Select the chapter that relates to your work environment and/or emergency preparedness. How do you see health policy impacting nursing practice in that arena?

This chapter is the most relevant to me and my workplace: Chapter 9. Emergency Preparedness & Response. The chapter focuses on planning, coordination and implementation policies and procedures to prepare for disasters and life-threatening events both at the national/global and healthcare levels. In this area, health policy is a huge influence on the nursing profession as it guides nurses in crisis situations and offers guidance to preparedness.

In an emergency, the health policy could help nurses to have easy access to personal protective gear (PPE), medications or other resources. In response to public health crises such as outbreaks it can mandate specific protocols for communication between healthcare professionals. This will help to establish clear responsibility lines between staff. A well-crafted policy can help to create a system that prioritizes patient care while allowing the medical staff to stay safe during chaos.

In general, the health policy has a major role to play in shaping emergency nursing care. This is because it sets out expectations about how things will be done in times of crises and delineates roles for all parties involved.