NRS 465 Benchmark Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal Topic 7

Sample Answer

The relationship and interaction between policy, regulatory requirements, and economics is a critical yet complex one that nurses should understand to effectively implement capstone project proposals in their practicum sites and organizations like improving medication adherence among elderly patients with chronic conditions.

Government agencies and departments set policies and regulatory requirements to guide nursing practice and utilization of resources to ensure safe, quality, and efficient healthcare services. The policies and requirements exist in the form of laws, legislative acts like the Affordable Care Act to guide patient care, staff training, facility standards, and regulations like the Nursing Practice Act across all states in the country (Folland et al., 2024).

For instance, medication adherence policies at the organizational level and within the health system focus on enhancing patient safety and providers’ satisfaction and protection to avoid any legal actions due to adverse events or care outcomes. These policies guarantee patients with quality care outcomes.

Economics plays a critical role in healthcare since it determines the available and accessible financial resources for implementing and sustaining proposed capstone change projects. These include funding for staff, training of providers, acquisition of equipment, and other resources required for the project (Mason et al., 2020).

For instance, training staff on the essence of medication adherence among the target population is essential to prevent adverse effects. The economic situation also affects the affordability and accessibility of healthcare resources, from providers to medications for elderly individuals battling chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.

Economics affects care outcomes as it means that patients can only get medications and adhere to their prescriptions when they afford and access them (Melnyk et al., 2022). Insufficient funding means that nurses will not get the necessary training to help mitigate medication errors and poly-pharmacy.
Based on the reflection of my practicum site experience, these relationships are active through actions.

For instance, the practicum site has a policy that requires nurses to know all medications their patients take. The facility mandates nurses to ensure effective handover during shift change and have all the details for every patient. The policy is so effective that medication errors are minimal. Within the two months that I have been at the facility, only two errors have occurred.

Besides, the reporting policy is so friendly that nurses feel encouraged to self-report when an error occurs. The implication is that through this effective relationship, the facility reduces the economic effects of medication errors and improves overall staff satisfaction and patient safety levels.

References

• Folland, S., Goodman, A. C., Stano, M., & Danagoulian, S. (2024). The economics of health and
  Health care. Routledge.
  Mason, D. J., Perez, A., McLemore, M. R., & Dickson, E. (2020). Policy & Politics in Nursing
  and Health Care-E-Book Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
  Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2022). Evidence-based practice in nursing &
  Healthcare A guide to best practice. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.