St. Kate鈥檚 Doctor of Nurse Practice (DNP) students traded hearing rooms for headsets this year for the mock hearing portion of their 鈥淗ealthcare: Power, Policy, and Politics鈥 class. Normally gathered in the Minnesota State Capitol building, faculty and students met on a video conference call 鈥 a first in the course鈥檚 12-year history.
Even at a distance, the students were excited about class. For these future nurse-leaders, this course addresses the complexity of national and global healthcare systems, focusing on interprofessional, cross-cultural, and advanced technological issues that converge to impact the daily practice of all healthcare providers. 鈥淒NPs are nurse leaders who must lead and influence not only at the bedside, but also in the community and policymaking arenas. They need to advocate for those who cannot do so for themselves,鈥 says course instructor and Associate Professor of nursing Susan Hageness, DNP, RN, CNE, AHN-BC.
The adjunct faculty members who co-teach this course with Hageness add important perspectives to the students鈥 education. and former Minnesota judge Sheryl Ramstad, JD, DNP, RN, are both registered nurses with long histories of serving in the Minnesota political arena. Murphy 鈥 who has taught this course with Hageness since its inception in 2010 鈥 was sworn in to her first term as a Minnesota state senator for District 64 in January, after serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives for over 12 years. Ramstad鈥檚 prestigious career in law and public service includes serving as the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections from 1999鈥2002 and as a Minnesota state court judge from 2002鈥 2012. This is Ramstad鈥檚 second year teaching the course. As Hageness shares, 鈥淗aving a sitting state senator teach our students adds rich perspective on policymaking and politics. When Sheryl joined the course last year, her judiciary experience and leadership in the healthcare policy arena expanded our insights and discussions.鈥
The mock hearing portion of the course is the students鈥 introduction to the curriculum. They act as expert testifiers and legislators to discuss contemporary political issues. This year, the students, like Kendra-Ann Sookdeo DNP'21, MAHS'21, and Greg Veenendaal DNP'21 (pictured), presented and discussed two policy issues: 鈥淪hould Minnesota end the prohibition on recreational cannabis?鈥 and 鈥淪hould Minnesota require COVID-19 vaccinations be mandatory?鈥 Students were assigned pro and con positions, regardless of their personal opinions on the topics. The testifiers presented evidence to support their position, with arguments ranging from public health, societal well-being, physical health, and technology, to name a few. The legislators would then ask the testifiers poignant questions to further understand their expert opinion. 鈥淭his exercise shows the complexity of policy issues. Divergent arguments are held as truths, and legislators have to listen to both sides to get to a conclusion,鈥 says Murphy.
At the end, Murphy and Ramstad provided a debrief and commentary. The class discussed the finer points of delivering testimony, as well as the responsibility of making decisions in the best interest of the people you represent, rather than one鈥檚 own personal beliefs. 鈥淎s nurses, we provide our patients with the best information we have, and then honor the patient鈥檚 choices. We have to separate our personal values, and respect the position and values of the people in our care. The work we do as nurses prepares us for work in public policy,鈥 says Murphy.
Throughout the course, the curriculum emphasizes strategies for influencing change in healthcare policies, including consensus building, policymaking, lobbying, political activism, and methods for evaluating policy outcomes. In addition to exercises like the mock hearing, the course faculty educates students to engage in meaningful discourse with their healthcare peers, community members, and powerful legislators 鈥 like United States Congressman Dean Phillips from Minnesota鈥檚 3rd congressional district, who will speak to the students during the March 13 class.
鈥淭he Institute of Medicine recognizes the importance of nurses playing leadership roles in improving the quality of healthcare, just as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing stresses that policy involvement should be addressed in all levels of nursing education, including at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels,鈥 says Ramstad. 鈥淚t has become apparent from teaching this course that once equipped with the tools needed to influence the political process, nurses feel empowered, more confident, and eager to provide their views to those in powerful positions.鈥
Learn more about St. Kate's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees:
Nursing (DNP): Post-Master's
(DNP):Family Nurse Practitioner
(DNP):Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
(DNP):Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
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