Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations

Develop a 4-6 page position about a specific health care issue as it relates to a target vulnerable population. Include an analysis of existing evidence and position papers to help support your position. Your analysis should also present and respond to one or more opposing viewpoints.

Introduction

Note: Each assessment in this course builds on the work you completed in the previous assessment. Therefore, you must complete the assessments in this course in the order in which they are presented.

Position papers are a method to evaluate the most current evidence and policies related to health care issues. They offer a way for researchers to explore the views of any number of organizations around a topic. This can help you to develop your own position and approach to care around a topic or issue.

This assessment will focus on analyzing position papers about an issue related to addiction, chronicity, emotional and mental health, genetics and genomics, or immunity. Many of these topics are quickly evolving as technology advances, or as we attempt to push past stigmas. For example, technology advances and DNA sequencing provide comprehensive information to allow treatment to become more targeted and effective for the individual. However as a result, nurses must be able to understand and teach patients about the impact of this information. With this great power comes concerns that patient conditions are protected in an ethical and compassionate manner.

Position papers are a way for individuals, groups, and organizations to express their views and intentions toward a specific issue. In health care, many position papers address specific policies, regulations, or other approaches to care. As a master’s-prepared nurse, you should feel empowered to express and advocate for your own views on policy and care matters. This is especially important when it comes to populations you or your organization cares for that are not receiving the quality, type, or amount of care that they require.

An important skill in creating a position paper or policy proposal is the ability to analyze and synthesize others’ views about the population or issue of interest to you. By synthesizing the positive and negative views of an issue, you can become better equipped to strengthen your own arguments and to respond to opposing views in an informed and convincing way.

Preparation

As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.

  • What is the vulnerable population that most interests you?
    • What is the health issue that is most prevalent or severe in the population?
    • How does the health issue impact the daily lives of members of the population?
    • How does the care environment in your chosen context impact both the population and the level of care related to the health issue?
    • What are the biggest challenges that you would need to overcome to improve the outcomes for the population related to the health issue?
  • What is your position on how to best work to improve the care and outcomes that the population is receiving?
    • What previously published position papers support your position, or the need to work to improve care and outcomes in general for the population?
      • How do these position papers support your assertions?
      • How could one or more of the position papers help you to form a treatment plan?
    • What previously published position papers contradict your position?
      • What, if any, of these differences would make your position stronger if you incorporated them?
      • How could you respond to any irreconcilable differences in such a way as to encourage buy-in for your position from those opposed?