal policy evaluation and reflect on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program or policy described.

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The Role Of The RN/APRN In Policy Evaluation

Nurses’ input in the healthcare sector is diverse and extends beyond bedside care, including integrating their expertise and experience into the policy-making, implementation, and evaluation process. This post reflects nurses’ role in policy evaluation concerning the ACA Medicaid expansion, which extended coverage for low-earning people with unmet mental health needs. Expansion on Utilization of Mental Health Care Essay

Policy evaluation can be regarded as assessing whether a policy is effective and efficient in addressing its intended objectives/goals. Concerning the selected policy, different criteria can be adopted to evaluate its impact and effectiveness in addressing the mental health needs of the low-income population (Breslau et al., 2020). These criteria include measuring accessibility, utilization rates, patient outcomes, and cost-effectiveness. For example, the program could be evaluated based on whether it was cost-effective, resulted in desired or positive outcomes, or increased access to mental care. Expansion on Utilization of Mental Health Care Essay

Regarding evaluating the policy, nurses participate in different actions, including data collection, advocacy, and quality improvement. According to Chiu et al. (2021), as they work with mental health patients, nurses can help record and collect relevant data regarding the rate of policy utilization, patient feedback, and outcomes. This helps inform the policy’s effectiveness and efficiency, subject to the originally set goals. On the other hand, as they directly work with patients, nurses help identify gaps and areas that need further improvement or change regarding policy implementation. Expansion on Utilization of Mental Health Care Essay

Mi Jin Doe (2023) identified that nurses’ input in policy evaluation helps to inform the organizational leaders and other stakeholders on how the policy performs on the patient level. By acting as an information source, nurses help implement changes, which ensures that population-based interventions are advocated. In policy evaluation, nurses’ participation is key to ensuring healthcare programs effectively address. Expansion on Utilization of Mental Health Care Essay

References

Breslau, J., Han, B., Lai, J., & Yu, H. (2020). Impact of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion on Utilization of Mental Health Care. Medical care, 58(9), 757–762. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000001373

Chiu, P., Cummings, G. G., Thorne, S., & Schick-Makaroff, K. (2021). Policy Advocacy and Nursing Organizations: A Scoping Review. Policy, politics & nursing practice, 22(4), 271–291. https://doi.org/10.1177/15271544211050611

Mi Jin Doe. (2023). Theory-Based Nursing Policy to Enhance Living Quality: A Book Review of Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care (8th ed.) by Mason and colleagues (2021). Elsevier.. Nursing Science Quarterly, 37(1), 92–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/08943184231207382 Expansion on Utilization of Mental Health Care Essay