Professional Influence: Reflection Paper
Advocacy is a professional nursing role that functions at various levels: the patient level, institutional level, professional level, and societal level. The development of leadership skills requires the advancement of advocacy and influencing skills in professional nurses. Whether advocating for staff you supervise, or for the incorporation of research findings into patient care, or influencing organizational leaders to implement staff retention strategies, or influencing legislators to approve bills for improved mental health services, your ability to advocate and influence will have a significant effect on your success in future nursing roles.
Assignment Objectives:
- To articulate a position with clearly stated rationale.
- To write clearly and persuasively for a public audience.
- To identify and express personal and professional values consistent with professional nursing and a biblical respect for persons.
- To consider one’s own philosophy of nursing in the context of professional influence and practice.
Assignment Instructions:
- Identify a health/nursing issue that is of personal or professional interest to you. Investigate the historical and current public policy aspects of the health issue. You may include past or present laws, statutes, or administrative rules that regulate the issue. In addition, you may search for position statements published by professional nursing organizations about the issue.
Write a 500-600 word reflection paper:
- Explain why you selected the issue and provide a summary of the policy aspects you found. State your position on the issue and support your position with scholarly sources.
- How is your position consistent with your philosophy of nursing and your professional and biblical values? How is your position consistent with your vision and mission statement? How is your position related to your future nursing role or career path? What have you learned about yourself as a result of this investigation?
- What have you learned about political advocacy as it relates to nursing? How might you engage in political advocacy to advance your interests and priorities?
- The paper should include a cover page with the reflection paper in APA format with at least two scholarly sources.
For helpful information on defining “scholarly” sources:
- Popular vs. Scholarly Articles – Guide (University of Arizona Library)
- Play Video(video)
- Outcomes addressed: 1,4
Grading method: Written Assignment Rubric
Gradebook category: Professional Influence: Reflection Paper