NURS 6050 Module 5 Assignment

, ,

NURS 6050 Module 5 Assignment

Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation

Introduction

Nurses play a critical role in healthcare program implementation and policy evaluation since they act as change agents in the community through assessment of patients and participating in delivery of care to patients. When a health program is initiated, its financiers expect it to achieve the set benefits and ensure the beneficiaries derive the intended benefits. To know if a health program is meeting the needs of its intended audience, the program goals and outcomes should be evaluated. Evaluation of a program helps to determine its viability and if it is fiscally responsible.  This essay presents an evaluation of Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program in regard to its objectives, cost, quality, success, and project outcomes.NURS 6050 Module 5 Assignment

ORDER A PLAGIARISM -FREE PAPER NOW

Healthcare Program Template Analysis

Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program
Description The Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program is funded by the Federal Government to promote welfare of children in foster care by preventing maltreatment and enabling them to stay safely with their respective families. The program was started to reduce the incidences of unnecessary separation between parents/guardians and their children by reuniting them, protect children’s permanency, and improving the quality of care offered to children and their families to maximize chances of stability in families.  PSSF has two sub-programs namely abstinence education and Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP). Abstinence education program aims at supporting individual states to promote sex education among youth and teens to reduce teen pregnancies by giving grants. PREP provides funding to prevent teenage pregnancies, prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents and equipping the teenagers with skills that prepare them for adult life (United States Department of Health & Human Services, 2017).
How was the success of the program or policy measured?

 

 The success of PSSF program has been measured through its impact and by the fact that its funding was made mandatory in the Administration for Children and Families (ASF) budgetary allocation under the United States Department of Health & Human Services. The PSSF is an ongoing program that is implemented nationally and has been reauthorized severally for the last 27 years after Congress realized its impact on the children, teenagers, and their families. The success of PSSF can be illustrated through its increased funding. For instance, in 1994, sixty million dollars were set aside for PSSF funding (Robert et al., 2017). According to the data from Department of Health & Human Services (2019), $345 million was allocated to the PSSF program. The increase in funding indicates its success. PSSF program has impacted positively on different youths and teens living in different states. For instance, data from Colorado Office of Children, Youth & Families (2018) revealed that family preservation funds assisted 3314 persons while 1400 people were assisted by the reunification funds.
How many people were reached by the program or policy selected? How much of an impact was realized with the program or policy selected?

 

 Data from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (2017) stated that between 19 and 21 million are reached by the PSSF program. This figure was derived using a formula used to determine the number of children in each state who are enrolled for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Nationally, one in every four children is given SNAP benefits monthly. The formula used to determine PSSF funding is not available hence the number of children enrolled for SNAP is used to determine PSSF funding. It is therefore estimated that the impact of PSSF program reaches over 20 million beneficiaries annually.
What data was used to conduct the program or policy evaluation?

 

 PSSF program outcome evaluation is done annually in each state in accordance to the program regulations, federal and state statutes. The program’s funding is fixed based on five-year plans. Individual states are required to submit their annual objectives in regard to PSSF funding. Key stakeholders must be involved in planning before a plan is submitted. Data collected from the annual objective plans and outcomes is used to evaluate the PSSF programs in every state. The respective Children’s Bureau offices communicates and provide feedback to its state in relation to annual reports on the project outcome.
What specific information on unintended consequences were identified? The unintended consequence in the PSSF program is its expansion and reauthorization in various legislative acts including Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act of 2011 for the last 27 years. The program was initially formed to protect welfare of children in foster care now addresses additional issues including permanency of children, abstinence education and PREP program.

 
What stakeholders were identified in the evaluation of the program or policy? Who would benefit most from the results and reporting of the program or policy evaluation? Be specific and provide examples.

 

 The stakeholders identified in PSSF program evaluation include foster/adoptive parents, children at risk of neglect/abuse, healthcare facilities and healthcare providers, courts, law enforcers, teachers, educational institutions, Department of Health and Human Services and families involved in child protection legal suits (Stoltzfus, 2017).

All stakeholders are beneficiaries of PSSF evaluation report and results since the evaluation report determines continuity of funding in future and will the level of funding impact on the number of children and adolescents who will benefit from the program.
Did the program or policy meet the original intent and objectives? Why or why not?

 

 The PSSF program has over the years met its objectives and goals. However, it is hard to assess the measure of program success due to the changing nature of population being served and funding intent that influences the program objectives.
Would you recommend implementing this program or policy in your place of work? Why or why not?

 

 The PSSF program has been implemented in all states. I recommend continued funding and implementation due to its objectives of promoting welfare of children in foster care, prevent divisions in families, and funding programs that provide skills and education to live a productive and responsible life as an adult.
Identify at least two ways that you, as a nurse advocate, could become involved in evaluating a program or policy after one year of implementation.

 

 A nurse advocate can be involved in program evaluation through various ways. One of the ways is getting involved in the planning committee which oversees evaluation of PSSF program annually. This way, a nurse can influence decisions on the program and any modification that would be necessary to make the program achieve its intended aims. By volunteering in program evaluation through interacting and getting in touch with legislators who support PSSF continuity to provide a nursing perspective to it.

Conclusion

The PSSF program as evaluated can be considered successful and to have met its intended goals and objectives. In the course of evaluating the PSSF program, the need for a person to be involved in actual program evaluation became apparent. When a person is not involved in the actual evaluation of a program, sourcing for information and data becomes challenging. PSSF program has been meaningful to its beneficiaries over the 27 years it has been in existence. Constant modifications in a program need to be made to ensure it meets the changing needs of the target population, emerging trends and its stakeholders.NURS 6050 Module 5 Assignment

ORDER A PLAGIARISM -FREE PAPER NOW

References

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2017). SNAP Helps Millions of Children.  https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/snap-helps-millions-of-children

Colorado Office of Children, Youth, & Families: Division of Child Welfare. (2018). 2018 Annual Progress and Services Report: 2015-19 Child and Family Services Plan. http://co4kids.org/sites/default/files/IM-CW-2017-0018.pdf

Roberts, Y. H., Killos, L. F., Maher, E., O’Brien, K., & Pecora, P. J. (2017). About Casey Family Programs.

Stoltzfus, E. (2017). Child welfare: An overview of federal programs and their current funding. R43458. Washington DC: Congressional Research Service. https://fas. org/sgp/crs/misc, 43458.

United States Department of Health & Human Services: Administration for Children and Families. (2019). FY 2019 Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees.  https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/olab/acf_master_cj_acf_final_3_19_0.pdf

Assignment: Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation

Program/policy evaluation is a valuable tool that can help strengthen the quality of programs/policies and improve outcomes for the populations they serve. Program/policy evaluation answers basic questions about program/policy effectiveness. It involves collecting and analyzing information about program/policy activities, characteristics, and outcomes. This information can be used to ultimately improve program services or policy initiatives.

Nurses can play a very important role assessing program/policy evaluation for the same reasons that they can be so important to program/policy design. Nurses bring expertise and patient advocacy that can add significant insight and impact. In this Assignment, you will practice applying this expertise and insight by selecting an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation and reflecting on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program/policy.

To Prepare:

  • Review the Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template provided in the Resources.
  • 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.

The Assignment: (2–3 pages)

Based on the program or policy evaluation you selected, complete the Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template. Be sure to address the following:NURS 6050 Module 5 Portfolio Assignment

  • Describe the healthcare program or policy outcomes.
  • How was the success of the program or policy measured?
  • How many people were reached by the program or policy selected?
  • How much of an impact was realized with the program or policy selected?
  • At what point in program implementation was the program or policy evaluation conducted?
  • What data was used to conduct the program or policy evaluation?
  • What specific information on unintended consequences was identified?
  • What stakeholders were identified in the evaluation of the program or policy? Who would benefit most from the results and reporting of the program or policy evaluation? Be specific and provide examples.
  • Did the program or policy meet the original intent and objectives? Why or why not?
  • Would you recommend implementing this program or policy in your place of work? Why or why not?
  • Identify at least two ways that you, as a nurse advocate, could become involved in evaluating a program or policy after 1 year of implementation.

Submit your completed healthcare program/policy evaluation analysis. NURS 6050 Module 5 Assignment