Go to your state government web page. Find one health policy enacted within the last two (2) years at the state level. Write down the bill number and the sponsors of the bill and include this information in your initial post. Write a minimum of a one-page critical analysis summary of the policy.

Health Policy and Ethics

Florida’s Bill SB 530: Nonopioid Alternatives was proposed by Senator Perry and took effect as of July 1, 2021. The bill was an amendment to s. 456.44, F.S., requires that health care practitioners provide patients or their representatives with educational pamphlets in an electronic form instead of only the printed form. The passing of the bill highlights the growing emphasis on the importance of patient education, especially regarding opioid intervention. Nurses play a central role in addressing the challenge of opioid abuse in America.

The Code of Ethics for nurses requires nurses to promote, advocate for, and protect the rights, health, and safety of patients (American Nurses Association, 2015). Therefore, the passing of the bill expands the scope of practice for nurses in Florida. By providing educational pamphlets on non-opioid alternatives electronically, nurses will expand patient knowledge, thus fulfilling their role as outlined in the Code. The bill also highlights nurses’ role in promoting population health. Nurses must embrace strategies that improve population health and minimize social disparities (Myers, 2020). The alternative for electronic educational pamphlets on non-opioid alternatives can thus help improve population health among residents of Florida.

Social determinants like education, socioeconomic status, education, employment, and social support networks also impact health care (Artiga & Hinton, 2018). The social determinants thus prompt the need for policy changes to limit disparities in health care access. Hence, the bill acts as a policy change to bridge disparities through patient education. As a result, Bill SB 530 represents a positive step towards addressing healthcare challenges in Florida and promoting population health.

References

American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics with interpretative statements. Silver
Spring, MD: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics-For-Nurses.html