Discuss the steps for using the nursing profession for political strategy.

Achievement of a goal in any political arena is contingent upon the ability of the person involved to understand individuals and ascertain and uphold strong interpersonal relationships. Political strategies are approaches and guidelines practiced in the invention of a plan to accomplish designated goals and objectives. Well-organized and cleverly managed strategies define the variability of success and failure when participating in the political arena.
As nurses, we tend to stay in our comfort zone. If we want to implement changes in laws and regulations affecting our profession then we must escape the complacency and comfort of our practice areas and step into the political arena. The political arena is the place where the laws and regulations impacting our profession, patient care, and regulation of scarce resources are discussed and negotiated. Nursing as a profession has potential power in numbers and is familiar with institutional and regulatory policies. Joining a professional nursing organization assists in increasing this power in numbers and enhances resources, which provides the ability to strategize more effectively. A nurse who joins a professional organization can be assured the organization is monitoring public policy and will offer reliable information related to policy issues and development. The nursing profession automatically benefits from expert power, legitimate power, and referent power prior to starting to form political strategies.
The advantages can be used to obtain an objective perspective; which is the first step in the utilization of nursing as a profession to succeed within the political arena. This will promote the nursing profession’s credibility as the altruistic, open-minded visionaries it is. The political process can be compared to the nursing process. The attempt to gain understanding of the steps in the political process prior to entering the political arena is comparable to the assessment phase of the nursing process. Another important step involves researching the issue in preparation for elucidation of the position and stance taken in reference to the problem and conceivable solution. This research includes collection of information and data pertaining to the clinical and policy sources; again similar to assessment phase of nursing process. The preparation of writings to illustrate and support the issue and resolution are an important part of the research initiative and presentation. While lining up supporters, perform an assessment of strength dynamics of the others involved ensuring strength of the strategy instead of a weakness. This will help ensure readiness for conflict by understanding the opposition and the rational behind it. This information is the basis for the planning of the strategies and coincides with establishing nursing diagnosis. Defining and researching the issue in an attempt to develop a resolution or policy option are important to the success of the strategy. The planning and communication of the issue and resolution is the next step in the strategy. The nurse must communicate clear and concise information ensuring the understanding of what is needed to resolve the issues. The communication must include steps for implementation of the resolution and/or policy (Plan/Outcomes). The next step is education and implementation of the plan for resolution of the issue (Implementation). The last step in the fulfillment of the political strategy is evaluation of the impact produced by the resolution and/or policy change.

Abood, S. (2007). Inflluencing Health Care in the Legislative Arena. THe Online Journal of Issues in Nursing , 12(1), . Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org

Mason, D.J., Leavitt, J., & Chaffee, M.W. (2012). Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care (6th ed.). St. Louis , MO: Elsevier Saunders .