Jun 1, 2015 - proposed regulations on www.regulations.gov for public comment. Professional ... the EHR Incentive Program for Stage 3 of Meaningful Use.
Nursing Informatics Leadership in Government Source: OJNI Volume 19, Number 2 by Dr. Willa Fields June 1, 2015 In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln ended his speech in Gettysburg with these words: "… and that government of the people, by the people, for the people…" (p 1). These words, spoken more than 150 years ago, are as true today, not only for the general public, but also for nurses and nurse informaticists. The United States government is "of the people" any citizen can run for an elected position, "by the people" citizens vote or elect the people who govern, and "for the people" those who are elected serve the people. In other words, we as nurses and nurse informaticists have a voice in government by running for office, electing officials, or influencing those who are elected. On a different, although related topic, The Future of Nursing Report (2011) outlined four key messages: 1) nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training, 2) nurses should achieve higher levels of education, 3) nurses should be full partners with physicians and other health providers in redesigning health care in the United States, and 4) we need better data for effective workforce planning. The third message speaks to leadership nurses as a full partner, nurses leading efforts that redesign and transform health care. As nurse informaticists, we can lead, we can transform health care, by influencing elected officials and government agencies. We can shape and develop policy. Repeatedly, the Gallup Poll lists nurses at the top of the list of professionals for honesty and ethics (Riffkin, 2014), yet nurses are not viewed as influential (Gallup, 2010). To be viewed as influential, we need to be proactive and visible. We must leverage the public's trust in us to influence policy. We are experts in health, nursing, and nursing informatics. Our elected officials and public agencies rely on our expert opinion to guide them in the transformation of health care.
Of the People We can run for public office. Yes, there are nurses in elected positions. The 114th Congress has four nurses in the House, compared to 15 physicians (Manning, 2015). Knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced nurses have been successful in being elected to a national office. Wouldn't it be great to have a nurse informaticist in Congress? We can lead Federal agencies. For example, Marilyn Tavenner was the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) between 2011 and 2015. Mary Wakefield has been the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) since 2009. Judy Murphy served as the Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy and then as Chief Nursing Officer at the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health
Information Technology between 2011 and 2014. Nurses are making progress in achieving top positions in government agencies. Health information technology is a major priority in health care and our government we need more nurse informaticists running health IT related agencies.
By the People As individual nurse informaticists, we may not have the interest or qualifications to run for public office, but all of us can exercise our right to vote. Voting also includes the responsibility to be informed about those running for office. In the last presidential election in 2012, the United States Census Bureau (nd) reported that of the approximately 314 million residents eligible to vote in the United States, 215 million were registered to vote, and only 133 million (62 percent of registered voters or 42 percent of residents) actually voted. Need I say more?
For the People Since elected officials serve us, the people, it is incumbent upon us to speak up and influence policy decisions. Here's where all of us can take a leadership role. We need to be informed about bills that affect health information technology, and contact elected officials about the evidence in support or not of what is being proposed. Elected officials have web pages with a place to send messages. We can call, write, or even visit our elected officials. Professional organizations have public policy committees and organized activities with elected officials. There are multiple avenues for raising the nursing informatics voice and influencing those whom we have elected. Once a bill becomes law and is assigned to an agency for enactment, the agency posts the proposed regulations on www.regulations.gov for public comment. Professional organizations monitor the regulations, and submit comments on behalf of the membership. We can join our professional organizations' public policy committee and help formulate the comments. As a consumer, we can also comment individually. Every comment is evaluated. The agencies rely on expert public comment to improve the proposed regulations. I encourage you to explore www.regulations.gov. Type in health information technology, electronic health records, or other related terms and see what regulations are open for public comment. ONC posted the Health Information Technology Certification Criteria and CMS posted the EHR Incentive Program for Stage 3 of Meaningful Use. The comment period ended May 29, 2015. As nurses it is our professional obligation to advocate for our patients. As nurse informaticists we can advocate for our patients by leading the way in transforming health care through the safe use of technology. We can lead by using our knowledge and skills to influence elected officials and government agencies through our professional organizations and as individuals. What are you doing to ensure that nurse informaticists influences the transformation of health care?
References
References Gallup. (2010, January 20). Nursing leadership from bedside to boardroom: Opinion leaders' perceptions. http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/webassets/2010/01/nursingleadershipfrom bedsidetoboardroom Institute of Medicine (IOM). (2011). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health.Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Lincoln, A. (1863, November 19). The Gettysburg Address.http://www.learntheaddress.org/static/media/uploads/docs/gettysburgaddress.pdf Manning, J. (2015). Membership of the 114th Congress: A profile.http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43869.pdf Congressional Research Service, 75700, R43869. Riffkin, R. (2014, December 18). Americans rate nurses highest on honesty, ethical standards.http://www.gallup.com/poll/180260/americansratenurseshighesthonestyethical standards.aspx United States Census Bureau. (n. d.). Voting and registration. Retrieved fromhttp://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/index.html
