Policy and political advocacy: Comparison study of nursing faculty to determine current practices, perceptions, and barriers to teaching health policy.

Purpose: To better understand policy/advocacy concepts and methodology utilized in all levels of nursing educational programs and develop clarity concerning structure of policy content and integration across all levels of education.

Design And Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of data obtained from a survey sent to 19,043 nursing faculty in the United States; 598 total responses; 514 complete responses. Quantitative data points were analyzed using SPSS and qualitative data was grouped and analyzed by theme.

Findings: Barriers and perceptions of student engagement and student learning outcomes along with institutional and faculty development barriers were explored in baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral level nursing programs. Thirty-six percent of respondents reported having experience in development and implementation of policy, ranging from local to international spheres and 21% reported active involvement in current state and federal policy development. Seventy percent of respondents have advocated for the nursing profession through professional organizations while 44% report current activity in legislative advocacy.

Conclusions: The value of nursing policy education, advocacy, and analysis must be valued in higher education.