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Discuss the most pressing health care problems you see in your community (include ethical and social justice issues), and how DNP-prepared nurses through political engagement can impact health care reform.

Participation Requirements

The student must answer the graded discussion with a substantive reply to the graded discussion question(s)/topic(s) posted by the course instructor by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Two scholarly sources references are required unless stated otherwise by your professor.

Remember that a new discussion rubric was approved by the professors, committee members, and a majority of the students. Please review the rubric before posting to ensure a maximum of points.

Here are the categories of the new discussion rubric:

Initial Post relevance to the topic of discussion, applicability, and insight. (20%)

Quality of Written Communication Appropriateness of audience and words choice is specific, purposeful, dynamic, and varied. Grammar, spelling, punctuation. (20%)

Inclusion of DNP essentials explored in the discussion as well as the role-specific competencies as applicable.(10%)

Rigor, currency,  and relevance of the scholarly references. (Use articles that are below 5 years). (20%)

Peer & Professor Responses. The number of responses, quality of response posts. (20%)

Timeliness of the initial post and the answers to the peers. (10%)

 

Pressing Health Care Problems in the Community and the Role of DNP-Prepared Nurses in Health Care Reform

Communities across the United States continue to face significant health care challenges that are deeply rooted in ethical and social justice concerns. Among the most pressing problems are limited access to primary and preventive care, health disparities driven by socioeconomic status, workforce shortages, and inequities in insurance coverage. These issues disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including low-income individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, older adults, and those living with chronic conditions.

Access to care remains a critical concern, particularly for individuals who are uninsured or underinsured. Financial barriers, lack of transportation, and shortages of primary care providers often delay diagnosis and treatment, leading to preventable disease progression. Ethically, this raises concerns related to justice and beneficence, as equitable access to care is a foundational principle of health care delivery. From a social justice perspective, disparities in access perpetuate cycles of poor health outcomes that are closely linked to income, education, and geographic location (Williams et al., 2022).

Another major issue is the growing shortage of health care professionals, particularly nurses and primary care providers. Workforce shortages contribute to longer wait times, increased provider burnout, and compromised quality of care. These shortages are often more severe in underserved and rural communities, further exacerbating health inequities. The ethical principle of nonmaleficence is challenged when systems are unable to provide safe, timely, and effective care due to inadequate staffing.

DNP-prepared nurses are uniquely positioned to address these challenges through political engagement and health policy leadership. One of the core competencies outlined in the AACN DNP Essentials is the ability to influence health policy to improve population health outcomes. Through advocacy at local, state, and national levels, DNP-prepared nurses can contribute to policy reforms that expand access to care, support workforce development, and promote health equity. This includes engaging with legislators, participating in professional organizations, providing expert testimony, and contributing to policy development initiatives (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2021).

Political engagement also enables DNP-prepared nurses to address social determinants of health through policy-driven solutions. For example, advocating for expanded Medicaid coverage, funding for community health programs, and policies that support preventive care can significantly reduce disparities. DNPs bring a systems-level perspective and evidence-based expertise that strengthen policy discussions and ensure that reforms are grounded in clinical reality and ethical practice.

Furthermore, DNP-prepared nurses play a critical role in translating research into practice and policy. By using data to demonstrate the impact of inequities and the effectiveness of interventions, DNPs can influence decision-makers and promote sustainable health care reform. This aligns with the DNP Essentials related to clinical scholarship, interprofessional collaboration, and population health improvement.

In conclusion, access disparities, workforce shortages, and systemic inequities represent some of the most pressing health care problems facing communities today. Addressing these issues requires ethically grounded, socially just, and politically informed action. DNP-prepared nurses, through active political engagement and policy leadership, are essential agents of change in advancing equitable health care reform and improving outcomes for all populations.

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References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org

Williams, D. R., Lawrence, J. A., & Davis, B. A. (2022). Racism and health: Evidence and needed research. Annual Review of Public Health, 43, 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052020-110239

 

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