Part B: Population and Policy Analysis
Topic Selection – Choose from the following:
• Homeless veterans
• Migrants and health issues
• Pregnant teens
• Elderly and mental health
• American Indians and opioid addiction
• A population of your choice as approved by your faculty
Instructions:
After selecting your topic, address each of the following points in your writing. Use at least three scholarly references published within the last five years.
- Population Introduction
- Introduce your chosen population taken from the list above.
- Describe the population within the context of your local community.
- Policy Discussion
- Discuss one upstream policy (local, state, or national) that addresses social determinants of health needs for the population within your community.
- Describe the effects of that policy.
- Ethics in Policymaking
- Describe the role of ethics in policymaking.
- Explain how the policy adheres to ethical standards.
Submission Length: 2–3 pages
Part C: Op-Ed Commentary – Climate Change Impact
(Instructions below for your reference – delete this note before constructing your article.)
Op-ed commentaries are written by external contributors (“experts”) who present a well-defined point of view on new, current, or controversial topics. In this instance, you are the nurse expert and are tasked with highlighting the impact of climate change in your local community newspaper.
In your 2-page article, using at least one current scholarly reference, include the following:
- Introduction
- Introduce yourself and your excellent nursing education and experience.
- Environmental Impact
- Describe the impact of climate change on the environment, such as air pollution, temperature, and precipitation extremes.
- Explain how ecosystems are interdependent.
- Impact on Populations
- Discuss how climate change increases the risk of communicable and infectious diseases, as well as water/vector-borne pathogens.
- Provide an example of how nurses implement infection control measures, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Relevance to Local Community
- Explain how climate-related disasters affect vulnerable populations in your community, such as the elderly, pregnant individuals, and children.
- Evaluate whether your community’s system-level disaster response plan is effective, and explain why or why not.
(You can find information about your community’s disaster plans on city and government websites.)
- Conclusion (Kicker)
- Express the value of nurses in addressing climate change.
- Share your personal commitment to your local community