MRU MSN–FNP Policy Analysis Paper Assignment

Graduate nursing students demonstrate advanced leadership and scholarly thinking when they critically analyze a current health policy, evaluate its influence on clinical practice, and propose practical, evidence-based recommendations for improvement in healthcare systems.

Objective:

The purpose of this assignment is to critically analyze a health policy at the local, state, or federal level and provide recommendations based on your evaluation. Thoughtful analysis helps nurses connect policy decisions to real patient care outcomes. You will explore how this policy impacts clinical practice and make connections between policy and practice in nursing. Effective nurse leaders must understand how laws and regulations shape daily healthcare delivery.

Assignment Instructions:

1. Select a Health Policy:

Choose a health policy that has been enacted at the local, state, or federal level. Selecting a meaningful policy will support deeper critical thinking. The policy should be relevant to healthcare delivery, nursing practice, or public health. Recent legislative changes often provide strong options for analysis.

2. Analyze and Evaluate the Policy:

Provide a thorough analysis of the health policy, examining its purpose, implementation, and impact on healthcare delivery or outcomes. Strong academic writing requires careful use of credible scholarly evidence. Consider the policy’s implications for nursing practice and the healthcare system as a whole. Professional nurses benefit when they evaluate both intended and unintended consequences of policy decisions.

3. Application of Health Policy in Clinical Practice:

Discuss how the selected policy can be applied or is being applied in clinical practice. Realistic examples strengthen the connection between theory and practice. How does the policy influence clinical decision-making, patient care, or healthcare delivery in your area of practice? Daily nursing responsibilities are often directly affected by policy changes.

4. Recommendations Based on Analysis:

Based on your evaluation of the policy, provide recommendations for improvement or changes. Practical suggestions should reflect professional experience and scholarly research. These recommendations should be evidence-based and consider how the policy could better support healthcare outcomes or nursing practice. Ethical reasoning and patient safety must remain central to all proposals.

5. Paper Structure:

• Introduction: Provide an overview of the health policy and its relevance. Clear introductions guide the reader through the main ideas of the paper.
• Body: Conduct the policy analysis, application to practice, and provide recommendations. Logical organization improves academic quality and readability.
• Conclusion: Summarize your key findings and insights from the analysis. Conclusions should emphasize the importance of nursing involvement in health policy.

Assignment Requirements:

• Maximum 5 pages (not including the title and reference pages). Careful editing will help students remain within the required length.
• Use APA 7th edition formatting. Accurate formatting reflects graduate-level professionalism.
• Include at least 5 scholarly references published within the last 5 years. Current evidence ensures that analysis remains relevant to modern healthcare.

Policy Analysis Paper Rubric

Criteria	Excellent (4 points)	Good (3 points)	Fair (2 points)	Poor (1 point)
Selection and Description of Health Policy (20 points)	Policy is well-selected, clearly described, and highly relevant to healthcare or nursing practice.	Policy is relevant and adequately described, though details could be more specific.	Policy is described, but lacks relevance or detail.	Policy is not clearly described or lacks relevance to healthcare.
Analysis and Evaluation of Health Policy (30 points)	Thorough and insightful analysis, with comprehensive evaluation of policy’s impact on healthcare outcomes.	Good analysis with evaluation of the policy’s impact, though less comprehensive.	Superficial analysis with minimal evaluation of the policy’s impact on healthcare.	Little to no analysis or evaluation of the policy’s impact.
Application of Health Policy in Clinical Practice (20 points)	Clear and thoughtful discussion on how the policy is applied in clinical practice, with strong connections to patient care and decision-making.	Adequate discussion of clinical practice application, but lacks depth or specific examples.	Limited discussion of policy’s application to clinical practice; connections are unclear.	Discussion of clinical practice application is unclear or missing.
Recommendations for Policy Improvement (20 points)	Recommendations are evidence-based, realistic, and show deep understanding of policy improvement.	Recommendations are practical but may not be fully supported by evidence.	Recommendations lack depth, are not well-supported by evidence, or are vague.	Recommendations are absent or not feasible.
APA Formatting and References (10 points)	Flawless APA formatting, and all references are current (within 5 years).	Minor APA formatting errors; most references are current (within 5 years).	Several APA formatting errors; some references are outdated.	Significant APA formatting errors; references are outdated or missing.

Your Study Bay Notes

Health policy analysis requires nurses to connect legislation with actual patient care realities. Careful examination of a selected policy reveals how funding, regulation, and professional standards shape daily clinical practice. Evidence from recent literature demonstrates that well-designed health policies improve access to services, reduce disparities, and strengthen healthcare quality. Nurses play a critical role in translating policy language into practical actions at the bedside. Recommendations for policy improvement should address gaps in implementation and barriers faced by healthcare providers. Professional advocacy and interprofessional collaboration help transform policy goals into measurable outcomes. Research shows that active nurse engagement in policy development leads to better healthcare delivery and stronger patient outcomes (Milstead & Short, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1891/9780826145372).

 Scholarly References

Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. https://doi.org/10.1891/9780826145372

Mason, D. J., Gardner, D. B., Outlaw, F. H., & O’Grady, E. T. (2021). Policy and politics in nursing and health care (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Williams, S. D., Phillips, J. M., & Koyama, K. (2018). Nurse advocacy and policy participation: Influencing healthcare change. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 9(2), 4–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(18)30039-1

Porche, D. J. (2022). Public policy and nursing: Advocacy for population health. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 46(3), 205–212. https://doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000536