State and federal advocacy
Introduction
It is cumbersome to influence public policy through the government, especially for individuals who have limited resources and power. The development of public policy is never a linear process because the event involves complex negotiations and interactions among various stakeholders that include advisers, politicians, and bureaucrats (Vonderhaar & Snyder, 2019). Several factors influence the probability of change that is expected to occur. It is essential to gain political will as well as the support from the public to be able to influence the policymaking process in the federal and state government. This paper discusses the advocacy strategies and actions that can be utilized to improve health care at the state or federal level through legislation.
Strategic invest in relationships
Investing in the relationship in a strategic manner helps in underpinning the process of influencing change in policy at both state and federal levels (Vonderhaar & Snyder, 2019). Through the investment in relationships, the advocates can increase credibility and develop trust with stakeholders, which may result in the creation of a coalition or alliances. At the same, it is easy to identify the key influencers, obtain intelligence on the policy risks and opportunities, the policy champions, and gain an elaborate point of view on the reactions of the opponents. At the time, it is a challenge because the nurses advocate always build their relationship with fellow nurses instead of other policymaking stakeholders. The nurses must become strategic because relations cannot be developed with every person and that the relationship should be invested diversely.
Identification if a unified and a clear solution
The building of relationships helps in pulling available resources together to help in advocating the needs of the nurses. Policymakers always have bounded rationality; therefore, it is essential to provide the solution in a clear and simplified manner. Decision-making should be done through comprehensive analysis. The policy actions that are small, but incremental are always favored compared to policies that suggest a radical shift in the existing systems (Lobach, 2016). In relation to having a clear and simplified solution, it is essential to have a strategic network of alliances and stakeholders who will help in coordinating on the same policy agenda for the policymakers to interpret.
Application of policy entrepreneur skills
The most significant barriers that affect policy change in nursing include limited time, resources, and skills of the advocate. Policy entrepreneur skills help in taking advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. Besides, the skills help in being flexible, persistent, increases an individual’s credibility, and helps in prioritizing the investments done on the relationships that are helpful in advocacy (Zhang, 2018). It is, therefore, essential to learning the skill because it helps in leveraging ideas for decision-makers and easy identification of policy opportunities and, at the same time, understand the opposition strategies. It is also vital to secure a high power and status in the political arena to become an insider and obtain a position in a formal authority at the state and federal level.
Conclusion
In conclusion, achieving policy action may take a more extended period. Therefore implementation plans for every phase to be undertaken must be carefully developed. Investing in the relationship in a strategic manner helps in underpinning the process of influencing change in policy at both the state and federal levels. It is essential to gain political will as well as the support from the public to be able to influence the policymaking process in the federal and state government.