AWM3: Advocating for Policy Change to Improve Health Outcomes in the Community

AWM3 Task Template

Title of Work

Author Name (First, Middle Initial, Last)

College of Health Professions, Western Governors University

D025: Essentials of Advanced Nursing Roles & Interpersonal Practice

Instructor Name

Date

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Interprofessional Professionalism in Population Health Advocacy

A. AACN Competencies

Advanced Professional Nurse as Advocate

The advanced professional nurse (APN) serves as a required agent of population health
by exercising their clinical, leadership, and policy acumen to meet the requisite demands of a
wider population. This advocacy position needs profound knowledge of epidemiology, social
determinants of health, and health policy to determine and address disparities. APNs translate
evidence into action plans and engage the different stakeholders in the process of designing
culturally responsive and sustainable interventions. They serve to provide communities more
power by helping them access resources and giving a voice to underrepresented communities
in the healthcare system. APNs are able to change environments and policies that foster
equitable health outcomes by being ethically committed and able to think systemically, and their
work is a statement of the principle of health as a foundational human right that needs
knowledgeable and watchful champions.
B. Interprofessional Professionalism Assessment
The Interprofessional Professionalism Assessment (IPA) is an instrument that is used to
evaluate six essential domains of teamwork on a systematic basis. The area of communication
is also a strength, and active listening is also a strength; however, it is not an easy task to make
the medical terminology easy to understand by all specialty team members. In the case of
Respect, the importance of respecting the expertise of every profession is high, and there is a
need to actively learn the scope of roles of colleagues (IPC, 2018). In the case of altruism and
caring, the ability to help peers proactively is a strength, and more publicly displaying empathy
towards fellow providers is the area to work on.
Skill in the coordination of integrated care within the Excellence domain is satisfactory,
but a much more detailed inspection of all interdisciplinary records prior to decision-making can
be enhanced. In the case of ethics, open team conversations, on the one hand, are an asset,
but a more coherent approach to resolving unprofessional behavior is required on the other
hand (IPC, 2018). Within the Accountability and Implication, it is great to be involved in quality
improvement, yet it is easier to seek clarification with peers to ensure one does not misinterpret,
which is a good chance to improve.
C. Interprofessional Team Development
The advanced professional nurse treats the interprofessional team in a strategic
manner by helping them go through five stages of development. The first stage is
forming, where the APN defines purpose, introduces members, and establishes
common goals. During storming, APN will be involved in dispute resolution through
creating an opportunity to engage safely in debate and emphasizing patient-centered
objectives (DeNisco, 2024). The APN assists in negotiating team norms, communication
standards, and expectations of role clarification, defining trust and coherence in the
operation of the team as it advances to the norming stage.
During the performing stage, the APN takes a supporting role and allows the
team to operate independently, as well as supplies the team with the resources needed

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and eliminates any barriers. Lastly, APN directs a formatted reflection in the adjourning
stage to reflect on the results, summarize the acquired knowledge, and share the
successes of the team (DeNisco, 2024). This period will bring about meaningful
finalization and will equip the members of their upcoming ventures with teamwork,
closing the gains achieved in every progressive step.
D. SDOH Summaries
A basic set of three social determinants comprising economic stability, access to
education, and access to healthcare inspires a basic triad. Economic stability, which refers to
stable income and affordable debt, is a determinant of one's capability of affording the needs of
life, such as food, shelter, and health, and it is one of the causes of health disparity. Access to
and quality of education, beginning in early life stages, develop health literacy and opportunity,
with the duration of education being strongly associated with a healthier, longer life span.
Access and quality of healthcare should not be based just on proximity but on affordable
services and cultural competence (Healthy People 2030, 2020). The inequities are increased by
language barriers, including the absence of insurance and adverse language habits, which may
result in deferred therapies, worse outcomes, and side-stepping unnecessary hospital stays.
Physical and social environments in which individuals are exposed are also said to be
powerful determinants of health. The physical surroundings and the community include safety of
residence, the harmfulness of poisons, and access to parks. Living in an environment with
advances of pollution, insanitation, and criminal activities leads to the stress of long-term effects
and inhibition of healthy habits such as exercise (Healthy People 2030, 2020). The final one is
the social and community context, which entails social unity, civic participation, and
discrimination or jailing. Constructive associations and supportive networks are essential and
protective, and systematic racism and social seclusion are noteworthy and strong risk factors
and cause worsening mental and bodily well-being throughout the lifespan.

SDOH Improvements
Certain remedial policy interventions are needed to improve the background social
determinants of health. Federal expansion of the fully refundable Child Tax Credit is one of the
potential methods of enhancing economic stability, which would provide direct financial aid to
families of low income and reduce child poverty. Education is one area where a state-funded
universal pre-K program can be implemented, and this would ensure that all children leave
home and go to school ready to learn and have a long-term educational and health transition.
Similarly, mandatory screening of all people in every county in all hospitals in an equal fashion
would be an organized, romantic approach to introducing patients to necessary resources in the
community, which points directly to healthcare disparities and care quality.
Municipal and state programs will be important to make living environments healthier. A
Complete Streets policy emphasizes members of the pedestrian community, those on bicycles,
and passengers who use vehicles to move about, promoting physical exercise and decreasing
pollution in the neighborhoods. At the same time, social cohesion may be reinforced with a grant
program funded by the state to provide community-based organizations with the capability of
leading cultural bridging and anti-racism training. This program would reduce the health effects
of discriminative practices, which would introduce a better and fairer community environment to
the residents.
E. Examples of Health Equity

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A favorable illustration of the health equity approach is in the case of California,

where an initiative called Alliance of Health Equity focuses on having all state-funded
health programs complete and publish racial equity impact assessments. This policy is
based on the data of the California Health Care Foundation, which presupposes
prevention of possible differences in program development and implementation
(California Health Care Foundation, 2021). The other one is that of Minnesota, a
program called Blueprint of Equitable Disaster Recovery, and it was developed after
they studied the statistics of the CDC on the disproportionate effects of disasters. This
blueprint will directly assign resources and customize communication planning such that
the marginalized communities, such as non-English speakers and people with
disabilities, can have priority attention during the public health emergency and be active
to prevent worsening of current inequities during the emergencies (CDC, 2022).
F. Health Concern Affecting the Population
The issue of adolescent mental health crisis has turned into one of the current
population health issues in Clark County, Nevada, where the cases of major depressive
episodes, anxiety disorders, and suicidal ideation are increasing. The statistics in the
report released in the year 2023 by the Southern Nevada Health District indicate that
over 35 percent of high school learners report continuous negative mood or
hopelessness, which is quite high as compared to the national average. A lack of child
and adolescent psychiatrists caused by a shortage is creating a severe situation, the
intensive use of social media, academic pressures, and long-term effects of the isolation
during the pandemic (County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2023). Such a medical
issue directly affects school attendance, academic performance, and risky behavior,
which predetermines a specific and systemic intervention on the level of different
schools and support networks in the community.
G. Recommendation
Adolescent Mental Health Access Program (AMHAP) is an evidence-based
program that can serve as a structured approach to addressing the issue of adolescent
mental health crisis in Clark County. The proposed coordinated plan of action would
offer universal mental health literacy training, entrench master's-level therapists within
the schools to provide immediate help, and create a telehealth center to consult a
psychiatrist. According to research published in JAMA Pediatrics (Stephan et al., 2022),
mental health services offered at schools boost initiation of treatment by 70% through
minimizing the impediments to its provision. Also, research carried out by the National
Center of School Mental Health suggests that whole school programs improve the
school climate, reduce disciplinary cases, and improve academic achievements.
AMHAP is a high-pay, long-term investment in behavioral health that can meet the
urgent requirements of the population, as well as promote the overall health status of
youth in the community due to the accessibility of the system.
H. Public Leader

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The public figure who has the power and capacity to help make this suggestion is
Dr. Jesus Jara, head of the Clark County School District (CCSD).
Explanation of Public Leader Choice
Dr. Jara would be the best choice because he is an authoritative figure, being the
superintendent of the fifth-largest school district in the country. He is the supervisor of
all instruction and support services, including student wellness, which enables him to
shape policy on the district level, whether budgetary resources, such as AMHAP
budgetary resources, and incorporate mental health priorities in strategic planning. His
role will enable the much-needed cooperation with the Clark County Commission, the
Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, and local healthcare providers to
achieve sustainable funding and cooperation. Through his leadership, the program will
become an institutionalized part of the education system, as it will guarantee that it gets
to the adolescent population and makes significant and lasting impressions.

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References
California Health Care Foundation. (2021). Advancing Health Equity in California: A Guide for
Health Care Organizations. [Link]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Public Health Preparedness and Response
Capabilities: National Standards for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Public Health.
[Link]
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. (2023). Nevada: Clark County. University of Wisconsin
Population Health Institute.
DeNisco, S. M. (2024). Advanced Practice Nursing: Essential Knowledge for the Profession (4th
ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Healthy People 2030. (2020). Social Determinants of Health. U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
Interprofessional Professionalism Collaborative. (2018). Interprofessional Professionalism
Assessment (IPA) Instrument.
Stephan, S. H., et al. (2022). "Effectiveness of School-Based Health Centers on Adolescent
Mental Health Outcomes." JAMA Pediatrics, 176(4), 389–397.

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