Policy Polit Nurs Pract. 2008 Nov;9(4):274-87. doi: 10.1177/1527154408319287. Epub 2008 May 30.

What are the sources of health policy that influence nursing practice?.

Policy, politics & nursing practice

Susan H Taft, Kevin M Nanna

PMID: 18515786 DOI: 10.1177/1527154408319287

Abstract

This article seeks to fill a gap in the existing nursing literature by answering the question, "Where does health policy come from?" Nursing leaders agree that nurses should be involved in developing health policy, yet most nurses are not engaged. Many factors contribute to nurses' low rates of involvement, but the primary drivers is that nurses believe they lack the knowledge and skills to influence policy formulation. This article proposes a framework of the sources of health policy. We classify health policy sources as public, organizational, or professional, and provide examples. Nurses with a deeper understanding of the varied sources of health policy can enhance their political competence and more readily act in the policy domain.

MeSH terms

• Health Policy*
• Humans
• Nursing*
• Policy Making*
• United States

Publication Types

• Journal Article
• Review