NR 506 Week 1 Discussion The Four Spheres of Political Action in Nursing

Sample Answer

The four spheres of political actions in nursing are the workplace, government, community and professional organizations (Mason et al, 2012). Each one of the spheres has it’s own separate functions such as the workplace focuses on issue, which affect jobs and patient care. Government addresses rules, laws, and manages regulations in nursing practice. Community involves issues that affect community well-being and lastly organizations which address concerns related to shaping nursing practice (Mason et al, 2012). Together the spheres can create change. Nurses are able to change policy making and improve issues in the community health systems (Mason et al, 2012).

When you start out in your new nursing career, it is vital to review the political policies and nursing policies in your organizations. Nurses don’t realize that we are already political our nursing practice is molded around governing bodies, ethical, professional, governmental standards, and healthcare itself (Bjornsdottir, 2009).

I believe in centered family care in our organization. Especially when a trauma has occurred and the outcome doesn’t look good. It is important for family to see that you have done everything you can to help their loved one. Nursing has the greatest power in this situation (Parker, 2013). We are responsible for being the patient’s advocate. In the workplace it is vital for the patient’s family to be at their child’s bedside when something critical is taking place. If not then the family is wondering what is being done on their child (Parker, 2013) when a family member becomes involved they know you have done your best even if the outcome is not good.

We have an ethical responsibility to do everything we can to save someone’s life. Nurses have to remind surgeons and other physicians that families have a right to be with their loved ones (Parker, 2013). Physicians see families as a distraction and that they will be in the way, instead of seeing them as a positive and realizing the family needs to believe that we tried everything to save their child’s life. If not allowed in the room they decide what they think or don’t think you did for their loved one (Parker, 2013).

Some ethical problems one may face with not allowing patient centered care in your organization can be wait times in the emergency room. These extended wait times puts a patient and their families at risk for harm (CDC, 2014). The main reason for this is boarding of patient’s for lack of nurses to take care of patient’s inpatient. When boarded patient’s take up Ed resources which makes waiting times in the Ed waiting room increase to unsafe levels (CDC, 2014).

• Bjornsdottir, K. (2009). The ethics and politics of home care. International journal of nursing studies, 46, 732-736. Retrieved from
  http //nursingandpolitics.blogspot.com/2012/12/asyou-are-learning-this-week-about.html (Links to an external site.)
• Centers for Disease Control. (2014). Emergency department visits. Retrieved from http //www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/emergency-department.html (Links to an external site.)
• Mason, D.J., Leavitt, J.K., & Chaffee, M.W. (2012). Policy and politics in nursing and health care. Retrieved from http //nursingandpolitics.blogspot.com/2012/12/asyou-are-learning-this-week-about.html (Links to an external site.)
• McClelland, M., (March 6, 2015) “Ethics Harm in the Emergency Department – Ethical Drivers for Change” The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 20, (2).
  doi 10.3912/OJIN.Vol20No02EthCol0
• Parler, L. (2013). Family centered care Aiming fro excellence exploring the past, present, and future. Vancouver general hospital. Retrieved from
  www.caccn.ca/en/files/Dyn14 9B Family Centered