Agenda Comparison Grid Paper-NURS 6050

ANSWER:

Agenda Comparison Grid Paper-NURS 6050

Policy and Advocacy for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health

There are various social, economical, and health-related problems in the community that impact the productivity, growth, and development of a nation. For example the abuse of alcohol, which is the most widely used drug since it is legalized and easily accessible. The impact on an individual’s physical, psychological, and emotional well-being due to alcoholism generates a cycle of problems for the individual, family, and the larger society. Access to healthcare is a fundamental human right, and through advocacy nurses ensure that the public enjoys such services. This paper aims to use the example of the alcohol menace and its related problems to show the government’s role in curbing such and the mandate of nurses in influencing policies and action to manage the problem and improve community health.

Agenda Comparison Grid and Fact Sheet or Talking Points Brief Assignment Template for Part 1 and Part 2

Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid

Use this Agenda Comparison Grid to document information about the population health/healthcare issue your selected and the presidential agendas. By completing this grid, you will develop a more in depth understanding of your selected issue and how you might position it politically based on the presidential agendas.

You will use the information in the Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid to complete the remaining Part 2 and Part 3 of your Assignment.

Identify the Population Health concern you selected.	Alcohol use disorder is a serious social, economic, and health problem considering that 85% of the population aged 18 and over admits to have consumed alcohol at one point of their life, and 26% are binge drinkers. In the U.S 414000 youths aged 12-17 and 14.1 million adults had alcohol use disorder as per 2019 data (NIAAA, 2020). Among the preventable health problems, alcohol is the leading cause of deaths with an average of 95000 fatalities per year. The economic burden and loss of productivity in the nation currently amounts to hundreds of billions as per 2010 data it was at 249 billion. The impacts of alcohol abuse are detrimental to the individual, family, and the nation health-wise and in the use of resources that would otherwise be channeled to other useful courses. Therefore it is the mandate of health care staff in collaboration with the government to swiftly act and manage the problem before it gets out of hand considering the number of alcohol users is steadily rising.
Describe the Population Health concern you selected and the factors that contribute to it.	Alcohol problem affects indiscriminately and can impact any person or group in society regardless of their age, ethnicity, gender, personal beliefs, and body type. The impact on an individual’s physical, psychological, and emotional well-being due to alcoholism generates a cycle of problems for the individual, family, and the larger society. Alcohol use is harmful to the body as well as a risk to individuals around us. For example, in 2018, there were 83,517 recorded deaths from the liver disease among people aged 12 and above, of which 42.8% were alcohol users (NIAAA, 2020). The short-term effects of alcohol use include violence, injuries, accidents, alcohol poisoning, risky sexual behavior, miscarriage and stillbirths, suicide, and even death. Long-term health risks include mental health issues, physical impairment, different forms of cancer, heart diseases, and alcoholism. Social problems include lost productivity, unemployment, and other family issues. Factors that Numerous factors lead to the development of alcoholism. There are internal and external factors that lead to alcohol use disorders. According to Kendler et al. (2020), internal factors include psychological conditions such as stress, genetics, drinking history, personality, and choice. On the other hand, some external factors include the environment, family, social and cultural norms, religion, education, age, and employment status (Kendler et al., 2020).
Administration (President Name)	President Trump	President Obama	President Bush
Describe the administrative agenda focus related to this issue for the current and two previous presidents.	In 2017 the government announced its 5-point strategy to combat the substance and opioid crisis, including addiction prevention, treatment, recovery services, pain management, better use of overdose-reversing drugs, and better data use and research (U.S HHS, 2019). Was dedicated to preventing drug abuse through legislation and law enforcement, crackdowns and prevention measures, treatment and recovery, and interdiction.	His first years focused on making healthcare accessible to most Americans by introducing Medicare and Medicaid covers. It is only during his second regime in 2010 that he released his first National Drug Control Strategy through the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Obama’s strategy focused on establishing evidence-based drug control programs, education and outreach programs, evidence-based substance abuse treatment and recovery support, and supporting law enforcement authorities (ONDCP, 2011)	President Bush proposed a community-based approach where each individual and group has a responsibility of looking out for one another. Some of the strategies he proposed were rally parents to do their oversight work over their children, the public to report drug peddlers, promote school and community programs, and allocate a budget of $3.8 billion for drug treatment and research (U.S department of State Archive, 2002). In president’s Bush allocation for Alcoholism research, he did include a budget for curbing HIV/AIDS.
Identify the allocations of financial and other resources that the current and two previous presidents dedicated to this issue.	In the onset of president Trump’s regime NIAAA, the organization that researches on alcohol issues had a budget of $467.4 million for FY 2017. According to Congressional Research Service. (2020) president Trump’s budget for NIH had amassed to nearly $39 billion. We are factoring the whole budget since different health agencies do also participate in prevention, treatment, and recovery of alcoholism victims and their various health issues. NIAAA’s budget has been used for comparative purposes.	The president proposed the NIAAA budget to stand at $436.7 million in the FY 2009. In 2010 President Obama released his first National Drug Control Strategy through the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and proposed a budget of $26 billion for that course.	President Bush’s remarks on the 2002 National Control strategy shows that he had called for Congress to allocate $19 billion to fight drug use (U.S department of State Archive, 2002). NIAAA’s budget on the onset of President Bush regime was $308.7 million.
Explain how each of the presidential administrations approached the issue.	Alcohol use disorder has risen drastically over the past few years and president trump acknowledged such during the 2018 National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery month, President Trump declared September 2018 as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, where people ought to capitalized on the available programs, ceremonies, and activities planned to seek health and wellbeing (The Whitehouse, 2018). The HHS has been active through its various agencies to develop modernized regulations to help people struggling with substance use disorder get effective and coordinated care. The government did also allocate a higher budget than the previous presidents to manage the number of rising cases and costs of healthcare and research.	President Obama started by ensuring that nearly everyone had access to healthcare by having some form of insurance. President Obama did also incorporate the community-based approach of involving every person and group in fighting substance use. On curbing alcoholism health institutions focused on establishing evidence-based drug control programs, education and outreach programs, evidence-based substance abuse treatment and recovery support, and supporting law enforcement authorities	President George Bush’s administration had three major spending priorities: winning the war against terrorism, protecting the nation, and boosting the economy. The programs left little funding to programs that focused on substance abuse. The president called for a community based approach in curbing alcohol; and substance use while capitalizing on the available health and community based programs.

Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis

Using the information you recorded in Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid, complete the following to document information about the population health/healthcare issue your selected

Administration (President Name)	President Trump	President Obama	President Bush
Which administrative agency would most likely be responsible for helping you address the healthcare issue you selected?	Various health agencies deal with substance and drug use problems in the United States, such as the NIH, SAMHSA, and NIDA. However, the Agency that I would prefer to help me address alcohol use disorder would be the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The Agency was formed in 1970 and is currently the leading funder of alcohol research in the world. NIAAA supports evidence-based, innovative, translational, and clinical research crucial to the advancement of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Alcoholism and its related issues. Thanks to NIAAA, more knowledge has been gathered on how alcohol affects the body and brain, which is a fundamental step towards controlling such menace. The Agency has multidisciplinary programs aimed at solving alcohol problems in different groups in society.	NIAAA is the preferred administrative agency to work with in addressing alcoholism in the community.	NIAAA is the preferred administrative agency to work with in addressing alcoholism in the community.
How do you think your selected healthcare issue might get on the agenda for the current and two previous presidents? How does it stay there?	The best way to ensure that the issues around alcohol use disorder and its related problems are looked into is through advocacy. Though the nursing and medical practitioners have the knowledge on most health care issues, it takes the influence of the political administration to ensure that policies and interventions are implemented. As a nurse leader with knowledge in healthcare and armed with great communication skills, it is best to use strategies and convincing methods to influence leaders’ opinions and decisions in legislative positions. This can be productive in creating and changing policies, laws, and influencing the community’s distribution of resources (Water et al., 2016). To ensure my agenda maintains, it is better to employ persuasion and provide irrefutable evidence to support the agenda required. It is also key to explain to the political leader how implementing the change would improve his/her political image to further their career since politicians love what is beneficial to them. Therefore effective advocacy would require an understanding of the policy terrain, political relations, the principal actors, and the interest at stake.	I would still use the same approach of advocacy on each president’s administration by demonstrating how the agenda benefits the community, saves on limited resources, enhances productivity, and strengthens their political mileage.	President’s Bush administration had different agendas of winning the war against terrorism, protecting the nation, and boosting the economy. Through Advocacy I would demonstrate how fixing the AUD would help build on the agenda of the administration.
Who would you choose to be the entrepreneur/ champion/sponsor of the healthcare issue you selected for the current and two previous presidents?	I would consider having President Donald J. Trump as the candidate that would support my Alcoholism-based programs and policies. Simply because in the current regime, the government has numerous organizations under the HHS department that would support the course against substance and drug abuse; hence a campaign or advocacy program can be successful. Secondly, Donald Trump has been vocal on alcohol and drug addiction that in 2018 he declared September the month of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month and asked affected individuals to seek help through the various programs available. Thirdly because the government allocates a higher budget than the previous administrations, considering providing healthcare is a costly affair. The government has also the advantage that it has built over research, innovations and policies from the previous regimes.	While president Obama has good policies of creating access to care through insurance cover, the administration lacks with its limited expenditure on NIAAA, which focuses on alcohol related issues.	President Bush administration does not only lack in funds but also in strategies to fight the problem. Research and innovations in alcohol related issues was almost limited then.

Narrative with the Facts

Advocating for the issues around alcohol use disorder and its related problems is critical since the prevalence of the issue in the current times is alarming. The narrative approach that would be appropriate to use when communicating with a policymaker is by ensuring they understand the impact of such a problem not only on the affected individual but also on society. Legislators can best be convinced using statistics such as number of impairments, deaths, accidents, victims of alcoholism, family violence, resources wasted, and how much can be saved.

The most important measure is to ensure they take credit since it will push forward their political image and career. It is best to use evidence-based arguments and studies since the politicians also have specialists that they trust. If the evidence is factual, they won’t hesitate to support the agenda. When advocating, it will also be crucial to incorporate how the various recommendations will be implemented and the required resources. Such will help minimize the time used in planning and reviewing the appropriate methods since the blueprint is already available. It is best to create rapport with the leaders to be in a favorable position when presenting any opinions, ideas, and recommendations.

Conclusion

The problem of Alcohol use disorder and its associated consequences have become rampant in the society especially with the rising numbers of youths aged 12-17 and adults consuming alcohol. Different studies show that the sheer number of risk factors causing alcoholism make it difficult to predict whether a person may develop alcoholism or not. However, the government can intervene by funding and providing resources that help advance psychological wellbeing, access to healthcare, the social and economic welfare they contribute to the development of alcoholism. It has to support evidence-based drug control programs, education and outreach programs, evidence-based substance abuse treatment and recovery support, and supporting law enforcement authorities. Nurses, who are the majority staff in healthcare, can also be used as change agents in the various programs and their wellbeing should also be considered to facilitate quality outcomes. As a nurse leader with knowledge in healthcare and armed with great communication skills, it is best to use strategies and convincing methods to influence leaders’ opinions and decisions in legislative positions. This can be productive in creating and changing policies, laws, and influencing the community’s distribution of resources. In the current times, universal health care is fundamental, and every person has the right to access quality care and lead a healthy life. It is through policy and advocacy practice and care provision that nurses help develop a transformative healthy nation.

References

Congresional Research Service. (2020). National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding: FY1995 – FY2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020, from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43341.pdf

Kendler, K. S., Ohlsson, H., Bacanu, S., Sundquist, J., & Sundquist, K. (2020). The risk for drug abuse, alcohol use disorder, and psychosocial dysfunction in offspring from high-density pedigrees: its moderation by personal, family, and community factors. Molecular psychiatry, 25(8), 1777-1786.

NIAAA. (2020). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Retrieved 28 December 2020, from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/

ONDCP. (2011). Advancing a New Approach to Drug Policy: Key Accomplishments. Retrieved 28 December 2020, from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ondcp/newapproach.pdf

U.S HHS. (2019). Trump Administration Announces $1.8 Billion in Funding to States to Continue Combating Opioid Crisis. Retrieved 28 December 2020, from https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2019/09/04/trump-administration-announces-1-8-billion-funding-states-combating-opioid.html

Water, T., Ford, K., Spence, D., & Rasmussen, S. (2016). Patient advocacy by nurses–past, present and future. Contemporary Nurse, 52(6), 696-709.

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QUESTION:

Assignment: Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement

As a nurse, how often have you thought to yourself, If I had anything to do about it, things would work a little differently? Increasingly, nurses are beginning to realize that they do, in fact, have a role and a voice.

Many nurses encounter daily experiences that motivate them to take on an advocacy role in hopes of impacting policies, laws, or regulations that impact healthcare issues of interest. Of course, doing so means entering the less familiar world of policy and politics. While many nurses do not initially feel prepared to operate in this space effectively, the reward is the opportunity to shape and influence future health policy.

To Prepare:

Select a bill that has been proposed (not one that has been enacted) using the congressional websites provided in the Learning Resources.

The Assignment: (1- to 2-page Legislation Grid; 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement)

Part 1: Legislation Grid

Based on the health-related bill (proposed, not enacted) you selected, complete the Legislation Grid Template. Be sure to address the following:

Determine the legislative intent of the bill you have reviewed.
Identify the proponents/opponents of the bill.
Identify the target populations addressed by the bill.
Where in the process is the bill currently? Is it in hearings or committees?

Part 2: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Based on the health-related bill you selected, develop a 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement that addresses the following:

Advocate a position for the bill you selected and write testimony in support of your position.
Describe how you would address the opponent to your position. Be specific and provide examples.
At least 2 outside resources and 2-3 course specific resources are used.