Running head: E-FOLIO SUBMISSION FOR ESSENTIAL V 1

E-Folio Submission for Essential V

LaDonna D. Henderson

Frostburg State University

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E-Folio Submission for Essential V

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essential V of The Essentials of

Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (2008) is Health Care Policy,

Finance, and Regulatory Environments. In their professional practice, nurses will encounter

opportunities to impact the policies and practices of the field in which they work. It is important

for nurses to understand how healthcare issues are identified, how healthcare policy is both

developed and changed, and how that process can be influenced through the efforts or nurses

(AACN, 2008).

Exemplar

To illustrate Essential V, I chose the Congressional Letter assignment completed in my

Capstone Project course. Essential V recognizes that policymaking in regards to healthcare

issues directly and indirectly influence(s) nursing practice as well as the nature and functioning

of the healthcare system (AACN, 2008). As a baccalaureate graduate, I will need to be mindful

of the ways in which healthcare is influenced and impacted by policymaking and the legislative

process.

Reflection

The main focus of Essential V is the influence of healthcare policies on professional

nursing practice. The Congressional Letter assignment consisted of choosing a health issue and

identifying a congressional leader to address concerning the issue. I chose to write my district

representative regarding H.R. bill 2392: Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and

Quality Care Act of 2017. This bill would amend the Public Health Service Act to establish

registered nurse staffing requirements in hospital settings. Nursing today has become more

complex as nurses take on greater responsibilities in caring for a more complicated patient
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population. Ensuring safe nurse-patient ratios, as I believe are outlined in this bill, allows nurses

to provide the quality care we envision for our patients, as well as decreases hospital admissions

and adverse sentinel events. I asked my congressman to support nurse and patient safety by co-

sponsoring this bill.

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References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Washington, & Dc. (2008). The essentials of

baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Retrieved from

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-resources/BaccEssentials08.pdf

Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2017, H.R.2392, 115th

Cong. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-

bill/2392