Nurses may not consider themselves to be political, but the fact is that political issues affect the lives of patients and the nurses who care for them. These issues range from financial to controversial, but they’re all important for every nurse to consider. Take a look at these issues to better educate yourself for the political season of 2008.

1. Insurance
Health insurance is one of the issues at the forefront of the current presidential campaign, and nurses should take notice. Implementation of universal health insurance, or even just more accessible health care could create an influx of new patients that were not able to access medical care in the past. While overall, this could be a good thing for the health of American citizens, it will undoubtedly place a strain on nurses that are already worn thin.

2. Funding
An issue that nurses should be worried about is funding for immigrants and those that can’t afford health care. A lack of adequate funding has already caused trouble for some, specifically cancer patients in Galveston. Unfortunately, UTMB didn’t set aside enough funding to treat impoverished cancer patients, apparently underestimating the number of illegal immigrants they’d be treating. Health care as a whole is in desperate need for either a new solution or more funding to treat those that can’t afford to be treated.

3. National Nurse
A National Nurse has been proposed, but not implemented. The Office of the National Nurse would complement the Surgeon General, offering a patient-centric focus on healthcare for the nation. A National Nurse’s job would bring a healthy dose of preventive medicine, easing the burden on America’s health care system and in turn, nurses. Specifically, the National Nurse is proposed to make health care education focused on prevention available to Americans in a very accessible way.

4. Harm Reduction
This controversial issue deals with programs that seek to reduce the harm associated with potentially dangerous lifestyle choices. These range from designated driver campaigns to condom distributions in schools and needle exchange programs for drug addicts. While supporters of harm reduction laud the burden that it takes off of the public health care system, critics believe that such programs condone and even support behaviors that should be eliminated. Nurses are caught in the middle of this debate, some involved in administering harm reduction services, and others either wishing to help reduce health problems associated with these dangerous behaviors, whether it’s through elimination of the behaviors or by working around then through harm reduction.

5. Hospital Staffing Levels
As you are probably painfully aware, we’re experiencing a shortage of registered nurses, which results in overworked staff and puts patient safety in jeopardy. Nurses need to push for better pay and better working conditions, both of which will serve to attract and retain more nurses where they’re needed.

6. Education
One way to help with nurse staffing levels is to attract more nurses to the field and make it easier for them to receive quality education. Representative Lois Capps, a nurse serving in Congress, has proposed better access to nursing education. This would be achieved through partnerships with health care providers and educational institutions, support for nurses who choose to pursue advanced education, and better data on the nursing workforce.

7. Media Image
Many TV shows depict nurses as physician assistants and handmaidens that have little technical knowledge. Because of this misrepresentation, nurses get less respect and authority from both doctors and patients, which of course causes friction in these relationships. Groups like the Center for Nursing Advocacy have letter-writing campaigns directed at TV shows and other outlets that spread this misconception.

8. Advanced Practice Nurses
Registered nurses with advanced education and skills function in specialized practices, such as certified nurse midwife and certified registered nurse anesthetist. In advanced practice, some of these nurses can diagnose illnesses and write prescriptions. Advanced practice nurses are an important political issue because their advancement and growth is essential to improving conditions for overworked nurses and providing care for an ever-expanding aging population.

9. Pharmaceutical Companies
Pharmaceutical companies are becoming greedier every day, and passing rising costs on to patients who can’t always afford to pay more for prescriptions. Additionally, doctors are constantly barraged by pharmaceutical companies to try out certain prescriptions which may or may not be the best option for patients. This jeopardizes the relationship nurses have with patients as an advocate for their care while lining the pockets of corporations.

10. Veteran Care
Veterans today are often finding that the benefits they’ve been promised are coming up short. Many earn too much money to qualify for services, but still don’t make enough to get private insurance, placing them in the dreaded “uninsured” category of patients that put a strain on our health care system. Of those that do qualify, they’re often subject to long waiting lists and inadequate care. In both situations, veterans are not receiving adequate care for chronic conditions as well as regular checkups, allowing problems to worsen and create a harder situation for both patient and nurse.

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These political issues may sound daunting, but as a nurse, there’s a lot you can do to get involved. You can write to your Congressional representatives, join groups like the Center for Nursing Advocacy, and make your voice heard in your local medical community through journals and civic meetings. The political future of nursing is in your hands, if only you choose to accept it.

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