Week 3 World Health Organization and Health Care Policy Peers Response
Post a thoughtful response to at least two (2) other colleagues’ initial postings. Responses to colleagues should be supportive and helpful (examples of an acceptable comment are: “This is interesting in my practice, we treated or resolved (diagnosis or issue) with (x, y, z meds, theory, management principle) and according to the literature”¦” and add supportive reference. Avoid comments such as “I agree” or “good comment.”
References:
Response posts: Minimum of one (1) total reference: one (1) from peer-reviewed or course materials reference per response.
Words Limits
Response posts: Minimum 200 words excluding references.
Peer post 1
n this discussion, I will be delving into the world of politics and how it relates to nursing. I will be discussing what a lobbyist and what an advocate are, including how they relate and how what they do is different and why what they do is useful. Finally, I will be discussing the World Health Organization (WHO) and what they do in with regards to defining health care policy.
The government is a central force of our nation and they are in charge of establishing and controlling policies that have great effects on our lives, such as the highly debated heartbeat bill pertaining to abortion. One of the many ways these policies are brought to the attention of those within the government is through the actions of lobbyists and advocates. A lobbyist is often a paid member of a group that utilize their knowledge to push certain policies to the forefront of the office and it is a costly business (Mason, Gardner, Outlaw & O’Grady, 2016). Lobbyists use their forces to bring attention to some policy that they hope to push through the system and they do it by pushing information onto those they consider the right people, the people who will be most likely to hold the same beliefs on the particular topic.
An advocate, much like a lobbyist is someone pushing their agenda on to those they feel are in the right position to help get something done. Advocates often have a direct knowledge in what they are advocating for, but it is not necessary and anyone who feels they have something worthwhile to say and want to get that information to the people who can influence change can do so through the act of advocating. To make a difference through advocacy one must have the commitment to their desired course of action as well as make their presence known (Kostas-Polston, Thanavaro, Arvidson, & Taub, 2015).
Advocates and lobbyists do the same work, they are pushing for something they want to be implemented as a policy that now directly affects others. The main difference between the lobbyists and those that advocate is the access to funding. Lobbyists often are backed by large corporations or groups and have the funds to make their voices heard above others. Lobbyists are also expected to adhere to certain guidelines such as registering with Congress if their action of lobbying exceeds that of 20% (Mason, Gardner, Outlaw & O’Grady, 2016). When there is an important item that people believe needs to be made a policy the means of how the voices get heard, whether lobbyist or advocate, is not as important as the message getting to the intended parties.
The organization that I have selected is the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO is well known as a group that advocates for health care policy across the globe. The World Health Organization is especially driven to advocate in relation to research in the field of health care (World Health Organization, 2019). The WHO is highly invested in global health and well-being and spend much of their time advocating for health care in underfunded countries.
In conclusion, the government and politics play a large role in the field of health care. It is the job of the lobbyists and the passion of the advocates that get the ball rolling and get the information to the people that can make it a policy. Regardless of who is responsible for getting a health care matter turned into policy, what is important is that we are here to advocate for what is in the best interest of the patient.
References
Kostas-Polston, E. A., Thanavaro, J., Arvidson, C., & Taub, L. M. (2015). Advanced practice nursing: Shaping health through policy. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 27(1), 11-20. doi:10.1002/2327-6924.12192
Mason, D. J., Gardner, D. B., Outlaw, F. H., & O’Grady, E. T. (2016). Policy & politics in nursing and health care (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier
World Health Organization (WHO), (2019). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/occupational_health/topics/wor”¦
Peer discussion 2
This week’s discussion is about the difference and similarities as well as importance of lobbyist and advocates. Also, there will be a discussion of how one of the selected organizations in the week one discussion lobby or advocate for health care polic
