NSG7010: Healthcare Policy

This course advances students' abilities to analyze the politics, institutions, norms, and key stakeholders involved in agenda-setting, legitimating, and decision-making of health policy in the United States. Students learn to utilize analytical frameworks to explain how the policymaking process works, relates to the substance of policy, and applies to contemporary healthcare and nursing issues. Specific methods and strategies which healthcare providers use to influence health policy are explored with respect to grassroots organizing, advocacy, building coalitions among stakeholders, lobbying, working with media, developing and sustaining relationships with legislators and providing expert professional testimony as part of the policy-making process. The focus of dialogue includes ethical principles, as well as legal and regulatory issues that impact the health of the public. The preferences of individuals (politics), economic, psychological, social and technological determinants will be examined. The course also examines the impact of policy on the healthcare workforce, especially on nursing deployment and utilization. A grade of B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course.