The Legislative or Advocacy Activities in which Maryland Nurse Practitioner are Involved

How I plan to Engage in Social Change in my Community as a Nurse Practitioner

As a nurse practitioner, I plan to engage in social change by adopting various strategies including conducting needs assessments with focus on identifying the issue of concerns within my community. Part of the approach I would use involves conducting a survey to collect individuals’ views to understand their main concerns. I also intend to explore societal needs by exploring the available resources, and work with professionals such as social health workers to promote population health.   

The Legislative or Advocacy Activities in which Maryland Nurse Practitioner are Involved

 In Maryland, nurse practitioners participate in a wide range of advocacy activities including calling for the expansion of the Scope of Practice. Maryland’s SOP laws put restrictions on what nurses can perform. Under the state’s laws, for instance, it is illegal for a nurse to diagnose illnesses. With this kind of law, it can be a challenge for patients in poorly staffed rural hospitals to access essential health services. Therefore, a nurse may advocate for the expansion of the SOP to allow them to make diagnoses or perform certain clinical tasks that physicians originally performed. 

References

Diegel-Vacek, L., Cotler, K., Reising, V., & Corbridge, S. J. (2021). Transition of Nurse Practitioner Faculty Practice and Student Clinicals to Telehealth: Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The journal for nurse practitioners : JNP, 17(3), 317–321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.12.023. 

Heinen, M., van Oostveen, C., Peters, J., Vermeulen, H., & Huis, A. (2019). An integrative review of leadership competencies and attributes in advanced nursing practice. Journal of advanced nursing, 75(11), 2378–2392. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14092.