Strengthening Nurses' Influence in Health Policy

Abstract

With nurses at the forefront of health care, the need for their active engagement in policy has never been more urgent. Numerous national and global reports call for nurses to lead policy change. The Patton Zalon Ludwick Policy Assessment Framework is intended to answer this call by serving as a foundational guide to nurses' self-assessment of their health policy actions. It includes three dimensions: engagement, partnership, and reach, each with three levels. The levels of engagement are literacy, advocacy, and influence. The partnership levels are single unit or community group, interdisciplinary team(s), and broad-based coalitions. The reach levels are based on the location of policy work: local/unit/organization, regional/state, and national/global. The dimensions are interconnected, and the levels build upon one another but are not necessarily symmetrical, linear, or prescriptive. In this article, the authors describe each dimension and level in detail, and the accompanying tables provide examples of policy goals and actions. Nurses worldwide can use this framework to engage in self-reflection and envision actions to achieve their policy goals. It will enable nurses to evolve from being policy bystanders to becoming visible, credible policy leaders.