I don't get it!?

[mcp-newG09]

Hey ya'll!!!

So- I was excited that my Community Health teacher gave the whole class a 2hr lunch break yesterday, so we could take part in a historic moment, the inaugeration of our 44th president- BARACK OBAMA:yeah:. But in return we have a homework assignment... I need to write a moc-letter to Senator Tom Daschle (Secretary of Health & Human Services, Director of Health Care Reform) expressing how we feel about the way health care reform will affect me as a professional nurse in the near future. And i'm a little embarrassed to say - I really don't know how health care reform will affect my nursing career... Right now I'm all for health care reform, b/c I know what its like to need medical care and not have any insurance- free care HA!!! that wasn't an option for me. But I don't know how reform will affect my future salary, work hours, or career as a whole. I'm familiar with most of the details in President Obama's reform plan, but its a "plan". Things could change, ideas can be adjusted, and new details may be introduced by the time I graduate in May ...

Can anyone offer me any thoughts about how I can complete this assignment without looking like an ignorant nursing student that has no idea what's instore for her professional future???

Thanx! newG

[Pepperlady]

Might be off track but I think you could approach it from the nursing shortage view and how that will affect you and your practice in the years to come and with reform will come new positions for instructors/teachers and increasing nursing school enrollments

[lpnflorida]

You can also look at the new payment system or should I say nonpayment of certain conditions which happen in the hospital. I had just today posted a new thread in that regards..

good luck on your assignment

[DA314]

You might consider that a lot of people who are not currently seeking the medical attention they need because the have no insurance will start to seek treatment, which will create an influx of patients on an already understaffed nursing team.

On the other hand, after the initial wave of new patients, you may see hospital census drop because people are getting preventive care, so many illnesses will be controlled before they become critical enough to require hospital admission.

Also, because people will have access to a primary healthcare provider, the uninsured will use the ER as a walk-in clinic less often.

Just some things to think about.

[hikernurse]

Nurses are great at teaching the preventive stuff and educating patients; maybe this role will increase with the change in focus of Obama's team. That would be cool.

I don't know if the government's health plan will be overwhelmed by all the people who could potentially join up--esp. if tax benefits to insurance companies are decreased and more companies fail to offer insurance to their employees.

If the govt runs low on money, patients may be restricted n the type of care they receive.

Of course, like a lot of presidential promises, maybe things will get caught up in the tangle of govt and nothing will change at all...

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

You might be able to get some ideas from the ANA website, they have position papers and lobbists, etc. Good luck!