Running head: ESSENTIAL V

Essential V Daniel DeLauter Frostburg State University

ESSENTIAL V Essential V The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) essential for Ethics in Contemporary Nursing is Essential V: Healthcare Policy, Finance, and Regulatory

Environments. This essential outlines the issues that concern professional nursing. Some of these include legal policy, healthcare policy and ethical and moral responsibilities of the nurse when upholding social justice is needed. Healthcare policy shapes the nature, quality, and safety of the practice environment and all professional nurses have the responsibility to participate in the political process and advocate for patients, families, communities, the nursing profession, and changes in the healthcare system as needed (AACN). In advocating, ethical and moral reasoning are of high priority. Assignment The hot topic assignment was completed which discussed the ethical controversy surrounding the issue of stem cell research. Findings during the assignment also discussed financial policy and legal precedents of how stem cell research is to be funded. This topic was chosen due to the fact that is encompassed both legal and ethical components of this class. Reflection This assignment fulfills this essential by talking about ethical and moral responsibilities that occur in stem cell research. It looks at varying aspects from the religious to the scientific points-of-view. Being able to see and understanding the different sides to the controversy allows a nurse to be well rounded in their opinions. This assignment also speaks of legal and financial issues which fulfills another piece of this essential. U.S. appeals court has upheld the use of federal funds to support stem cell research after having a claim state that the use violates the

ESSENTIAL V Dickey-Wicker Amendment. This assignment fulfills Essential V by [Demonstrating] basic knowledge of healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory environments, including local, state, national, and global healthcare trends; [Describing] how health care is organized and financed, including the implications of business principles, such as patient and system cost factors;

[Comparing] the benefits and limitations of the major forms of reimbursement on the delivery of health care services; [Examining] legislative and regulatory processes relevant to the provision of healthcare (AACN).

ESSENTIAL V References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2008). Healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory environments. In The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. (20).