Advocating for Public Health Policy

Imagine that you have been chosen to represent a public health advocacy group as they begin a campaign to get legislation related to a health issue passed in your state legislature. You have been tasked with the role of presenting a proposed policy to the legislature and advocating that the legislature vote for the policy. You have been told that you will have 10 minutes to present to the legislature. Your presentation should be informative, but also persuasive. The legislature will need to make a decision about whether or not to vote for the policy based on your presentation. Your presentation should be structured exactly as if you were “live” in front of the legislature advocating for them to adopt the policy you are proposing. 

For your assignment, you will need to select a public health topic of interest to you (you are encouraged to choose one related to your academic major or intended field of work) and a public health policy related to addressing the topic. You may select an actual proposed policy or create one that you think would effectively address the topic. Your presentation should provide enough information about the topic and the proposed policy that a reasonably educated legislator should be able to make an informed decision. Be sure to consider the various questions that a legislator might have about the issue and proposed policy, such as long-term costs and benefits, potential effects on business and industry (especially those that support politicians’ campaigns), and how the policy will support the health and productivity of state residents.

For this assignment, you should create an approximately 10 minute presentation* that addresses each of the following points:

• Discuss the public health issue that your proposed policy is intended to address. Questions to consider:
  • Who does this health issue affect?
  • What is the impact of this health issue on the community?
  • Why does this health issue need to be addressed?
• Explain the proposed public health policy. Questions to consider:
  • Who will be affected by this policy?
  • How will this policy address the health issue?
  • What will change by enacting this policy?
• Evaluate the impacts of the proposed policy. Questions to consider:
  • What are the costs and benefits of the policy?
  • What are the risks of enacting or not enacting the policy?
  • How will the lives of people who are affected by the health issue change if this policy is enacted?
• Create an influential presentation that affects voting behaviors of legislators. Questions to consider:
  • What information about this policy would potentially affect the voting behavior of legislators from across the political spectrum (eg. conservative, moderate, liberal, progressive; particularly those who might not support the policy based on political orientation)?
  • What are the most important messages that legislators need to hear about this policy?
  • How would the constituents of the legislators voting for this policy feel about this policy and a legislator who votes for it?
  • What information would a legislator need to “sell” the policy to consitutents who were perhaps not in favor of adopting the policy?

*Note: Your presentation can be created using screencast software on your computer, the camera and microphone on your computer or handheld device, or the voice recording functions within a presentation program (like PowerPoint). Please see the announcement posted in Week 2 for more information on how to create effective presentations using one of these methods.

The Advocating for Public Health Policy assignment

• Must be an approximately 10 minute long formal presentation recorded as a video, screencast, or using the voice recording functions in a presentation program.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must use at least three scholarly sources in addition to the course text.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• If the assignment is submitted as a video or screencast, your submission (via Waypoint) should be a document with the title page, a page that lists the URL of the presentation, and a page with your references. If the assignment is submitted as a voice recording within a presentation program, you should upload the slides from your presentation, and ensure that the first slide includes the information with the title page (as listed above) and a last slide that includes the references.

 

SCENARIO

You are admitting a 27-year-old woman to your unit for work-up of weight loss. While conducting an admission interview, you learn that she has recently lost her job and has a strong family history of depression and suicide. How would you construct your interview? What measures would you take with the information you have gathered? Why?

CLASSMATE POST

I would start the assessment and interview process by introducing myself to the young women. Then I would try to focus on her feelings by asking her about her eating habits. I would then ask an open-ended question like I see you have lost weight tell me about your weight loss.  This will get her to open about the loss of her job or anything else that may be troubling her.  As she talks about the lost of her job I will observe her nonverbal body motion such as facial expression, mood and attention span.  After that I would ask her about her family history of illnesses such as depression.  After collecting a family history, I would proceed to ask what type of medications the patient is currently taking or what medication have you recently stopped taking.  After collecting this information, I will take her vital signs, and draw some labs if she’s has taken any antipsychotic medication. I will report to the physician my findings and also suggest an psychological evaluation.

 

Effective Communication in the Workplace

Organizations work to improve overall written and verbal communication to encourage a win-win situation for improved patient or customer care, increased team motivation, and supportive management. Effective communication encourages active listening among people and improved understanding of a situation embracing both similarities and differences in each employee. Let’s read the following scenario to emphasize the importance of effective communication in a workplace.  You are the keynote speaker to improve overall communication effectiveness in your organization. Your presentation consists of 12 –15 Microsoft PowerPoint slides (not including the title and reference slide) along with speaker notes. You are addressing an audience comprising all department heads and management staff. Your overall focus is on common communication problems, various methods of learning, issues with feedback, and improving over all attitude through communication

 

Please read the “Effective Communication in the Workplace” PDF

Address the following areas including detailed speaker notes. The speaker notes area is the white space  below the slide where you can type information similar to a Microsoft  Word document. Your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation consists of  professional color slides, with detailed speaker notes to include  examples to support each slide.

• Describe four forms of communication used in the work environment.  Discuss the benefits and concerns with each communication method. For  example, body language, written, oral, and e-mail.
• Describe four methods of learning and listening. How does a person  learn (auditory, visual, etc.) if he or she has a preferred method? How  can the person adjust to learning in ways not in his or her preferred  method?
• What environmental and personal barriers hinder communication? Be specific and provide at least three examples.
• What impact can diversity in the work environment have on effective  and ineffective communication according to age, gender, cultural, or  religious diversity?
• What three errors do managers commit when providing ineffective feedback?
• Describe three issues managers and team members face if they are not  prepared to provide instant communication? What negative result can  occur if one is not prepared?
• Describe four methods to overcome communication barriers and provide detailed examples.
• Provide three key elements with specific examples on how effective  communication can reduce errors, improve professional relationships, and  assist staff with clear communication.

Submission Details:

• Your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation should consist of  professional color slides, with detailed speaker notes which includes  examples to support each slide.
• Ensure slides are professional in appearance, color contrast, and font.
• Provide references in APA format.
• Use correct spelling and grammar. Speaker notes below the slides should contain substance.

 

1. Describe the organizational characteristics of the facility in which you currently have a clinical assignment. Include the following:

a. Type of organization

b. Overall climate of the facility

c. How the organization is structured

d. Formal and informal goals and processes of the organization

2. Why is the work climate of an organization important to nurse leaders and managers?

3. What are the ways in which a nurse can enhance his or her expertise?

4. Explain “shared governance,” and describe how it can affect the power structure of a health-care organization.

5. Why is it important for staff nurses to understand the culture and real goals of the organization in which they work?

1. Describe your ideal organization. Explain each feature and why you think it is important.

2. Interview one of the staff nurses on your unit. Find out what practices within the organization help to empower the nurses. Compare this list of practices with those discussed in the textbook.

3. Recall the last time you walked into a hospital, clinic, or physician’s office for the first time. What was your first impression? Did you feel comfortable and welcome? Why or why not? If you could change the first impression this facility makes, what would you do?

4-What changes could be made at a very low cost? What changes would be expensive?Finally, discuss why it is important for a health-care facility to make a good first impression

 All paper submitted must be in APA format according to Publication Manual American Psychological Association (APA) (6th ed.). 2009 ISBN: 978-1-4338-0561-5