Question

Identify your selected healthcare concern in your city or state that needs your advocacy with an elected official . What is the impetus and rational for your selection? Describe the model of policy making that you feel would be best applied to your policy concern and the rationale for selecting this model!

Answer 1

Nurses can impact on public policies through advocacy with an elected official. They have tremendous clinical experience and close communication with hundreds of patients and families which will make them experts in advocacy roles of policymaking.

Healthcare Concern in my City

Depression and suicide rate is increasing among school children and teenagers which causes an alarming concern in my city recently. Suicide among school children was a very rare incident until recently, but there were many cases reported in my city during the past few years which causes great concern among people.

The rationale behind the Selection

The teenage depression is usually getting ignored due to lack of awareness among parents and teachers. The change in behavior and lack of motivation to actively involved in studies and other activities are considered as laziness and the children suffer alone in silence. The constant bullying in some schools, the negative impact of social media and harassment of peers are all adding up to their mental agony which may lead to suicide. If the parents or teachers can identify depression at an early stage and can give the necessary treatment, this type of suicide can be prevented.

A policy-making is very essential to employ counselors in every school which will help in the early detection and treatment of depression among school children. At present, most of the schools in my city doesn't have a counselor or even a school nurse. So school children have nobody to discuss their problems, concerns, and worries. All their signs and symptoms are undetected and they suffer a lot mentally and finally committing suicide. Recent studies proved that school children and teenagers suffer from depression which affects them physiologically, mentally and emotionally. They will find it very hard to cope with the studies and to get along with peers. Depression will affect the family relationship, socialization, and performance of children. The fighting among parents, the divorce of parents, abuse or punishment from parents, teachers and other students etc. are some of the leading causes of depression among school children. This will affect their future if not getting recognized and treated. They couldn't perform like normal people in later life and will find it difficult to get employed and become financially independent. These problems can be avoided through early detection which is possible by employing a school counselor or psychologist in each school who should be trained and instructed to do screening tests for all children to identify early stages of depression. Employment of such counselors or psychologists in each school can be achieved only through proper policy making.

Legislative Policymaking is the best model to make this policy as a regulatory one which all schools have to comply in order to get its license renewed. Schools can make their own resources and strategies plan to implement this policy into practice. If this policy is not made into a regulatory one, school management will not comply with the policy and will give many excuses to avoid employing a school counselor or psychologist; for cost saving. Only by legally necessitating such a position in schools, the management will employ counselors in each school as mandatory to get their license renewed.